Hindus feel that it is fine to incorporate Bible lessons in Oklahoma public schools as long as lessons from ancient Sanskrit scripture Bhagavad-Gita are also included.
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who has read invocation in Oklahoma Senate in the past, in a statement in Nevada today, said that Bhagavad-Gita was a historically significant document, recognized throughout the world and was a treasure that should be taught in public school classrooms in Oklahoma. This sacred text was plainly the word of God spoken by Lord Krishna himself.
Various well-known Americans; including essayist-philosopher Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), theoretical physicist credited with being the “father of the atomic bomb” J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904-1967), novelist-philosopher Aldous Huxley (1894-1963), essayist-poet Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), theoretical physicist Albert Einstein (1879-1955), etc.; were reportedly influenced by Bhagavad-Gita. It had inspired, fascinated, touched and impacted millions of readers worldwide over the centuries; Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, noted.
This philosophical and intensely spiritual poem Bhagavad-Gita considers the nature of action, the religious and social duty, the human relationship to God, the means of liberation, and the nature of sacrifice, etc.; Rajan Zed adds.
Zed further said that awareness about other religions thus created by such instruction from Bhagavad-Gita in now religiously-diverse Oklahoma public school classrooms would make students of the state well-nurtured, well-balanced, and enlightened citizens of tomorrow. Moreover, it would infuse morality and ethics in Oklahoma classrooms.
Hinduism is the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about 1.2 billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about three million Hindus in the USA.
Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction has reportedly ordered public schools to incorporate Bible instruction.