Impromptu theology lecture with my Sikh Uber driver who started peppering me with questions about the differences between Christian sects. He couldn't understand why a monotheistic religion would opt for a thousand variations on a theme. "But God is One", he'd interject.
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His final question, as we pulled over: "So what are you then? Catholic or Jewish?" (I'd explained the issue of the Jewish kids, and thoughts of conversion.) "Remember the thing about Jesus' divinity? Well, you've kind of got to give that up along with the bacon."
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Learning about the debates (and wars) of the early church regarding the nature of the Trinity really showed me how little I understand about the religion I was raised with
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Right. It's just incredible that people would engage in wars and massacres over some subtle verbiage around Jesus' place in the Trinity.
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I got recently a book that tries to summarize all the stories behind "the historic Jesus" by analyzing all the different gospels and sources from that time. It was written by Paul Verhoeven (yes, the dutch filmaker) and it's quite interesting. It's a huge topic to grasp easily.
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I randomly read about Verhoeven's book on the historical Jesus recently. Evidently, it's taken quite seriously.
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When you think about all the sects that's been around from the very start of catholism, it all becomes very nuts. It's a miracle (?) that we're still alive.
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Sikhs in North America are very hung up on being a monotheistic faith. Not sure why but maybe they believe it is a path for their religion getting more respect in the West.
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I visited a Gurudwara in Delhi, and they kind of gave me the proselytizing hard sell. They brought up monotheism a lot too. I think it might be their way of demystifying the religion, and making it relatable to Westerners. I should probably study it more.
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Yes I definitely think they try to use it in Western contexts to stress differences from those freakish Hindus with their crazy beliefs.
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Technically they are more monotheistic than your average Hindu but Sikh monotheism is definitely not like Semitic monotheism. For example instead of rejecting Hindu Gods there are many references to them in Guru Granth Sahib.
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Sikh theologians who want to push the monotheism angle will say that they were considered admirable human beings but not divine. I don't know enough to be sure either way.
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I married an Indian American Sikh who I met here. We never had a Temple wedding, just a court wedding and then a Gurudwara wedding at her parent's request. I tried very hard to come with warm, fuzzy feeling for the faith but honestly the strident fundamentalists was a turnoff.
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It also didn't help that when we were visiting a Gurudwara in Delhi during an India trip I took my two daughters to a Gurdwara and in their excitement at feeding the fish in the pond there their head covering slipped exposing their hair.
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A security guard came running and started abusing us using swear words. I told my wife that it reminded me of a scene from the Taliban in Afghanistan and it ended my interest in the Sikh religion and going to Gurdwaras.
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