DANIEL Singh’s letter “Daniel’s worldview is shaped solely by the Lion of Judah” of 07-08-09 refers. Daniel has taken to writing in riddles but it is clear that he is now shifting to Rastafarianism.

The Lion of Judah is the well-known emblem and symbol of the Rastafarian religion. The “Lion of Judah” is synonymous with Rastafarianism. Daniel has now jumped on the Rasta limb and this time he could assume the appellation of ‘Ras Daniel Singh’. Rastafarianism is antithetical to fundamentalism from which Daniel seems to be moving away with the rise of the Hindu underground in his psyche manifesting his halting acceptance of the sciences. Indeed, Daniel claims that his ‘philosophy’ accepts history, archaeology and the biological sciences and as such rejects the Hebraic myth that the world was created in 4004BC as well as the Adam and Eve myth.

Daniel bemoans that he is entrapped in the lion’s den. He could come out by disclosing his authenticity as a pastor, the name of the Bible school he attended, the name of his church and the size of his congregation and where it is. His refusal to disclose this legitimate information keeps him entrapped with the lion threatening to maul him.

But I must alert Daniel that funds from American fundamentalist sources will soon dry up if it is felt that a recipient is moving towards the spiritual and intellectual explorations and broad tolerance of Hinduism or the open attitude of mainstream Christian churches or the vibrant freedom and free-for-all of Rastafarianism. Daniel needs to do some immediate damage control and loudly reiterate and proclaim his commitment to fundamentalism with its narrowness, illogicalities, hatreds and contempt for other faiths, its cultivation of poverty among its followers, and its rejection of the sciences, history, archeology and even modern medicine. It is a question of bread and butter versus spiritual and intellectual comfort and freedom.
KALANDAR BAKSH