Roman Catholic Shiva

Growing up Catholic and spending some time in Catholic schools

·         Kneeling on bottlecaps

·         Rulers on the knuckles

·         Holding a penny in a tight circle with my nose on the chalkboard

·         Holding bibles in the T position

Not that I didn’t deserve it (I got off easy) but to establish my Roman Catholic credentials.  My knees were never the same but my lower back is strong! 

Janet (Baptist background) and I and our daughters (18 and 21 – with all the wisdom of their youth looking down on us as suburban Christians) are active practicing Christians.  I have taught Sunday School 3-4 times a month for the past several years.  I have some good friends who are Hindu (isn’t that the bigot’s favorite line) but basically don't get worshiping many gods.  But then all religions look crazy from the outside.  As Janet says “we’ll all be surprised when we meet our maker”.

So going to the Batu Caves (large limestone hill in flat Kuala Lumpur plan – Kuala Lumpur mean muddy water) which became a Hindu Shrine (Not sure which deity- yes I am a philistine) in the late 1800s and has become a large shrine and tourist attraction today. 

Previous visits to Hindu shrines (in India) , I have felt chased by beggars and touts – but Batu Caves was very relaxing – like a church. 

The similarities between the Catholicism of my youth and the Hindu gods surprised me

Impressive Entrance

 

Paying for and lighting candles for blessing

 

Icons

 

Different shrines for different blessings

Overall a feeling of leaving this world and focusing on the next.  Very positive. Not my style but worthy of respect and as Janet says – “we’ll all be surprised”

Of course I couldn’t leave on a high note – always dragging the conversation down to Mad Magazine level and demonstrating that the Ugly American lives on for another generation.



Wouldn’t be India without a Cow

Nice finish

Come back soon!