Ignorant Person Giving Sikhi a Bad Name. Please Comment!

sikhimylife · #1 (**permalink**) 01-Jan-2011, 20:29 PM

I actually made a account on this website to show how ignorant some people like this women are. Shes a former "Sikh" and converted to Christianity who doesn't know an IOTA of Sikhism. Shes telling people that we worship our Gurus and believe in evil spirits! She said our Dharma is full of RITUALS! When our Gurus stressed so much to abandon ritualistic practices! Then she goes on telling everyone how evil her parents are and basically blaming it on Sikhism! Ignorance is my worst pet peeve, I mean it's ok if she found God in Christ but she has no right to make Sikhi look bad! Please comment on the Youtube video! Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ke Fateh!
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/33794-ignorant-person-giving-sikhi-bad-name.html
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=33794

YouTube - Raj Jarrett - Testimony 'From Sikhism to Christianity'

swordfight

BhagatSingh · #2 (**permalink**) 01-Jan-2011, 20:39 PM

Calm your horses. Why are you taking everything she said about her family so personally?

sikhimylife · #3 (**permalink**) 01-Jan-2011, 20:58 PM

Its the lack of knowledge of Sikhi what I'm taking personally, not about her family. I understand her family doesn't treat her well but she's making it look like that its because of Sikhi her family is like that. She said we worship spirits, we worship our Gurus and follow rituals. That is what she told people and that is false in Sikhism.

findingmyway · #4 (**permalink**) 01-Jan-2011, 20:58 PM

Sikhimylife ji,
I have changed the title of this thread as the way it was reflected badly on all women. The fact she is a woman is neither here nor there as you will find many examples of males doing similar things. Thank you for your understanding. This video shows the power of the people doing the converting and it shows the lack of knowledge within our own community that she believes these things.

sikhimylife · #5 (**permalink**) 01-Jan-2011, 21:01 PM

My mistake, thank you for doing that!

BhagatSingh · #6 (**permalink**) 01-Jan-2011, 21:05 PM

Did she mention Sikhism?

If, instead of pointing fingers, we look inward and mend ourselves, then she would not have the chance to say those things. Many SIkh families do behave the way she described. Use the criticism to correct yourself.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=33794
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=33794

In Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the focus is always one's own ego.

spnadmin · #7 (**permalink**) 02-Jan-2011, 00:29 AM

sikhimylife ji

From your account id it is clear how deeply you love Sikhi. There is a way to take your next steps to do your part to reverse the damage you feel has been done.

This pathetic young woman is not alone in feeling deep alienation from the message of Guru Nanak. We see at least one person a week here at SPN who is in despair because they feel stuck in a world where traditions are used to do harm not good. These people then want to give up the Sikh way of life. And they put the rest of us on the defensive because of their personal experiences. They may convert to Christianity or Islam. They may declare themselves atheists. Or they may linger around to challenge symbols and practices of the Sikh faith. It is a pattern that can be predicted 100 percent of the time.

Bur see how stuck in personal misery she is. Look at how contorted her face is with anger and look at the aggressive body language in the video. Anger is her only defense against the negativity - which she sponged up from a lifetime of negative examples. The whole ball game that we see with too many youth today.

How about you? This may sound like a box full of sugary emotions. When Sikhi is your Life, it means that you are the one who has a strong sense in your own life of the love of Waheguru. To know this is your "great good fortune" as gurbani says over and over again. Blessed by that great good fortune, your path can only be to teach others how to find what you have within. Be energetic about it. I am so serious. Find opportunities to teach Sikhi, not by preaching but by example: first lesson of which is inner clam, second lesson of which is compassion and love, third lesson of which is to be present for other people. If even one person is rescued from anger by your example then you will be the Guru's Sikh in this shabad:
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=33794
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=33794

ਜੋ ਦੀਸੈ ਗੁਰਸਿਖੜਾ ਤਿਸੁ ਨਿਵਿ ਨਿਵਿ ਲਾਗਉ ਪਾਇ ਜੀਉ ॥
jo dheesai gurasikharraa this niv niv laago paae jeeo ||
When I see a Sikh of the Guru, I humbly bow and fall at his feet.

ਆਖਾ ਬਿਰਥਾ ਜੀਅ ਕੀ ਗੁਰੁ ਸਜਣੁ ਦੇਹਿ ਮਿਲਾਇ ਜੀਉ ॥
aakhaa birathhaa jeea kee gur sajan dhaehi milaae jeeo ||
I tell to him the pain of my soul, and beg him to unite me with the Guru, my Best Friend.

ਸੋਈ ਦਸਿ ਉਪਦੇਸੜਾ ਮੇਰਾ ਮਨੁ ਅਨਤ ਨ ਕਾਹੂ ਜਾਇ ਜੀਉ ॥
soee dhas oupadhaesarraa maeraa man anath n kaahoo jaae jeeo ||
I ask that he impart to me such an understanding, that my mind will not go out wandering anywhere else.

ਇਹੁ ਮਨੁ ਤੈ ਕੂੰ ਡੇਵਸਾ ਮੈ ਮਾਰਗੁ ਦੇਹੁ ਬਤਾਇ ਜੀਉ ॥
eihu man thai koon ddaevasaa mai maarag dhaehu bathaae jeeo ||
I dedicate this mind to you. Please, show me the Path to God.

And seek opportunities for outreach and seva as a Sikh to be that example. Remember it was the sevadars not preachers of United Sikhs who were told by the mayor of earthquake ravaged capital city of Haiti - We want you to stay! You have really made a difference! She did not say that lightly.

Navdeep88 · #8 (**permalink**) 02-Jan-2011, 04:06 AM

Its obvious she didnt grow up in a Sikh household (by what she describes of her family's conduct), so her view on the Sikh lifestyle is very distorted. And its best to ignore it.

However, with all the hardships and hate she has dealt with, its nice to see she at least embraced God (or is attempting to) in some form. At least she didnt turn around and become like her abusers, she found some way out.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=33794

I gotta give her props for resilience, she still managed to create a life for herself, and thats not easy to do when your own family treats you so horribly.

Ambarsaria · #9 (**permalink**) 02-Jan-2011, 06:40 AM

I do believe it is hard to tell people from appearances alone. I do not know her family and from her description they may be outwardly sikh with little sikhi internalized. I believe it is very likely that all the family relatives and community at large may be supporting the family because,

She married a non-sikh and the dogma of a sikh girl marrying a black christian male

However,

Only she and her family know the truth about her allegations of,

- Sexual abuse
- Persecution from childhood
- Threat of violence
- Demeaning comments about the cheaper marriages as being less expensive in India
  - I have no comments other than to say it is so sad even if these are fraction of a % true

When watching the video it appears she is well spoken and a strong speaker and she got those capabilities through her family

It wouldn't be too difficult to visualize such a family having other strong people with similar characteristics
- Whereas these are good qualities when used in right ways these can also be extremely counter-productive and damaging to people

Overall I don't believe she has said too much bad about sikhism per se. I agree with BhagatSingh's observations that it should give us pause to think. What she says does happen but her generalization is wrong.

Some of the things to think of,

Girls infanticide
- at birth
- abortions
  - My mother used to tell me that any time a girl was born there was this lady in her village who could be invited by people not happy and she will kill them at birth
Cultural treatment of girls (sorry to generalize as it is not true for all but it does happen quite commonly)
- When a boy is having some fun during his teen years it is called fooling around and saying is ... koi nahin vaddah hoke theek ho jayugah
- If a girl did this, she will be persecuted as it becomes a case of respect and social stature of the family

This is a huge topic, so before taking any further space I would wait, search and seek other wisdom on this board.

Sat Sri Akal.

PS: Great post by Bhagatsingh in the following on saying thinking someone good versus bad,

http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/gurmat...tml#post139414