Monday, November 30, 2009

Christians Say No


Having lived in California my entire life, I must say that the most ignorant and stubborn religious group I have encountered is Christianity. Not only have I been stopped frequently to be preached to, but I have also been approached with comments such as "are you a terrorist?", "your going to hell", and "why is there a gunshot in your forehead". Sadly, I can only ponder what Southern California would be like if people only pushed themselves to learn of other cultures and religions.

This religious stubbornness hasn't just led to personal harassment however. It has also led to Buddhist, Hindus, and Jains having a difficult time constructing places of worship. One example is the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, which is a Hindu sect of Vaishnavism. This religious group has been attempting to build a mandir in Chino Hills since the late 1990s. Unfortunately for them, Chino Hills is predominately Christian. That means that constant hindrances will be present and they definitely have been. One knock that the city, under the vehement protest of Asian and Caucasion Christians, has tried to use against the mandir is the 40 foot height limit zoning regulation. That is ironic considering there are numerous buildings (including a Christian church) that far exceed this amount. More of the dispute can be read here.

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