Lauren Rule- Dharm (Other Topic #4)

Dharm is a movie all about religion. Professor Rose showed us the movie in Wisdom Traditions of India. It wasn't a film that I would have watched on my own, 1. because it has subtitles and 2. because it was a little sad. The story is based in India with the protagonist a Hindu priest, Pandit Chaturvedi. The priest is incredibly respected and devoted to the ancient values and morals of Hindu teaching. At the beginning of the movie, the priest is sort of a prick. A common man accidentally bumps into him after he has already cleansed himself and some of his followers beat up the man for this! The priest does nothing to stop the abuse and instead continues back to the river to re-cleanse. One day his daughter brings him an abandoned baby boy. The priest wants to send the baby to be raised in an orphanage when the mother isn't found; his wife, however, insists that the boy was brought to them for a reason and they should raise him as their own. The priest is reluctant at first and is annoyed with the child because the boy cries while he is trying to meditate. Eventually, the boy wins over the priest, until the boy's mother returns. It turns out that the Hindu priest had been caring for the child of a Muslim. After finding out the boy's true origins, the priest feels like he has betrayed his religion and God himself. In order to redeem himself, the priest takes a series of vows, such as fasting and not speaking. When riots break out in the city, Hindus v. Muslims, the mother returns and begs for the family to take back the boy because he will be safer with the family of a respected Hindu priest; the priest refuses. I think refusing sanctuary to a child because of his or her religion is a sin. The priest came to his senses and went looking for the boy. What he found was horrifying. The men that he guided were ransacking Muslims and their homes. The priest found the boy and took him to safety and showed the angry Hindus what they were doing was wrong. I like the happy ending, but it boggles my mind to think about the blood shed that occurs over religion. Also in the movie, a young Hindu falls in love with and marries a white man against her families wishes; her husband dies while she is pregnant and returns to her family. The priest comes to see the family, but shuns the girl; he walks passed her without even acknowledging her existence. Religion is a dangerously strong motivator to some people. I once attended a youth group with a friend of mine, I am not Christian but we were having a sleep over, and the leader told the group of young kids that a Christian friend will always be better than a Jewish friend. I don't identify with Judaism either, but my mom is Jewish. I will never forget those girl's words at youth group. I find denying love (to a significant other, child, friend, etc.) due to religion inexcusable, I don't care how many 'hail marys' someone does. If God loves all, why does religion (inadvertently at times) teach discrimination?