Author: Maria Wirth
In 1999, the Pope declared in Mumbai that in the 21st century the cross will be planted in Asia. Strangely, there was not much objection in the media that the Pope expressed so openly his eagerness to convert Hindus. Not only the Pope but also the different evangelical sects want to convert Hindus in big numbers. And unfortunately, they are doing it successfully because they have lots of money. In the last 20 years, after the Pope made his statement, Christian missionaries have become increasingly visible, blatant and controversial. As I grew up as a Christian, I would like to…
It is becoming a fashion to declare Hindutva as bad and Hinduism as good, mostly by people who don’t know from own experience what it means to be a Hindu, like recently Rahul Gandhi or before him Salman Kurshid. Yet there are also people with Hindu names who endorse this view. A few days ago, there was an article in Garhwal Post by Dr. Satish C. Aikant, who felt that Salman Kurshid, “by denouncing Hindutva for its deviation from Sanatan Dharma, he was indeed making a case for Hinduism.” I wrote a reader’s letter to Garhwal Post. Here it is:…
Introduction: Something incredible happens since quite some time: Tigers claim with a lot of media and ‘academic’ support that deer are eating up tigers. And the deer only say, “No, it’s not true” but do not give proof that they are vegetarians while tigers killed and ate already millions of deer. The attacks on Hindus are unrelenting. Now even a British MP tweeted about a “Hindu terrorist” when there cannot be terrorism in the name of Hindu Dharma, because it is never dharmic to kill or injure at random innocent people. The narrative goes like this: only certain deer are…
This is a true story about a Hindu who had converted to Christianity, and who felt the need to convince his family also to convert. Once on a flight from Germany to India, one of those bright, young Indians sat across the aisle. We started talking. He was a science lecturer at an American university. When food came, he ordered non-veg and I ordered veg. I teasingly asked him “non-veg”? He replied, “Yes, I started to eat meat when I converted to Christianity eight years ago.” “You… converted… to… Christianity?” I asked in disbelief. “How could you do this? Are…
In my view the greatest thing about being a Hindu is that one can be an open-minded, ‘normal’ human being, who is given plenty of insights and tips from the Vedas and other ancient texts on how to refine one’s character, how to anchor one’s awareness in the present and how to ultimately realize one’s oneness with the Divine Presence that is inside us and in everything. A Hindu is not forced into a mental straitjacket. He does not need to think certain thoughts, which are against common sense and which are divisive, like for example “The great God is only…
Billions of people – all Christians and Muslims – are taught from childhood that only their religion is right. Yet is it true? Or are they wrong to claim this? Well, if a religion is based on reason, intuition and experience than surely it is not wrong to say it, and it’s also not wrong trying to convince others. Unfortunately, neither Christianity nor Islam are based on reason, intuition or experience but only on blind belief in unverifiable dogmas. One can never know for sure if Jesus is really the son of God who was sent to earth to save…
Dear Savio, I had the pleasure to meet you at a conference and you came across as likeable and intelligent. And I felt, we had in common that we both grew up as Christians but realized that Hindu or Sanatana Dharma is the better option. That’s why I was surprised by your tweet: “I am a Christian by my faith but Hindu by my roots. That’s me. You cannot accept this fact about me, then it is your problem, not mine.” Most Hindus don’t know the essence of the Christian faith, and you may have thought you get away with…
It is again this beautiful time before Diwali. Five years ago, I got a glimpse into the simple and spiritual lives of villagers off the beaten track in the Himalaya. „Would you like to come to some villages around Chamba?“ a friend had asked. I happily said yes. He wanted to visit the kin of former domestic help of his family and bring them gifts before Diwali. After buying boxes of sweets and drawing money from an ATM, three of us set off from Mussoorie. The air was crystal clear and the snow peaks shone in great splendour. How beautiful…
It shocked Hindus: a conference on ‘Dismantling Global Hindutva’, supported by 38 US universities. Speakers are the usual leftists mainly with Hindu names. And of all dates, it is scheduled from 10-12. September. The title is brazen or is it just truthful? Do they say now openly what has been the plan since over 1000 years? The plan to rid the world of ancient pagan cultures? Inka, Maya, Egypt, Greece, Babylon… all are gone. Yet Hindus still exist. Hindus still chant Vedas in their mandirs, still celebrate festivals, still revere great personalities from past ages and even now take more…
Muslims don’t fight with every religion around the world because, with a religion or ideology one needs to fight intellectually. Muslims don’t do this. They simply declare all other religions as wrong without further investigation, and then they fight with swords or guns to make people submit and follow the ‘right’ religion. Both Muslims and Christians did this in the past and Muslims still do it. Why do they do this? Because their doctrine says so and they believe it. Now here is the above question relevant. Do educated Muslims ever wonder if it is true what they are told…