Christian missionaries have become increasingly visible and controversial in India. As I grew up as a Christian, I would like to share my observations from a personal angle.
When it comes to religion, I noticed that Indians tread cautiously. Care is taken ‘not to offend the sensibilities’ of the followers of other religions. Well, I should specify: Hindus take care not to offend the sensibilities of Christians and Muslims. As those are in the minority, it is argued, they need special consideration so that they don’t feel threatened by the Hindu majority.
It is true that those religions are in the minority in India, but worldwide, both religions are very powerful with great financial and political clout to achieve their objective which is to bring as many people as possible into their fold. This clout is reflected even in the Indian media and politics. Just observe how mainstream media report on minorities. I can’t help feeling that there is a clever Public Relation strategy behind the scenes. In contrast, Hinduism clearly has no PR strategy. ‘Truth will triumph’, is the motto here, never mind if it takes ages.
Sometimes I hear the following argument for a laid back attitude: ‘Just because missionaries despise Hinduism, it does not become bad.’ This is true, but it would not harm anyone and might benefit many, if Hindus would refute the obnoxious accusations that Hinduism is a primitive, polytheistic religion, as it certainly is not. One can present the profound tenets of Sanatana Dharma, as Hinduism used to be called before foreign rule, if not point out the shortcomings of the dogmatic founder religions.
Pointing out the shortcomings of other religions seems to be a taboo for Hindus. I wonder why. Debates on religious issues were common in ancient India and were of the highest order. Women also took part in those debates, which are recorded in the Upanishads. Adi Shankara challenged the Buddhists in debates.
Yet today there is not much discussion on religion or philosophy. One reason may be that a part of the intellectual class in India has been influenced by the British to such an extent that they adopted the view that Hinduism is primitive without ever reading any of the ancient scriptures. It is a small, but influential group that is ever ready to defend the minority religions.
Often, Hindus declare that all religions are equal as they all believe in the same God as there is of course only one. Yet are they equal? Christianity (and Islam, too) refute this view. It declares that it is not only superior but “the one and only way” and therefore everyone needs to join it to be saved. The Church claims that Jesus Christ himself commanded to go out and convert. So they have the ‘duty’ to convert the whole world population to their ‘professed truth’. And the Church goes about it with great zeal and dubious means.
Of course every religion has good points. They all point to the Highest; they all stress the need for an ethical life. They all give hints how to connect with God. Yet one should be very wary if there are also ‘bad’ points, like if a religion divides humanity into those who are saved and those who are eternally damned.
So what distinguishes Christianity from Hinduism so that it feels superior? The main point is the status of Jesus Christ. It is just not enough to see in him a great enlightened sage or an avatar. He is claimed to be the only son of God, whom God had sent to earth and who, through his death, saved mankind from the original sin.
This of course is difficult to understand and cannot be understood. It has to be believed. It is a dogma and dogma means, there is no proof. So why should one believe it? Because it has been decided in some council some 1700 years back that this is the truth and Christians have to believe it.
Unfortunately Christians do believe it. I, for example, ‘knew’ already in primary school in a small town in Germany, that we, i.e. the Roman Catholics, were ‘right’ and all others, including the Protestants in the neighbourhood, ‘wrong’. As a teenager, however, I started questioning and almost lost faith in God. I could not believe in the personal God anymore who loves his Church and sends all heathens to hell.
One uncle happened to be a priest and in his library I read about the history of the Church. It was an eye-opener – the decadence of the popes, the bloody conversion of South America, the literal killing of any dissent, the scheming for power and wealth… Together with religion I was about to throw out God as well, as He seemed inextricably linked with it.
Then I read an article on modern physics. It said that the whole creation basically is one energy. “This means there is a God!” I realized. God cannot possibly be biased towards one group against another. He has to be the ground of everybody and everything.
When I came to India, I was amazed how profound her ancient wisdom was – a wisdom that does not have any dogmas and does not divide people into us versus them. ‘Brahman’ or ‘Tat’ of the Vedas is not a personal God that has likes and dislikes, but the invisible, conscious basis of all forms and names in this creation. This basis is there also in our own person and can be experienced, is claimed and this claim does not go against reason. “Enquire and experience” is recommended.
In contrast, Christianity demands blind belief and certainly does not encourage enquiry nor experience. A Church that branded her own mystics, who realized their oneness with God, as heretics cannot teach anything to India. She only can divide.
Missionaries try by hook or crook to get converts and target especially the lower classes and even children. It seems as if they have a quota to achieve. They claim that Christianity is the right faith and Hinduism very wrong. The phrase “divisive forces” is used freely in India, but strangely I have not heard it in connection with missionaries where it were appropriate.
Christian theologians would do well to study Indian wisdom with an open mind. It would give them a deeper understanding of Jesus’ sayings, as many of them are cryptic, yet from a Vedantic angle easy to interpret. They would realize that dogmas are a hindrance in the process to uncover truth. Such openness would make religion spiritual. Mystics would be appreciated. No “us versus them”, no borders, no God who belongs only to one group and who condemns the rest, just a genuine search for the One Essence beyond name and form…
To expect broadmindedness from Church representatives seems a long way off. As of now their course is set on confrontation and Hindus so far have been too polite to question the ‘one and only way’ bogus. While in the west many leave the Church, in India many join for reasons that have nothing to do with religion.
Those converts may initially get some financial benefits but the price is high. They have to confess a belief in dogmas, in which they don’t believe. They have to despise the faith that they had held dear. They or at least their offspring will become convinced that they alone have the ‘true’ faith and will look down on those who go to temples because their gods are ‘false’.
In the process they lose their integrity and will become hypocritical, like so many in the west. And if conversion is not restrained, together with her children, Bharat may lose her integrity. Truth will have no place anymore.
by Maria Wirth
74 Comments
Thank you Ms. Martha for expressing our views.. We Hindus are psychologically minorities in India…If we say this we will be termed as communal but not the vice versa…We Hindus are to be blamed for this.. Our political leaders have used the minority sentiment so well that if minority group do any communal actvity …they will not be highlighted by media…Police would not take any action… But a Hindu will so easily be termed as communal or Sampryadayik. Hindus are most liberal in thought but they are becoming so weak that they can’t say that they are against the dogmas of Christians and Muslims… Even I am afraid to post my commnet through facebook…because i feel many Hindu friends of mine will tag me as Sampryadayik or communal…
Christianity in South India is getting into Hindu mould. Church built like temple w/ theee head Jesus’s idol probably to fool hindus
https://twitter.com/jothishnair1010/status/376274093361729536/photo/1
You are right.!! I try to be as rational as possible but am fearful of the so called intelligentia of India.!
its not bad to spread good things through religion but defaming other religion and beliefs of people is so very sin, thats what is done in many convent school in regarding lord hanuman is called as mere monkey. I myself respect jesus but not the people who disgrace hindu religion. The way you respect your religion and jesus in the same manner we do respect and worship our lords. If at all you want to serve the humans you can do it without converting anyone to christanity. Thats pure injustice to your religion so as our religion. Jesus never told you need to be christian to be mine. He told you have to have faith in me and thats all, you’re mine. Defaming hindu religion and their preechers is ridiculous. Its my request to all christian missionaries do not hurt our sentiments. please guys.
this article shows how great you are as when it comes to religion people become biased. Thankful to you for understanding hinduism deeply. It also shows that you did a deep study on sanatan dharm before writing this article.
Look at this. This is an abomination. This needs to be countered….confronted..whatever it takes…this cannot go on
https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1378776_229541440539070_971133184_n.jpg
Christianity is a religion that preach peace, justice, love, equality, humbleness, respect toward other. Jesus taught to love even enemies, to bless those who curse. it preach the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. it never forcibly convert anyone, if anyone belief he/she is welcomed if not is upto them.
Nancy, you obviously don’t live in India. Maybe you could test the peaceful, loving attitude of Christianity by asking your priest whether he believes that Hindus will go eternally to hell if they don’t convert in spite of having heard of Jesus.
Maria Wirth
marry any christian boys or girl, there family try to convert them to christianity by brainwashing, as there is no teaching of hinduism, they converted to there spouse christianity as they do not convert them to hindus prior to marriage as they r broadminded, bt cristians take them as advantage. those fool lover say love is greater than religion n after marriage covert to christianity to satisfy there spouse n her family. how to prevent this any suggestion.
The ‘unbelievable’ dogmas have to be pointed out. Who can genuinely believe that God allows only members of the Church into heaven and sends all others to hell for all eternity??? How can the truth depend on an event 2000 years ago? Is truth not that that is eternally true and present right now and here? Ask what is meant by ‘God’. Ask whether one has to wait in the grave after death till the judgment day to finally get to know whether one will be in heaven or hell for the rest of eternity, etc. Ask whether they are sure their religions is the only true one, as Islam claims the same thing. Maybe they are right? Or none of them?
Hindu Dharma in contrast is a knowledge system and not a (blind) belief system. In Germany there are now 30% atheists. Indians have a better option if they go back to their valuable tradition “Isavasyam idam sarvam…” but of course, they would need to know something about it.
Nancy, when you say that Christianity “never forcibly converted anyone”, it is obvious you don’t know much about the history of your own religion. People were being converted to Christianity by force for many centuries. Every single black slave who was taken to Americas was baptized, and yes, by the use of force.
Sad example of religious hatred and violence committed in the name of Catholic Church is best described by the Saint Xavier (1506 – 1552), the champion of forced conversion and religious intolerance. St. Xavier used to refer to native Indians as devil-worshipers and spiritually blind, Hindu teachings as repulsive and grotesque, Vishnu’s transformation as foulest shapes, Shiva as shameless, Kali as clamoring for sacrifices, many-headed and many-armed gods and goddesses in temples as hideous forms and temples and altars as place of degrading rites. He made it a point not only to convert the people but also destroy the idols and ancient places of worship.
Here is just a small of what St. Xavier said about Hindus: “The Hindus are an unholy race. They are liars and cheats to the very backbone. Their idols are black—as black as black can be— ugly and horrible to look at, smeared with oil and smell in a evil manner.” Doesn’t sound so saintly, does it?
Hi Ritu. I respect your point of view and after all its your perception or thinking and you have all the rights for the same, however tell me something , I would like to know what wrong or Crime has the Christian community done so far?? Please share? According to me Christian Community has given a lot to India. India owes a lot to Christendom that to any other community..
Dear charles, Christianity has done many wrongs but the fact is They all act like saints.Check History(True History) not the one Edited by the Brits.U people were always inclined to split Hindus.Aryan invasion theory was created by u people just to Divide & make them a easy Target to convert.U all first came as a refugee to kerala & a Hindu King was magnanimus to give u land to live but back stabbed by taking side with the portugese who were the worst converters.They killed many Hindus & converted in Goa.Can u pls tell me what is Inquisition,Crusade,colonisation this can be attrbuted to u people.India doesnt owes any think to Christianity only u people owe to Hindus .what your community has given??? The British were the biggest opium dealers in the world North east India was used for cultivation & exported to china to destroy the Chinese civilisation & later conquer it.Many converts were given power to control these business & after independence they all became great enterpruners.
[…] Source: Maria Wirth Blog […]
very good
Maria,
Fortunately, there are people who are exposing the truth and calling a spade a spade. I would recommend that hindus listen to and watch videos in you tube pertaining to people like rajiv malhotra, dr. subramanium swamy, dr. n gopalakrishnan, sasikala teacher etc. to know more about these issues. Glad to know that there are people like you, francois gautier, and claude arpi – westerners who have adopted India as a result of their geniune understanding and love for Hindu faith and philosophy. Our people are still overawed by the white man’s wisdom (a lot of which is borrowed from indigenous cultures), so it helps if westerners educate our people about our greatness. It is tragic that it has to be so, but then if this is what our brown sahibs need to realise the truth, then so be it!!
Nice list Hari Ji, plz add Capt Ajit Vadakayil. he has over 800 posts to simply exhume the truth of human history, every human must read him. he is the only person who can give the scientific as wells spiritual dimension of Hinduism. and plz spread the word.
Dear Ritu,
you dont need to care about people if you care about Bharat mata first, i post on FB, don’t get a single like, but Iknow people read it, and their thought process get a kick start, it will take a time to understand what we mean as I was on the other side until one year ago. before that, If i would had come across anything like this, I would had the same views about the poster, but today i know how slowly my mind has all the analysis done and i am crystal clear what to do. i would suggest you to visit, Capt Vadakayil’s blog, you will get enough courage nd reason to spread the word regardless. and never forget this is good karma as we are trying to sieve the unbiasedness from biased and hatred view.
This cult is a termite it destroys all peaceful cultures from the inside, it is nothing but lies, utter lies and the Bible. Why should these cretins go around with Hindu names if their motives are nothing but the truth.
As Koenraad Elst says “…………..What Hindus who have been trapped in a sentimental glorification of Jesus and other prophets will have to learn, is that the essence of Hindu Dharma is not “tolerance”, or “equal respect for all religions”, but Satya, truth. The problem with Christianity and Islam is superficially their intolerance and fanaticism. But this intolerance is a consequence of these religions’ untruthfulness: if your belief system is based on delusions, you have to pre-empt rational inquiry into it and shield it from contact with more sustainable thought systems. The fundamental problem with the monotheist religions is not that they are intolerant, but that they are untrue, (Asatya or Anrita)…………….
Google these and get answers to the insidious cult of the myth called Christ.
1. “The Christ Conspiracy- the greatest Story ever sold”
2. Good Works and Heroic Virtues Mother and Charles Keating, Jr
3. Is It God’s Word? By: Joseph Wheless
4. Victims of Vatican
5. American Holocaust by David Stannard
6.Forgery In Christianity JOSEPH WHELESS.
7.Behind the dictators a factual analysis of the relationship of nazi fascism and roman catholicism 1945 by Leo Lehmann
8.Secret Instructions Of The Jesuits-W. C. Brownlee
9. Vatican Billions – Avro manhattan
10.The Jesuits Their Moral Maxims And Plots Against Kings, Nations, And Churches by JA Wylie
11.The Secret History of Jesuits by Edmond Paris
12.Mark Twain’s Letters From The Earth Uncensored writings.
13. Jesus interrupted Bart D Ehrman.
14. Vatican-Assassins-by-Eric-Jon-Phelps
Such a truthful article ….from very neutral mind! being a Hindu…I carry respect of other religion as I don’t really interfere in others faith and choice. Its in my DNA…but felt extremely bad from narrow minded so called minorities and pseudo seculars!
u people r so cheap ya .what’s there in religion ahh…its your faith,believe it or not.u may be not aware f the fact tht 1000 f hindus believe in st.Xavier and worship him because f his unbelievable miracles.
past is past focus on future….bullshit
I too am an Indian Christian, whose ancestors embraced Christianity voluntarily (I know this for a fact from family history). I agree that history does not favour the Christian missionaries, who, you must remember, were nothing but colonial mouthpieces. The Europeans did not have the best interests of the natives in mind when they sent their missionaries into both the Old and New Worlds, in what was essentially an empire building exercise. The best way to exploit the abundant natural wealth of the colonies, as also to gain strategic advantages, was to develop and cultivate a band of loyal native converts who would pose less of a problem to their expansionist agenda, since they would be held down by the decree of the church not to revolt and agitate against their colonial masters. This explains the desperation with which the missionaries went about their “job” and, as you rightly pointed out, fulfill their “quota”.
I do not absolve the missionaries for their misdeeds. I certainly do not glorify the demonisation and denigration of the Hindu faith which gave the West a veritable stick to beat India with (it still does). I also do not accept the doctrine of exclusivism, and do not put any faith in the “Heaven” and “Hell” doctrine. But what I have to say is this: when it comes to religion, take the best and leave the rest! I was brought up in a Christian home in Kerala, and we were not converted by Spanish or Portuguese missionaries, but by the original Syrian Christians who arrived in the ports of Kozhikode and Cochin. We do not consider Hindus as “heathens” or “pagans”, and in fact, have even married Hindu men and women over the centuries, and adopted their practices (the Syrian Christian dance, the Margam Kalli, is clearly of Hindu origin, as it is danced around a ceremonial lamp lit with ghee).
I perfectly understand your position in this regard: I agree that the Western interpretation of the scriptures is unfortunately not the most sound. This idea of conversion was never preached by Jesus himself. Spreading the teachings of Jesus is not the same as forcible mass conversions. Christians were expected to preach and then let the people decide whether or not they wanted to learn more about the faith, and whether or not the people wanted to become Christians themselves. This is exactly how my ancestors converted to Christianity. Nobody forced them. Nobody pressurised them. They did so voluntarily.
It is unfortunate that the history of the Church is mired in corruption and greed. But just ask yourself: does the Church regulate your faith? Do priests and missionaries substitue God? Does following the Bible neccessarily make you a better person? The answer is No. It is for us, the faithful, to decide. The Church does not control us. We are not puppets in the hands of the Pope or Popes. We believe in the existence of God and also believe that anyone can reach God, whatsoever their faith may be. This is what Jesus himself had said. Christian missionaries are not substitutes for Jesus.
Maria, if you truly love India and her people, you should stop this constant comparison between the Hindu and Christian faiths. I concede that you have nothing but genuine intentions for the Indian people. I fully understand just how much the culture and traditions of India have influenced you way of life, and how you want to make other Indians aware of their great heritage. But please, try to understand one thing: there are several political outfits in this country who do not have bona fide intentions for the people. They have sadly usurped the good name of Hinduism to further their own political interests, and are eagerly awaiting endorsement of their rabid, extremist views by anyone. And if a foreigner (I am sorry if I offend you by calling you that) is also endorsing their extremist points of view, so much the better!
Please don’t mistake me. I am not calling you an extremist! Neither am I calling you a right-winger. But when you toy around with words such as “Hindu fundamentalist” and “sickular” you do not realize the damage that you are doing! You may believe that by exposing the ills of the church, you are educating the Indians and helping them truly discover their greatness. But that is not what these political leaders believe. To them, the idea of a Hindu rashtra offers immense political and economic monopoly. If ALL their subjects are Hindus, nobody will challenge them. Nobody will dare to lift a finger against their atrocites. There will be no strikes and protests, and if there are, these will be cracked down upon severely! Elections could stop. Those in power will decide whom to give and how much, and nobody will dare raise their voice against it. Absolute power and monopoly will be the order of the day. Do you want that, Maria? Haven’t you yourself protested against such things when the Church did it?
Your intentions for the people of India may be pure, and so you naively believe that by constantly running down Christianity and indeed, other so-called monotheistic faiths, you will help Indians realize the superiority of their religion. You come from Germany. Must you be reminded of the Holocaust? Of the terror that one man unleashed on a hapless group of people whose only fault was that they were in the minority? And what had driven this man to do what he did? Greed, blood-lust, power and the desire to subjugate the weak. It’s easy to be the weaker set when you know that you lack the numbers for it.
You must be extremely naive to think that such a thing would never occur in India. Do you think that political leaders are the epitomes of Hindutva? They have taken a perfectly sacred and sanctinmonius word such as “Hindutva” and turned it into a political tool. So that today, to most of the world, Hindutva signifies parochialism and narrow-mindedness. You and I both know that THAT IS NOT WHAT HINDUTVA MEANS! That is not what being a Hindu is! You have repeatedly stressed this and it is also a known fact, at least to the people of India. Tell me, why did the terrible Gujarat tragedy happen? Was it because Hinduism was a violent religion? ABSOLUTELY NOT! It happened because a bunch of irresponsible people, calling themselves Hindus, went about unleashing one of the worst genocides in the history of India, and perhaps, even the world. THERE ARE SEVERAL PEOPLE LIKE THAT IN INDIA EVEN TODAY, who wrongly use Hinduism as an excuse to carry out their insiduous and sinister political vendettas. Maria, you do not realize this, BUT YOU ARE PLAYING INTO THEIR HANDS! These outfits derive their strengths from so-called “heroes” past and present. They keep invoking Swami Vivekananda as a champion of Hinduism, but Swami Vivekananda also said “If I, as an Oriental have to worship Jesus of Nazareth, there is only one way, that is, to worship him as God and nothing else”. HE WAS A TRUE HINDU, who appreciated everyone’s faith equally.
Yes, the Catholic Church is corrupt, and was always a corrupt body. Catholic missionaries have done terrible things to Hindus. But have they only done bad things? Have you heard of Fr. Camille Bulcke, a Belgian priest who lived and worked in present day Jharkhand, and worked for the revival and preservation of the Hindi language, at a time when the natives themselves were giving up on it? He even compiled an entire dictionary on Hindi. AND NO, HE NEVER FORCIBLY CONVERTED ANYONE! There is an entire area in Ranchi today named after him. Or of Dr. Ida Scudder, who established the Christian Medical College at Vellore? Or Father Chavarra, who successfully championed the cause of underpriveleged education in Kerala? Or of Frank Anthony who not only did wonders for education in India, but also successfully got India’s ex-finance miniser released from Peshawar with his legal background? Hundreds of thousands of Hindu children have passed out of missionary schools and are doing fabulously in India and the world over. Our own finance minister, Mr Arun Jaitley, and our HRD minister, Mrs Smriti Irani, studied in missionary schools. Have their views on Hindus and Hinduism changed? In fact Mr Jaitley was an RSS pracharak. Did going to a missionary school hamper his Hindu outlook? If parents do not properly teach their children about their religion at home, how does one blame missionaries and missionary schools for it?
Maria, my point is not to extol the virtues of Christianity or Christians. I am only sincerely requesting that you continue to praise and glorify Hinduism (since you are a proud Hindu) WITHOUT comparing it or equating it to Christianity. If you continue to do this, that day is not far away when unscruplous political leaders will use the experiences of people such as yourself to subjugate and perhaps even annihilate Christians and other minorities from India, presenting and justifying their actions using their sick, twisted and distorted version of Hinduism. Will you be able to live with that, Maria?
Sheila, i agree with you. there are many Christians who don’t care about dogmas and the official faith. They will enver believe for example that Hindus go to hell. Europe is nowadays full of them. Then take ideas from Indian spirituality that God is everywhere, permeates everything,, some 25 per cent believe in rebirth, etc.
But the official Church still peddles iher dogmas as the only truth. in my view, this has to be opposed and exposed.
Yacob, yes, i love India and i appreciate that you want me to realise what you feel is a great danger for Inda. And it’s true, there are surely bad apples among HIndus, too, but Hindu Dharma as such will not allow the scenario of an unjust dictatorship that you paint.
Hindu Dharma is all inclusive by nature. It easily includes Christians, it would not have any problem with them, IF they stopped to make the false claim that one has to be baptised to be saved. Hindu Dharma is about truth as much as it is about living the Godlen Rule. And no, i don’t agree with you that Hindu organisations have bad intentions. They try to set things right again that had gone out of hand under minority appeasement
i agree that there are good people among the missionaries as well. in fact, i spent a lot of time in my earlier years also in so called Christian ashrams and met for example Brother Gaston, on whose person Stefan Kowalski of “City of Joy” was modelled. He told me that he doesn’t know of any genuine conversion, added that maybe, just maybe, an Assamese woman converted for the love of Jesus. According to him, in all other cases there were ulterior motives. he stopped baptising adults, baptised only children of Christian parents. So, yes, there are good people, but he of all people felt very pained that the Church had not apologised till then for the Inquisition (meanwhile has, i believe).
in my vew, it needs more than an anpology for Inquisition. It needs an honest assessment of truth. Openly claiming (sermons are often broadcast out from churches) that Hindus are damned and that their deities are demons or devils does not increase harmony in society. It harms society.
Maria, you can already see for yourself now what these organizations who routinely usurp the good name of Hinduism are doing. Otherwise, how do you explain the recent “Purkhon ki ghar wapasi”? These same organisations had once pointed fingers at Christian missionaries for using inducements and allurements to convert gullible people. Now, they are doing the same, providing them with ration cards, school admissions and housing, all in the name of “ghar waapasi”. Isn’t this clearly double-standards? Isn’t this hypocrisy? These conversions have clear electoral gains for the ruling party. It’s no co-incidence that the target group for these conversions are the OBC and Valmiki communities, as well as poor Muslims. It’s also no co-incidence that these are the traditional voter base for both the SP and the BSP, who, if you might recall, had already lost plenty of dalit and OBC votes to the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls. As the RSS claims, it has already converted over 3 lakh backward Muslim and Christian families to Hinduism, on the back of allurements. Imagine the windfall gains an extra 3 lakh votes would garner the BJP. Also, gaining an absolute majority in UP would be crucial, since Varanasi is the constitutency of the PM. And with the SP-RJD-JD(U)-JD(S)-INLD coming together, with the Congress clearly set to lend support to this new “secular” front, there is a palpable sense of urgency among the BJP to counter this alliance, which, if it does take off, will prove to be a formidable opponent. BJP already lost UP in the by-polls of 2014. It will do all it can to not let that happen again. One way it can do this is by eating into the vote-share of the new “secular” combine.
My point, Maria, is to just alert you to something that is slowly but steadily churning in the cauldrons of power. Using Hinduism as a front, these unscruplous parties are hell-bent on ruining the good work that Modiji is doing and intends to do for the future. I voted for the BJP because of the promise of growth and development. I was convinced that BJP and Modi is the need of the hour. I pinned my hopes and aspirations on the BJP, despite the fact that certain elements in their fold are vehemently and often, openly, anti-Christian.
Make of this what you will. As a logical and rational person, I am sure that you will see reason in what I have said.
Now they are telling Hinduism came out of Christianity, Prajapati is Christ, There is no original sin, it only happens when you commit it after birth etc. most of the old temples in South belongs to them converted by bramin’s evil design, yoga and Bharathanatiam belong to Christianity converted later by bramin’s . Christianity is Religious ideological terror funded and promoted by external forces.
Osho has written a masterpiece of an epic titled” Christianity is the deadliest poison that can be given to anybody and zen is the antidote to all.”it was this book in which he has logically proved the emptiness of christianity and because of which he could not get a nobel prize after many nominations,but none of the nobel committe members could ever face him inspite of his regular invitations to them
LOOKS like the demon worshiping religion of Hinduism is rapidly collapsing and its petty gods unable to stop , and Christianity is rapidly growing, otherwise Hindus won’t rant on a blog like this. Most Hindus are converts from Buddhism and Jainism to Brahmanism for few sacks of rice, few cows and a caste. That is the reality. Ever Hindu is a convert, a confused one. Hindu concept of God is flawed and useless, its gods are dead puppets, the Christian God is the real God, living God. The hypocrite religion of Hinduism on one hand says, Vasdudeva kutumbakam, and other vipra bahuda vadanti rubbish yet demonizes Christianity. hinduism is a racist, religion with hatred towards other religions and people that is why it is so obsessed with hating Christianity. Be quiet and accept whatever comes, if your gods are too weak to protect their religion then ditch these fake gods and accept the real living God.
thanks . i wish every Christian dies on cross for others . unfortunately even the blogger Christian has not done so.
Yes, Hindu Dharma in contrast is a knowledge system and not a (blind) belief system. But this knowledge is reserved only for the upper caste.This great knowledge is used to treat lower castes worst than humans and animals are worshiped as God. This great knowledge is what has given us great practices and justification for untouchability, sati, female Infanticide, abandoning of old widows, devdasi system, bonded labour. This same knowledge system will have hundreds of posters giving all kinds of justifications on the internet and social media and blame everybody under the sun from the pope, the church, western media, the mougals, islamic invaders, communist, socialists, secularist, mahatma gandhi, nehru, aliens, extra terrestrials, etc. Or justify it by giving examples or Hitler, Slave trade by Europe and America, etc. This knowledge will give you a thousand conspiracy theories of how hinduism is under threat and every body in the world is out destroy hinduism. In spite of all data proving otherwise, expect in Pakistan and Bangladesh where it is not just hindus but all minorities including some islamic sects that are persecuted. They and Maria Wirth will not tell you that the hindu population is increasing not just in India but, Europe, America, Africa, Mauritius, Fiji, Singapore, Hongkong, Guyana. They will not help or work for their fellow low caste hindus. But will do all they can to stop others from helping the lower caste.
Sheila, Forcible conversions were done by the Portuguese and Spanish in the colonies they conquered. This is not applicable to India (except Goa, Daman & Diu) as we were ruled by the British and they never bothered about religion and conversions but only commerce and power.
Finally you admit the truth, you are nothing but a PAID white European mascot for the RSS.
“Hindu Dharma is about truth as much as it is about living the Godlen Rule. And no, i don’t agree with you that Hindu organisations have bad intentions. They try to set things right again that had gone out of hand under minority appeasement”
How many of the BJP, RSS, VHP, Bajran dal know about this truth and Godlen rule that you advocate? How many of the hindus living in the entire world know the truth that you so passionately proclaim?
You don’t agree that Hindu organisations have bad intentions and Hindu Dharma as such will not allow the scenario of an unjust dictatorship. Either you are blind or you are PAID to write this, when there is evidence all around you staring you in the face. The comments on the blog is enough to tell the truth if care to listen, but bigoted view will not. We living in India are victims of this truth and godlen rule for centuries which had given us untochability, the caste system, bonded labour, female infanticide, sati, devdasi, abandoning of widows. How did hindu dharma allowed and still allow such atrocities?
You say your masters have no bad intentions and they try to set things right again that had gone out of hand under minority appeasement. The truth is they want to perpetuate these evils and continue oppressing the lower caste and you are a part of their grand game plan.
What you preach is totally opposite of what you and your master do. The Christian missionaries are not harming India, but they are harming the hindu upper caste that is why this hue and cry. The education and upliftment of the poor and lower caste my the missionaries is taking away the cheap and in some cases bonded labour from the upper caste. THIS IS COLD HARD TRUTH
If you really care about Hinduism then work for the upliftment of the lower caste, every thing else will fall in place. But you and your RSS masters rather spent time in degenerating other religions, writing letters to the pope, blaming all and sundry for all problems of the country, conspiracy theories that border on the ridiculous, justifing rapes, demanding a hindu country and spreading hate and intolerance.
You and your masters have to stop to set right, that you in your distorted vision think had gone out of hand, but first concentrate on setting right the wrong you have done and are CONTINUING the same atrocities in the name of Hindu dharma. UNTIL THEN SHUT UP.
You have not sense of History and Facts. Bible is filled with contradictions. Fact-check: Christianity is on a Decline in the US ,Europe & Asian countries like S Korea. Such is the sorry state that where a few once attended Churches on Sundays are filled on Fri and Sat nights once they converted to Pubs & Bars.
Enlighten yourself:
http://www.businessinsider.com/churches-in-england-are-being-converted-to-bars-photos-2014-3?IR=T
Amazing blog. Also amazing is how exactly the thoughts expressed are also mine. I too cannot understand the absurdity of believing in the dogmas. A God that saves only people who believe in him is like saying that gravity will only act on people who know the ‘good ‘news’ that gravity exists. Your blog uses just the right words to make the point. I am happy to have found it.
I send my best wishes to you.
Thank you
I find it ironic that what we demand of others we fail to see in ourselves. Willfull blindness is often utilized to prop up our own perception of the way things ought to and is typically the motivator in such cases.
As a Christian, I can relate to the frustration over the things you have witnessed. However, you encourage Hindus to read their ancient Scriptures. Rather than putting all followers of Jesus into one baske, why don’t you study the innumerable histories and traditions that have developed over the past 1700 years within Chrisitianity? Rather than taking a stab at the church, which is WAY too easy, why dont you explore its rich history?
You ask others to respect the traditions of Hinuism and explore its ancient traditions. Maybe it would be wise of you to turn the mirror on yourself and do the same with Christianity. It is in finding the similarities between our faiths that will help us to work toward better space between one another and toward a better existence within creation. Not in pointing out the differences and assuming that they are impossible to bridge.
Daniel, maybe you can enlighten me. As far as I know, only the Presbyterians are more open in allowing “others” into heaven. In fact, in US, a few years ago, they made a public statement that Jews can also go to heaven and a priest told me that the most respected Jew in his small town called on him. He thought, he would be pleased, but instead he blasted him: “What’s your business to make comments on us.”, etc.
As soon as the Church or the different Churches stop their arrogant, baseless claim that they alone have the truth and one needs to be baptized to be saved, we can go about finding commonalities. But as long as they insist on their “Jesus is only way” dogma, no genuine communication is possible. Either give proof or at least show that it makes sense, or else stop claiming it.
The Church resorts to strange hairsplitting, like they make a difference between saved and redeemed. I think one is possible, the other not for non -Christians … isn’t it ridiculous? Who are they to know?
The Catholic Church, in the II Vatican Council “opened up” saying that if someone is exceptionally good and “moved by grace” and HASN’T HEARD OF JESUS can also reach heaven.
If missionaries really believed it and had any compassion, they would immediately stop preaching about Jesus so that at least people don’t hear about him, so the good ones can go to heaven. Isn’t it all a bit too abstruse?
Plz contect. To +919918609100
Ya Christian community given alot of things like 300 year slavery fund money to conversation from hindu to Christian so many more……..
I very much agree with you that the world is one community
Main apna hindu dharm parivartan karna chahta hu. Pls. Contact me. 7068116862. Phone se sampark kare. Thank you
strange, why should i phone u?
Very well put out. Me to a syro malabar christian converted in 52 AD by st Thomas himself. My ancestors were rich landlords. They left everything and became poor and honeless , driven out of there hones when they converted to Christianity. And u r right. Jesus said go out into the world and preach the good news. Convert those who believe. Meaning no forceful conversion. Yes, our priests are as corrupt as our politicians and it is time for us Indian Christian to stand up and clean our church.
Mariaji in India the freedom is so much u can see people cutting the branch on which he sit u have pleaded to him but he will realise u only after a fall most of them have got hurt u can see the after effects in the country coming elections
Hinduism or rather sanatana dharma does not sanction the following:
Sati
Child Marraige
Illitteracy
Casteism
Untouchability
Agression
Female infanticide
Slavery
Theiving
I suppose this response will still be insufficient for you as you belong to the vast majority of Indians who believe in obsolete propagandist theories such as The Aryan Invasion Theory.
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Wonderful Blog. educative and highly reverent .Thank you for understanding Hindu culture and values. Looking forward to the days when people understand that there is pnly one god for everyone and live together in peace and harmony.
In fact Hinduism is not a religion and it is a way of life..I feel that the concept of forming a religion is itself the culprit, which draws people of the same views together, enables misinterpretation of what is being told in their holy books, thereby misguiding and misleading which finally results in fighting with one another.
yes, we would be better off without religion if religion is defined as blind belief in some unverifiable dogma which supposedly has been revealed to one particlular person…
Hindu Dharma is not a religion in that sense.
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i fully agree with you Maria. It makes me angry to see hapless hindus getting converted. That way, christianity is relatively a new religion. what happened to people who were born before Jesus? If they didn’t attain salvation, where did they go? This single God theory itself is dangerous.
Reblogged this on Hindu Internet Defence Force.
Hello Maria, just a quick testimony of me and our family. unlike for material benefits as the reason for conversion, our family was converted on the belief in Christ Jesus as our personal saviour and Lord. We did get things for our belief but we lost things during this journey. Loss of friends, relatives, material loss etc. But let me tell you this despite all of this the unfathomable joy of being in close presence of Jesus is far greater joy and wealth for us. In all our troubles, Jesus helped us to come out victorious. And when I kneel down for prayer in His presence, Oh, such a joy and fellowship that no money or wealth or anything else can ever provide. And greater news that the very family and relatives that have mocked and ridiculed us when we converted are now coming to church and started praying and also testifying of their new found joy. What an amazing saviour He is. Jesus is someone who needs to be experienced personally. He won’t be found in history or the giant cathedrals. He would come into our heart the moment we invite Him and the beautiful journey begins.
In West Uttar Pradeah (India), Some lower cast Hindus are being attracted with Christian religion due to brainwash by Christian Missionaries. Main target are ladies and children. They are rejecting all Hindu religion worship. Missionaries says to peoples that Christian rel is best and helpful and hindu religion is bad. As we are all well known every Indian are free to follow any religion as constitution of India.
But Please anyone give any idea to stop it through email only surendra0705@gmail.com
Please….
Hi Surendra, sorry to say that there is no way currently to stop the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Romans the most powerful empire in first century have tried everything under the sun and in the very end they ended up accepting this message of Jesus.
I know few people around where I live who vehemently opposed the gospel and after few years got converted to Christianity.
So in general the best thing to do is to stay quiet. If you oppose you might also end up converted.
God bless you.
Jai, If you cannot have a courteous meaningful discussion, I will copy the same advice in bigger caps to you.
If you equate evils of a society to a particular religion, and claim the western society has no social evils albeit in a different name, you are a bigger ignoramous than what you’d like to believe yourself to be.
This is the first time I am reading Ms.Maria Wirth’ s articles. I appreciate her wisdom in telling Hindus that you have something worth cherishing, so, don’t throw the baby with the bath water. I have Christian neighbours and friends, and Muslim neighbours and friends and Buddhist and Parsi friends, I will protect them If somebody comes to harm them in the name of hindu religion. I would also request you Jai, if you are a true Indian at heart, to stop brain washing of innocent, uneducated Hindus in the name of Christianity. Pls spot and stop the people who are misleading villagers with christ photo with the same imagery head gear playing the flute 😛 or referring to the bible as ‘vedas’. You saw the ‘fake brahma’ photo above 😛 😛 If you can help protect a tribal village from being consumed by an alien culture destroy the wisdom and their root identity, then a lot more of us will appreciate you, because, that is the true path of peace. Can you do that??? If you do, I promise you, there will be no issue about the hindutva brigade or ghar-wapsi because everyone will be within their homes, connected with their roots. We will all have the sanctity of our own religions for our inner peace, nothing here to fight each other for. We can together fight with common goal against all political, economic and social evils-Not only in india, even in western countries too.
To the other Christians here, if you are worried, I sincerely hope you will be able to show the same empathy towards the fears/worries followers of Hinduism feel.
Muje crischan Dharm me ana h kya kru
Muje Isai Dharm m ana ha
I think Maria is getting confused with the British and Christianity. British might have done some wrong and even some other European conquerors but that doesn’t mean that christians have done it. I don’t see any Christianity in imperialism. Jesus Christ was not political and he didn’t aspire to be an earthly king or ruler. Christianity is all about being Christ like. All British are not christians and all Christians are not British. I am a converted Christian and I didn’t get lured by some money or privilege to Christianity. Rather I experienced the love of Christ and became a Christian.
Please visit http://www.jesusisbuddha.com and learn about the origins of christianity
yet Christianity added something which Buddhism did not have: exclusivity and world dominion as ‘divine duty’ which proved to be toxic.
USA send max number of Christian missionaries to INDIA..they need to fix their own country first
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DKTIzWgUIAAqUDe.jpg
US external debt… 20 trillion dollars and counting
http://www.usdebtclock.org/
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h94bq4JfMAA&w=640&h=390]
Empty vessels make more noise! This applies to both Christianity and Islam… like a bawling child that threatens and blackmails till you give them what they want…that’s why they attract the worst of the lot.. like you
Maria,
I like your blogs on India’s original tradition and cultural roots and Hinduism’s role. They are well-researched, thoughtful and insightful ( for those who can think).
I would like to share your blogs on a wider platform for people to see the truth instead of lies projected by the vicious media in India.
Thank you for your commitment and integrity!
thank you. please share. on which platform?
Empty vessels make more noise! Nothing more needs to be said of Christianity and Islam alike. Just like an immature child bawling and threatening to gain attention… that’s why they attract the worthless of the lot…like you
Dear Christian, I am curious to know your source of information about hindu and hinduism.
We Hindus do accept Christ, not the way the Christian cult expects though. Reading from your post, unfortunately, you belong to that cult. My neighbour’s father cannot be my father. But that does not mean I should insult my neighbour’s family and their parents or I should not acknowledge and respect their elders. This is the essence and culture of hinduism. I know in my heart this is the essence of Christian God as well. I will not ask you to learn about hinduism. I will ask you to go back to your own culture- the original, unadulterated, un-interpreted teachings. You will find it’s the same God. That in hinduism we call it the one-ness/self realisation. Your mind with get so broadminded, so vast, that you will be able to embrace and understand the immense love and beauty of diversity even in religion.
Susheel, your reply post to Surendra sounds like a veiled threat .
I zeal of a new convert is amazing! Is it a subconscious effort to whitewash your roots to prove to yourself to the new family? Just kidding! You are free to choose your path to reach the truth. Hinduism says that there is only one god, but multiple sources. Like water-the sources are multiple, but the nourishment is the same.
What I suggest to evangelists is that, please broaden your spectrum of thinking and the idea of god and religion. If you poison a water source thinking you will dry it out and then supply water from yours, you are unfortunately mistaken. Because the poison will spread and kill your water source too! If on the other hand, we respect each other and nourish that respect, world is such a beautiful place!
Mother earth supports me-the hindu, you the Christian. The sun shines upon me and you equally. The rain gives us both the water we need…If you believe the earth, the sun, the rain are a creation of god, you can also believe a hindu and a Christian are also creation of god. The sun has a ‘niyama(the way of functioning) and the rain has a different one. Similarly, my path as a hindu will follow my niyama. Please make sure, your niyama-path is not defined(read brain-washed) by unseen political crusaders in the name of religion as it is being done now and in the past. Only then is vasudeva kutumbakam-world is one family.
Sir, d biggest crime I can think of is conversion.. Missionaries r exploiting d socio political situation to this purpose.
True charity has no hidden agenda.
I remember in school they used to collect money, food, clothes etc.. N this was forced, as we had to get something. N this was given to d disaster victims only when they converted.
You have the point of ultimate truth but the problem is that the things are so vivid in this country that it provide a ready made platform for missionaries to perform their dubious activities. They target the people deprived of basic needs of life. The political and social failure of Bharat to some extent of ensuring the basic needs of its people makes the sound ground for the missionaries for their culprit design. Over and above which is rather more painful that things have been going for a long time unchecked. The missionaries have been mistook as working entities for well being of humanity. They instead should have been kicked out of this pious land which they are spoiling.
//Finally you admit the truth, you are nothing but a PAID white European mascot for the RSS.//
Same can be said for you
..” a PAID STOOGE of Christian Missionaries…………?///