I used to be the Hinduism columnist for Beliefnet when it began years ago. When it got acquired, I even got stock options for which. They have a page for me here but most of my articles are archived under the Hinduism banner.
Beliefnet’s Search page which has all my stories.
Here are some of the topics and links.
The Meaning of a Guru
I have to admit that I have trouble with the whole ‘guru’ thing. Guru means teacher in Sanskrit, but it connotes much more than that. A guru is someone who removes your ignorance, without whom you cannot attain the knowledge you are seeking.
Delaying Puberty with Yoga.
Pop Karma: My Name is Earl TV show.
Ritual Initiation: Varalakshmi Puja
Rama: Beloved Avatar
Saying a Traditional Goodbye
Yoga as Middle Path
Loving with no strings attached
The Incomparable M.S. Subbulakshmi
Decoding Destiny with the I-Ching
Incarnations of the Mother Goddess
May Hanuman be with you
Soy: soul food or spiritual sham
Stop Building Hindu Temples
Bah, Humbug!
Confessions of a Closet Vegetarian
Fashionably Devout
Just Say No to Turkey Propaganda: Hindu Thanksgiving Recipes
End to Passive Resistance
Indian or Hindu: One, Both or Neither?
Karma’s a Drag
– Movement Meditation
Shortcut to Spirituality
Stripping the Soul out of Yoga
The Vasthu Vibe
Tuning Out the Teletubbies
Vegetarian Nirvana
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your stories on Belief Net in the past. How about an account of what religion/ spirituality mean to Urban India? (Now that you’re here, we’ll have a first-hand account at that!:))
Will do, Hamsini
Atheists generally don’t asrest God does not exist. We all comfortably understand the impossibility of proving a negative. Atheists say things like There probably is no god, so relax and have a good life. An atheist might say: John Perry is an atheist towards Thor, Zeus, Allah, Ra, Shiva, Anubis I just take it one god further. An atheist might say: Atheism is a religion like not collecting stamps is a hobby. An atheist might even say The Gods of X religion are demonstrably false because the religions we encounter are not logically tenable.John Perry might say: You can’t PROVE that there isn’t a god! A foxhole atheist might reply: You can’t PROVE that he isn’t a Flying Spaghetti Monster. But an atheist wouldn’t say I was there at the beginning of the universe. God is bullshit because I was there man. I WAS THERE!!! I TOOK GODDAMN PICTURES!