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    Why I am Not a Hindu
    Why I am Not a Hindu
    Why I am Not a Hindu
    Ebook42 pages40 minutes

    Why I am Not a Hindu

    By Dr. Ramendra

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    About this ebook

    Why I am Not a Hindu is a book every rationalist should have on his bookshelves. --The Modern Rationalist, Chennai, India.
    For the students of religion on the one hand and for agnostics and atheists on the other, this book is priceless, and for the ordinary reader it is thought provoking to say the least. --The Hindustan Times, Patna, India.
    Professor Ramendra's bold manifesto in which he explains why he rejects the doctrine of the infallibility of the Vedas, varnashram dharma, moksha, karmavada, and avatarvada. --The Secular Web

    Inspired by Bertrand Russell's "Why I Am Not a Christian", which the author, Dr. Ramendra admired, and M. K. Gandhi's "Why I Am a Hindu", with which he disagreed; the author explains why he is not a Hindu by conviction, though he is a Hindu by birth.
    "Why I Am Not a Hindu" was first published in print edition in 1993,second edition in 1995, and third revised edition in 2011.It has been translated into Hindi, Oriya and Malayalam. This ebook is based on the third revised edition of the print book.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDr. Ramendra
    Release dateApr 10, 2011
    ISBN9781458147851
    Why I am Not a Hindu
    Author

    Dr. Ramendra

    Dr. Ramendra (full name "Ramendra Nath") is presently working as Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Philosophy at Patna College, Patna University, India; where he has been teaching for thirty years. He is a double gold medalist and double research degree holder from Patna University. His Ph. D was on "The Ethical Philosophy of Bertrand Russell" and his D. Lit. Was on "M. N. Roy's New Humanism and Materialism". Both these works have been published as books. Dr. Ramendra is the author of nearly thirty books and booklets in Hindi and English, including 'Why I am Not a Hindu', 'Is God Dead?, 'The Myth of Unity of all Religions' and 'Some Reflections on Ethics'. Besides, he has written hundreds of articles in newspapers, magazines and journals. Dr. Ramendra (born 1957) is married to Dr. Kawaljeet Kaur since 1981. Dr. Ramendra, along with his wife, is the co-founder of Buddhiwadi Samaj (Rationalist Society) and Buddhiwadi Foundation, two internationally known organizations for promoting rationalism and humanism. Dr. Ramendra's only daughter, Priya, is a software engineer and she works actively for the Buddhiwadi Foundation.

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    • 1/5
      Politically inspired and half baked knowledge. As a general hindu public no one in these modern days follows religious text word to word. Every religion has flaws and good and they undergo changes. Seems author stuck in his self imagined world where these texts are daily reading of every household which is not true. Also I have observed Hinduism the most modern and adapting religion compare to any other religion in this world.

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    Book preview

    Why I am Not a Hindu - Dr. Ramendra

    Why I am Not a Hindu is a book every rationalist should have on his bookshelves.

    --The Modern Rationalist, Chennai, India.

    For the students of religion on the one hand and for agnostics and atheists on the other, this book is priceless, and for the ordinary reader it is thought provoking to say the least.

    --The Hindustan Times, Patna, India.

    Professor Ramendra's bold manifesto in which he explains why he rejects the doctrine of the infallibility of the Vedas, varnashram dharma, moksha, karmavada, and avatarvada.

    --The Secular Web

    ###

    Why I am Not a Hindu

    by Dr. Ramendra

    rev 20.04.13

    Print edition first published in 1993

    Second edition1995

    Third revised edition 2011

    Published by the Buddhiwadi Foundation

    Copyright Ramendra 1993-2013

    ###

    Smashwords Edition

    License Notes

    This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be resold or given away to other people.

    ###

    Cover design by Priya

    ###

    Also by Dr. Ramendra, Published at Smashwords:

    Is God Dead?

    The Myth of Unity of all Religions

    The Ethical Philosophy of Bertrand Russell

    and

    Some Reflections on Ethics

    Table of Contents

    Why I am Not a Hindu

    The Meaning of Hindu

    Basic Beliefs of Hinduism

    The infallibility of the Vedas

    Varna-vyavastha

    Manusmriti

    Criticism of varna-vyavastha

    Apologies for varna-vyavastha

    Moksha, Karmavada and Avatarvada

    Conclusion

    Endnotes

    About the author

    Why I am Not a Hindu

    I have read and admired Bertrand Russell's Why I Am Not a Christian. On the other hand, I have also read and disagreed with M. K. Gandhi's Why I Am a Hindu. My acquaintance with these writings has inspired me to write this essay explaining why I am not a Hindu, though I was born in a Hindu family.

    The Meaning of Hindu

    The word Hindu is a much-abused word in the sense that it has been used to mean different things at different times. For example, some people even now, at least some times, use the word Hindu as a synonym for Indian. In this sense of the term, I am certainly a Hindu because I do not deny being an Indian. However, I do not think that this a proper use of the term Hindu. There are many Indians such as Muslims, Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians as well as rationalists, humanists and atheists who do not call themselves Hindu and also do not like to be described as such. It is certainly not fair to convert them into Hinduism by giving an elastic definition of the term Hindu. Besides, it is also not advisable to use the word Hindu in this sense from the point of view of clarity. The word Hindu may have been used in the beginning as a synonym for Indian [1], but, at present, the word is used for people with

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