Actually, the dancers in the first picture are African American. Perhaps for once my mother's designation of "American girls" would be more appropriate. I think Mom would be OK with this sort of thing -- she wasn't too freaked out when we went to a one-woman show that invoked Kali -- but she dislikes the merchandising of Hinduism. We were in a shop in New Orleans once that sold lunchboxes picturing Ganesh, and she walked out when she saw those.

I think that's a principled distinction. It's one thing to be using concepts from Hinduism to explore one's own ideas; it's another to slap an OM on a sandal to show one's alleged multiculturalism. Or to put Ganesh heads on topless dancers...

Thanks for your feedback, PG! If you look at the second photo, the one of the performance, you'll see that most of the people involved are of the pinker persuasion. But you're right that I'm using a convenient, and not wholly accurate term, nonetheless.

Religions can be studied and followed by anybody. But this is not a question of whether other people have a right to relate in some way to aspects of Hindu tradition or practice.

It's very simple - if you're dealing with symbols which are part of someone's religion, you have to respect that and not put them on toilet seats or whatever.

It's very simple - if you're dealing with symbols which are part of someone's religion, you have to respect that and not put them on toilet seats or whatever.

Who says?

You are sharing the planet with atheists and others for whom religious symbolism doesn't mean a damn thing.

Sorry, they are not obliged to respect your's or anyone else's religion.

Sorry, they are not obliged to respect your's or anyone else's religion.

of course no one is obliged to do anything. But even an atheist can respect another person's religious symbolism, as they are showing respect for the fact that it means something to someone.

It's like me putting the picture of the atheists mother on a toilet seat. and claiming "I don't have to respect so and so's mother, I don't believe in her capacity to love, raise children, etc.."