--- In [email protected], "Rory Goff" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > --- In [email protected], Rick Archer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > on 10/23/05 1:24 PM, Rory Goff at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > > > > Siddhapur, Fairfield, Iowa -- where every day is a kumbha-mela :-) > > > > Yeah. Local ordinances allow naked, ash-covered Sadhus to wander > > around town. It's pretty cool, but the locals are still getting > > used to it. > > Well, the locals *did* try jailing a few naked sadhus at first, but > the sadhus kept walking through the walls back out onto the streets, > so what else could the locals do but legalize nudity as a valid form > of religious expression?
Strangely enough, this jive is very similar to a real-life set of incidents from Canada. The Dukhobors were a sect of 1900-era Russian-immigrant Christians who had some odd (for the times) beliefs. >From http://www.bartleby.com/65/du/Dukhobor.html "They were in doctrine somewhat like the Quakers, rejecting completely priesthood, the sacraments, and the other outward symbols of Christianity. The members came from the lower level of society, primarily farmers; the Dukhobors promoted a communal, absolutely democratic attitude and preached equality. Because they rejected the authority of both state and church, they were persecuted under Catherine II." Helped to escape to Canada by Leo Tolstoy, they settled in Saskatchewan and, being hard workers, did well for them- selves and fitted into their communities fairly well except for a few of their odd beliefs -- nudity, and burning all of your possessions every seven years to rid yourself of attachments. "Possessions" includes houses. You can imagine how this went over with the town councils of the small Saskatchewan towns they settled in. The councils tried to pass laws forbidding the Dukhobors from burning their houses, but the Dukhobors won the battle every time, *because* of their belief in nudity. Whenever a town would try to pass laws against the house- burning thang, all of the Dukhobors -- man, woman and child -- would take off all their clothes and just go about their daily lives in the town. They would leave their clothes off until the town council gave in. The town councils always gave in. Non-violence to the max. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/JjtolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
