Religious Conversions in India – Right or Wrong?

Question

There are some Christians who refuse to accept that India is a Hindu or Hindu-majority country. Nor are they willing to accept that tribals, with their reverence for nature, are Hindus. From
this stem their argument that when they are attempting to convert tribals they are not poaching on 'Hindu' spiritual space. This matter, too, calls for discussion and agreement. Peace in the
country cannot be maintained if any one party, group or religion gives offence to another. This needs to be stressed again and again. To live together in peace calls for a great deal of
concerted efforts, and a sensitivity, towards each other's feelings. That sensitivity has long been missing in India.

India has for decades been considered something of a free-for- all. The country was fair game. That attitude has to change. The word "conversion" evokes revulsion in thousands of Hindu minds, no matter what the English-language press may say. If one does not
understand that, one understands nothing. By keeping on harping
that we are a secular society which permits conversion, one is laying the foundation for extremism and compelling many people to internalise their anger which then one day will explode.

conversion and secularism are antithetical. There can be no conversions in a secular society. It is doing no favour to secularism by insisting on legalities and suggesting that the number of people converted are infinitesimally small in comparison to India's population anyway, so why worry? This is like saying that picking the pocket of a millionaire is no crime
considering that he has millions stowed in his bank.

Conversions continue. It is hard for any one to point out where persuasion ends and pressurisation begins. Christians insist that theirs is an
evangelising religion and should be accepted as such. What if this is questioned and what is worse, resented? Shouldn't this be a matter for civilised discussion and voluntary curtailment of one's activities in the larger interests of society? Do
Christian groups have to take extreme positions and preclude any debate?

The issue of conversion has to be brought to centre stage and the
Congress must make its stand clear. By saying that the matter has to be treated as closed shows a bankruptcy of a colossal kind and a cowardice that needs to be exposed.


Let the Congress say in unequivocal terms that it supports conversion; at least the air will then be cleared of hypocrisy. Every act of the Congress reeks of hypocrisy.

Answer 1

Indian rationalists and radical humanists condemn conversions of religion. They welcomed the anti conversion laws.

Conversion either by book or by sword , or by giving some money, medicines , is an action , should be condemned by all rational thinking people.

"The history of religious conversions is filled with complexities, ironies, and

contradictions. Converts have often found themselves caught in a world of ambiguity, a

veritable twilight zone—condemned by their old world, and not quite accepted by their new one"

new one.

In her contribution to the book Cultures of Conversions (p.15ff.), Ivy Imogene

Hansdak discusses the spiritual journey of Pandita Ramabai Saraswati. Her essay bears

the subtitle, “The Convert as ‘Heretic.’” Pandita Ramabai was born in 1858 of orthodox

Chitpavan Brahmin parents. At a young age, she was honored by the scholars of Calcutta

who, impressed with her mastery of the Sanskrit language, bestowed on her the titles

Pandita (learned woman) and Saraswati (the Hindu goddess of learning). At age twentyfive,

while studying in England, she converted to Christianity in the Anglican tradition.

At first she was welcomed as a great “catch”; but eventually her questioning of

fundamental Christian doctrines (Trinity, divinity of Christ) and her refusal to submit

meekly to a hierarchy inflicted with a colonial mentality (an Indian woman could teach

Indian but not British students) turned her into a threat.





If people converted to other religions get political, socio ,economic equality, what is the need for reservations for them ? As the reservations are only meant for the deprived classes who were subjected to social discrimination.

N.Kunju, national council member of Indian rationalists says' In fact, historically Muslims had been pampered for the past 1000 years, first during Islamic rule and later by the British regime. Muslim rulers openly discriminated against Hindus even levying special taxes on them and favoured Muslims by giving them high posts in the hierarchy of the administration. It was during their rule Muslims grew from zero to the sizeable population in India, so much so, they could ask for a separate state at the time of independence.

The British should be given the credit for not going out with the sword to convert Hindus to Christianity as the Muslims had done. Mostly they kept political power and proselytizing agenda separate. The latter, they left to the Christian missionaries. Therefore very little conversion took place in the North except in tribal pockets where indigenous faiths were of a primitive nature."



The conversions of tribal into Christianity by alluring them with some food, medicines and money and invading their thousands of years of great tribal culture is in fact causing social tensions.

ONCE A CHRISTIAN APPROACHED KANCHI PARAMACHARYA, SRI CHANDRA SEKHARA SARASWATHI WITH A REQUEST THAT SHE WANTED TO BE CONVERTED INTO HINDU RELIGION.

HE TOLD HER TO BE A GOOD CHRISTIAN AND NO NEED TO RELIGIOUS CONVERSION.

At the cost of repetition, i reiterate that most of the religious conversions done in India by using sword or by giving alms by the cruel rulers with an agenda to expand their colonies.

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Answer 2

Religious Conversions In India

Answer 3

I don't understand how anybody's religion can become a matter of discussion of others in the society. I think it is a very peronal issue. If one person feels like accepting some other religion and principles of the same then it is that person's choice and nobody else has a right to question that. but that doesnt make forced conversions any right. There should be a law against that if a person is ready to testify that he was converted under pressure or he is being pressurised to change his religion.

As far as I know about tribals being converted by christian missionaries, there is a reason why these tribal people get ready to change their religion. Many of them actually get help they need by these missionaries. They work for them and help them make their lives better. Whereas due to so much corruption, the goverment help never reaches the people who need it and for whom it was sent.

Well, I will not deny that there are some christians who force others to convert, but they are very few,&we cannot deny that there are some extremist Hindus too.

I am a Hindu and proud to be one. I have close friends who are christians and they have "never" forced me to get converted. The forced conversion issue should be discussed but only if it does not create an anti-Hindu or anti-christian picture.

Answer 4

At Nitha,

Do you want to ASK a question or GIVE answers? I am confused? Your question is balanced, but sans that, it's a nightmare. Some Christian gave you a Bible? You found out recently that your boyfriend is a Christian? Don't like Mr. Manmohan Singh's beard? Somebody in your family got converted? What happened to you??? :o



You don't want to ask if conversion is right or not. You know that it's NOT right, and just want to start a spitting contest here.



You have just generalized the entire Christian population as something a little less than a parasite. You have generalized every act of the Congress as hypocritical. Your ENTIRE post would have meant the same if you had just posted these two sentences. Why did you waste time in typing?



Did you actually get 6992 points for generalizing things like this? Yahoo needs to rethink its point distributing system.



I do not support "Conversion". I think it's a harsh word. And there's not a place in the Bible where it is mentioned.



On one hand you say that whatever Christians do is presented better because we are BETTER AT PUBLIC RELATIONS! Hahahahaha! I was wondering whether to laugh or sit and seriously think about what you said! :D :D I chose the former. Wow, do you have solid facts to back it up? Or is it your anger vented at Christians?



What the issue of conversion has done has hurt the Church to a large extent. Yet they send missionaries with prayers and collected money in the middle of Maoists, and VHP and BD to get beaten. Sometimes they report back with letters to our church speaking of bones they have broken and people they have lost. :) But hey, that's a SMALL picture of the entire scene and why would you care, right? :) You are after the BIG FISH! :)



Tell you what, the manner and tone in which you two have posted has been no different from the manner and tone with which "Christians" have caused you get angry at them at the first place. I would also go so far so as to say that you would have been there demolishing the Babri Masjid with your banners of self-righteousness if you had a chance, or raping "nuns" in the Orissa riots. You would have justified that in your own mind. :)



At Nitha,

You need to be less aggressive, unless you were born and raised up that way. Not EVERY christian is going to come there and convert you, and neither is EVERY christian going to run after you with a BIBLE.

Most of them are really nice people who try every day to be better people and make a difference in others lives.



At Mr. V,

Dude, you are one of a kind. May your conspiracy theories create more websites and may God grant you your own personal radio station where you can sit and rant about this stuff all day long! You are simply one of a kind! From eating rats, to yachts and jets, to conspiracy theories, to only God knows what! :o Your post didn't really prove anything but you sure made it quite amusing. Have you even read the Bible??? Seriously? Just sat and read the Bible quietly? Ever? Never? Oh!

Answer 5

My deer! you are taking about religion conversion, wherein some monetary benefits are given by the missionaries, why don't you see when people are made to gather for few rupees / one time meal and simple hospitality; religion conversion is never to be posed with any material benefits, but has to be accepted on onus's own thinking for betterment of the living Communities of that geographical region / Nation. In Bharatwarsh (Hindustan) the Christian missionaries are spreading their philosophy through converting poor down trodden ones on mere show off of luxurius life out of which a very few are benefitted. This is not the way a religious theories are propegated, it must be honoured in true spirit of humanity of that region.

Answer 6

Faith is embeded in heart and mind. Flowers, fire, words are oral and physical presumtions. In Hinduism no one can be converted to high caste BRAHMIN, they are converted as low cast SHUDRAS AS per MANUSMRITI:



No collection of wealth to be made by a Shudra even though he may be able to do it. Brahmin can take Shudra's property by force. (Manusmriti X,129).



Brahman can have 4 wives, Kshatriya can have 3 wives , Vaishnava can have 2 wives, Shudra cant have more than 1. (Aitreya Veda, Brahma VIII, 29 page 201).

The tongue of Shudra who spoke evil about Brahmin should be cut off (Apastamba Dharma Sutra II/10-26.

Those who are with stinking conduct they will enter a stinking womb, either the womb of a dog or the womb of a swine or womb of Shudra (Chandogya Upanishad 5-10-7)

Shudras must be prohibited from hearing, studying Vedas (Brahma Sutras 1.3.9.38)

More on google Why Dr.Ambedkar burnt Manusmriti.



Due to Brahmins discrimination of Shudra Hindus converted in 550Bc to Jainism, in 500Bc to Budhism, 712Ad to 1700 to Islam and after British rule till today Shudras are converting to Christianity.

Answer 7

Religious conversions is another form of politics. They can justify that they are helping the people to come back to their mother religion. If we really want to establish understanding and human values transformation should happen in each and every individual. let us stop all the quarrels and move into the path of oneness. We can find the solutions with persons like Sri Sri Ravishankar, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev and Goenka. I want you people to listen to the talks of these people on the youtube. The techniques and healing words of these beings can bring a new light in human understanding in new dimension.

Answer 8

Hey cliffnote spare us the nonsense on missionaries helping people financially. Religious conversion is an industry of sorts in the west. It benefits the born again Christian priests more than the poor they are supposed to help actually. How long have the Christian missionaries been in Africa and what change have they brought about there? While the pastors who ask Christians for money in the west for helping Africa have bought yachts and private jets from the funds raised, the Christian convert in Africa who probably got $10 to convert a long time ago is still poor. They exploit their poverty showing videos and taking money in their name but less than even 1% reaches those poor converts. So conversion is not about helping them but helping the Christian priests more.



Even world vision shows pictures of some Africans eating rats saying they have to eat rats for survival whereas there was a program on Discovery that rats are a delicacy in that part of the world. They prefer it over Chicken. That is how they exploit people for money in the west by giving wrong information and deceiving people.



Go and check the financial records of all these Benny Hinn and all the other priests. They own private jets and yachts.



All conversions do is create religious disharmony between people who were previously existing peacefully in one place. The priests preach the new Christians to hate their ancestral Hindu religion in India and that is what creates riots. We have separatist demands from converted people based on religion whose states are not capable of surviving on their own anyway.



Allowing conversion in the name of secularism is a ruse to break up India into smaller states and the CIA is in on the Joshua project.



Hindus do work with the poor and a Hindu Swami laxmanananda working with tribals in Orissa was assassinated by Christians. If they were good people they would not have a problem with Hindus helping out the poor aswell. But no they want Christian monopoly on so called help to the poor. Christians are paying off maoists in India too.



The conversion agenda has nothing to do with benefitting these people but is being used to break up India.

You sit in your home in the US and you think you know everything about problems around the world. Well you don't and you are fooled by the Church aswell into parting with your hard earned money to help the fat cats who take it from you in the name of helping the poor.



They feed a 100 people make a video about it and collect billions of dollars based on that whereas thousands of people eat at Hindu temples everyday. The only thing is that Hindus are not as good at PR like the Christian Church.



IQ guy(ironical name for a Christian fanatic) i did read it and then i put it to it's proper use that is toilet paper. It's just as bigotted as the Quran.



Yes, everytime Christianity is exposed it is controversy theories isn't it. The Goan inquisition was also a figment of the imagination.



I don't care about the dead jew on the stick nor am i interested in being subservient to the western agenda. I don't worry about Jerusalem more than India either.

Answer 9

In tribal areas, if you convert, you get a silk dhoti, 5000 rupees and many other perks.

Nuns gather used clothes, wash them, restitch them according to size of tribal kids who convert.

Rural betterment programmes are carried out mostly by one religious group - Christians.



Congress just provides a small support.



If Hindus take welfare measures in tribal areas, they will not be tempted to convert. Why missionaries are not converting the rich/well-off people? They target the weakest. So Hindus should make sure that their community is well cared for.



Who is the majority in India? - Hindus

The government of India is chosen by the majority-Hindus.

Who complains about the government?-Hindus



So who is the hypocrite?

Answer 10

religious conversion is the state policy of congress in india and abroad;

mohandoss lent his 'gandhi' to Feroz Khan Ghandy to make Feroz Gandhi to marry indra beevi; their son rajiv is a muslim hence; rajiv was conned into marriage by an italian christian 'antanio maino' as per CIA plans; muslim rajiv's daughter priyanka beevi married a christian robert; so, how could indians be anything except christians/muslims or hybrid; it even started from abraham+sarah= chriastian issac; abraham+servant maid= mohamedan ishmail.

Answer 11

I FEEL IN INDIA

CONVERSION IS NOT THAT DANGEROUS POBLEM WHAT THE CONVERTS IS

1. IF YOU SEE THE HISTORY OF THIS CONTINENT MOST OF THE TERROR CASES CAN BE TRACED TO HINDU CONVERTS IE PEOPLE WHO CONVERTED TO ISLAM

2. CHRISTIAN CONVERTS AFTER GETTING FEW PENNIES START BEHAVING LIKE BIGGEST ENEMIES OF THEOIR OWN PEOPLE AND BECOME SOCIAL THREAT



CONVERSION HAS POLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE AS SOME FORCES IN WEST WANT TO DE STABLISE INDIA

Answer 12

A person should have the right to follow whatever religion their conscience leads them to.

Answer 13

Wrong.