Kali Protestors

I had an unhappy email from someone who objected to my use of Kali imagery. He wrote that the way I use pictures of Kali was offensive and in particular my posting of modern pictures done by "non-believers'" who had no understanding of the Hindu Goddess. While I understand and sympathize with his protest this is not something new to me. I am not a strict follower of a Hindu Goddess. She is not my religion. But the image and stories about Kali fit this time in my life. They inspire me and motivate me. I know that they inspire and motivate others. While I understand that this person may recoil at a modern representation of Kali done in Photoshop, I see it as something rich and proof of the success of a sacred image in the contemporary mind. The old images have a special beauty. They may seem more timeless. But if the older images and the stories inspire new representations, that process is a real spiritual force. I guess the question is should Kali be restricted only to Hindus. If I agreed with that idea I would have to agree that Mary the Virgin be restricted only for Christians. I don't believe that.  I believe that all humankind, men and woman, are open to all the spiritual imagery of the world.  I am not a Hindu or a Christian. I believe in a broad reverence for Mother Earth and make no apologies for it. I would ask my unhappy friend respectfully to view other blogs.