[KS] RE: Religious Intolerance

[Pankaj Mohan]

                      RE: Religious Intolerance                    7/8/98





As for Pankaj Mohan's long letter, I am reminded of an eerie tale of the 
Brahman Kritaakrita translated from the Sanskrit entitled "Underdone, 
overdone, undone!" (F.W. Bain, 1901). "What has been done is too little, too 
much, and not done at all." 


The word Kritaakrita just means DONE UNDONE.
A couple of years ago when a post on assault and arson on Korea's Buddhist 
monasteries was posted, I expressed my unhappiness at "a section of Korean 
Christian community". In fact,I was wrong in my usage. There may be a prima 
facie evidence against some one who professes to be a Christian, but 
involvement of an organised Christian group has not yet been established. By 
using the word "so-called Christians" and "Criminals" in my post this week I 
have now UNDONE what was mistakenly DONE two years ago. 

Also, until it was pointed out that  pabulum was mostly used for cattle feed 
I did not realize its derogatory connotation. I always used the word to mean 
"That which nourishes and sustains the mind or soul; food for thought". (The 
Oxford English Dictionary Vol. XI. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989, p.32). If 
the word is really pejorative in nature, I express my regret and wish to undo 
what I did.
Finally, I wish to make it clear that I did not ever express any view in 
favour of banning any writing. I wrote that I was puzzled at one of the 
selections which I reckoned to be a promotional article on Silla hotel. But 
most importantly, I expressed my strong disagreement with what I interpreted 
as infammatory and unfair conclusions. In my understanding the rhetorical 
question "Do you know any liberal Korean Christians in the US? My experience 
with the immigrant Christian community was disappointing" was an example of 
generalisation. But then I never claim that I am right and others are wrong. 
If some one has right to write something  on a public space, I too have right 
to offer my comments on it. It is sad that people interpret disagreement of 
ideas and strategy as an evidence of personal disregard.
Pankaj N. Mohan




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