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The Hindu greeting Namaste in its implied meaning: "The divine in me bows to the divine in you." Why don't Christians say the same thing?
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Oct 11, 2021 10:23:53   #
Michael Rich Loc: Lapine Oregon
 
Canuckus Deploracus wrote:
Of course...

In a rather atrocious manner; on both accounts...


Agreed.

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Oct 11, 2021 10:51:10   #
Parky60 Loc: People's Republic of Illinois
 
Michael Rich wrote:
And that's what he did.

Of course you never addressed my original comment that was tied in with that question.

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Oct 11, 2021 12:43:02   #
Michael Rich Loc: Lapine Oregon
 
Parky60 wrote:
Of course you never addressed my original comment that was tied in with that question.


You didn't understand my answer.

I'll try to be less complicated for any future Q&A.

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Oct 11, 2021 13:18:00   #
Rose42
 
Parky60 wrote:
Title of thread: The Hindu greeting Namaste in its implied meaning: "The divine in me bows to the divine in you." Why don't Christians say the same thing?

First: I don't bow down to other human beings because not all are indwelt by God.

Second: I only bow down to my Lord and Master Jesus Christ.


Short and sweet. That covers it.

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Oct 11, 2021 14:02:49   #
Parky60 Loc: People's Republic of Illinois
 
Michael Rich wrote:
You didn't understand my answer.

I'll try to be less complicated for any future Q&A.

You made no comment on the reason I gave for Jacob bowing to Esau was because he was fearful that his brother might kill him. Had nothing to do with bowing down to an idol which you alluded to by leaving out the reason he bowed to him.

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Oct 11, 2021 20:57:24   #
Michael Rich Loc: Lapine Oregon
 
Parky60 wrote:
You made no comment on the reason I gave for Jacob bowing to Esau was because he was fearful that his brother might kill him. Had nothing to do with bowing down to an idol which you alluded to by leaving out the reason he bowed to him.


You are way off base. You jump to conclusions that you've imagined.

I said nothing nor did I imply bowing to idols.

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Oct 12, 2021 00:31:32   #
rumitoid
 
Parky60 wrote:
Title of thread: The Hindu greeting Namaste in its implied meaning: "The divine in me bows to the divine in you." Why don't Christians say the same thing?

First: I don't bow down to other human beings because not all are indwelt by God.

Second: I only bow down to my Lord and Master Jesus Christ.


Apparently you did not comprehend my thread; your comments make no sense. Read the Scripture again.

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Oct 12, 2021 00:34:07   #
rumitoid
 
Zemirah wrote:
Christian belief does not require 4,000 year old polytheistic - pantheistic Hindu termonology. Today, the use of "namaste" is found on the Nepal and Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and among the Indian diaspora worldwide.

The gesture (but not the term namaste for it) is a sacred Hindu symbol widely used as a greeting in the parts of Southeast Asia where Indian religions are strong. Namaste is usually spoken with a slight bow and hands pressed together, palms touching and fingers pointing upwards, thumbs close to the chest. This gesture is called añjali mudrā; the standing posture incorporating it is pranamasana.

Praṇāma is a form of respectful or reverential salutation before something, or another person – usually a deity. It is found in Indian culture and Hindu traditions; the meaning of Sana is "light, brilliant, radiant; praise."

Namaste is a Sanskrit Hindu acknowledgement in India, meaning "I bow to the divine in you, and is a gesture to send a message of peaceful spirituality to the universe hoping to receive back a positive message.

"Namaste" is the common greeting in the four thousand year old Hindu spiritual exercise known as yoga, where most westerners/i.e., Americans say "namaste" as a means to thank their teacher or use as an expression of relief upon the ending of the class, and are unaware of any further meaning.

According to the Webster dictionary, the word namaste, pronounced "NUHM-uh-stay," combines two phrases to mean “I bow to you,” literally understood as “The divine in me bows to the divine in you.”

It consists of a Sanskrit noun namah, meaning, "adoration, bow" (derived from the verb namati, which means, "he or she bends, or bows"), and the pronoun te meaning, "to you."

Namaste is used as a common Hindu/Indian greeting, a salutation, a cultural sign of reverence and respect, and in some sections of India as their "good morning" greeting as well.

Origin of namaste

Ultimately (via Hindi, Punjabi, and other South Asian languages) from Sanskrit: namas te "obeisance to you" namaḥ: "homage, obeisance"
nem- in Indo-European roots te. tu- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

From Sanskrit (namaste), from (námas, "bow, obeisance, reverential salutation"), and (te, "to you"), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *namas- ("to bow, prostrate"). Compare Persian (namâz).
From Wiktionary

There are a few aspects Christians should consider.

1. Namaste in Hindu culture. Though considered a part of Hindu culture, namaste has a spiritual overtone. According to Hindu belief, god is transcendent as well as immanent.

The Hindu culture is about what a person does, rather than what they believe. It is based on a universal soul or god called Brahman which takes on an ultimate number of forms that Hindus worship as gods or goddesses.

The word, Namaste comes from the more pantheistic forms of Hinduism that sees everything and everyone, in patheistic terms, as god (All is God, God is All). It is the view that god is rock, god is a tree, god is the sky or god is a squirrel, each of us is god.

In other words, it means “The divine in me bows to the divine in you,” or the “God in me bows to the God in you.”

2. Namaste and Christianity. Namaste conflicts with Christianity because the Bible teaches that humans are not gods and that humans are only to bow to the one true God, Yahweh, as well as five Bible verses forbidding bowing before angels.

* There is only one God and he does not share his glory. “I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols” (Isaiah 42:8).
* Bowing to or showing respect to another false god is an act of idolatry. “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). Giving the namaste greeting would be like saying, “You are a god and I bow to you.”
* I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. But he *said to me, “Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God." Revelation 22:8-9
* Deepak Chopra explores the purpose of Namaste in his book, "The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire," emphasizing that the Sanskrit greeting Namaste (na-ma-stay) means, "I honor the divine in you" and shows the highest form of humble respect and admiration for another human being.

3. Namaste in Yoga. Namaste is used in yoga. The world of Christendom is divided on the practice of yoga.

Most Westerners consider yoga as purely the practice of physical exercise, increasing flexibility, and strengthening muscles. Their physical-only aspect of yoga is actually called "asana," and is not genuine yoga, for it fails to recognize the spiritual element on which yoga was created 4,000 years ago.

The 4,000 year old Eastern philosophy behind yoga is an ancient Hindu process to enlightenment and spiritual growth, for the word Yoga means “union” with a goal of uniting the practitioner with the Hindu god, Brahman.

Whether or not yoga is something in which Christians should participate is a question each must answer.

4. Christians and Meditation. For some Christians, yoga is an opportunity for prayer. They meet God on the mat. As they move through poses and stretches, using it as a chance for prayer and seeking God.

Namaste then becomes the practice of saying to one another, “I see you and I recognize you are a temple of the living God.” (1 Corinthians 3:16).

However, in an interview with Belief.net, Sheetal Shah, Senior Director at Hindu American Foundation disclosed this:

“Because concentration, or being present, allows us [Hindus] to focus inwards on our Divine self. We can focus on making our every thought, word, and action selfless and thus, worthy offerings to the Divine that resides in us all. But therein lies the fundamental disconnect between the teachings of yoga and [Christianity].”

The Bible teaches God’s people to meditate on God’s works and his Word, rather than on one’s inner self:

Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2
Psalm 63:6; Psalm 77:11-12
Psalm 143:5; Romans 12:2

The Bible teaches God’s people to worship nothing other than God:

Exodus 20:3; Exodus 34:14
Deuteronomy 6:13-14; 1 Chronicles 16:25
Psalm 96:4-5; Philippians 2:10-11
Revelation 4:8-9

Sources

Beliefnet.com, “Is "Asana" yoga Religious?”
Crosswalk.com, “Is It Okay for Christians to Practice Yoga?”
Merriam-Webster.com, “How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language.”
https://sentence.yourdictionary.com/namaste
Christian belief does not require 4,000 year old p... (show quote)


Excellent presentation but I feel you have thoroughly missed my point. Re-read the Scripture I gave.

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Oct 12, 2021 11:10:11   #
Zemirah Loc: Sojourner En Route...
 
rumitoid wrote:
Excellent presentation but I feel you have thoroughly missed my point. Re-read the Scripture I gave.


rumitoid, can it be possible that you have also missed mine?

There is a higher value to be pursued, other than bowing and scraping to fellow Christians. Jesus' harshest words were reserved only for those "religious" leaders who misrepresented the Scriptures, usually by substituting their own words, and ignoring His (His Fathers) words.

That is not to say courtesy, and at a bare minimum, civility is not to be maintained, in as far as possible.

Deception is now rampant in this age where the historical past is embracing the prophesied future on a daily basis, introducing itself, converging, and proceeding with breakneck ever escalating speed toward the end of time, as we have known it.

If ever in the church age, there has been a time for Christian Apologetics - (Greek: ἀπολογία, "verbal defense, speech in defense"), a branch of Christian theology that defends the subject, goal and truth of Christianity, i.e., Christ and Him crucified, as the only basis of God's salvation, it is now.

By including this in your title: "The divine in me bows to the divine in you." Why don't Christians say the same thing?",

even though you then conclude your post with, "Of course, I am not saying for us to actually repeat "namaste" to each other but to speak it in our actions with each other."

the impression floats there, that "in our actions with each other" could imply bowing to each other, as the Hindus do, with a "pantheistic" indoctrination that all entities of creation are innately divine, i.e., all are the Creator, rather than the created.

Each of the two profoundly beautiful, divinely inspired verses you quote from the book of the Apostle John, Jesus
assures all future born-again believers in Him of their spiritual access to God the Father, for they have been spiritually united by the indwelling Holy Spirit into the body of Christ, by the grace of God, applied through the conduit of their faith.

John 14:19-20 Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me.



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Oct 12, 2021 11:56:40   #
Parky60 Loc: People's Republic of Illinois
 
rumitoid wrote:
Apparently you did not comprehend my thread; your comments make no sense. Read the Scripture again.

Then the title of your thread, as usual, is misleading. I was commenting on the title of the thread as I quoted it.

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