There is no fun in converting to Hinduism or remaining a Catholic. There are many new religions that you might find more interesting and rewarding.
Cheers, Santosh On Tue, Mar 31, 2015 at 8:54 PM, marie dsouza.ma...@gmail.com [seculargoa] <secular...@yahoogroups.com> wrote: > > > > I am no historian just an ordinary Catholic. > > My ancestors may have been forcibly converted as may have been many of > today's Goan Roman Catholics during the inquisition in Goa. > (Kerala's Syrian Catholics were converted during the first century AD it is > said) > > What is important for me and should be for all other Roman Catholics is > whether today I want to remain a Catholic because of the faith I have in one > God and Jesus Christ who willingly sacrificed Himself for me. > > Bringing up the Inquisition that took place about 4 centuries ago to say that > because my ancestors were forcibly converted hence i should revert to being a > Hindu (as the extreme right would have us do) does not make sense. > > marie > > > > On Mon, Mar 30, 2015 at 10:23 PM, Santosh Helekar chimbel...@gmail.com > [seculargoa] <secular...@yahoogroups.com> wrote: >> >> >> >> Good to see that Vivek has provided a pertinent quote from Priolkar in >> which he appears to be expressing the concern that his account would >> be dismissed as biased because it was not written by a Portuguese >> historian. Legitimate specific criticisms of any scholarly work is >> always a good thing. What is wrong is its outright dismissal without >> producing contrary facts, but rather, just by using such baseless >> canards as guilt by association and various ideological devices. As >> alluded to by Vivek, there is no detailed alternative historical >> account on Goan inquisition based on primary sources. I understand >> that this is in large part due to destruction or loss of original >> records. In this context, I remember that Teotoniobab de Souza once >> mentioned that some of the remaining records were transferred to the >> Biblioteca Nacional do Brasil. So all we need is a competent, >> committed and dispassionate secular historian, and proper funding from >> a secular source. >> >> Priolkar's book relies naturally on secondary sources. But it was >> well-received by eminent historians such as C. R. Boxer. Regarding >> Dellon and Buchanan, I should have said that they are eyewitness >> accounts rather than well-researched. No independent facts contradict >> what they have written. They have been maligned based on pure >> speculations and biases of their detractors, and generalization of >> such ideological concoctions as the "Black Legend" to the Goan >> situation. >> >> Cheers, >> >> Santosh >> >> >> >> On Sun, Mar 29, 2015 at 10:26 PM, V M vmin...@gmail.com [seculargoa] >> <secular...@yahoogroups.com> wrote: >> > >> > >> > >> > The problem with the state of "Goa Inquisition Studies", such as they >> > are, is the near-total absence of decent modern and contemporary >> > historiography of the two-centuries-plus episode. Twenty-first-century >> > historical understanding cannot be properly achieved by reading >> > primary documents by witnesses or near-witnesses who (a) wanted to >> > sell their accounts, (b) gain coniderably grom their accounts, or (c) >> > were published in order to settle tertiary scores. I'd say Priolkar's >> > book is a significant step in the right direction, but as he himself >> > writes, while laying his bare to be considered, " the story of the >> > Inquisition is a dismal record of callousness and cruelty, tyranny and >> > injustice, espionage and blackmail, avarice and corruption, repression >> > of thought and culture and promotion of obscurantism and an Indian >> > writer who undertakes to tell it can easily be accused of being >> > inspired by ulterior motives. From this point of view, it would have >> > been appropriate if the task had been undertaken by a Portuguese >> > historian..." >> > >> > But no such Portuguese historian has emerged, and no serious Indian >> > historian has tried to develop the necessarily complex understanding >> > required here either, and so Goans are left foundering, reacting by >> > instinct and out of a misplaced sense of self-protection. As Priolkar >> > also writes, rather piercingly, "it is indeed an irony of history that >> > some of the descendants of the "New Christians" in Goa, who suffered >> > cruelly at the hands of the Inquisition, should be so anxious to >> > prevent the truth about the working of the institution from coming to >> > light." >> > >> > In that case, Priolkar was speaking directly about the "contentions of >> > Dr. Gerson da Cunha and Braz Fernandes" that Dellon's account was >> > fiction or fictionalized, despite no European scholar having similar >> > doubts. Elsewhere, he is quite unreasonable and nasty - thus betraying >> > considerable bias in his own history-making - as when thanking "the >> > Goud Saraswat Brahman Community of Bomay for the grant given for the >> > publication of this volume" but refraining to mention the names of >> > other, presumably Goan Catholic contributors because "it must be >> > remembered that the Inquisition has been abolished but the spirit >> > which guided its activities is not entirely extinct." In that passage >> > and others, Priolkar attempts the trick of transposing 16th and 17th >> > century European colonialist ideas, attitudes and policies to the Goan >> > Catholics of the 20th century, which is both morally shabby and >> > useless as historiography. >> > >> > VM >> >> ***************************************************************** >> No offense meant. But let the chips fall where they may. >> ***************************************************************** > > > > > -- > > marie > > 406/1 grande coimavaddo > aldona, bardez > goa 403508 > tel 0832-2293034 > mob: 9921875544 > > > > > > __._,_.___ > ________________________________ > Posted by: marie <dsouza.ma...@gmail.com> > ________________________________ > Reply via web post • Reply to sender • Reply to group • Start a New Topic • > Messages in this topic (5) > Visit Your Group > > • Privacy • Unsubscribe • Terms of Use > > . > > __,_._,___ -- ***************************************************************** No offense meant. But let the chips fall where they may. *****************************************************************
