posted September 17, 2006 12:17 AM         

Hart, who claims to be "as much a Hindu as a Christian", is currently on a lecture tour to Kerala. While here, he bought a Ganesh idol, conducted a puja for 10 days and subsequently joined a Ganesotsav procession organised by the Kerala unit of Shiv Sena to immerse his idol in the sea. He is also a follower of Lord Krishna, and had offered prayers at his local temple.

Hart, a professor of theology and religious studies at University of Winchester, says: "I celebrated Ganesha puja with the same piety and devotion with which I celebrate the Eucharist or namaz." His actions, after these were reported in the British media, stirred a hot debate in UK and US, with pressure mounting on parish authorities to disrobe him as a priest of the Church of England.

Hart, who has written the book Trading Faith, says he believes in the ‘oneness’ of faith. He claims to be a follower of Iskcon, who has changed his middle name to Ananda Krishna Das.

Hart says in his book: "Asking me to express my preference for any particular faith is like asking me to choose between an ice-cream and a chocolate. Both have distinct flavour."

Sena’s Kerala unit head M S Bhuvanchandran says Hart had offered puja in a Krishna temple earlier.

Bhuvanchandran said he did not understand why there was such a hue and cry over the priest joining the procession, as Ganesotsav is a festival for people of varied faiths. "For instance, a devoted Muslim — Krenjish Khan — offers the Ganesh idol at Thampanur near here every year. Similarly, Nabisa Ummal, formerly a CPM MLA, participates in the Utsav regularly."

Foreigners from Spain, France and England have been fervently participating in the Ganesotsav, he claimed.
Hart reportedly told a group of people at the Ganesha festival that Hinduism attracts him as it "was a very broad-based, Catholic, and secular faith that allows one to interact with God sans mediating forces".

posted September 17, 2006 01:19 AM         

I cannot believe in this day of ecumenicalism or the work towards understanding and uniting all of the faiths there would be a cry for this priest to be excommunicated from the church of England.

Thomas Merton who was a Franciscan monk in the RC Church was also a follower of Zen Buddhism and often mediated and prayed with the Buddhists. He died in an auto accident in the 1960's returning from one of his retreats with the Zen Buddhists. He spoke of Zen Buddhism in many of his books. Fr. Richard Rohr also mediated with the Zen Buddhists though he said he was really lousy at it. lol Neither of those two men, and I am sure there are also others, were threatened with excommunication or defrocking them from the priesthood.

posted September 17, 2006 02:26 AM         

I believe in respecting others, so long they respect my too!

posted September 17, 2006 03:42 AM         

Silverstone

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The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.