Author: U. Mahesh Prabhu
Publication: iVarta.com
Date: January 14, 2008
URL: http://www.blogs.ivarta.com/india-usa-blog-column65.htm
On December 25th when the whole world was celebrating
the birth of the Jesus Christ, churches were burning in Gujarat. As per confirmed
estimates 11 churches had been burnt. On December 27th Religious leaders in
the national capital expressed their anguish over the continuing attacks on
the churches in Orissa, saying violence in any form in unacceptable. But something
that which really bothered me was one of the statements, by Swami Shantatmanand
- Secretary of Ramakrishna Mission in New Delhi - published in Indian Express
that which read 'Hinduism teaches us to respect and acknowledge the validity
of all other religion.' I am yet to understand as to why was he saying so? Or
what made him to make that statement? Is he trying to portray that some Hindus
had done those deeds? But how can you say without investigation is complete
and report is out?
Reports do say that the attacks on Churches
had begun on Christmas after assault on a VHP leader and until today 11 Churches
and prayer houses were ransacked and torched by 'suspected saffron activists'
in several areas of Kandhamal districts in Orissa. But who attacked the VHP
leader? It isn't clear. Overall for many people the situation may just look,
as if, 'VHP people had attacked in response to the assault on their leader'.
That's simply not it. But, there is more to it.
Recently I happened to read Edward Gibbons 'Decline
and Fall of Roman Empire'. In the book he makes observation on early Christians
and their tactics for conversion. Here he quotes a Roman proconsul who wrote
that Christians have a very effective method of getting noticed and portraying
themselves as 'Victims' in order to advance their cause. Whenever, a minute
transgression or even an attempt is made to implement law against them they
make such a fuss and in such a rowdy manner that one would think that a 'great
injustice' had been committed to them.
Christianity does not have a notable reputation
for tolerance and respect for other religions. 'The Christian need to convert
the entire world' has been an historical obsession that continues in major Christian
fundamentalist groups even today, both Protestant and Catholic. The Christian
Missionary's failure to honor other religions, particularly non-biblical traditions,
is well known, with Christians still denigrating the sophisticated yogic traditions
of Asia as mere superstition, idolatry and polytheism. Christian missionaries
have had a reputation for using methods to promote conversion that are not always
honest, including employing military and political force during the colonial
era. Their targeting of the poor and illiterate for conversion shows that they
don't like open debates in the light of the day. Yet Christians like to ignore
such inconvenient facts while posing as peaceful people concerned with human
welfare, not with conversion. They are surprised if members of other religion
are suspicious of them, even if they look at these religions and condemn them
as works of the Devil. They feel easily hurt and insulted should anyone question
their motives.
In the modern secular world, Christians along
with Muslims, now demand conversion as a democratic right, even though their
religion is authoritarian, and not democratic, accepting only one way, and not
honoring pluralism in approaching the Divine. They offer no freedom of choice
about the 'savior' or the book or the creed that can bring salvation and there
is little tolerance for those who choose another way outside their faith. Europe
had to reject the church and Christian dogma in order to become democratic over
the past several centuries, considering this; Christian churches are the last
people on earth who should be talking about 'democratic rights'. It is merely
a smokescreen for promoting their own agendas, spreading their authoritarian
and exclusivist beliefs, recklessly eliminating other cultures and religions
along the way.
Years before there were serial church bombings
in South India. It proved that the charges made by Christian leaders against
Hindu organizations for the bombings were unfounded, if not malicious. However
instead of admitting their mistake Christian leaders and organizations started
a propaganda campaign, again blaming the Hindu organizations for 'creating an
atmosphere' that led to these crimes! The arrests in this regard, in Karnataka
and Andhra Pradesh, had shown that Deendal Anjuman, a Muslim organization led
by a Pakistani National was behind most of the bomb blasts and attacks on Christian
groups in South India. The Christian response has been to ignore or deny the
report, though it is quite well documented and occurred in states of Karnataka
and Andhra Pradesh, not ruled by the so called 'Hindu BJP'. For further details,
I suggest you to, read 'Church Blasts: Truth and Propaganda' by S Y Seshagiri
Rao.
Christians in India, who exaggerate such minor
incidents into a National or International anti-Hindu propaganda, somehow never
speak of the fact that 'More churches have been burnt in America in recent years
than in India. Several dozen black American churches were burnt to the ground.
Christian priests and ministers are also robbed, assaulted and sometimes killed
in all Western countries in numbers not unlike what occurs in India. We should
note that many more priests in America have been arrested for sexual molestation
of children than have priests been assaulted in India. Should we use that to
make conclusions about the nature of Christianity?
Did you know the fact that many more pagans
were killed by Christians, and thousands of pagan temples were destroyed throughout
Europe? The great Greek (Neo Platonic) Academy in Alexandria was destroyed and
its scholars like Hypatia killed by Cyril - 'Saint Cyril'. The number of Native
Americans killed or forcibly converted by Catholics was also in the many millions,
and yet the Catholics emphasize a few priests martyred by Native Americans as
being the real victims. Such and more are stories of 'Christian Oppression'.
Hinduism is a religion of openness. We appreciate
all gods and deities. We have never said that we are the 'only way' like many
of the Semitic faiths. We have no problems acknowledging greatness of Allah,
Jehovah or Jesus. We have done that many a times. Didn't we? But Christian missionaries
have, instead, used it as a pretext to promote Christian superiority, not to
reciprocate with honoring Hinduism and its sages and yogis. They say Christ
must be great because Hindus honor him. They don't honor Hindu teachers in return.
The hypocrisy of the whole thing is easy to see. It shows the condescending
attitude towards Hindus, thinking that they can bully them or appeal to their
tolerance by a feigned persecution. It wholly proves that Christians Missionaries
are still promoting a medieval religion that will not honor other religions
and is still seeking world domination by any means fair or foul. If we count
the victims of Christian aggression on one side and the Christian themselves
who have been victimized we will find that the victims of Christianity are overwhelming
in the majority. While some Christians have apologized to African and Native
American groups for such missionary misdeeds, the Hindus have so far not received
any such apology, though they have suffered from the same methods. The reason
is that the missionaries have not yet triumphed in India. The apology, like
crocodile tears, comes only after the victim is dead.
I would trust those missionaries only if they
say that Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism and other Indian
religions are as good as Christianity. Let Christians say clearly that members
of other religions will not go to hell but will gain immortality in the presence
of God by following what is good in their own teachings.
Writes David Frawley 'As a former Catholic I
know in what little esteem the Church holds Hinduism and Buddhism with all their
great sages and yogis. Christianity, like Islam, sees tolerance not as a virtue
to be emulated but as a weakness to be exploited. Were Christians really to
honor Hinduism as a valid religion all Hindu-Christian hostility could easily
come to an end. As long as Christians hold that their alone is the True Faith
and are working to convert the members of other religion in one way or another,
they should not be surprised if members of other religions do not welcome their
presence.' In his book 'The Missionary Ploy.'
It is only a matter of time before Missionary
Christianity is seen for what is imperialism in the name of God and Christ,
the proverbial wolf in the sheep's clothing. It is a political, worldly movement
with little spirituality in it. Unfortunately such Christians confuse the real
Divine work, which is improving us through introspection, with the institutional
work of imposing a single belief upon all humanity. This political view of religion
has no place in global age of consciousness that is dawning in enlightened minds
all over the world today. The quicker it comes to an end, the better it will
be for all of humanity.
(The author is the Editor-in-Chief of Aseemaa: Journal for National Resurgence.)