Hinduism vs Humanism !!

I see a lot of Hindus holding that humanism is more important than religions and hence in that process shun their Hindu identity. The following is a post made in that context, trying to analyze this apparent contradiction between Hinduism and Humanism.

Question:
No religion is bigger than Humanism
Why to fight for religion?

My Reply:
Arg.. these humanists. In my view they are just apologists selling old wine in new bottles.

Doesn’t the Hindu scriptures resonate with the idea of “vasudaiva kutumbakam” – the world as one large family?

Doesn’t the Shanti mantras in the Upanishads go on as “let everyone be happy, let everyone attain life fulfillment.. Shantih Shantih Shantih”

Doesn’t the Rig Veda declare “let noble thoughts come to us from ALL directions”

Are there any references to any Saint saying that they are only for Hindus? Didn’t they always maintain an universal attitude? They rather said that something which is not universal in nature is not truth at all coz it is limited.

Did anyone see any Hindu criticizing the forms or worship or the religious ideals of other religions and calling them “false” (I am speaking of religious/philosophical condemnation, not the condemnation of the dogmatic aspects in them)

Doesn’t the Vedas declare that “truth is one, but sages call it by different names”

Doesn't Hinduism say that every human is divine... nay even the animals and plants are divine?

So what’s this fuss about “Humanism”. Is Hinduism not already “humanist”… why do we need to bring some new European terms to drive that idea.

It is like that old man carrying a goat story. Once a man was carrying a goat on his shoulders. Some set of people wanted to get that goat.. but how to do it. While the guy was walking, the first comes and says to the person.. why are you carrying a dog with you?

The man replies that it is not a dog, but a goat and proceeds with his journey. Then after some time the second man comes and asks the same question… why are you carrying a dog. The man again clarifies that it is not a dog but a goat.

This repast third time… fourth time… fifth time. Finally the man starts thinking that he is really carrying a dog, else why shouls all those people say it… leaves the goat (which he thought to be a dog) there and starts searching for a goat.

The situation of Hindus today is no different. Hinduism is already universal enough in nature. But some groups have repeatedly tried to malign it. So the new set of apologetic Hindu breed try to shy away from that identity, instead of trying to clean that malign and try to assume more fashionable identities like “religious humanism”, “spiritual”, “Humanist” blah blah.

[Sorry for my outburst. It was a general post about the above mentioned type of apologists in orkut. Please don’t take the post as aimed a *you*. ]


>> Why to fight for religion?

Nobody here is keen to fight for ‘religion’, but for the ideals which come to represent in the form of religion.

We stand against the dogmatism of calling all other paths false and be damned to hell if you don’t accept Christ as your last savior. We fight the dogmatism of calling all non-muslims kafir and maintaining a derogatory outlook of them. We fight the dogmatism which expresses itself in the form of conversion by force, money, fraud and sows the seeds of separatism and hatred. If you don’t also agree to it, then you are contradicting yourself. But if you also support this, then let me tell you that in the existing state of affairs, you stand the danger of being called a fundamentalist.