Faith, Diplomacy And India

[Guest]

Continued and ties in with the thread's theme..

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->
== “Who is lagging behind in charity?” ==

Who said that the Hindus “are lagging way behind in charity”? (N. Dharmeshwaran (The Hindu dated August 30th); this is a grandmas story. The information has to be updated. May be, Christians have an edge in having more number of institutions. Ever since the Ramakrishna Mission started its service activities 100 years ago now, innumerable Hindu Institutions have come up not only in India, but in other countries as well. May be organizationally and funds wise Christian institutions have an edge. Nevertheless, in India, qualitatively Hindu Institutions are far ahead of Christian Institutions. They are up to date in terms of the range of services and the state of art facilities. Mother Theresa herself never under went any treatment in her destitute hospitals. When she was ill she was admitted to hospitals best equipped--where the best care was available--the BM Birla Heart research center--a Hindu charitable hospital. She never was admitted to her own institutions. 68

I was amazed when I visited Dharmastala (Karnataka state) where an estimated 25000 people are fed at the Manjunathaswamy temple free of cost. Each pilgrim can avail this for a minimum of three days. This works to almost a staggering figure of, 10000000 pilgrims every year, 1% of Indian population; this act of Dharma is happening day in day out without governmental support or international Aid for the last several centuries. Other temples too have similar arrangements, for pilgrims, like Mantralayam, Mookambika, and Tirupathi etc. so what is seen here is but remnants of what it was like earlier, only a glimpse of the glorious past. So charity is nothing new and foreign that Hindus have to take lessons from missionaries. The Sikh langars (kitchens) in Gurudwaras in India and else where, offer ‘dal’, ‘roti’, and ‘sweet’ to devotees 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. The Kala Kambli Wala Baba Ashrams, though in a decaying state, after a century or so of existence, still provide blankets, against bitter cold; accommodation and food for over night pilgrims, in the entire Himalayan belt. So is charity foreign to India that missionaries have to teach Hindus A..B..C… of it?


The Dharmastala Temple, in Karnataka provides free food for an average of 25000 devotees every day. This has been going on for the past hundreds of years. This figures add up to approximately one crore people every year, or one percent of the Indian population.67 Sri Satya Sai Super Specialty Hospitals, Puttaparthi68 and White field provide FREE FIVE STAR treatment for heart and kidney diseases, regardless of caste, creed etc. since its inception thousands of patients, mostly poor patients, have under gone bye pass, valve replacement etc. (none of the Christian institutions, in India can come even closer to this record). The Satya Sai trust has provided water supply to the entire district of Rayalaseema, covering 600 villages, and to more than a million people69. One of the largest and complex projects successively completed in a record time, by an NGO in any part of the world. Former President Shankar Dhayal Sharma said “what governments are expected to do you doing, I am ashamed to say this”70. He said this in a public meeting. Further the education offered by the trust, is free, for ALL (capital A) in the deemed university, from nursery to PhD; for not only to Hindus or devotees of Sai, but for all71. There is no overt or covert compulsion, to abandon one’s religion. Matha Amrithanada Mayee’s Super specialty hospitals, in Trivandrum72, have taken the challenge into traditional Christian strong hold in Kerala. Thousands of patients, Christians apart from Hindus have under gone bye pass, angioplasties etc, in these institutions. Other notable Hindu charitable institutions include the Chinamaya Missions73, Bangaru adigalar74, Adi Parasakthi foundation has innumerable charitable institutions; Shankarcharyas’ Hindu Mission Hospital, and educational institutions74, the Poorna Pragna institutions of the Admar Math, Udipi, 75 are doing exceptional service. The combined strength of this volunteer’s corps of these bodies would exceed more than 10 million. The Sai organization has overwhelming branches in 117 countries with over 8000 centres in India alone76. It will be matter of time before they exceed the Christian charities. Nevertheless, none of these organizations talks in terms of competing with Christianity or any one else or use it as a plank for conversions.

If one has to use that fallacious logic of N. Dharmeshwaran (The Hindu dated August 30th) all those Christian patients including Mother Theresa. Could be, ‘as-a-matter-of-right’ ought to be converted to Hinduism. Nevertheless, not a single Christian was ever converted, as a pre condition for the expensive treatment, or to get benefit from the water connection. The chief minister of Karnataka, Mr. SM Krishna 77 requested Sai to start a similar hospital in Bangalore. He said that “diseases do not differentiate between rich and poor and between people of various states”. The hospital came up in record time of 11 months is located near the IT Park, Bangalore, White field. (If Dr. J. Jayalaltha makes a formal request, (though I am not a official spokes person) to the Sai trust, to give a solution, to the Chennai’s perennial water problem, the Sai trust may take up the challenge, to give a permanent solution to Chennai’s world famous water problem.)

Mr. Ebe Sunder Raj (The Hindu dated, 1st September), challenged Mr. Ramagopalan “Mr. Ramgopalan will do well to document ten cases of a Dalit or tribal embrace the Christian faith by force or fraud, as convicted by a court of law in the last 50 years anywhere in India. A thousand repetitions do not convert false allegations into truth”. 78

Well, Ebe has taken a chance, a rash and exuberant approach. The Published statistics by missionaries would disprove his challenge. The baptismal records available in all churches would disprove his contention. Conversions are taking place, all the time, all the places, and all over India, which is vast territory. No individual organization could collect statistics on conversions, from such a vast territory. Hindu organizations are poor producer of documents, is a fact well known, hence Ebe decided to take his chance. It is job of the government -- both central and well states, or a high profile enquiry commission that could dig into the data on conversions -- Hindu organizations have not spent a single rupee to collect all the vital statistics79, related conversions, leave alone documenting them. They would not be even interested in such a proposal.

Even the Niyogi committee faced enormous problem to get the details of Baptisms from church records.80 (the Niyogi committee report p.11) the missionaries did not co-operate with the committee. Initially the missionaries cooperated with the commission. Later they stopped. Subsequently they also moved the high court for a mandamus Petition No. 263 of 1955. The petition was dismissed by the high court on April on 12. 1956. “The judges said that it was within the competence of the state government to appoint a fact finding committee to collect information and that there has been no infringement of any fundamental right of the petitioners”. See: The Niyogi Committees’ Report, Page 21 81 we can produce even a 100-year record.


== Gandhi and Missionaries ==


In India, when the missionaries found out that after 50 years of efforts they could not convert one Gandhi, with that half of India, Reverent Stanley Jones mounted a direct attack on Mahatma Gandhi. [The National Christian council review April 1946, Page 40]. What do you call this behavior, if not ‘imperial designs’?

The official position of the Church has been different from the loyalties expressed by individual Christians, as seen in the Goa episode, or that of C.F Andrews and Verrier Elwin. “One or two black sheep does not make all the flock white.”

The missionaries were expressing unhappiness with Mahatma Gandhi. Despite their best efforts for over five decades, they could not convert him to Christianity. (Reports of the Tambaram conference 1938) Their hopes were dashed, when they could not convert one Gandhi, and with that half of India. To Dr. John R. Mott a supremo, the leading American evangelist, fundraiser for protestant missions, and who won Nobel Prize in later years, it was a personal challenge. He came to meet Gandhiji to convince and convert him to Christianity. The final meeting lasted over six hours. He asked in one of the interviews on 21st march 1929,” what was the contribution of Christianity to national life of India” Gandhiji said: “Aye, this is the rub. It is not possible to consider the teachings of the religious teacher apart from the followers.

Unfortunately, Christianity in India has been intrinsically mixed up for the last one hundred years with the British rule, to us synonymous with the materialistic civilization and imperialistic exploitation by the strong white races of the weaker races of the world. Its contribution to India has been largely negative in character. It has done some good in spite of its professors. It has shown some good into setting our house in order”. Collected Works, vol.40, and pp. 58-59.

The laws related to conversions exist in Indian States like Arunachal pradesh MP and Orissa; these are stringent legislations against Proselytizing. The Arunachal Pradesh freedom of religion act 1978 82 provides for prohibition of conversion from indigenous faith to any other faith by fraudulent means. The state intelligence report says, “that the missionaries have made a mockery of the freedom of religious act”. Missionaries were known to break and attack the ‘inner line’ regulations even up to 1989, when this was in force.83 According to CBCI 1994: In the tribal districts and Northeastern States catholic Bishops conference have majority Christians, the trend is showing: “The Tribal Church of the North East” As a whole people of the Northeast have welcomed Christianity in a big way. Today in three out of the seven states, Christians constitute the majority: Mizoram (83%), Nagaland (80%), Meghalaya (52%). 70% of the Christians in the N.E are either Presbyterians or Baptists. Catholics account for one-fourth of the Christian population of the area and 5.6 % of India. The catholic population which was less than 60000 at the time of independence has sharply increase to climb up to 7.1 lakhs in 1990, thanks to the missionary zeal of salesians…” 84



== Boom in Christian Population in NE ==

Growth of Christian population in North East India 1951 –1971

STATE CHRISTIAN POPULATION GENERAL POPULATION

NAGALAND 76.29% 39.88%
MEGHALAYA 75.43% 31.55%
MANIPUR 83.66% 37.33%
TRIPURA 56.52% 36.28%

See: F. S. Down. “Christianity in northeast India Historical perspectives”, Gauhati 1983, pp 3-4:85 quoted by Sita Ram Goel in Hindu Christian conflits.


The Orissa freedom of religion bill Act 2 of 1968 25 has its stated objectives; to provide for prohibition of conversion from one religion to another by the use of force or inducement or by fraudulent means and for matters incidentals there to .the Orissa act defines force and fraud as follows. “Force shall include a show of force or a threat of injury of any kind including threat of divine displeasure or social excommunication “. Inducement shall include the offer any gift or gratification either in cash or in kind. The Act was passed in 1967, but rules were framed in 1989 only. 86

The Justice Wadhawa commission reported, “No one was aware of the freedom of Religion Act or Rules framed there under in the state at least in the districts of Mayurbhgang and Keonjar. These provisions of law were lying dormant and had never been put into operation for the last many years. ADMITTEDLY, there were conversions to Christianity in these two districts. No person intending to convert his religion ever gave a declaration before a magistrate prior to such conversions of his intent to convert his religion on his own will which was the requirement of ‘rule 4’. Similarly, the religious priest did not give intimation of such conversion as per ‘form A’ under the rules. District magistrate did not maintain a register of conversion as per form prescribed. Since they did not make any record of conversions, they did not send any report of conversions to the state government. Mr. Balkrishnan, District magistrate, Mayurbhgang and Mr. Saurab Garg district magistrate were examined to know if any action had been taken under the freedom of religion Act and rules framed there under. They expressed ignorance of the provisions of the law relating to conversions and said that they had become aware of these only after the incident at Manoharpur on the night of 22/23/1/1999.87

“To me”, Justice Wadawa stated, 28 “it appears that even now they do not understand the full scope and intent of the provisions of the Orissa act and rules.” These are salutary provisions and prohibit conversions from one religion to another by the use of force, inducement or by any fraudulent means. Even any abatement to such conversion has been made an offence. If these provisions of the law, in my view, are strictly followed no one can have any grievance to contend that gullible and innocent tribals are being converted…88

The Madhya Pradesh Dharma Swatantra Adhiniyam 27 of 1968 also seeks to prohibit conversions by any fraudulent means and has similar provisions…. 105 “ make fraudulent conversions, including those done by holding out promise of economic or social benefits, a punishable offence; and produce a system of registering conversions”90

Because they failed to register 94 conversion, of tribals to Christianity, as required by this Madya Pradesh Act two missionaries were sentenced to undergo six months imprisonment (One 82 year old Flemish and one 50 year old nun) (Indian Express: 30.1.1996). 91 In 1988, two separate incidents involving the fathers of the Dengtol mission and the sarabil center pointed to their association with Bodo activists. In 1992 two British nationals were caught, they had been advocating a separate Naga country through a Naga vigil organization and had been receiving active support from insurgent Naga national council… and now intelligence reports to government of the secessionist NSCN (k) coordinating contacts with the tribal Baptist mission in areas adjacent to Myanmar.

The report speaks of ‘liberal financial contributions’ between NSCN (K) and a specific church organization.’ Intelligence reports mention that having entrenched themselves in other states in the northeast missionaries are concentrating in the strategic Arunachal pradesh. In 1971, less than 0.8 Christians were there in Arunachal pradesh, and today one eighth of it has already been converted. <b>The conversions leading to social tensions,’ aided and abetted by anti-India propaganda machinery ‘prepare the ground for anti-national forces to secure allies and clients they note’.</b>

In a single baptism ceremony more than 350 were converted, the figure mentioned in an intelligence report sent to Home ministry by IB. Arun Shourie and Christian Critics page 64, 65. Emphasized.31. Quoting from top-secret intelligence reports: “Points to the association of Nagaland council led by Adrino Phizo have been given support by church groups to advocate separation from the main land. In Mizoram, the role of the church is overtly political. The Don Bosco schools which are everywhere in the north east are known by Tripura intelligence bureau to sometimes harbor extremists at night. (The militants shot three priests two months ago when they refused to pay extortion money).

But Tripura government chooses to closes its eyes Does the common man know that the nexus between separatists and the church is so strong in Tripura and Assam that temples are being demolished, that people are scared to practice pujas, except in stronghold of agartala, that Hindu social workers do not dare to go in the interior…that power and water to Ramakrishna missions were cut… Extracts from the writings of Francois Gautier on India) Christ and northeast pages 38 39 & 40.92


Lessons not learnt: Justice Wadawa commission reports that missionaries, including the slain Graham Staines, regularly put the regulations in the back burner. The parent organization ‘Operation world’, “Tidings” the journal in Australia, to which Staines used to send customary dispatches, did not cooperate with the enquiry committee nor it did send copies of the progress reports sent by Graham Staines, as solicited for the enquiry, by the commission, and the commission has put it on record that it had to get it from alternative sources. If everything were as transparent as projected by Ebe Raj why the family (Gladys) of the deceased and the parent organization did not cooperate with the enquiry committee? Why should it hide the reports? The Hon. Justice Wadhawa has given a sample of the reports sent by Graham Staines and Gladys Staines to the parent organization Tidings in Australia. 108 93


# 1. Graham Staines and Gladys Staines, Mayurbhganj, 25 April, 1997: The first jungle camp in Ramachandrapur was a fruitful one... About 100 people attended and some were baptized at the camp. Five were baptized at Bigonbadi…109 94

#2. Graham Staines and Gladys Staines, Mayurbhganj, 23 July 1997: Praise the God for answered prayers in the recent Jagannath car festival at Baripada. A good team of preachers came from the village churches and four OM workers helped in the second part of the festival. There was a record book sales, so a lot of literature has gone into peoples’ hand…[OM is a code word used to refer to one of the largest missionary publisher, ‘Operation World’ and distributor of missionary literature Located in Carlisle, Cumbria, United Kingdom, about whom we shall see in the next paragraph. 110. (Courtesy Arun Shourie who noted this and made an observation even in the parliament) 95

From 1998 onwards, the disgusting stories about India started appearing in the websites, many are missionary websites, should be seen as part of the larger effort, to tip the worldwide opinion, against India and are aimed at disinformation, destabilization and balkanization. <b>Operation world a missionary organization located in Carlisle UK, in 1993 showed the map of India with J&K and Arunachal Pradesh like it was to be found in some others’ territory. It was to the same Operation World located in Australia that the deceased missionary Graham Staines used to dispatch his progress reports. </b> Justice Wadawa committee reports that when these progress reports were solicited for the enquiry from, ‘Tidings “the magazine, which financed Graham Staines’ mission in Orissa, Manoharpur, concerned persons did not cooperate. The commission had to source the copy of Staines’ reports through a different channel.96

#3. Graham Staines and Gladys Staines, Mayurbhganj, 19 December 1998: it is encouraging to hear of some improvements in the church at manoharpur and that they are preparing for a jungle camp. Misayel, Paul, and Nehamiah, visited Patana. As many were away for Rice harvesting, they could meet only few… and encouraged a new believer who had been a head priest of the Sana Dharom, an animist sect. The village people pleaded with him not to become a Christian, saying, “how can we continue our worship if you leave us?’’ you can do as you like, I am following Christ, he said…37 [NOTE: Staines is labeling Hinduism as “Sano dharm”, Sanatana Dharma an animist sect, like all other missionaries he focused on converting head priest obviously a Brahmin, in order to facilitate mass conversions]

He disturbed the harmony between villagers by converting the head priest. However, the minorities’ commission is so blind that it mentioned cordial relations prevailed in the area against all evidence. Tension prevailed in the region for several years because of the arrival of Staines and his team. B.P Panda the Director General of Police (October 1997 to March 1999) stated “Mr Staines was attending Jungle mela in manoharpur area for 20 years. Majority of Adivasi Christians had been converted to Christianity through his efforts.” Was it legitimate Mr Ebe? He was violating the law of the land. S. C. Bala, the Superintendent of police of the Crime Branch who investigated the case, stated to the Wadawa Commission the motive for the murders “appeared to be that non-Christian people were aggrieved on the Ground that Christian fathers missionaries are converting the people to Christianity in a deceitful manner by giving allurements”-- a flagrant violation of the law of the land, who should be blamed? 112.

Meanwhile the police threw 51 innocent persons into jail blindly violating all Human rights. “It would appear that 51 persons underwent the agony of going into judicial custody for two months or more. Initially the state government took a great deal of pride in the arrests. Ultimately further events showed that in the state of Orissa as far as the 51 persons are concerned there was no rule of law. Prakash Mehra (DIG) in his supervision note had stated that there was no evidence in respect of all the five FIR-named accused persons or the 51 persons arrested by the local police… asks Justice Wadawa,” the question then arises in view of the contradictions, what was the motivating force behind it? He concludes, “Why so many persons were arrested between 23 and 28 January 1999? The state government rattled by its failure to maintain law and order to protect the innocent and then show speedy and decisive action. Presenting a false picture”. The whole incident points out the result of failure to nip the violations to law and order and the resulting costs. It also raises another key issue “whether the life of white men were more valuable than the lives of 51 brown Indians”, why this servile attitude? 97





I.D Jawahraraj, [the Hindu September 5th 2001, said “Mr Rama gopalan will do well to give the concept about mission of Christian missionaries and let us all strive to understand the tenets of each other’s religion for the sake of enduring peace and good will among different communities”,101 Perfect. However, to whom is this being addressed? His intention is all right. However, he has to consider the official position of the church also. Christian missionaries should prove more by their acts than by their words, the position of individual Christians are often eclipsed by official positions of church bodies including the Vatican, and its newer tenets like “dominus Jesus” etc.102





The Pope John Paul’s Book “Crossing The Thresholds of Hope”103 a 229-Page Book, Alfred knopf (Bill Clinton was offered a million dollars by the same publishers) published with his official signature, wherein he attacks all the Eastern religions; Hinduism, Buddhism TM, Meditation and Yoga He also makes it a point to condemn all the New age schools of thinking, in polite words; as the church cannot use the harsh words of yester years. He praises the western civilization for the progress it has made, but fails to say, that this was in spite of the church, that the champions of liberty had to fight the Church tooth and nail at each step. He gives credit to all the good things it brought to life; Science and invention, but fails to say about the anti-scientific attitude of the Vatican. He denounces those church members who take to these eastern yoga and meditative practices, and warns the churchmen and women against the dangers of taking to these contemplative techniques of ‘interiority’; 104 though these methods have been proved scientifically, for their efficacy in all major research labs, and hospitals in over 1000 scientific experiments.

He issues a general warning against the growing popularity of eastern religions in Europe and Americas. His comment on Buddhism as a ‘negative religion’ 105 drew wide protests from the Buddhists of Srilanka, when the pope visited the island 20000 police men had to be assigned to contain the angry Srilankans106. It is not the Hindus, who need to show tolerance, as suggested by Jawahar Raj, [The Hindu September 5th 2001] which they have been showing to the point of their own destruction, but it is for the Christians to show tolerance, now. No Shankaracharya or Dalai Lama or Jain Acharya, or Shinto master has ever written a book condemning Christianity like what the pope has done. Even in the Survey of RSS, BMS, BJP, VHP literature, covering 50 years, I have not come across a single sentence condemning Jesus Christ or his teachings107. They are all against missionary methods of converting Hindus. Christianity has to go long way before it can lay claims to tolerance, broadmindedness and appeal to universality, as Ebe Sunder Raj would like others to believe; the stories which can probably be sold to hapless Tribals in the Northeast, who will swallow it without a pinch of salt. The Dalai Lama called conversions “ foolish”. However, the missionaries continue, for they believe in the doctrine of absurdum “I believe because it is absurd.”108


According to ACS churches in need, the official religious rights organization, located in Rome, May 2000 report, <b>65 countries have banned proselytizing completely, including Israel, China, Myanmar and all the Islamic countries</b>.109

In this context it is imperative to examine the imperial doctrines of the church related to “Conversion-Syndrome’ and what world’s foremost theologians have to say about this that does not figure out in any of the issues debated in India. Even though Hans Kung is considered the foremost authority on Christian Theology and a Catholic scholar, the credentials did not however save him from the wrath of the Vatican. On the orders of Pope John Paul II he was removed from the faculty of the university of Tubingen Norway. Kung is a strong critic of the Vatican and questioned the infallibility of the pope, its doctrine of excusivism which he calls, ‘Semitic exclusivsm”. 110


It is not that Hindus are alone facing problems of losing out to Christianity, even within Christianity less aggressive Roman Catholicism is losing out to North American evangelicals. Which made the pope remark In the South American countries there is severe competition between the American evangelical churches and the Roman catholic one, which led the pope to issue a warning, when he was in South American against the predatory “evangelical wolves”, who steal the Catholics.111 It is against this backdrop that one must evaluate Pope John Paul’s’ pronouncements about the “new harvest of faith” in manila in 1995, which he repeated during his Diwali 1999 address in India. He did not of course tell that without this new harvest the church is all but doomed to failure. Further, the “church taxes” levied in many European Countries, on the salary of wage earners, force people to declutch from any organizational membership.111. Protestants, leading tensions in family and social tensions, have breached Roman Catholic strong holds of southern India. Buddhism and Judaism are as much suffering.

“For years now Indian clergy have been outspoken in criticizing the Vatican and its official dogmas. Cardinal Josef Tomko in his address to the cardinals in Rome, on 4-5 April 1991, accused India as an epicenter of new heresies. As for the sensibilities of Hindus, Buddhists and others, they may be injured but can hardly be shocked. When he visited India in 1999, Pope John Paul II delivered the official conclusion to the Synod for Asia, which emphasized that Jesus was the unique savior of humanity and called for a more energetic proclamation of the Gospel throughout the region. 111 .

In December 1864, Pope Pius IX issued a document “Syllabus Errorum”33 condemning “80 Principal errors of our age”. It was one of the most important documents of the first Vatican council {1869 – 1870 AD}. It condemned the liberal values of Europe–freedom of thought, freedom of opinion, liberty of conscience and opinion, scientific temperament and tolerance were denounced as heresies. In 1907 Pope Pius, his successor added Lamentability34 another list of heresy of 65 items condemning modernity, individual liberty, and freedom of thinking etc. as anathema. With the changing times the Vatican and other churches could no longer interfere in individual liberty and freedom of conscience as reflected in the modern European value systems so they continue to invent newer theologies; inculturation, liberation theology, ecumenism etc. The Vatican could no longer use force or issue “Syllabus Errorum”, from where this rejoinder, gets its bearing, a full response to readers of “The Hindu.112


During the quit India movement August 1942 most of the missionaries took sides with the British. William Paton, secretary of international missionary council denounced Gandhiji and called the movement the “moral imbecilities of Mr Gandhi” in a letter that he wrote on July 24 1942, to the secretary of state of India Mr. L. S. Amery. Also were atypical priests like C.F. Andrews and Verrier Elwin who were trustworthy of Gandhi. 115 (All annotated refernces are duly acknowledged)


== “Price of Liberation Theology” ==


Gandhi said to a group of missionaries who sought his guidance on 12 March 1942 “among all agents of the many untruths that are propounded in the worlds one of the foremost is Theology, I do not say that there is no demand for it, there is demand in the world for many a questionable thing”. 114 (Collected works volume 71, page 328.)


In this Part we are going to examine few of the underpinning the root cause of the church, which most of the lay Christians, have left it to their pastors, even less Hindus have ever bothered to know about these doctrines developed by human beings. Many a drop out of theological college, who have been earlier exposed to scientific ways of reasoning, call it 'loony’ ‘ priestly’, ‘medieval’ etc.

Time-honored Christianity has all but buckled in the west. The aged dogmas have been replaced by technology and science driven by a business economy, fundamentally altering the foundation of the church, called by social scientists as politicization of the church. Opinionated and dominant social values continue to heavily influence the church. The post Freudian thinking makes the church to change its moral teachings to fit the circumstances. Religion is recast in a new mould for organizing political action as decided by the state. In attendance is a fundamental difference to be appreciated -- the deep shift that has taken place: involvement of religion with politics versus reinterpretation of religious values as political ideologies. The church has gone astray in its influence in the traditional sense, with vanished jurisdictions and on questions of societal morality, which is quickly getting crammed with reactionary evangelism .In their bereavement agonies the churches are infecting their malady to third world countries in Asia and Africa. This is a hazardous trend and vital to be understood in proper attitude as religion and spirituality have not deceased yet, in these parts of the world. {See for more information: Christianity and the world Order by Edward Norman, Oxford University Press, 1979.}116

Andrew M. Greeley an ex parish priest , is an acclaimed novelist and writer who has to his credit more than a dozen books including “How the Popes are elected”, confesses, in his autobiography; that “ The fashion in clerical circles” was “turning towards liberation theology… he says, “ but liberation Theology is in fact neither religion – not theology but political and social ideology disguised as a religion-and it can be called liberation only in the sense that Marxist dictatorship means liberation. Liberation Theology demand acceptance in the name of the poor, implying, it would seem, that Marxism and Marxism alone could solve the problems…” He asks the clergy who propound this theory (…) “to take a close look at Poland or Cuba” (the book was printed in 1987), that “would correct the notion,” “but the liberation theology people are enthused about their mission to look at the world”. Does it have any scientific foundation at least? “Their theology is devoid of serious economic or social analysis”. What then is it? “When one comes to the places in their books to where one might expect them to demonstrate some Understanding of economic and social processes one finds either quotes from Marx or diatribes against the United States”. Just as opposition to the Vatican council can only be intellectually satisfying to those catholic traditionalists who have no sense of the history of the tradition, so liberation theology can be satisfying only to those enthusiasts who have no sense of the complexity of the world”. 117, P 308. “In all solutions are simple. Liberation theology may make sense. But when one charges the supporters with enthusiastic over simplification, they reply: our cause is the cause of the poor”118 p.: 309. He Cautions: The dangerous part however is when missionaries try to stir up revolutions in other countries. “They become imperialists indistinguishable from the multi national conglomerates they denounce, although the MNCs provide employment and income for the poor countries and the missionaries provide nothing at all”. 119 Why don’t you leave us alone? Said college student… why don’t you take your politics and religion and go home? 120 P. 309 Liberation theology is bad theology and worse social reform, but I don’t believe the church should condemn those who teach it. In fact, although it makes much noise in the seminaries of South America, it had little impact on the life of the people. While theologians have been preaching Marxist revolutions, the actual historical trend in South America has been the direction of social democracy… 150p.309.Small wonder we were a minority and small wonder we were infuriating when we were also loud mouthed and smart assed as I was…. 121 P.309. Confessions of a parish priest Pocket books 1987, New York. Right wing Christian missionaries have given no rest to governments in Latin America and other regions of the world by their ridiculous policy of’ liberation theology’, including northeast India and the tribal belt. 122


With the advent of reason and science, traditional religion has collapsed all over the western countries. The further division of the church and the state is complete. It is the divorced of the church state relationship that necessitated for pragmatic via media involving a political approach. The post world war phenomenon has taken the new shape of liberation theology. The Stockholm conference 1925 postulated the slogan “doctrine divides service unites”. Dissenters point out that political philosophy of Doctrine unites service divides has now taken its place”. The developed countries are making serious effort to subvert and over throw the governments established by law in the developing countries using churches as their tools.” “To Set at Liberty” the Oppressed, World Christian Council, Geneva, 1975. 123


“Anyone who cares to look can see that Christianity is on steep decline. This is especially in Europe. Where church attendance levels have fallen below 10% or even 5%… even for the survival of Christianity is the decline of priestly vocation. Many parishes that used to have two to three parish priests now have none, so that the Sunday service has to be conducted by a visiting priest, who has an ever-full agenda as his colleagues keep dying, retiring or abandoning the priesthood without replacing” {Koenraad Elst, Psychology of Prophetsim} The same trend is continuing in the Americas (…) It is less than 2000 seminarians in the USA.124 Even in India the trend is showing. Only one in 22 completed the entire priest training, in a leading seminary I surveyed (…) 125. Christianity now depends on India for replenishment of missionaries.


The Church and Post Second World War Policy. John foster Dulles the former secretary of state of USA wrote in is book, WAR OR PEACE, 1957, Macmillan N.Y, the chapter on ‘Policies in Asia ‘ made it clear that the USA has been using the Church and the mission organizations to build up its close relations with China.

The church had co-opted. In the cold war period, all the Roman churches all over the world prayed for the early demise of communism. Earlier the church was at loggerheads with the communists. Bertrand Russell called communism the "heresy of Christianity". With the advent of Liberation Theology, missionaries are working feverishly on this ideological footing, making it difficult for the WCC, which is dependent on funds from the capitalist world. They have to accommodate the political ambitions of the capitalist west. The church is only a too willing partner. The expression of partnership in obedience came into vogue in the church circles at the meeting of the committee of the international missionary council held at Whitby in 1947. Page 94 of the world Christian handbook 1952. It has a bearing on the expression of particular churches to be rooted in the soil and yet supranational in their witness and obedience. Page 29. in an effort to extend the kingdom of god. In plain language it means that churches in Europe and America would continue to plan, direct, control and finance the missionary activities in India”] {The Niyogi Committee report, page. 100.] In addition, the churches will continue to defy the state and have scant regard for its laws. What the future holds for India depends on how fast the intelligentsia wakes up to see the pattern writ large all over the wall [with proto types fully operational in place] take defensive measures and prevent its balkanization’ In August 1948 the assembly of World council of churches met at Amsterdam at which John Foster Dulles read a paper on Reverent Joel Lakhra of the Gossner evangelical mission of Ranchi also attended that meeting.’’ NC report, Page 11.126

‘If Carl Bernstein’s long report in Time on the 1980s operations of the CIA, NED, the VATICAN, and their vast network to undo communism in Eastern Europe had any truth, and I believe it did, then can anyone imagine that, with their feet already through the door, they wouldn’t follow up their success? The beneficiaries of this and other 1980s operations are now the key to transforming former Soviet bloc countries into traditional Third World-style markets and sources of raw materials and cheap labor. <> The CIA- NED team can be crucial in exercising political influence and in forming the permanent structures to assure that American transnational get their hot hands, in the race against Germany, on the resource-richest land mass on the globe. India, one extended and big world market> (Robert Black Will the then US ambassador to India, a CIA veteran, who told in the Rand institute discussion, that one of the major failures of the Clinton Administration was in its foreign policy area, Its failure to deal with India especially the nuclear testing). 127

The missionary paper Nishkalanka wrote “Why should India desire that Portugal which has been exercising sovereignty for 400 years over Goa should surrender it…” Niyogi committee. Page, 126. 128

The Vatican’s role in the down fall of the former soviet socialist republic is not small, it co-opted with several generations of US administration starting from Ronald Regan requires no elaboration, as it would make a study by itself. The heavily doctored secret documents now open to investigators under the right to information act within USA lend a hand to plunge into the minds of the policy makers.129

== The Church and the Global Police Woman/Man. ==

In USA the federal council of churches was founded in 1908. President Roosevelt and Winston Churchill met in Newfoundland in 1941 to draw up the Atlantic charter before setting up an international body. Roosevelt felt the need to set up policing the world. Since then the USA has {acquired the in famous reputation of the Global Policeman. The Eisenhower administration referred always to the Korean War as ‘police action’} the churches both Catholic. Protestant and Jewish clergy took active part and leadership position to set up the international organization. The federal council of churches founded in 1908 appointed a special commission on just and durable peace under the chairmanship of John foster Dulles. The Commission arranged for a round table, which declared a Christian message on world order. It stressed on christianisation on a global basis on available opportunity. The commission of churches, on just and durable peace declared in its meeting held in its meeting in November 1945: “ Now, with the war ended, world wide organization of the Christian church can be developed so as to coordinate as to substance and timing, the Christian effort for world order in many lands. The Christian forces of the world, though still a minority must on that very account quickly become a well organized militant authority”. 130 Niccola Machiaveli observed in 1613 AD in his Prince and discourses: The change of religion and Claudius Buchanan, a chaplain attached to the east India company was certain: “No Christian nation, ever possessed such an extensive field for the propagation of Christian faith, as that afforded to us by our influence over 100 million natives of Hindoostan. No other nation ever possessed such facilities for the extension of the faith as we have in the government of a passive people, who yield submissively to our mild sway, reverence our principles, and acknowledge our dominion to a blessing” {Claudius Buchanan, Memories of expediency of an ecclesiastical establishment for British east India; both as a means of perpetuating Christian religions among our country men: and as a foundation for the ultimate civilization of the natives. London 1805. Part two, paragraph six. } The colonial ambitions were expressed without inhibitions and missions offered lucrative careers131.

Pastor Dr. Ebe Sunder Raj Joint convener, united Christian forums for Human rights does not lag behind Claudius Buchanan132. He mentioned about “our 200 million dalits”, whom he sought to distance from Hinduism, a mischievous attempt indeed.. He asked for documentary evidence of missionaries convicted. Why, they havee even engaged in seditious activities as the following documentary evidence from the niyogi committee report shows.


January 1948: Reverent Joel lakra the head of German Lutheran Mission, carried on propaganda for a separate Jharkhand province, which could be administered by Christians, who predominated in the area concerned. Three meetings of concerned Christians were held in the Jashpur state for carrying on the propaganda. Page 11.133“

The material gathered at the initial stages of the enquiry itself revealed to the committee that its significance far transcended the bounds of any one country or region in world and that it was calculated to have worldwide repercussions. Page 4.135

1954: The intelligence community was afraid that the missionaries were trying to form a state within state. {The Niyogi committee report page 11& 96} A sum to the tune of 29.27/- crores from January 1950 to June 1954 had been pumped into the country. The N C Report Page 102, the origin of the funds pointed out to: 12 sources: among them USA, UK, CANADA, SWEDEN, DENMARK figured prominently the sum equivalent to US $ One billion in 2001.See table (not shown in this article) 136

Some articles published in the Christian missionary papers such as ‘ Adiwasi’, ‘Jharkand” and “ Nishkalanka were found to echo the writings of Muslim papers published before August 15 1947 for separate Pakistan. Niyogi committee report page 7. The Jharkhand news 6th march, 1949 reported a controversy between “Shri Jaipalsingh and Professor Hayward, his secretary, as regards the person who had received the amount of Rs. 50000 from the Muslim league.[NC report page 23….]137 This will put to insignificance the Bofors or the Tehelka expose of scams.138

== Diplomatic offensive: Churches Lobby in the UN ==
<b>
1941: The churches in US and Britain had set up committees to examine post World War II scenarios from the Christian viewpoint to preserve and propagate Christendom. These bodies saw great opportunities for evangelization. The British body was the commission on international friendship.
</b>
The counterpart in the USA was under the chairmanship of Mr. John Foster Dulles the future secretary of state. The report contained 604 pages and was published by the international Missionary council in January 1945 in New York. It was entirely a Christian viewpoint of the world written in post war scenario. The Christian lobbyists, who were used to gunboat diplomacy earlier had to invent better methods. They invented rather, cleverly coined the words “ fundamental right to convert”. They exercised considerable pressure in the United Nations, maneuvered the proceedings, and were able to ensure that this declaration could be used as a bludgeon in countries of Africa and Asia, as part of next leg of colonization. Meanwhile, the Chinese had woken up, and hounded out thousands of foreign missionaries from the Chinese mainland.

October 7 1944: The program was referred to the UN to be incorporated in the Dumbarton Oaks agreement of October 7 1944. There was no whisper in this document about the rights of Pagans, Hindus, Buddhists, Shintoists, Confucianians, Jains, Sikhs, Muslims, Taoists, Heathens, Natives, Gypsies, Tribals, & Aborigines to defend themselves against the Anglo Saxon Christian aggression.


<b>“The church should play an important role in part promoting the work of the United Nations, it is imperative that Christians develop an intelligent understanding what the UN is what its duties are and the manner in which these duties are to be discharged” In short the missionaries had manipulated the UN. </b>. It was with this aim the world council of churches and the international missionary council was set up on international affairs. The Christian lobbyists were in position to leverage out candidates. The church lobby has a powerful presence in the United Nations. Other ancient world religions were left out as to how they would protect their interests. 115134


<b>“The concentration of missionary enterprise on the hill tribes in remote and inaccessible parts of the forest areas and their mass conversion with the aid of foreign money were intended to prepare ground for a separate state on the lines of Pakistan.</b>”139

<b>“The idea of change of religion as bringing about a change of nationality appears to have originated in missionary circles. The census officer isolates certain sections of people from the main bodies, the missionaries by converting them give them a separate nationality so that they may demand a separate state” </b>{the Niyogi committee report page 56-57.} 140

Coming to the agitation of Jharkhand the Niyogi committee reported even as early as 1956 said “ the separatist tendency that has gripped the minds of the aboriginals under the influence (Liberation theology came much later in 1968 and it was no where in sight in 1930s or 50s) Of the Lutheran and Roman Catholic mission is entirely due to the consistent policy pursued by <> The final segregation of the aborigines in the 1931 census from the main body of Hindus considered along with the recommendations of the Simon commission which were incorporated in the GOI act of 1935 apparently set the stage for the demand of Jharkhand on the lines of Pakistan. {Page 49.}141

<b>The report mentioned that evangelization appears to be part of the uniform policy to revive Christendom for reestablishing western supremacy.</b> The objective is to disturb the solidarity of non-Christian societies, <b>and the mass conversions of considerable sections of adiwasis with this ulterior motive are fraught with dangers to the security of the state</b>. Page 132.<b>The Christian missionaries are making deliberate attempts to alienate the Indian Christian community from their nation.</b> Page 144 and 142

<b>The demand for Adiwasistan was accentuated with the one for Pakistan in 1938. The Muslim league is reported to have donated Rs. one lakh for the propaganda work. </b> With the advent of political independence the demand for adiwasistan was intensified with view to forming a sort of corridor joining east Bengal with Hyderabad, which could be used for a pincer movement against India in the event of a war between India and Pakistan. N.C Report. Page 9.143


There were 480 missionaries working in Madyapradesh alone at that time and 236 were Americans. Most of that amount was spent for creating preachers, except one Rev. Hart man who declared his income as $63 per annum others did not submit returns, to the utter dismay of the committee.144

The supremacy of the Christian flag over the national flag was depicted in a drama that was staged in Jabalpur… Page 125.145

== NEGATIVE PROPAGANDA FROM ROME ==


The propaganda arms of the missionaries are very active. <b>The Italian site on ‘Religious Rights’ paints the religious rights available in India in the darkest possible colors. But it paints the religious rights in Fiji, in all white. It is quoted to in order to understand the “Christo-Centric--left-over-Colonial-Euro-Centric-bias-in-human-Rights” as propounded by powerful Christian organizations, and to understand what was flesh and blood to the Dumbarton oaks agreement of October 7, 1944.</b>


No word about the coup or carnage committed against minority Hindus, who form 38% of Fijian population - their businesses destroyed, residences burnt down, temples defiled - the elected Mahendra Choudery kept in prison after a coup by Spieght and his bunch of hooligans is reported in the ACS website. The coup itself which targeted mainly the minority Hindus, by Christian hoodlums has not found a line of mention in this worldwide official website of Catholic organizations based in Rome. It goes to the extent to mention that religious relations are friendly in Fiji. What a mockery. The news that attracted international headlines for several weeks is sidelined by the Catholic website. <b>If Christians commit crimes on non-Christians, Rome closes its eyes instinctively and engages in dishonest propaganda. </b>But this is an official Catholic website of ACS, at Rome, dated May 2000.


“Different political parties, predominantly ethnic Fijians, in 1999 wanted the return to a “Christian” State and the re-introduction of certain measures like the limitation of work on Sundays. In general, the relations between the religious communities are friendly. At times, the Muslim community has lamented some discrimination.”


ACS aid to church in need: Report 2000, On Religious freedom In the World. Researched and written by ANDREA MORIGIV, Published by: Auto alla Chiesa che Soffre Piazza San Calisto 16 00153 Roma Authors: Andrea Morigi Vittorio Emanuele Vernole Chiara Verna Office: Ufficio Stampa Segretariato Italiano ACS 146

One cannot help concluding that much of the fuss over “Dominus Jesus” (September 2000) stems less from what it means for inter-religious dialogue than from a fear that, in the twilight of John Paul's pontificate, Vatican bureaucrats are closing the options available to his successor to chart a new course for the church.147

“But how much of a change of course is actually acceptable? We live in a shrinking world that also, for the moment, remains a pluralist one in matters of faith. Until we recognize the truth to which all religions speak, the sheer fact of their variety stretches the credibility of each. Survival dictates Rome's claim to superiority - and just as much, it seems, the indignant responses to it of others”159 Says Chris McGillion, the Sydney Herald's religious affairs columnist. [He teaches in the School of Communication at Charles Stuart University, Monday, October 2, 2000, The Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney, Australia.}148


The American news channel The CNN online, datelined Jerusalem “March 31st 1998 reports: “That 50 Christian groups promised no missionary activity in Israel. (AP) Representatives of 50 Christian groups have agreed to make an unprecedented joint statement promising not to carry out missionary activity in Israel, as a result Israeli legislator Nissim Zuili said that he would drop his sponsorship for an anti “proselytizing bill that has drawn protests from around the world. Zuili said to the AP ‘this is a big accomplishment this is better than law’. The proposed bill would have banned possession of any written material that proselytizes,” said Mr. Nissim Zuili. He had proposed the bill after he had received a proselytizing tract in the mail. (More than 65 countries have banned proselytizing163)”). 150 <b>This may well serve as a pointer for Indian missionaries and Hindu organizations about what they should do, if they want to have peace or strife in India. Hindu organizations should press for ending the constitutional discrimination. Ending this should become their single point agenda, before one can hope for a better deal for Hindus in their own land</b>.151

Laura Kelly
(All annotated references are duly acknowledged)


<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->