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Jon Huntsman Raising India-Born Daughter In Hinduism


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Hindus have welcomed Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman, Jr. reportedly raising his adopted daughter Asha Bharati in the Hindu faith, to which she was born.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that it displayed an openness and all-bracing gesture of Huntsman and his wife Mary Kaye.

Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out that presence of different religions showed God's generosity and munificence. Despite our significantly distinct traditions, we should learn to live side by side in mutual trust and peace, he added.

Jon Meade Huntsman, Jr., who is an adherent of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has been Utah Governor, US Ambassador to China and Singapore, and has served in the administrations of four US presidents. He has seven children Including Asha, who was born in 2006.

Asha Bharati was reportedly adopted from an orphanage in Nadiad in Gujarat, which is known for the Santram Mandir, Kidney Hospital, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Huntsman reportedly knows how to cook gulab-jamuns), is fond of Hyderabadi achar and has visited some Hindu temples.

I wonder how this works in the real world. The Huntsmans have an adopted daughter from China. Are they going to raise her in "Shenism" (Chinese folk religion)? Buddhism? Taoism? Atheism (the current Chinese government is officially atheistic)?

How do they square this with LDS exclusivistic truth claims? "Yes, kids, the LDS Church is 'the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth,' except it's not intended for folks from India, 'cuz their religion should be based on their ethnicity." "Yes, kids, according to Doctrine & Covenants 133:37, the Restored Gospel is 'shall be preached unto every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,' but not to the folks from India, 'cuz their religion should be based on their ethnicity."

Would the Huntsmans expect a Hindu couple to raise a child adopted from LDS parentage as a Mormon? As a display of "openness and all-bracing gesture?"

To be sure, I respect the Huntsmans' right to raise their children as they see fit. I also have great respect for Hinduism (and, indeed, for pretty much all religious traditions). But I don't understand the rationale of parents resorting to race-based religious instruction for their children, particularly from Latter-day Saints, who claim to have "knowledge of a Savior" which is supposed to be "spread throughout every nation, kindred, tongue, and people" (Mosiah 3:20).

Thoughts?

-Smac

Edited by smac97
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I believe Huntsman and his wife will make their own decisions in regard to raising their children, and what to accomodate in their children's lives. Their rationale is their own and I wouldn't think to ask them about it since it isn't of my concern.

I am sure they love their children just as we all do, and seek to do what is best within the understanding they have.

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In the LDS church, that there is truth in all religions and phisosphy. I don't know what his reasoning is nor should I presume. But his adopted daughter can at a later date learn of her Adoptive father's religion if she chose too. Ulimately it is his choice in how to raise his adoptive daughter

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This appears, on the face of it, to be the thorough abnegation of his responsibilities as both a Latter day Saint and as a father in the name of a kind of public political (i.e., multicultural) correctness.

There is no more necessary connection between being Indian and being Hindu than between being LDS and being from Utah. Mr. Huntsman has apparently abandoned his conviction that one of the primary missions of the Church is to "preach the gospel." and might wish to reflect that, according to the D&C, those in the Church who fail to raise their children to understand the gospel and its covenants will have to account to their redeemer for such an abnegation.

Edited by Loran Blood
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... in the name of a kind of public political (i.e., multicultural) correctness.

I disagree, and wonder on what grounds you feel Huntsman can not make this decision based on principle? Your comment suggests it is being done as a political stunt.

Frankly, I view his decision to suggest he is more wise and aware than most. I suspect that you are not alone and his decisions will be more likely to hurt him politically than help him. So I also view it as courageous.

I admire a man who can live on deep, internally grounded principles rather than collective approval.

As an independent, I find him to be one of the most interesting candidates in the field because of this type of thinking as well as his business credentials.

But back to keeping this out of politics and on topic - Do you believe it's wrong for a person to have individual values and principles? Can Huntsman be justified in acting as the head of his own household as he feels or sees fit? Couldn't an LDS person be open to the idea that he is acting under inspiration? Why judge him on action compared to your collective beliefs rather than on the morality of his action alone?

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I'm not sure that anyone knows exactly how this child is being raised. Just because she is being raised a Hindu, doesn't mean she is not being exposed to her father's religion, as well. I'm not sure how that could even be done, if he is truly a practicing Latter-day Saint.

I think it is courageous and I'm sure it comes from the desire to expose his adopted daughter to as much of the culture she was born into (the culture of her biological parents) as he possibly can. Religion (Hinduism) in India is MUCH more than just a religion. It is, predominately, their way of life. So, it would be very difficult to expose his daughter to the culture, minus the predominate religion of that country. I very much respect that he want her to know her roots first-hand. Not a bad thing, at all, IMO. And, as I said above, this does not mean that she will not also be immersed in Mormonism. I am sure that she will, all things considered.

I do like this man, a lot. He seems "real", compared to most other politicians.

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This appears, on the face of it, to be the thorough abnegation of his responsibilities as both a Latter day Saint and as a father in the name of a kind of public political (i.e., multicultural) correctness.

There is no more necessary connection between being Indian and being Hindu than between being LDS and being from Utah. Mr. Huntsman has apparently abandoned his conviction that one of the primary missions of the Church is to "preach the gospel." and might wish to reflect that, according to the D&C, those in the Church who fail to raise their children to understand the gospel and its covenants will have to account to their redeemer for such an abnegation.

Is Mr. Huntsman a priesthood holder?

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As the article states: "he isn't active". Granted, most politicians (even LDS ones) are a joke, but let's just call it what it is. John Huntsman is an embarrassment to the LDS Church.

What has he done that has embarrassed the church?

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To be sure, I respect the Huntsmans' right to raise their children as they see fit. I also have great respect for Hinduism (and, indeed, for pretty much all religious traditions). But I don't understand the rationale of parents resorting to race-based religious instruction for their children, particularly from Latter-day Saints, who claim to have "knowledge of a Savior" which is supposed to be "spread throughout every nation, kindred, tongue, and people" (Mosiah 3:20).

Thoughts?

No, race-based religious instruction is not a good idea. But it gives warm fuzzies to those who agree with him.

Doctrine and Covenants 68:

25 And again, inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, when eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the parents.

Clear, unequivocal doctrine like this is far easier to ridicule that mere warm-fuzziness.

But I'm sure one thing that everyone can agree upon, whether they admire him or not, is that Mister Huntsman is a SNAG.

Regards,

Pahoran

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What has he done that has embarrassed the church?

From a personal experience.

Friday night we were over at our non-member friends for dinner. An older couple who are quite liberal in their political views and both are lawyers. Politics come up as usual in our conversations and they even recognized that John Huntsman drinking alcohol in China and other statements that he has made really do not shed a good light on the LDS Church. I agreed with them that he was an embarrassment to our Church and doesn't represent what the Church stands for. I tried to explain the embarrassment away, but they were too focused on John Huntsman and what he stood for.

On a microscopic level: missionaries need to live and talk as representatives of the Church. We are the light to the world and even one bad missionary can cause problems in an area. Huntsman on a grander scale and with a bigger spotlight has the same opportunity, but even people outside of our faith recognize him as an embarrassment. To be fair, he has that right to be an embarrassment.

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What is a SNAG?

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Sorry to disappoint some of you who thought Jon Huntsman was 'courageous' etc.--apparently he's just regular. :pardon:

A poster on another thread linked to this article a few days ago where Huntsman corrected the information. He says he's NOT raising his daughter as a Hindu, only raising her to understand her culture-or something like that. You can read the correction at the bottom of the article.

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/270615/how-mormon-jon-huntsman-katrina-trinko

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Thanks for the update, Alter Idem. It'd be interesting to know how close his public views reflect his private ones. When he says he is a good christian, for example, I wonder if he means this as in, "I believe in Christ", or "I live a life consistent with Christian values"?

Either way, I still applaud his openness to raising his family in a multi-culturally aware manner.

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Thanks for the update, Alter Idem. It'd be interesting to know how close his public views reflect his private ones. When he says he is a good christian, for example, I wonder if he means this as in, "I believe in Christ", or "I live a life consistent with Christian values"?

Either way, I still applaud his openness to raising his family in a multi-culturally aware manner.

From what I've read, I think he might choose the latter.

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I think it would make a difference how old a child was when you adopted him or if she expressed preferences or if you knew her biological parents.

This topic reminded me of the Ghandi movie:

Nahari: I'm going to h***! I killed a child! I smashed his head against a wall.

Gandhi: Why?

Nahari: Because they killed my son! The Muslims killed my son!

[indicates boy's height]

Gandhi: I know a way out of h***. Find a child, a child whose mother and father have been killed and raise him as your own.

[indicates same height]

Gandhi: Only be sure that he is a Muslim and that you raise him as one.

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A Sensitive New-Age Guy.

The sort that trendy-lefties get all dewy-eyed over.

Regards,

Pahoran

lol...I see. I guess I'm a "trendy-lefty", then, because I like the guy. :)

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It might be just me, but if I adopted a child I would raise that child in the religion I believe in. Myself I find it awkward and a bit disingenuous to say "I know this church is true" and then raise a child in a different religion than what I know.

Just my 2 cents.

Edited by Anijen
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Sorry to disappoint some of you who thought Jon Huntsman was 'courageous' etc.--apparently he's just regular. :pardon:

A poster on another thread linked to this article a few days ago where Huntsman corrected the information. He says he's NOT raising his daughter as a Hindu, only raising her to understand her culture-or something like that. You can read the correction at the bottom of the article.

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/270615/how-mormon-jon-huntsman-katrina-trinko

Well, that makes more sense. In my view, it isn't really possible to raise a child in any religion other than one's own.

A parent can teach a child about another religion, but is simply not equipped to raise that child in it.

The child in question will be raised in the religion of her adopted parents. Which is to say, she will likely grow up as a devotee of daddy's career.

Regards,

Pahoran

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