That's a lovely passage. What point were you trying to make with it, exactly?

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Exactly Lee, what you have said there is a typically Eurocentric viewpoint I hear all the time. Having grown up in the West for most of my life I can say that the very nature of the society we live in is geared towards influencing us and making us think in a certain way, through media and other tools. This is done subtly and if this is not brainwashing what is?

Regarding your other point I think you would be hard pressed to find a Punjabi Sikh not influenced by his culture. At this point in time for many of us the two seems to be intertwined to a great extent. Even if they do seem contradictory in many ways. I guess thats just yet another paradox of my heritage.

Gurfateh
We anywas need to try that punjabism may not come into our Sikh way or as for Das biahrisim may not come into Sikh way.Regeona or pagan feeling needs to be controled.

But as faith interacts with newer culturs may unprcedented and welcoming orgresses happned.But even then West and UK in articular is better lace for Sikhs then say Pakistan or middle east.

Sorry for the confusion !

The line i was most interested in this shabad by Bhagat Kabir ji is about so called liberation which is yhought to be peak achievement or reward for being religious . Infact longing for liberation itself is part entaglement of maya/ matrix
and bhagat Kbair clearly say what he wants




ਰਾਜੁ ਨ ਚਾਹਉ ਮੁਕਤਿ ਨ ਚਾਹਉ ਮਨਿ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ਚਰਨ ਕਮਲਾਰੇ ॥
राजु न चाहउ मुकति न चाहउ मनि प्रीति चरन कमलारे ॥
raaj na chaaha-o mukat na chaaha-o man pareet charan kamlaaray.
I do not seek power, and I do not seek liberation. My mind is in love with Your Lotus Feet.




Jatinder Singh

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PrIdw kwl^ØI ijnI n rwivAw DaulI rwvY koie ]

I believe children should be raised in the faith they were born into until they find their own path.

Om shanti shanti
Satyaban

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Om shanti shanti Om

Satyaban

A lot of intelligent and well thought replies have been posted to this thread. This is particularly an important thread at present because a similar question has been raised in my family. This is what I feel about it.

Sikhism does not belive in Sin. Sin is too strong a word to use in context of marriage.

I belive Sikhism to be a way of life an attitude which we acquire by virtue of our birth to Sikh parents. This movement "Sikhism" was started by Guru Gobind Singh Ji to create a new order of people who will willingly fight against all that is wrong and always help and stand by good.

Gurbani says Aval allah noor upaya, kudrat dey sabb bandae ||
Ek noor tae sab jag upjaeya, Kon bhalae ko mandae ||SGGS-1349||

So how can we say any non Sikh is bad...in the same vein marrying a non Sikh is a non issue. You marry a person whom you like and hope that by doing so, together you make world a better place.

Thanks for reading this.

Aizza

It's not as simple as this, we can breed ourselves out of existence if we are not careful. I see no problem with marrying a nonSikh, but the children should be raised Sikh. Solely for the simple matter of self preservation. Plus I think it is a very positive theology to raise kids up in that touches on equality, bravery and charity.

It Is completely wrong. The Sikh view: each religion is a path to god. Each path is different, hence the different practices and beliefs. So to get to the ultimate goal (god), you cannot be married to someone who does not have the same belief as you. It would be two people on two different roads, trying to hold each others hand. For example, a Sikh would try to get to god through amrit etc, being married to someone on a different path ie a hindu would lead to a conflict- as a very small example, a Sikh would not be able to share food with his non Sikh partner. And on the subject of children-if one parent is Sikh and other non Sikh- what do u do when child is born- do you keep its hair and go to the gurdwara to get first letter of name, or do you shave off its hair (as is done in hinduism) and take it to india. So how much choice does the kid really have. I could go on all day- but think this gives the angle from which i am coming- and there should be no debate- as it is sikhi that says marriages between people of different religions is not good.

Sikhs are the children of warriors/lions, we want pure breed children to keep up this heritage.

Don't even go there dude, I've met some seriously cowardly Sikhs in my time as well as some phenomenally bravehearted strong ones.

Especially don't go into the "pure breed" stuff, this aint good. The whole basis of Sikhi was to show that when anyone changes their life they can achieve greatness (remember the panj piaray.)

Dude- i thoroughly believe in the pure breed stuff. but maybe this can be interpreted in different ways. I am not saying that joining/leaving a religion is wrong-it is the individuals choice at the end of the day. so the american white sikhs etc-that is fantastic..and likewise if ne1 leaves the religion-then that is their choice. what i am saying is- getting married to a non Sikh and then saying that the kid is HALF Sikh and HALF hindu or whatever it may be is WRONG- hence the PURE BREED-put another way, association to just one religion (one path). If your mother were a hindu-do you think you could be able to take amrit-not eat food cooked in the family ie meat etc, grow ur hair, do paath etc??...parents are the ones who guide you- if your guides both guiding you in diferent directions- what 2 do??... the punj pyaarey that u mention were initaited in to the khalsa- so became pure- not half Sikh/half something else.