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Hinduism_ A Christian Heresy

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<strong>Hinduism</strong>: What Really Happened in India – M. M. Ninan 225<br />

themselves Kings over them. As the Kings and Priests wielded their<br />

power, Jesus came down strongly against them and presented to them a<br />

God of love. They crucified him. The followers of Jesus even<br />

experimented with a sort of communal living where "each according to<br />

their ability and to each according to their need" was the principle. It<br />

failed miserably because men and women were still Aninias and<br />

Saphiras. Hence the need for a redemption.<br />

Perception and Inference in Carvaka Philosophy<br />

The essence of epistemological approach is summarized by Purandara a<br />

follower of Carvaka (7th Century) thus.<br />

“The usefulness of inference in determining the nature of all worldly<br />

things where perceptual experience is available is not questionable.<br />

However, such inference cannot be employed for establishing any dogma<br />

regarding the transcendental world, or life after death or the laws of<br />

Karma for which ordinarily there is no perceptual experience. The main<br />

reason for upholding such a distinction between the validity of inference<br />

in our practical life of ordinary experience, and in ascertaining<br />

transcending truths beyond experience is this: Any conclusion based on<br />

Inductive generalization by observing a large number of cases of<br />

agreement together with total absence of disagreement is true.<br />

But in the case of transcendent sphere, such agreement cannot exist<br />

because; they cannot be perceived by the senses“ (Purandara in<br />

Kamalasila's Panjika)<br />

In the <strong>Christian</strong> reasoning too, the above argument is sound. We cannot<br />

make arbitrary assumptions based on possible inferences. This is<br />

especially true on matters that are of eternal consequence. How can we<br />

know the reality of God and his purposes. Can these be perceived by our<br />

senses? The historical verification of matters of faith had been very<br />

important to Judeo-<strong>Christian</strong> tradition. Prophets and seers were respected<br />

and accepted not because of their logic, of their declaration power, or<br />

because of signs and wonders they performed. They were accepted based<br />

on whether their declaration tallied with verifiable historical facts. There

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