Religion

As a very young man, Gandhi had a rebellious streak that led him to reject his family's Hindu religion. His rejection was not overt; rather, he would sneak and eat meat, a practice forbidden in Hinduism. Gandhi disliked the pomp and glitter of the temples and confessed to friends that he had no "living faith in God." However, the young Gandhi was intrigued by the discussion of various religions. He learned about the beliefs of others from Moslem, Parsi and Jain friends and compared them to his family's religion. Jainism is a reform Hindu religion that advocates rather radical precepts in it protection of living things. A Jain priest will not open his mouth outside lest he inhales an insect and thus ends its life. They must watch where they walk to avoid stepping on a worm or other crawling insect.

Gandhi's rejection of Hinduism was short-lived. While...