Many Names for God

From The Religious News Service:

When Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal converted to Catholicism during high school and college, he took a momentous step away from his inherited faith of Hinduism, the prevalent religion of his parents' generation and Indian homeland.

But among Jindal's relatives and among Hindus in India generally, his decision to adopt the Christian way is strongly supported.

Jindal's personal path to Christianity was aided by an open-minded attitude among his relatives about theology. His infrequent visits to India as a child gave him little chance to acquire a deeply ingrained appreciation for Hindu culture.

His relatives' perspective reflects a tolerant side of Hinduism, which for thousands of years has survived philosophical transformations, rebellious counter-religions and numerous sects, only to claim them all in time as part of the infinitely flexible cosmos of Hindu faith.

"If you find and see that you get more peace of mind, more solace, in that religion, then why not change religion?" said Jindal's uncle Subhash Gupta, a practicing Hindu. "In India, many people change to the Christian religion. And I can understand that some people maybe find Christian religion more satisfying to their needs."

Jindal, who was sworn in as governor Monday, grew up in Baton Rouge, La., under the guidance of Hindu parents. On a few occasions, he spent time with Hindu relatives in India. One of his earliest mentors was his multifaceted maternal grandfather, Krishan Gupta, a Punjab banking executive who was widely read and believed in the equality of religions.

Jindal would spend much of his time on those visits in his grandfather's home, a place full of books, including the popular Hindu scripture the Bhagavad Gita. Gupta could read Urdu and was familiar with the Quran.

"They had a great relationship," Subhash Gupta said.

The young Jindal posed "questions after questions" to the elder Gupta about Indian religion and philosophy. The grandfather "was amazed to see that such a question was coming out from this age of boy," Gupta said.

Jindal's aunt, Nirmal Aggarwal of New Delhi, also recalls a special bond between Jindal and her father, Krishan. She said Jindal's conversion to Catholicism was a natural and spiritually healthy move.

"I am happy with it ... because I think it is his own affair,"

Aggarwal said. "I really respect his decision. All religions, I think, they believe in one divine power, that is God."

Although the relatives' opinions might seem magnanimous, their views are typically Hindu. India's large-circulation national newspapers viewed Jindal's election as front-page news, and for the most part his conversion to Catholicism has received less comment than criticisms of his infrequent visits and seeming lack of interest in his parents' home country.

India's revered national figure Mahatma Gandhi espoused religious tolerance because he believed there were many paths to God -- so long as the pursuit was sincere. Pandit Deoki Nandan Shastri, a Hindu holy man in Varanasi, made a similar point.

"Hindu is not a religion," he said. "Hinduism is a way of life."

"You pray to Christ, I pray to Rama, he prays to Muhammad," he said.

"We are going the same way. God is one. His name is called a thousand names."

Very nice. So it should be with Christianity. Not a religion, a way of life.