Religion Retrospect

First let me thank my friend for hosting us and also his friends for bearing us all through the night. This re-asserting discussion of what one believes went to its apparent and audible peak with the last sixty of the spirit in the bottle. I can go on and on about this topic but all my time and effort would be a naught if I am quoted out of context. It would be better not to speak at all about it if I am understood wrongly and which might bruise our opinions about each other.

It would be a good way to start by trying to find a common ground and agree on a certain things before we venture into areas of more gravity. I totally respect any other faith and cultures of different peoples of this world. I expect the same from them. If this basic condition is met truly and sincerely, then I see no conflicts between the different beliefs that we hold. But it would be immature to overlook the differences in opinion and clashes of ideologies by putting them under this cover of one world one dream concept. Again, that is the line used for the 2008 Olympics and we know the controversy there.

The Change of faith has been a hotly debated topic. There is no denying by anyone that the aim of missionaries is to spread the word of their god. I say their god, because I see it so. God can not be taken per se to mean something. To me, god is, and is to be considered with other concepts like history, culture, tradition and all the reasons for the development of a way of living of a people in a particular part of the world. Only then could we address the real issues and not by making statements of undeniable value like ‘all god is one’. It would be a baseless discussion to speak about such a thing as faith with out knowing all those facts about a region.

I completely understand why people would have left their existing religion to a new one, Christianity, Islam in the case of India. The reasons are justifiable enough for leaving Hinduism. The reasons are the ills in Hinduism itself; and I fully condemn the unfortunate practices like casteism, untouchability, inequality, non entry to temples etc. I have my deepest and unconditional apologies to those who had to face and go through such inhuman treatment. May be even I would have changed my faith if at all that had happened to me. So, conversion under such circumstances is not what I am concerned about. Also, these new foreign faiths are not squeaky clean and fair either. That would be different topic altogether.

Now it would be a rash claim to say that all of the 3-4% of Christians and 12-13% of muslims in India have such justifiable reasons for their conversion. There are other factors which influence the change. These could be anything like monetary gains, reservations, better life styles, false promises of better status and security, creation of a sense of disrespect for the existing faith and detachment from it etc. Change of faith under any of these factors is not justifiable. And it would be immature to believe that the missionaries do not use such tricks to spread their word. I could talk more on each of those reasons and give examples but it would take too long.

I would like to know what these missionaries (islam too) would want the entire of India to do. Is it that they want the whole of the nation to be converted to Christianity (or islam)? Stop believing in our gods and develop hatred and disrespect for the culture? Disown and desecrate all the sacred places? Or destruct all the temples and build Churches and mosques on them? What is the ultimate mission of these missionaries? What would they achieve if they had had unbridled freedom? Not that they have any legal restrictions now. Islam says it clearly; its final aim is to convert the entire world into its fold. In the same way, what does Christianity want in India?

I’m sure I would not get the answers straight on a paper even though the answers are quite logical and guessable. But what pains me the most is the attitude of the converts. I understand they might be a hurt lot, if they had faced any of the above mentioned ills of the old faith; but that does not change the facts. They can not ignore history, they can not disown their roots, and they can not blind themselves to the fact that they are a part of this bigger entity called India and Indian culture. They have lived and are living under it; have been a part of it for thousands of years now, and just a change of religion a few years ago does not give them the right to disown and despise it. It would be insane and a blunder to try to cover up such long history with a few decades of their living with the new faith.

With such a pain, I request my converted fellow Indians, to try to get the larger picture and not be withheld in this little aura created for them by those of the new faith. We have realized the ills of our faith and we should take steps to clean it, but we need you. We can not afford to lose you anymore. You have been a part of us through thousand of years and we want that to be continued with all justice, equity and dignity.