Posted on 07/18/2024 3:10:26 PM PDT by libh8er
After narrowly surviving an assassination attempt, former US President Donald Trump attributed his survival to divine intervention, urging Americans to stay resilient. The frontrunner in the US presidential race was struck in the ear by a gunman during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. The attack on Trump and his survival, coinciding with the Jagannath Ratha Yatra celebrations, has led many in ISKCON to see this as an instance of divine intervention, bringing back memories of Trump’s connection with the festival nearly fifty years ago.
A top official of ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, recalled Trump’s involvement with the first Rathyatra in New York. Radharamn Das, vice president and spokesperson of ISKCON Kolkata, in a social media post described Trump's narrow escape as Lord Jagannath returning the favour to the ex-President for his help in organizing the Ratha Yatra festival in 1976 in New York.
— RadharamnDas (@RadharamnDas)
Donald Trump gives his train yard for construction of chariots
In July 1976, Trump, then a young real estate mogul, assisted ISKCON devotees by providing his train yard for the construction of the chariots used in the Rathayatra. This act of generosity came at a crucial time when the devotees were struggling to find a suitable location for their preparations, Das said. Despite facing numerous challenges, despite securing a parade permit on Fifth Avenue, Trump’s unexpected support made the event possible.
Back in 1976, ISKCON was celebrating its 10th anniversary and aimed to organize the first major Rathayatra in New York City. Obtaining the parade permit for Fifth Avenue was considered a miracle, but finding an empty site near the parade route to build the large wooden carts was proving to be an even greater challenge. The devotees approached several property owners, all of whom declined due to insurance concerns. It was then that Trump emerged as an unexpected ally.
The devotees, desperate and nearly out of options, learnt that Trump had recently acquired the old Pennsylvania railway yard, which they considered an ideal location for constructing the carts. Despite their reservations, they decided to approach Trump with a basket of Maha Prasadam (sacred food offerings) and a detailed proposal. Trump's secretary initially warned them of his likely refusal, but to their surprise, Trump not only accepted the offering but also agreed to their request.
Three days after their meeting, Trump’s secretary informed the devotees that Trump had read their letter, tasted the Prasadam, and immediately granted permission to use the railway yard. This gesture allowed the devotees to proceed with the construction of the Rathayatra carts, a critical step for the festival.
Radharamn Das, vice president and spokesperson of ISKCON Kolkata, in his post also cited another hurdle for the Rathayatra procession what was also solved unexpectedly.
How Iskcon got the police permit for Ratha Yatra
Securing the parade permit for the Rathayatra procession was another formidable challenge. Tosan Krishna Das, responsible for obtaining the permit, submitted a proposal to the authorities. Despite an initial agreement from the police department, the permit was later denied due to a longstanding edict against new parades on Fifth Avenue. With no alternatives, Tosan approached the Manhattan police chief directly. In a surprising turn of events, the police chief, after reviewing the application, signed the permit, despite not fully understanding his own decision.
Trump’s approval to use the railway yard and the police chief’s unexpected approval of the parade permit are often seen by devotees as divine blessings from Lord Jagannath.
"Like other corporate company owners, Trump also could have easily rejected the proposal. Devotees thought the Police chief was no exception either. Why they didn’t say no, still is a question unanswered, as devotees cite it as a blessing of Lord Jagannath," Radharamn Das said in the post.
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That is the understatement of the day...
Deport. Them. All.
Francis is from Argentina. No persecution there.
>> Wait-what? Am I missing something?
Yes. You’re missing something. Spaniards and Catholics are not heretics. Hindus and other pagans are heretics. Learn to follow a posting thread and read for meaning please.
>> Tick doesn’t like me
That’s true.
>> and he despises all foreigners anyway.
That’s a fabrication from your feverish imagination. Totally untrue.
(Most) Spanish and other Catholics aren’t heretics, but all Protestants are. Indian Hindus are pagans, which, as I said, the Catholic Church puts in a different category. Muslims are a special case.
You could look them all up in the Catholic Encyclopedia.
You don’t like me because I correct you, a lot. Which is always going to happen if you don’t do your homework. So do your homework.
You do seem to despise foreigners, because when you want to call me names, the first thing you do is to call me a foreigner. One cannot miss the point here.
I couldn’t care less what’s written in the Catholic Encyclopedia — I follow the Bible. I do not consider fellow Christians to be pagans and most of them are not heretics either.
I despise you because from your post in Spain you presume to arrogantly lecture we Americans on what America MUST do for Ukraine. And also because you’re a legend in your own mind, full of lectures — as you’re amply illustrating here.
And “do my homework”? How about GFY, spaniard. Good and hard.
quod erat demonstrandum
And you are missing something, as well-common ordinary manners, sir. Learn to read and reply without showing your personal issues of bigotry and dislike for others here who are not of your ethnicity or do not share your exact dogmatic beliefs-religious or otherwise-please. If you choose to have a narrow and prejudiced view of others, that is up to you-but this is not an appropriate place to show your intolerance or to insult other FReepers...
Not for the last few decades-but it was a hotbed of communist ideology before-or so I’ve read. I think Francis absorbed and began believing that dogma because it was what people did-and it just naturally became his mindset after awhile-I still think he is an apostate...
Thank you for that link-I’m bookmarking that...
Others come from a different “revelation”, a theological-philosophical system with a definable origin. Buddhists and Parsis/Zoroastrians are in this category, and arguably some elements of Hinduism, which is a very varied, complex mess."
Yeah dude, for the second time LISTEN UP -- I never used the word "heretic". I take a dim view of Freeptards assigning things to me I did not say. That's your last warning.
#1: Your accusation is simply false. Making false accusations because of your poor understanding is not good manners!
#2: If you’re so thin skinned that you’re triggered like a cancel-culture liberal by a comment targeted at someone else, maybe for your own mental health you should choose a different forum to hang out on. Politics is by its nature a bit rough; maybe look for a kitty or puppy or cooking forum.
Between ol’ spaniard and his new girlfriend, the bat-poo-crazy force is strong on this thread.
Protest and insult all you like-your dislike of others who don’t agree with you and/or are of a different ethnicity and/or mindset than you is on full display in more than one of your posts, complete with insults. Since I’ve been here a bit longer than you, perhaps you are the one who does not understand the nature of civil debate-and it does not include insults, name calling. or ethnic slurs...
Have a blessed day...
>> Protest and insult all you like
Okay! Thanks!!!
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