Hindus Urge Florida Legislators to Include Vedas in FL House "Study of the Bible Bill"
Posted March 11, 2019 08:45 am
By Stew Lilker
FLORIDA – Hindus are urging Florida legislators to add Vedas, Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita to House Bill 195, the "Study of the Bible." This would also require Florida public schools to offer elective courses on these ancient scriptures.
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, said on Sunday that ancient texts of Vedas, Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita contained an abundance of knowledge and wisdom.
He asked, "Why would Florida legislators want to deprive over 2.8 million Florida public school students, including some Hindu students, of such a treasury and storehouse of enlightenment?"
Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out that Hindus wanted the inclusion of these texts purely as a literature for academic enrichment, in a secular objective pattern, to enhance the students’ world-vision.
Zed said his remarks did not have any religious/doctrinal agenda and were not intended to convert/evangelize the students or advance religious views.
He added, "Hindus were not interested in religious indoctrination."
He continued, "Vedas means “knowledge” in Sanskrit and Rig-Veda is the oldest existing scripture of mankind still in common use. Vivid Upanishads provides a privileged glimpse of the wellspring of loftiest philosophies. Bhagavad-Gita, a philosophical poem, offers a universal message.
Hinduism is oldest and third largest religion in the world and has about 1.1 billion adherents. There are about three million Hindus in America.
