Reincarnation, a New Age fad? (was: Gymnosophists)

[l.m.fosse at easteur-orient.uio.no]

Yvette C. Rosser wrote:

>BTW, the likes of Pat Robertson undoubtedly think that reincarnation and
>karma, and beliefs central to many Indic religions, are New Age fads
>(designed by Satan!) and that Hinduism is an evil cult bent on mind
>control!

Re the concept fad: In my opinion, for something to be more than a fad it
would have to influence sections of a population profoundly for a long
period, to the extent that the ideas involved become institutionalized
(churches, congregations, organizations etc.). I would still claim that
most of the ideas that have reached us from India during the last decades
are "being tested" in Western society. With the spread of neo-racism and
right-wing ideas, such ideas may lose ground precisely because they are
derived from the East. Personally, I do not find it more objectionable that
people believe in reincarnation than that they believe in the Christian
doctrines.

I would very much appreciate it if you did not associate me with people
like Pat Robertson. I am a sceptical rationalist and prefer to have my
views on reality shaped by modern scholarship and science, not by the sort
of ideas propagated by Robertson and his ilk.

Best regards,

Lars Martin Fosse



Lars Martin Fosse
Research Fellow
Department of East European
and Oriental Studies
P. O. Box 1030, Blindern
N-0315 OSLO Norway

Tel: +47 22 85 68 48
Fax: +47 22 85 41 40

E-mail: l.m.fosse at easteur-orient.uio.no