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Christian Missionary Role In India - 5 - Guest - 02-06-2006
<b>When We Pray God Works</b>
Check country profile and future objective :
Check change in religious demography of Nepal.
Christian Missionary Role In India - 5 - Guest - 02-10-2006
http://www.tamil.net/list/1999-01/msg00658.html
> (This report was gotten from Rastradeep, an Oriya Weekly from
Cuttack,
> Orissa, on Jan 26, 1999.)
>
> Australian Father Burnt Alive: Spot Report from Manoharpur
>
> Manoharpur is a remote village of Keonjhar district, Odisha which is
100
> kms from district headquarter Keonjhargarh, 46 kms from the
> sub-divisional head quarter Anandapur. It is very poorly
communicated.
> It is border village of both Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar district. These
> two sister districts were ruled by Bhanja dynasty, having native
tribes
> of Bhuyans, Santhals and Majhis. These tribes are very much cultured
> and disciplined. Several times they revolted against injustice and
> foreign rule. They pray God in the name of nature, plants and soil
> (Motherland) & natural resources are plenty till today. Always these
> tribes think themselves as the kingmaker and saviour of royal dynasty.
>
> Graham Stewart Steins
> Australian father Graham Steins came to Odisha in Jan 1965. He
> established his centre at Baripada the dist. Head quarter of
> Mayurbhanj, famous as a cultured town of mother Odisha. Graham
started
> his missionary work through Evangelical Mission, Baptist Church (at
> Baripada), World Vision of India with a coverage of leprosy centre at
> Baripada which is not at all a leprosy prone area. In 1980 he
> established a missionary Church (Thatched house) at Manoharpur (Kacha
> Sahi) about 150 kms from Baripada, and recently VRO and NGO is
suspected
> to be working for conversion. His family consisted of Mr. Graham
> Stewart Steins (55), his wife-Glades Steins (45), daughter Easter
(13),
> son Philips Steins (12) & Timoti Steins (9). Though Steins family
have
> been staying here since last 34 years they did not take the
citizenship
> of India. Every time administration was in difficult position to deal
> him as he stayed in Mayurbhanj dist, but operated in Keonjhar
district.
>
> Conversion Started
> The Baripada Mission Church leader is Nimain Hansda. His sister got
> married to Shyam Marandi of Manoharpur and became Martha Marandi.
> Through her Graham started converting Hindu Santhals (tribe) in
> Manoharpur and adjacent area. Latest position of converted Santhals
and
> Kolha in that area - (which was 100% non-Christian in 1980):
> Manoharpur - 24 families, Sanakusapada - 6, Tulasibani - 15, Baniajodi
-
> 3, Palabani - 3, Pathaveda - 5. Now 56 families were converted at a
> time.
>
> Conversion Process
> Contact persons gather them in Jungle Camp for 3-4 days, allow all
young
> girls & boys to stay together, perform marriages, preach Bible, show
> video and audio films of Jesus Christ and finally convert them through
> Duban.
>
> This years? Jungle Camp (Mela)
> This year Graham Steins organised Jungle camp from Jan 20 to 24th,
> 1999. Everyday there was a feast of meat and rice with local
alcoholic
> preparation Handia. Massive drive of meetings and showing of films
were
> conducted for 3 to 4 days. 400 people were targeted to be converted
on
> 24th Jan. 56 families were converted on 22nd. Every thing was under
> the leadership of Graham Stewart Steins and his battalion of 10
> preachers from Cuttack and Baripada.
>
> Tension
> Due to the activities of Graham there was tension from 1981. The then
> collector Fanibhushan Dash reported concern over conversion and rising
> tension among Santhals. Every year tribes perform Maker Sankranti
(Jan
> 14) and Raja Sankranti (Jun 14-16) with pump and ceremony. But every
> year this was being opposed by converted Christians by performing
> ploughing etc., which is a act of sin in those Sankranti as per their
> tradition. This year also that happened. So administration was
> compelled since 10-15 years to deploy police force during those Hindu
> functions in that locality every year.
>
> Leadership
> And therefore self declared leadership was developed in each episode
of
> group clashes (Regd. FIR, cases are there in every year against each
> other) between converted and non-converted Santhals and Kolhas. Which
> Dara Singh assumed leadership of Santhals, Shyam Sundar Marandi,
Ragadi
> Sara and youngster Salman Marandi took the leadership of Santhal
> Christians.
>
> Politics
> This area is a traditional stronghold of Congress. Two eminent
> ministers Sri Jaydev Jena (Mass Education) and Niranjan Pattnaik
> (Industry & Mines) belong to the same sub-division Anandpur, in this
J.
> B. Pattnaik ministry. Dara Singh having many warrants against him in
> police stations of the district was still active under the political
> safe-arm of this ministers, which is a known fact.
> Madhavrao Scindia instigated the
> villagers to tell the name of Bajrang Dal. He also assured the
backing
> of congress during his recent tour of the affected area. During last
> four years almost all disturbances of Keonjhar district have occured
due to
> the two infighting groups of the ruling party led by two ministers,
> is an open secret. For reference, Mr Niranjan Pattnaik happens to be
a
> close relative of the chief minister Mr Janaki Ballava Pattnaik and Mr
> Jaydev Jena belongs to the camp deputy Chief Minister, Basanta Biswal.
>
> That dreadful Night:
> During the third week of Jan 1999, Graham Steins and his 10 preachers,
> including Australian Gilbert Venj, two lectures from Cuttack namely
> Subhankar Ghosh and Rajendra Swain, and others from Baripada,
conducted
> a massive tour and propaganda in that area, conducting village
meetings,
> showing films regarding Jesus Christ, and mobilising many people to be
> converted. It resulted an undercurrent of protest and tension among
the
> Santhals. The usual process of conversion the ?jungle camp? started
> from 20th inside the temporary thatched house constructed specially
for
> the converts. In the midday of 22nd, the conversion of 56 families
and
> the declaration of further target of converting 200 camp mates on 24th
> spread fire of revolt among the Santhals very rapidly in many adjacent
> villages. Many angry Santhals and Kolhas gathered in that area in the
> midnight as a suo motto eruption of their anger of last 18 years, when
> the jungle camp was sleeping. The angry mob targeted the vehicles
> ORM-1208 and ORM-952, which carried the preachers conducting the
massive
> tour, started damaging them. By this time Graham, who was sleeping
> inside ORM-1208, covered with bundles of dry straw, woke up and
> threatened the mob with pistol firing. Seeing the pistol the mob took
> it as a challenge and attacked him with arrow and finally burnt the
> vehicle. The dry bundles of straw made it easy to burn the vehicle
and
> difficult for Graham Steins to come out with his two sons, resulting
the
> fearful death of all of them.
> A special report by Subash Chouhan,
> RASTRADEEP, Narisangha Sadan Chhak, Buxi Bazar, Cuttack 753 001. Tel:
> (0671) 60 1552.
Christian Missionary Role In India - 5 - Guest - 02-10-2006
<!--QuoteBegin-Mudy+Feb 6 2006, 04:56 AM-->QUOTE(Mudy @ Feb 6 2006, 04:56 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>When We Pray God Works</b>
Check country profile and future objective :
Check change in religious demography of Nepal.
[right][snapback]46340[/snapback][/right]
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
a few gems from the referenced website -
>>
The Indo-Aryan invasion and conquest of India three millennia ago led to the marginalization of the original inhabitants (many of the tribal peoples of today), subjugation of much of the Dravidian population and the emergence of multiple mixed race groups (now backward castes). The caste system established Brahmin control over the majority. Fundamental to Hinduism, it pervades all religious and social structures in India.
>>
The RSS and the VHP (Hindu extreme nationalist movements) have grown in strength and influence with their nationalist Hindutva ideology, and with effective populist propaganda have infiltrated most of the power structures in India. On the strength of this, the Hindu nationalist BJP party have gained political power, but cannot tame the fascist-inspired forces that facilitated this. Many fear the undermining of democracy and the emergence of an intolerant Hindu dictatorship.
>>
The rise of Hindutva extremism resulted in a hate campaign against Muslims in the early 1990s and against Christians in the late 1990s as being followers of âforeignâ religions. Anti-conversion legislation and imposing legal restrictions on Christian activities has been strongly demanded. Some states have enacted such legislation and condoned a rising wave of violence and even murder of Christian workers. (NEVER MIND THAT THE POPE FLAGGED OFF AND THEN CONDONED THE INQUISITIONS IN INDIA)
>>
It (HINDUISM) absorbs elements of any religion it encounters, and is widely perceived as a religion of tolerance and peace
>>
Hinduism has emotional appeal, yet in their search after fulfilment and purpose Hindus still long for a true communion with the Creator that only Jesus can give. Pray that Christians may so demonstrate true spirituality and the life of Christ indwelling that many will find their desires met in Him.
>>
No other part of the world has such a concentration of unevangelized people.
>>
g) AIDS has spread rapidly and is worst in Mumbai (3% of population), Maharashtra and Karnataka (2.4%), Tamil Nadu (1.8%) and NE India. Many fear that by 2000 there will be 10m carrying the virus, or 1% of the population of India. By 2020 there could be 200m carrying HIV â if present trends continue unchecked. This could become a catastrophe for India and only now are the authorities and Christian churches and agencies beginning to address the need for effective preventive and care ministries and also the need to minister to drug addicts â a major source of infection. A massive mobilization is needed. (NOTICE HOW THE PREVALENCE IS MOSTLY IN THE CHRISTIAN AREAS, WHERE THE PRIESTS INSIST THAT CONDOMS NEVER BE USED AND EVEN TEEN WOMEN CARRY THE FOETUS INSTEAD OF ABORTING)
>>
Gujarat is a focal point in India for the persecution of Christians. Hindu extremist groups, with the support of the local BJP government, the police and the administration, have pursued a long-term strategy of intimidation, slander and harassment of Muslims and Christians in Dalit and tribal groups. In 1998 there were 34 churches destroyed or damaged. âFreedom of religionâ legislation is being pushed with strong âanti-conversionâ clauses, yet at the same time many tribal Christians are being openly coerced into embracing Hinduism. Pray for a government that will promote inter-communal harmony and true freedom of religion. Gujarat was Gandhiâs birthplace â may the peace and tolerance he promoted (AHEM!!) become reality here.
>>
Christians have been persecuted (IN TRIPURA) both by animists and by extremist Hindu groups. Nearly all Christians are members of one of the 440 churches in the 12 Baptist Associations. Pray that Christians may thrive and maintain their witness to non-Christians in spite of communal violence. (NEVERMIND THE FACT THAT THE RECENTLY CONVERTED TRIBALS HAVE BANNED DURGA PUJA IN HINDU TRIPURA)
>>
Uttar Pradesh is the home of Hinduism, Buddhism (NOT BIHAR!) and Jainism, but has given no home to the gospel. Millions of pilgrims visit Varanasi, the holy city of Hinduism on the Ganges River, but few find the Living Water that only Jesus can give.
>>
Kolkata is a large industrial and trading city, but Marxist rule has hindered growth and investment. It is dedicated to Kali, the Hindu goddess of destruction. (!!)
NOW FOR SOME ADMISSIONS FROM THE DEVIL HIMSELF -
a) The North India Ganges plains with their teeming millions in the Hindi-speaking heartland. In the 5 states of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh with 360 million people, live 650,000 Christians, but active committed believers may be no more than 120,000. Christians in India are unequally spread â 70% in the south, 25% in the northeast and only 5% in the more populated north and west.
b) The great cities with their rapid growth and mix of great wealth and abject poverty. Chennai (12% Christian) and Mumbai (5%) are in contrast to Kolkata, Delhi, Varanasi, (THEY WONT SPARE VARANASI EVEN !!) etc., where Christian witness is very small. Twenty-six percent of the urban population live in slums, many being newcomers to the cities. There are 41 million Indians without a home.
c) North Bihar is one of the least evangelized mega-populations in the world. It has been long known as a graveyard of missions. Years of effort have yielded little fruit among the Hindu and Muslim people of the plains. (SO THATS ONE DEPARTMENT WHERE BIHAR HAS NOT ONLY BEATEN THE REST OF INDIA BUT THE WORLD AS WELL. MAY THEY CONTINUE TO HOLD THIS RECORD FOREVER)
d) Himachal Pradesh has long been Indiaâs least evangelized state. It is the âLand of the Godsâ and a centre for Hindu pilgrimages. Every mountain is named after a god and there is much devotion to idols. Pray that many may be freed from bondages and find liberty in Jesus.
e) The Bengalis number 230 million with 200 communities in India, South Asia and the world. <b>They are the largest unreached ethnic group in the world.</b> (SO MUCH FOR THE "CHRISTIAN" BRAHMO SAMAJ). William Careyâs pioneer work 200 years ago was among them. Carey, and his successors, achieved much in Bible translation, blessing the Bengali culture, bringing social and economic benefits, but few Bengalis are committed Christians today. The barriers: pride of culture, demonic powers (THERE YOU GO!!) , a spirit of independence, little adaptation of the Christian gospel to local culture and, in recent years, obstruction from the long-reigning Marxist state government (NEVERMIND THE FACT THAT THEY SLEEP WITH THE MISSIONARIES OF SOUL HARVEST). Pray that every barrier to Bengalis believing in Jesus may be removed.
Christian Missionary Role In India - 5 - Guest - 02-10-2006
Xtian fanatics world over are openly interfering. <!--emo&:angry:--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad.gif' /><!--endemo-->
United Methodist Church Takes Stand Against Forced Conversions in India
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->United Methodist Church Takes Stand Against Forced Conversions in India
The mission wing of the the United Methodist Church has taken a stand with tribal Christians in India against the threat of forced conversions.
Posted: Friday, February 10 , 2006, 9:04 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The General Board of Global Ministries, part of the United Methodist Church, is actively supporting Christian churches, faith bodies, and activists in India in opposing the possible forced conversion of tribal people, including Christians, to fundamentalist Hinduism.
As many as eight thousand Christians in Gujarat state, or around five per cent of the population in the region, could be forced to convert from their Christian faith at a massive rally at Dang organised by a Hindu sect, Rashtiriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), from Feb. 11th to 13th.
Global Ministries, the mission agency of the United Methodist Church, said that the tribal people are expecting violent consequences from the fundamentalist Hindus for practising their faith.
Chief officer of the General Board of Global Ministries, the Rev. R. Randy Day, stated in a recent statement: âThe United Methodist Church strongly supports religious liberty and the right of persons to follow their conscience in faith. Forced religious conversion of any kind is an affront to human dignity.â
Indiaâs principle Christian bodies, including the Church of North India, the All India Council of Churches and the Gujarat Conference of Methodist Church have won the support of human rights advocates and environmentalists in urging the Indian government to stop the rally known as the Shabri Kumabh Mela (Urn Festival) from taking place.
Other Christian groups pressing the state and central government for protection include the local Roman Catholic diocese, the Salvation Army, and the Christian Alliance Church.
Environmentalists are concerned about the damage that will be done by the event which will see large swathes of forest, upon which the tribal people and their culture depend, cut down to make room for the 500,000 tribal people the RSS is planning to mobilise for the rally.
The Gujarat government came under fire recently in the Human Rights Watch 2006 World Report overview which was published two weeks ago.
The report criticised the Gujarat government for again failing to investigate and prosecute those responsible for attacks on Muslims during the Gujarat riots of 2002.
âDespite legislative measures to protect marginalized groups, discrimination based on caste, social, or religious status continues widely in practice, with the failure to implement anti-discrimination policies being especially apparent after the December 2004 tsunami,â stated the report.
It continued: âTribal groups who have converted to Christianity have been targeted for attack by extremist Hindu organizations.â
The Human Rights Watch report also highlighted the attempts by members of the right-wing Hindu extremist groups Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Bajrang Dal to intimidate an independent peopleâs tribunal in June 2005 that was investigating the rise of violent sectarianism in Orissa state.
Rev. Day called for Christians to stand firm in the midst of threats to religious freedom, urging âall United Methodists to be at prayer for the Christians and for all the people of Gujarat as they face difficult days aheadâ.
He added: âMay God give the tribal groups strength to hold fast to their convictions.â
Maria Mackay
mmackay@christiantoday.com<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
If the above frothing at the mouth comes from the Methodists, one can only imagine what the Xtian Taliban, i.e., the Southern Baptists will be up to.
All the links (including above) turned up in Yahoo News search, of all places:
Call for prayer and fasting for believers in India
Saffronizing Dang - from CNN-IBN
Last, from #1 India Haters - BBC Christian fears over Hindu festival
Christian Missionary Role In India - 5 - Guest - 02-10-2006
If the foll. is true, AOL's supremo has lofty ambitions - starting with
Trademarking "pranayama";
Peace visits to Pakistan;
White washing Communism (subtly though, calling lord. krishna a communist or something like that);
Refusing to counter FOIL's (Sangeeta Kamat's) attack on AOL as Hindu Fundamentalist, "....tatwa" etc slander; As
His disciples were talking about some "peace prize" nominations to the sadhu;
and now, this
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->AN SINCERE APPEAL TO ALL HINDUS AND RSS MEMBERS
My dear Brother and Sisters,
I request to all our Hindu brothers and Sisters including RSS Members to keep away from the <b> "ART OF LIVING" program of Sri Sri Sri Ravishankar Guruji. which is to be held in Bangalore on 17th, 18th and 19th of this month. at Jakkur Airfields. The Program is in Joint Collabration with Times Group (Times of India) a Total Anti-hindu Group.</b>
The Organisers in collabration with Times Group are leaving no stone unturned to make the Program a huge success. The Organisers have set up over 1,100 Stalls at the venue on Rental Basis.
Few days back, Few Hindu Publications like, Hindu Vani, Sanathan Samsthan, Hindu Voice, Prabhat Vani and many more Hindu's publishers had approached "Art of Living" head quarter on Kanakpura Main road near Bangalore requesting for a Stall to display their literature at the venue.
The Organisers demanded from Rs.50,000 to Rs. 1,00,000 for each Stall from an individual for 3 day program. Most of the Hindu Publishers who could not afford such a huge amount demanded for some discount, for which They were directed to Stall organiser <b>Mrs. Vasanthi Iyer, who turned down their request and said that this is not a Marwadi's Shop to Bargain or beg.</b>
The Publishers went back empty handed as they could not afford to pay so much, bu later all the Hindus had learnt that <b>Mrs. Vasanthi Iyer (A Times Foundation Member) and her Boss Sri Sri Ravishankar have alloted 38 Premium Stalls absoulutely free of cost to Popular Christian Organisations actively operating in India.</b>
May we know what wrong is with Hindus why was not even one hindu provided a stall leave alone free stall. There cannot be more embrassement or humiliation to Hindus than this. In regard to this I request to all Hindus and Hindu organisations to keep away from this so called massive program which is going to be just another hindu bashing.
RAVISHANKARJI, Please answer us "TO BE BORN AS A HINDU A BIG CRIME ". we Understand you and your Followers Commitment to the Christian World, but I must tried to convince you that Hindus are also type of Human beings who never had a history of Barbarism, Looting, raping etc. etc.
Due to your Followers like Vasanthi Iyers and others, Manishankar Iyers are ruling our Nation.
No doubt you have wonderful followers who judge poor Hindus as Marwardi or KHALNAYAKS and in their eyes your Well wishers are ZAKIR NAIK's AND WHITE SKIN MEN as NAYAKS.
If you people are called as Champions of Hindisum, God save this nation
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Christian Missionary Role In India - 5 - Guest - 02-10-2006
if this has been posted before, then i'll delete the following.
http://koenraadelst.voiceofdharma.com/arti...ssionaries.html
The Problem of Christian Missionaries / Koenraad Elst
My involvement
Now that the dust has settled, let us have a look at the problem of Christian missionary activities which raised a storm during the past autumn and winter. In a debate on conversions, it may be useful to hear the voice of a convert. I was raised as a Roman Catholic in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, which was for centuries a Catholic frontline region against Protestant Holland and Masonic-secularist France, and a top-ranking provider of missionaries.
One of my uncles is a missionary in Brazil, another was a parish priest in Antwerp until his death. We were raised with the example impressed on our minds of countrymen like Father Constant Lievens, who built the Jesuit mission in Chotanagpur in the 19th century, and of Father Herman Rasschaert, the Jesuit who was martyred there in 1964. He had tried to prevent a tribal, largely Christian mob from killing some local Muslims in revenge for the mass-killing of Garo tribals, also mostly christianized, by Muslims in nearby East Pakistan. His death is included as number 2 in the list of âatrocities on Christiansâ circulated by the United Christian Forum for Human Rights. I still have the highest regard for Father Rasschaert, though I have become skeptical of the claim made in all the press reports and literary narrations of his martyrdom that he was killed by âHindusâ: in the Christian version, tribals are emphatically ânot Hindusâ, except when they misbehave.
In a sociological sense, I am still part of the Catholic community, meaning that my children go to a Catholic school, I am a member of the Christian-Democratic trade-union, cultural foundation and so on. I have also retained my sympathy for the causes of Catholic nations, like Quebecâs sovereignty and the Irish cause, and I can still argue the Catholic point against Protestantism or refute the allegation that the Inquisition killed millions of people or that Pope Pius XII was a Nazi collaborator. I still think highly of the Catholic social teachings and occasionally reread passages from Saint Thomas Aquinas. And I would still feel at home in the company of a Lievens or a Rasschaert, or their successors. Nevertheless, I am no longer a Roman Catholic. I am a secular humanist with an active interest in religions, particularly Taoism and Hinduism, and keeping a close watch on the variegated Pagan revival in Europe. The reason why I became an apostate has nothing to do with revolt against Christian morality, nor with indignation at the inhuman persecutions of unbelievers in various countries and ages, nor with a rejection of the Churchâs political alliances, Left or Right. The real reason simply is that the basic doctrine of Christianity in all its denominations is untrue. While ultimate truth may elude us, it remains perfectly possible to decide on the untruth of a given doctrine, when it is found to be contrary to reason and to observable facts.
Christianity, a mistake
<b>The essence of Christianity is a belief, a particular truth claim: that Jesus was the sole son of God and that he redeemed mankind from sin by his crucifixion and resurrection. Modern Bible scholarship has made that belief untenable. Jesus was a troubled personality whose beliefs were entirely within the Jewish tradition, at least within its extremist fringe of people who expected Judgment Day to arrive within their own lifetime. He never founded a new religion, Saint Paul being the real inventor of Christianity as a sect separate from Judaism. The Gospels are highly doctored texts, rewritten to suit the theological developments and political needs of the budding Church. Thus, the injunction to pay taxes to the Romans ("give unto Caesar...â) and the depiction of Roman governor Pilate as innocent of Jesusâ crucifixion were included to mollify the Romans after the defeat of the Jewish revolt in AD 70. Most importantly, Jesus never rose from the dead. The decisive difference between the dead and the living is that the living are someplace in this world, while Jesus, like all dead men, is nowhere to be found in this world. He was spirited away in the âAscension to Heavenâ, which amounts to dying: he left this world.</b> Of course you could say that âhis spirit lives onâ, but that is equally true of other inspiring characters, both historical and fictional. (JIM MORRISSON AND CHE GUEVERA COMES TO MIND)
The reason why Christians are a shrinking minority in Europe is that an educated population, which applies its mind to religious questions, cannot keep on managing the contradiction between this faith and reason forever. This is not for want of trying: generations of Christian intellectuals have tried to harmonize faith and reason. The Saint Thomas institute (Leuven, Belgium) where I studied philosophy was founded in 1889 as an instrument to prove the basic unity between Aquinasâs Christian philosophy and modern science. But to no avail: most professors teaching there now are no longer practising Catholics themselves. Many moderns including myself have discovered that religion is still relevant, that the religious urge has survived the interiorization of the scientific worldview, that âthe 21st century will either be religious or not be at allâ (André Malraux); <b>but the Christian belief cannot satisfy that religious need, because we cannot base our lives on fairy-tales anymore.</b>
One of the great surprises which Indian âsecularismâ offers to people familiar with genuine secularism, is that it totally shuns and even condemns the fundamental questioning of Christian (or Islamic) dogma. For ten years I have closely followed the Indian communalism debate, and not once have I seen a âsecularistâ mentioning the debunking of Christian beliefs, still the single most revolutionary achievement of the secular study of religions. Even non-essential Christian fairy-tales like the story of apostle Thomasâs arrival and martyrdom in South India are repeated ad nauseam in âsecularistâ pieces on the current missionary crisis.
If Christianity were true
No less surprising is that even the Hindutva campaigners against Christian proselytization are silent about what ought to be their strongest, most peaceful yet most devastating weapon: the fictional nature of Christian dogma. On the contrary, quite a few of them have lapped up Theosophical stories about Jesus having come to India for his spiritual training, and returning there after his resurrection. Their point is that Jesusâ message has been âdistortedâ by the Church (which is true but hardly proves that he was somehow a Hindu), and that Jesus himself would therefore have abhorred the missionary subversion in India, his Gurubhumi. It is probable that Jesusâ injunction to âgo and teach all nationsâ is a Pauline interpolation, repellent to the Jewish Christians led by Jesusâ brother James, but it is quite certain that Jesus was a preacher who wanted people to follow him.
The entire Hindutva argument against the missionaries ignores the question of the truth of Christianity. Yet, the answer to that question makes all the difference when we want to evaluate the practical problems underlying the present crisis. <b>Consider the allegation that missionaries use material rewards to induce conversions. This is absolutely correct, as anyone from Christian countries can testify: in religion class, we were told that âmaterial help is a necessary prerequisite for spiritual helpâ, so we should put some of our pocket-money into the donation box for the missions. On the Evangelical programme of Dutch television, an evangelist recently boasted how he converted Nepalese tribals at a fast rate by giving them a kind of walkman reciting the whole Bible in their own language, a modern equivalent of the trinkets given to African chieftains by Vasco da Gama. It is likewise well-attested that missionaries use deception to over-awe illiterate people, e.g. staged miracle healings. (KERELA BOXES DEMANDING BIKES) This material inducement or exploitation of gullibility may seem unethical from a non-Christian viewpoint, but it looks very different once you assume that the Christian belief is true. </b>In that case, remaining a Pagan means eternal damnation, while conversion brings eternal salvation, and the greater good of eternal salvation amply justifies the minor evil of bribes and deception needed to lure people into the true faith.
The Sangh Parivar alleges that conversion is âanti-nationalâ, a position supported in part by the historical fact of Christian separatism in the Northeast (and, less well-known, of 1947 intrigues between Jharkhand leaders and the Muslim League). But here again, anti-national designs should be evaluated differently if Christianity is true. In my country, secular nationalists recall with sadness that in ca. 1600, Belgium failed to gain independence from Catholic Spain while Holland succeeded, so that Holland turned Protestant while Belgium remained Catholic. The Catholic position on this national defeat is different: the Dutch heretics may have won their national struggle but they are now burning in hell, while the Belgians lost their freedom but won their eternal salvation by remaining in the true faith. Certain things are more important than nationalism. If Christianity is true, we must support the strengthening of the faith in all Christian pockets in India, if necessary by separating them from Hindu India. But the best would then be to convert the whole of India, which would turn Indian Christians into the greatest patriots.
Failure of the Hindutva critique
The Sangh Parivar is disinclined to educate its cadres on the illusory nature of Christianity, possibly because this would entail the tedious job of clearing the superstitious deadwood from Hinduism as well. It avoids polemicizing against Christianity as such and prefers to focus on the historical and contemporary misbehaviour of Christian missionaries: the Goa inquisition, the destruction of the Mylapore Shiva temple near Chennai, the expulsion of Riyang tribals from Christian-dominated Mizoram. These arguments about Christian fanaticism are valid and deserve being repeated by secularists, but to Christians they miss the point. They are well aware that all men are sinful, a basic Christian doctrine, so the sins of the missionaries do not nullify the truth of Christian dogma.
Moreover, their money and media power and their alliance with âsecularistâ and Islamic forces allows them to trump any reference to Christian misbehaviour with impressions of far worse sins on the Hindutva side. When over a thousand Hindus are killed and a quarter million Hindus ethnically cleansed in Kashmir, the world media doesnât even notice, but watch the worldwide hue and cry when a few local riots take place and a few missionaries are killed by unidentified tribal miscreants. Christian Naga terrorists have been killing non-Christians for decades on end, and this has never been an issue with the world media, except to bewail the âoppressionâ of the Nagas by âHindu Indiaâ. The clumsy Sangh people cannot hope to outdo the Christian lobby at the blame game when you consider how well-crafted the recent Christian media blitz has been, how aptly designed to satisfy the needs of the world media. The India-watchers abroad were standing shamefaced because the predicted âfascismâ of the BJP government had failed to materialize, yielding instead a year of communal cease-fire with the lowest number of riot victims in decades. So they welcomed the âpersecutionâ of Christians as a gift from heaven.
An additional reason why Hindutva spokesmen cannot expect to convince world opinion, is that some of their allegations against the missionaries are demonstrably wrong. Most importantly, they are denying the plea that the missionaries are rendering a âselfless service". To appreciate how this criticism is mistaken, let us first understand on what it is based, and in what respects it is right. <b>The Churches as such are of course not investing all their money and manpower in Indian schools and hospitals as a matter of selfless service: they do want to gain from it, viz. a harvest of souls. The missionary network is willing to give, but just like the Devil, it wants your soul in return. </b>Even in the elite schools where no direct proselytization is attempted, Hindu pupils are subtly encouraged towards skepticism of their own religion, and are also used as political pawns when Christian demands (e.g. reservations for Dalit Christians) are aired through pupilsâ demonstrations or school strikes. This way, Christian schools become a power tool rather than a service, and it was to serve as a power tool that these schools were created in the first place. When the Sangh Parivar, without the benefit of foreign funding, opens schools in tribal areas, this is decried as âinfiltrationâ, as creating channels of âindoctrinationâ, but such suspicions are at least equally warranted in the case of Christian schools.
At the individual level, there is yet another gainful element in the missionary vocation except for the satisfaction of converting people. In many Protestant denominations, the mission is actually a profitable career, but more than the material aspects, there is a psychological stake involved. People who would be nobodies in Germany, the US or Australia, can derive enormous ego gratification from a missionary career: suddenly they are promoted to a frontline post in the war against idolatry, they are praised back home as messiahs to the poor lepers even when stationed in non-leprosy areas, they are revered by some of the illiterate villagers for teaching them beliefs which would only provoke laughter back home, and strangest of all, they are applauded by âsecularistsâ whose Western counterparts would prefer to put an end to the whole circus of the Christian Churches. It is rewarding to be a missionary in India, and much safer than China or Pakistan.
And yet, the element of âselfless serviceâ in the missionary project should also be acknowledged. Firstly, it is a fact that quite a few Christians sent for work in the missions in India are genuinely not interested in conversion work. A Flemish nun said on Flemish TV early this year: âI went to India to convert people. But it is India which has converted me.â Not that she turned to any Indian religion herself, but she is doing sterling social work among housemaids in Mumbai regardless of religious identities. Of course, Church strategists calculate that in spite of their non-missionary vocation, such social workers are helpful in creating goodwill towards Christianity, preparing the ground for future work by real missionaries.
Secondly, even the proselytizers are altruistic, at least subjectively: eventhough their desire for âharvesting soulsâ is objectively a peculiar type of greed, they are convinced that they are only rendering a service to their converts. It is for the love of God and their fellow-men that they leave their comfortable lives in the West behind and settle in the heat and dust of a jungle village there to destroy the tribal religion. Yes, for love. If you believe that Pagans are bound for eternal hellfire, baptizing them is the greatest gift you can possibly give them. They are not evil but simply deluded, and the evil they work is the result of lack of knowledge (as Socrates already understood). So, we are again face to face with the basic issue: Christian belief. The Hindutva spokesmen are completely misconceiving the problem of proselytization unless they inform themselves about the modern evaluation of Christian beliefs.
Proselytizing and politics
Another mistake often made in Hindutva polemic against the missionaries is to deny that their motive is Christian religion. It is said that their real motive is political, that they serve the interests of a secular entity, typically European colonialism or American hegemonism. There is a historical basis for this suspicion, e.g. the militantly secularist French Third Republic (1870-1940) encouraged the missions as de facto French outposts and agents dâinfluence in the colonies.<b> Conversely, tribal anti-British rebellions in India typically started with attacks on mission posts. It is also likely that during the Cold War, the CIA supported attempts to set up a Christian state in Indiaâs Northeast as an American foothold in Asia.</b> Yet, apart from being largely anachronistic now, such scenarios simply donât represent the main thrust of missionary activity.
The Churches have a history of accomodating all kinds of political forces and regimes, and they can be quite patriotic too. In some countries where society was very decentralized, esp. the Germanic and Slavic parts of Europe, the Church played a decisive role in nation-building, and it is now quite hard to separate Russian patriotism from Orthodox Christianity. Even with India being predominantly non-Christian, the Churches have largely accepted the fact of India and are abstaining from risky involvements in separatism or American intrigue. It is a simple calculation: if Nagaland would manage to break away, this could hurt the position of the Churches in the rest of India.
Another historical development is that with the demographic stagnation of Christendom in Europe and North America, and with the emptying of the churches in Europe, most Churches have mentally prepared for the shift of their centre of gravity to the Third World. Very soon, the average Christian will be non-white. Already, one third of all new Jesuits are Indians. For the Catholic Church in particular, priestly recruitment is targeting India more than any other country: while most other peoples tend to dislike or ridicule the celibacy imposed on Catholic priests (which is why in Africa, many priests do have a common-law wife in defiance of Church rules), Indian culture holds it in high esteem. Of course, none of this alters the historical fact that Christianity is a foreign religion, but depicting it as something which the West is trying to force on India is anachronistic. The indigenization of missionary work has advanced to the point that all over North India, you find Christian institutions manned by Kerala Christians.
It will not do to say that âChristianity is not a religion but a political ideology masquerading as religionâ, for even where Church interests are closely intertwined with certain political forces, the deeper motivation of most Church agents is definitely religious. Moreover, if American power collapses and there is no political danger anymore in a foreign connection of the missions, would that make the replacement of native religion with Christianity acceptable? At this point, the Hindutva movement has to decide whether it is a nationalist movement (as frequently proclaimed in its efforts to sound secular) or a Hindu movement. From a Hindu viewpoint, the Indian Republicâs unity and integrity are necessary to provide Hindu civilization with a home, but lose their importance if India ceases to be Hindu. The problem with Christian proselytizers is not their degree of patriotic or foreign loyalty, but their determination to destroy the native culture.
Is violence warranted?
An aspect of the current crisis which no âsecularistâ would dare to mention, is that the Churches have a fawning respect for strength. They lick the boot that kicks them, and bite the hand that feeds them. When millions of Christians were persecuted in the Soviet bloc, Christians in the cosy West started the quasi-Marxist fad of Liberation Theology. Now that Christians are oppressed in Islamic countries, the Christian media are full of sugary rhetoric on Muslim-Christian dialogue. In India, the Christians have formed an anti-Hindu front with Muslims and Communists, as has been obvious once again in the support which the Christians have received during the recent missionary crisis from Imam Bukhari, A.G. Noorani, Syed Shahabuddin and other veterans of the Babri Masjid cause, who gratefully remember how the Christian media supported the Muslim side in the Ayodhya conflict.
These media give far less coverage to the numerous acts of terror against Pakistani Christians, because it would only make things worse for them. So they save their fire for the propaganda war against the Hindus, who have given Christians hospitality for a full sixteen centuries, and who today give them facilities and constitutional privileges which contrast with the restraints imposed on them in most Asian countries.<b> Since the missionaries have no hope of converting Pakistan, they concentrate on converting India and consequently vilify Hinduism much more than Islam.</b>
So, there seems to be a connection between beating the Churches and gaining their friendship, as also between generosity to the Churches and earning their hostility. There is a name for this peculiar psychological disorder, but that need not detain us here. The point is that one could understand impatient young Hindus who conclude that force is the language which the missionaries understand best. Beat the padre and he will start praising you, right? Yet, they would be mistaken to think that force will further the Hindu interests.
First of all, there is a moral problem. Hindus are right to be skeptical of Mahatma Gandhiâs unbalanced and masochistic rejection of the use of force in all circumstances, which amounts to submission to the aggressor. But they should not go to the other extreme. Let us take a leaf here from Saint Thomas Aquinasâs âjust warâ theory. The doctor angelicus taught that the use of force should not be ruled out altogether, but should always be subject to strict conditions: it should be a defensive war, all peaceful means of achieving the war aims should be exhausted first, there should be a reasonable chance of victory, the non-combatants must be spared, and so on. To a mature mind, these conditions ought to be self-evident, especially to Hindus who should recognize something of their own notion of Dharma-Yuddha here (contrary to Khalistani and âsecularistâ usage, Dharma Yuddha is not a Hindu equivalent of Jihad, but a war restrained by a code of ethics and chivalry). How do these principles apply in the present conflict? The Hindu side is definitely on the defensive, but it cannot claim to have exhausted all peaceful means of countering the missionary offensive. It has not even challenged the missionaries to a debate on the irrational beliefs in which they try to indoctrinate Indian tribals. In Sri Lanka in the 1870s, the Buddhists challenged the Jesuits to public debates, and it is generally acknowledged that their good performance in these debates has stemmed the tide of conversions to Christianity.
Why are Hindus too lazy to follow their example? As for the chance of victory, this moral condition brings in a strategic consideration: can Hindu society gain from violent attacks on the missionaries? Lenin has observed that it is necessary to gain the moral ascendancy before starting the next phase, that of forceful action. Obviously, the Hindus do not enjoy the moral ascendancy. <b>Destroying Hindu idols is a standard ingredient of the conversion process in tribal villages, yet it is only when a Christian church is damaged for once that the incident is even registered. There has been plenty of violence by Christian converts against their Pagan neighbours, but they have been getting away with it, their crimes go unreported and remain unpunished. Already in the 1950s, anthropologists like Verrier Elwin and Christoph von Fuehrer-Haimendorf described how conversions destroy communal life in tribal villages, yet even mentioning this widespread phenomenon is denounced as âantiâChristian hate propaganda". Christian clerics subverting tribal culture are ârendering selfless serviceâ, Hindu sadhus encouraging tribals to stand by their own traditions are âcommunal hateâmongers". </b>Clearly, it is the missionaries who have the moral ascendancy, and consequently, it is they who will reap the moral and political harvest of any physical conflict between Hindus and Christians.
If Hindus want to win the war against the missionaries, they will have to start using their brains instead of their itching fists. They will first of all have to define the problem correctly. Thus, no more breath should be wasted on the discussion whether Christianity is a foreign religion. Of course, Christianity originated in distant Palestine, and the first Christian community came as hapless refugees seeking asylum in a country which they did not arrogantly claim as their own. But if some people want to deny these facts and insist that Christianity is indigenous, just let them. The question is not whether a belief system is indigenous. As Bal Thackeray has aptly said: we shouldnât take the Swadeshi idea too far, for then we would have to do without the electric lightbulb. The law of gravity was discovered by some paleface in distant Europe, yet even RSS schools teach it. If Christianity is true, then we should all embrace it, no matter where it originated. Conversely, if Christianity is untrue, we should inform everyone that a quack belief is being promoted, in violation of the Constitutional injunction that Indian citizens should develop the scientific temper. And we should imitate the missionaries in extending our heartfelt love to them by patiently liberating them from their false religion.
A question to the Christians
In the 4th century AD, Christianity became the dominant and then the established religion in the Roman Empire. <b>The Sassanian rulers of Iran wisely foresaw that the Syrian Christians within their borders would develop into a fifth column of their powerful neighbour. Their solution was to persecute the Syrian Christians. Some of these Christians fled Iran and one group, led by Thomas Cananeus (whose name would later get confused with that of Thomas Didymos the apostle), arrived on Indiaâs Malabar coast and asked for refuge. The generous and hospitable Hindus granted the wish of the refugees and honoured their commitment of hospitality for more than a thousand years. The Christian world has no record at all of any such consistent act of hospitality: the only non-Christian community which they tolerated in their midst were the Jews, and the record of Jewish-Christian coâexistence is hardly bright. The Hindus, by contrast, have likewise welcomed Jewish and Parsi communities. Unfortunately, the Portuguese Catholics gained a foothold on the Malabar coast and started forcing the Malabar Christians into the structure of the Catholic Church.</b> Even so, the Christians, who had gotten indianized linguistically and racially, tried to maintain friendly relations with the Hindus. This attitude is not entirely dead yet, a recent instance is the statement by a Kerala bishop denying the false allegation that the BJP was behind the gang-rape of four nuns in Jhabua, a lie still propagated by the missionary networks till today. However, many other Malabar Christians have been integrated into the missionary project, and are now gradually replacing the dwindling number of foreign mission personnel. <b> My question to them: donât you think that working for the destruction of the very religion which allowed your community to settle and integrate, is an odd way to show your gratitude?</b>
Conclusion
To conclude, I must say that I find it sad to see something dying, especially when the dying entity is the religion in which I grew up. Yet, it is mathematically certain that this will happen. Just as the belief in a flat earth cannot survive mankindâs inquisitive interest in the fact of nature, the beliefs underlying Christianity will not survive the advancement in knowledge. It is painful to lose your faith, to find your beliefs untenable or disproven, to feel like you have been fooled for all those years, often in good faith by your beloved parents. But then, losing an illusion is also liberating. And to avoid being trapped in that illusion is even better. The Indian tribals can save themselves the trouble of outgrowing Christianity by not becoming Christians in the first place. Therefore, all peaceful and legal efforts to stop Christian conversion work in Indiaâs tribal regions deserve our support.
© Dr. Koenraad Elst, 7 June 1999.
Christian Missionary Role In India - 5 - Guest - 02-11-2006
<b>Evangelists in the Punjab.</b>
<b>Holding fierce pride in their identity, Sikhs have for decades been seen as "off-limits" by the missionary machine but not anymore. In a alarming trend, evangelism has begun to tread on the Sikh faith as well.</b>
Every aspect of Punjabi society is being overwhelmed with this new wave of assertive Christianity. Besides nationwide programs in Hindi, Punjabi television channels have been deluged by Christian programs even though the Christian population of Punjab is less than 1%. Taking aim at Sikh youth, animated films and children's books on Christianity are freely distributed by missionaries.
Because of the strong adherence to tradition by Sikhs, missionaries have attempted to repackage Christianity. Jesus is called "Satguru", church is referred to as "Satsang" and choir singing is called "Kirtan". Choir boys in Punjabi churches wear turbans to attempt to minimize the variation between Sikhism and Christianity.
<b>However, despite these attempts to disguise Christianity as a version of Sikhism, missionaries still cannot hide their intent: to destroy the Sikh faith.</b>
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<i>An advertisement placed in a Punjabi newspaper, featuring a converted couple. Note that the male is portrayed wearing a traditional Sikh turban to woo Sikh converts.</i>
While there have been some cases of genuine conversions, economically disadvantaged and illiterate Sikhs often complain that missionaries are using extortive practices such as bribing them with material possessions to change their religion. A young boy whose friends had converted to Christianity explained, "When I asked the boys as to why they have converted to Christianity, they said they had been given cash and free education. In our village alone, 5 to 6 people have converted and, of course, their generations to come would also be Christians."
Gurbachan Singh Bachan, former Secretary of the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee and a proud Sikh, says "People who are converting from Hinduism and Sikhism to Christianity are those who have lost understanding of their own religion⦠Khalsa [Sikh] institutions and the Government need to educate the people about the values of a religion, and tell them that all religions are equal and no religion teaches us to fight with each other."
Such provocative evangelism in Punjab does not always go unnoticed by the local community. <b>The Open Door Church run by Pastor Harbhajan Singh, a landlord who converted to Christianity from Sikhism, has aggressively converted over 2,800 members of the Khojewala village community. In February of 2004, Singh made derogatory remarks against several Sikh gurus including Guru Granth Sahib.</b> This led to several protests by Sikh youths in front Singh's church in the. The conflict was ultimately resolved by police intervention and an unconditional apology by Harbhajan Singh. <b>Meanwhile, Christian media painted this incident as an example of "Christian persecution."</b>
A recent study showed that at least 800,000 are converted to Christianity every year throughout India. In the coming years, this number can significantly increase with attacks on the Sikh faith.
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Below is a translation of a book published, by the missionary organization, Operation Mobilization (disguised as a Hindu group with the acronym OM) â the same group that purchased a cruise ship to convert upper class Indians. The passages below are a story of a man who is portrayed as a hero for rejecting his Sikh faith, cutting his hair and ultimately converting to Christianity.
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Chapter 3: Having long hair on head was the most important sign out of five signs for Sikhs in Punjab. He knotted his hair in a bun on his head. He was nothing without steel bangle, half pant, comb, and a small sword that provided his identity. His holy book 'Granth' had an instruction for him to never cut his hair, and like a devoted Sikh he never cut his hair. Though, his beautiful beard was very uncomfortable in summer and dusty environment. Without being cut, his long hair on head dignified him. A Sikh who had cut his hair was then not called a Sikh. He was boycotted from his religion, society, and family.
Whatever Sundar did was seen as resistance of shock by his father, Sher Singh, and after that Sundar had seen such anger from him that he had never seen before. His father became very angry and kick him out of the house without hesitation, saying that he was now not a member of this family. He brought bad name to the family. He was removed from his Caste; he had no right to live in the courtyard of the Singh family. He had to go out immediately.
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<i>Page 30: Sadhu Sundar Singh: â¦â¦.ended that made his relative clearly angrier. The pressure coming from various sources undoubtedly could not mislead the internal determination of this 15 years old boy. But they could be sufficient to make the boy quite.</i>
But as far as Sundar was concerned, it had opposite effect. As he studied the work of good news and Christian converts, and read about that extraordinary messiah whom he had seen from his own eyes. How he endured pain with insult and how his pupils were really happy to be found qualified to bear insult for the sake of his name. Then, a desire also arose in Sundar to endure pain for messiah. One day, by a program that would separate him, he would not only show that he has attained youth but also fulfill the primary requirement of being Sikh. He could not participate in this program and he did not want to. He did not want to do this to deny his Caste or Clan. He wanted to deny Sikh religion. Even after his infatuation was broken when he was studying at a school in Ludhiana, he faced threatening calls, anger, and bad behavior from his father and elders of the family. He knew that no one could erase the memory of that living God. It was that messiah that vouched for his sincerity and he also needed to do that. To make it clear to his family and to make them understand, he left Sikh religion for good; and that he has seen Jesus Christ and was determined to follow him. He needed to do something to make it clear. While he was thinking, he came to know a way by which he can do that. By a simple work he would show that he was freeing himself from all customs that bounded him to his Caste. This was a simple work but would have sharp reaction and he realized that it would bring him more trouble, more than he hasn't faced yet. But whatever may be the result, he has decided to do that. He cut his hair by scissor.
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<i>Page 32: To satisfy your soul: In comparison with this big world, human heart is a small thing. Although the world is very big, but is incapable to satisfy this small heart. At last, ever growing soul of human being and his capabilities can only be satisfied in God. Just like water that does not rest until it reaches its level, a soul, in the same way, also does not rest until it retires in God. - With and without Christ.</i>
Christian Missionary Role In India - 5 - Guest - 02-11-2006
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Christian Missionary Role In India - 5 - acharya - 02-11-2006
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All set for "Shabri Kumbh" amid re-conversion fears
Manas Dasgupta
Dangs turns saffron; security tightened
# No tension, say organisers and State authorities
# Effort is to influence tribals: local cadres
AHWA (DANGS): The Dangs has turned saffron as the tribal-dominated tiny district in Gujarat is preparing for the first-ever "Shabri Kumbh," beginning on Saturday, amid tight security.
While it is celebration time for the Sangh Parivar, which is making a strong bid to leave a lasting impression on the poor, mostly illiterate tribals, Christians are apprehensive. The minority community, still alive to the attack on the Christians and their institutions in the district in 1998, has so far not faced any problem as preparations were under way for the last two years. But they are apprehensive of a flare-up once the security forces are withdrawn after the end of the mega event on Monday.
Neither the organisers, the Shabri Kumbh Samaroha Samiti, an extension of the Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad of the Sangh Parivar, nor State Government authorities believe that "tension" in the air. But local Christian leaders as well as the All-India Christian Council joint secretary, Samson Christian, alleged that Parivar activists had been moving around the villages, "threatening" the minority families to "return to the Hindu fold or face the consequences."
While the Christian leaders claim that the show is aimed only at "re-converting" the tribals, the Samiti joint general secretary, Suresh Kulkarni, says ghar wapasi (returning home â re-conversion) is not on the "Kumbh agenda." He claims that the "Kumbh" has nothing to do with re-conversion but will not rule out the possibility of the "Dharma Sansad" of sadhus and saints, to be held during the event, discussing the issue.
Mr. Kulkarni has made the Dangs his home for the past two years and is responsible for creating the infrastructure for the event.
Kalyan Parishad activists in villages admit that the event is primarily intended to "influence" the Christian tribals to return to the Hindu fold. They say the effort is to create the "right atmosphere" in the tribal belt, in both Gujarat and the areas bordering Maharashtra, for "educating" the minority Christians on ghar wapasi.
The "Kumbh," to be inaugurated by Chief Minister Narendra Modi, will be held over an eight-sqkm area.
Mr. Kulkarni claimed that not a single tree had been cut to create the infrastructure. The samiti had taken "on rent" barren land from about 50 tribal families. "They have willingly given their land as it had no crops."
However, eyewitnesses said at least 100 trees were "uprooted" to create the infrastructure.
According to Director-General of Police A.K. Bhargava, in addition to the 4,000-odd local police personnel, eight companies of the State Reserve Police and four companies of the Rapid Action Force were being deployed.
The police were posted in 183 of the 311 villages, besides ensuring protection to all minority institutions in the district.
Christian Missionary Role In India - 5 - Guest - 02-11-2006
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->http://wwsb.com/frameset.asp?page=http://wwsb.com/news/details.asp?id=40461
Missionaries obey order to leave Venezuelan jungle
CARACAS, Venezuela - U-S missionaries accused by Venezuelan President Hugo
Chavez of spionage have until Sunday to leave their remote outposts among
jungle tribes.
<b>A spokesman for the missionaries says, "They're all shattered, some of them
depressed."</b>
<b>New Tribes Mission</b> spokeswoman Nita Zelenak (NEE'-tuh ZEL'-uh-nak) says 35 missionaries have relocated to urban areas while they appeal the expulsion
order, <b>some after decades of evangelism and Bible translation work</b>. It's
unclear when Venezuela's Supreme Court will hear the case.
New Tribes has denied Chavez's charge that it's been spying for the C-I-A
and foreign mining and pharmaceutical firms, and has offered to open its
jungle missions to government inspectors.
<b>Since the expulsion order, Zelenak says some indigenous people have shown a
greater interest in the gospel and have stepped forward to take leadership
in the tribal churches. </b>
-- The Associated Press<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Christian Missionary Role In India - 5 - Guest - 02-12-2006
"Missionaries leave Uri after allegations of conversion"
("UNI," February 10, 2006)
Srinagar, India - A Christian missionary organisation, <b>engaged in relief and rehabilitation work</b> <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tongue.gif' /><!--endemo--> in earthquake-ravaged Uri area of Jammu and Kashmir, has to abandon its operations following <b>massive protests by the survivors against its alleged involvement in ''conversion''</b> of the people of the far-flung villages. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Baramulla Ashkoor Wani told UNI that the Christian missionary organisation was engaged in relief and rehabilitation work in Madiyan and Kamalkote villages along the Line of Control (LoC) in quake-hit Uri area.
<b>However, some locals later complained to the police that the missionary workers were using earthquake relief as a means to carry out conversions, he added. </b>
The villagers alleged that the <b>missionaries were distributing religious material in the garb of ''relief'' and promising the people of money and houses ''in lieu of change of faith''. </b>
They locals said the missionaries had recently distributed gas cylinders, water bottles, audio cassettes and a copy of the New Testament in Urdu besides other material to each family in the villages.
When searches were conducted, the police seized a pack containing cassettes propagating Christianity, Urdu translations of the New Testament and other religious material, the SSP said.
A case was later registered against the organisation, which claimed to be the <b>Kashmir chapter of the Bible Society of India</b> and investigations launched into the matter, he added.
There were massive protests by the people, demanding the organisation be asked to leave the place.
''Following complaints and the seizure, we asked the organisation to behave. We will not allow such activities to take place. We have taken proper care and the <b>NGO</b> has since ended its relief operations in the area,'' Mr Wani said.
Christian Missionary Role In India - 5 - acharya - 02-13-2006
Varieties of Bibles on display
Coimbatore, Feb 13, (PTI): From pocket size to digital bibles, over 500 varieties of the holy book were on display at the exhibition being organised here by the Bible Society of India.
The 3-day exhibition cum sale, which began today, covers most of the familiar versions like KJV, NIV, RSV, besides large variety of children's products, Dr D S Ebi Samuel, auxiliary secretary of Tamil Nadu unit of the society told reporters here.
Added attraction at the exhibition is the electronic and digital bibles, which would be useful for families, particularly children and also gilt edged luxury bibles in various regional languages, he said.There is also 'talking bible,' which is handy and useful, as busy persons could hear it while on the move or at work places, Samuel added.
Ultra small pocket bible with zip, CDs, audio cassettes and interactive CDs are also available at the exhibition, Samuel said adding that since there was no (no) motive of profit making, all the products on display would be sold on discounts ranging from 10 to 70 per cent.
Christian Missionary Role In India - 5 - Guest - 02-14-2006
<b>Are we heading towards a Christian India ? (Francois Gautier) </b>
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->I am a westerner and a born Christian. I was mainly brought up in catholic schools, my uncle, Father Guy Gautier, a gem of a man, was the parish head of the beautiful Saint Jean de Montmartre church in Paris ; my father, Jacques Gautier, a famous artist in France, and a truly good person if there ever was one, was a fervent catholic all his life, went to church nearly every day and lived by his Christian values. There are certain concepts in Christianity I am proud of : charity for others, the equality of system in many western countries, Christââ¬â¢s message of love and compassionââ¬Â¦.
Yet, I am a little uneasy when I see how much Christianity is taking over India under the reign of Sonia Gandhi : according to a 2001 census, there are about 2.34 million Christians in India ; not even 2,5% of the nation, a negligible amount. Yet there are today five Christian chief ministers in Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.
One should add that the majority of politicians in Sonia Gandhiââ¬â¢s closed circle are either Christians or Muslims. She seems to have no confidence in Hindus. Ambika Soni, a Christian, is General Secretary of the Congress and a very powerful person, with close access to Sonia Gandhi. Oscar Fernandes is Union Programme Implementation Minister. Margaret Alwa is the eminence grise of Maharasthra.
Karnataka is virtually controlled by AK Anthony, whose secretaries are all from the Southern Christian association. Valson Thampu, a Hindu hater, is Chairman NCERT curriculum Review Committee, John Dayal, another known Hindu baiter, has been named by Sonia Gandhi in the National Integration Council ; and Kancha Ilaya, who hates Hindus, is being allowed by the Indian Government to lobby with the UN and US Congress so that caste discrimination in India is taken-up by these bodies.
I have nothing personnally against Sonia Gandhi, in fact she probably is a good person to win the alliegance of so many and certainly a loving mother . I share with her a love for India, like her I have lived in this country for over 30 years and like her I have married an Indian. But nevertheless, since she is at the top, Christian conversions in India seem to have gone in overdrive. More than 4,000 foreign Christian missionaries are involved in conversion activities across different states.
In Tripura, there were no Christians at independence, there are 120.000 today, a 90% increase since 1991. The figures are even more striking in Arunachal Pradesh, where there were only 1710 Christians in 1961, but 1,2 million today, as well as 780 churches! In Andhra Pradesh, churches are coming-up every day in far flung villages and there was even an attempt to set-up one near Tirupati.
Many of the North-East separatist movements, such as the Mizo or the Bodos, are not only Christian dominated, but also sometimes function with the covert backing of the missionaries. In Kerala, particularly in the poor coastal districts, you find ââ¬Åmiracle boxesââ¬Â put in local churches: the gullible villager writes out a paper mentionning his wish: a fising boat, a loan for a pukka house, fees for the sonââ¬â¢s schoolingââ¬Â¦ And lo, a few weeks later, the miracle happens ! And of course the whole family converts, making others in the village follow suit. During the Tsunami, entire dalit villages in Tamil Nadu were converted to Christianity with the lure of money.
It is true that there have been a few backlashes against missionnaries and nuns, particularly the gruesome muder of Staines and his two sons. But Belgium historian Konenraad Elst laments that ë When over a thousand Hindus are killed and a quarter million Hindus ethnically cleansed in Kashmir, the world media doesn't even notice, but watch the worldwide hue and cry when a few local riots take place and a few missionaries are killed by unidentified tribal miscreants. Christian Naga terrorists have been killing non-Christians for decades on end, and this has never been an issue with the world media, except to bewail the "oppression" of the Nagas by "Hindu India" û.
More than 20,000 people have lost their lives to insurgency in Assam and Manipur in the past two decades. As recently as last week, four paramilitary Assam Rifles soldiers were killed in an ambush yesterday by the outlawed United National Liberation Front (UNLF).
The other day I was at the Madras Medical center, the foremost heart hospital in Madras. Right when you enter the lobby, you find a chapel, inviting everybody to pray, there are pictures and quotations of Christ everywhere and a priest visits all the patients, without being invited at all. Educational institutes and orphanages run by Christian organisations have become big business in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and other states. In Pondichery, where I am often, schools run by Adventists force their pupils, mostly Hindus, to say Christian prayers every day and attend mass. They are constantly fed anti Hindu slogans and biases under different forms, whether it is in history books, or discourses by priests during religious classes. Even in the elite schools or colleges, such as Saint Stephen in Delhi, Saint Xavier in Calcutta or Loyola college in Madras, where no direct proletization is attempted, Hindu pupils are subtly encouraged towards skepticism of their own religion, and admiration of whatever is Western. One should also say that itââ¬â¢s a one way traffic : remember the furor when MM Joshi wanted the Saraswati hymn to be sung at a Chief Ministersââ¬â¢ meet on education ? And imagine the uproar in secular India if portions of the Bhagavad Gita, this Bible for all humanity, were read at the beginning of the day in public schools ?
Sonia Gandhi said during the last National Integration Council meeting : ë We are committed to ideological battle against communal forces which seek to destroy our diversity and polarise us. Certain parties promote polarisation and confrontation. And there are certain regimes in India which promote communalism û. But is not actually the Congress under Mrs Gandhi, which is promoting communalism, by insidiously installing Christians and Muslims (and Marxists) everywhere, propping up Christian states, allowing a free hand too missionnaries and pressing for reservations for Christian Dalits and Muslims, as recently done in AP, in a nation of 850 million Hindus ?
In my country, France, a Christian majority nation , it would be unthinkable to have Hindus ââ¬â or even Indian born French for that matter ââ¬â in so many positions of power. Impossible also to find a non-elected, non French, non-Christian person being the absolute ruler of the country behind the scene as Sonia Gandhi is in India. Indians like to say that the greatness of India is that it accepts a foreigner and a Christian like Sonia Gandhi. But isââ¬â¢nt it rather a weakness, and an aberration ? Canââ¬â¢t we find a worthy leader amongst one billion Indians ? This is an India where you see today Swami Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati of Dwarka Peeth, made to disembark from an Indian Airlines flight for carrying his holy dand, a thin bamboo stick which is a symbol of their spiritual designation, inside the aircraft cabin.
Are we heading then towards a Christian India under Sonia Gandhiââ¬â¢s helm? It would be a tremendous loss not only to India, but also to the world. For in India, you find the only living spirituality left on this planet.
François Gautier
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Christian Missionary Role In India - 5 - Guest - 02-14-2006
sonia's appointing christians and muslims, comes from nehru's trendsetting move of appointing maulana abul kala azad as edu minister.
everytime i read one such post my fears are confirmed - the mughals did less damage to india than the gandhi-nehru-gandhi assclowns.
in rahul we have an aurangzeb in waiting. [<b>edited</b>]
btw, i didnt know that ambika [<b>edited</b>] soni was a x-ian. i thought she was gandhian by religion if you know what i mean. congress's winning the last elections has ensured that all those low lifes who were kept out of the limelight for 5 years have made a comeback to do their crimes. well what better can a nation that chooses to vote for a firang pm candidate expect??
<b>Ben_ami, there will be no more warnings, you'll have to moderate your tone in the posts.
-Admin</b>
Christian Missionary Role In India - 5 - Guest - 02-15-2006
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Christian missionaries' role under scanner in J&K</b>
February 14, 2006 11:52 IST
<b>The detention of Christian missionaries, who were allegedly trying to convert earthquake-affected people of Uri Tehsil in Jammu and Kashmir under the garb of providing relief, has once again brought to light the role of missionaries in the state under scanner.</b>
The missionaries, claiming to be members of the Bible Society of India, had to shut their shop in quake-hit areas of Uri following complaints from locals that they were luring people to Christianity by offering monetary incentives, official sources said here.
A senior police official said the police had warned the missionaries to stop conversion move failing which a case would be registered against them. <b>The group of missionaries from the Kashmir chapter of the Bible Society of India had been visiting Madian village in Uri sector and had distributed gas cylinders, water bottles, audio cassettes and a copy of the New Testament in Urdu to 230 families of the village, the official said</b>.
Police began investigations into the complaints while the missionaries decided to beat a hasty retreat, he added.
This is the second such incident in Jammu and Kashmir. The Christain missionaries have been active in the state on the educational front for over 150 years without interfering in religious matters of the locals.
<b>In November, 2003, the foreigners section of the state police had ordered deportation of Dutch national Father Jacobs Borst alias Jim Borst as his visa to stay in Kashmir had expired two months earlier. He was also charged with luring students of his two schools to Christainity</b>.
<b>Borst, who runs Good Shepherds School at Pattan in Baramulla district and Pulwama town, was a principal at St Joseph Higher Secondary till 1996 when he retired. He, however, continued to stay in the valley even after the deportation notice was served on him. Borst was seen in Srinagar at the end of 2005 as he had managed to get a special extension to his stay in Srinagar</b>.
<b>A police inquiry into the activities of Borst revealed that he was allegedly running makeshift churches within his school premises and had converted 50 students to Christianity. Militants in Pulwama had hurled a grenade at the school in 2004 in which several children were injured.</b>
The Catholic Church in Srinagar denounced the alleged activities of Brost and said he had no connection with it. CMS Tyndal Biscoe School and Burn Hall School in Srinagar and St Joseph's School in Baramulla have rendered yeoman service in the educational sector in Kashmir valley.
Their record with regard to interference in religious affairs or conversions has been a clean slate<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Christian Missionary Role In India - 5 - Guest - 02-15-2006
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Missionaries and Naxals inflaming passions in Kalinga Nagar </b>
(By Debasis Tripathy)
www.organiser.org
<b>While the anti-industrial fire among the locals at the trouble-torn Kalinga Nagar is still burning, Christian missionaries, leftist ultras and different so-called secular political parties are busy fishing in troubled water of Orissa</b>.
Although the much talked-about massacre occurred at Duburi Industrial Area in Jajpur district by police firing on January 2, causing the death of 13 persons, has been protested on almost all fronts, the leftists and the pastors are allegedly fuelling the fire. <b>They reportedly induce the angry Vanvasis, unduly influencing them to wage a war against the nation.</b> Open conversion bids have become the routine activities in these areas.
According to sources, the incident of January 2 and its nation-wide reaction have become a platform for <b>some political parties and Naxal groups. Political partiesâmainly Congress and CPI(M)âhave used it as an opportunity to defame the government and other forces like Naxals are trying to colour it as an attack of the affluent on the proletariat Vanvasis</b>. Above all, the Christian pastors have chalked out a unique planâthey entice the poor and innocent Vanvasis to accept Christianity. This illegal conversion bid is getting momentum as the government machinery appears to have become paralyzed in these areas for the last one month.
The remote villages under Kalinga Nagar Police Station like Nuagaon, Damaria, Gobarghti and Bamiagotha have been disconnected from the outer world due to road obstruction by the Vanvasis. Neither the government agency nor the cops are allowed to enter into these areas. <b>Taking its advantage, Naxals and missionaries have opened their workshops of conversion and terror. </b>Posters and pamphlets containing anti-national texts are being distributed among the locals. This correspondent visited some of those villages where literature relating to Christianity is being distributed. One of them is Su Sambad, published by Bible Society of India.
In this booklet, it is written: âYou will be rescued if you accept Christ as your Lord and Christianity as your religion.â
Some literate Vanvasis of this locality say that activists of the Cuttack-based Bible Society of India regularly visit their villages and distribute these texts among the locals. Films on Jesus are also displayed. Sakila Soren (35) of village Ambagadia says the pastors have visited his village five times since January 2 and he is being influenced to accept Christianity.
âThe missionaries last came here on 2/2/06 and 3/2/06. They distributed the Bible and other books,â said Sakila Soren. Not only this Vanvasi youth, but others like him, have the same thing to narrate. One of the local organisationsâJajpur District Peopleâs Forumâhas also alleged about this foul play of conversion. Its spokesperson Udayanath Sahoo says: âIn the past, the missionaries made several efforts to enter into this area, but the Vanvasis did not give them that chance.
<b>Now, taking the advantage of the mishap, they are portraying it as an attack of Hindus on Vanvasis.â </b>
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Christian Missionary Role In India - 5 - Guest - 02-15-2006
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->http://www.meteorbooks.com/introduction.html
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<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Christian Missionary Role In India - 5 - Guest - 02-16-2006
i am sure the missionaries pulled strings to ensure mother teresa got the nobel prize so that more gullible indians take to christianity. she was the vatican's ambassador to india.
i am equally sure the powers that be in the west allowed it and then did their bit to create an aura around mother teresa, because they like the idea of more christians in india. helps them play india like a piano all the more.
as an aside, why doesnt the western or even our own media ever mention the goa inquisition and other christian attrocities but keep harping about this woman helped people as a means to an end??
Christian Missionary Role In India - 5 - Guest - 02-16-2006
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->but keep harping about this woman helped people as a means to an end?? <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Could you name any Hospital opened by Teresa?
Christian Missionary Role In India - 5 - Guest - 02-16-2006
none that i know of.
but that missionaris of charity, does have a habit of taking the poorest sorts, the ones no hospital would take - lepers and such like, those who cant afford medicine and they do give basic medical aid to them...on condition of course.