On
September 5, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith - the Vatican body
formerly known as the Holy Office of the Inquisition - issued a document
reaffirming that the Catholic Church was the only true Christian faith. It said
as Christ was the son of God, non-Christians were at a disadvantage regarding
salvation.
In one stroke, the Vatican has exposed its
chauvinist, intolerant and unreasonable ideology.
The Church has always been unambiguous about its
intention of converting non-Christians to its fold. While in India on a recent
visit, the Pope talked about reaping a vast 'harvest of faith' in Asia in the
third Christian millennium. Various Christian groups resort to medical service
and educational businesses as tools to attain the ultimate goal of converting
non-Christians.
Hinduism and other Indian religions like Buddhism,
Sikhism and Jainism have been traditionally tolerant towards Christianity.
Hindus believe in the live and let live principle, trusting that all religions
lead to the same god. The open and liberal society fostered by Hinduism has
actively tried to co-exist peacefully and happily with proselytising religions
like Christianity.
But proselytising Christian leaders like the Pope,
while talking about freedom of religion and respect for all, aim to destroy
Hinduism.
The United States is a democratic, free society where
various points of view flourish. But even this pinnacle of freedom and liberty
had to wage a deadly fight against the totalitarian ideology of Communism. Had
America let Communism grow within it shores thinking that it was just another
political philosophy, it would have faced mortal danger from the predatory
Communism. Why? Because while using the freedoms of the US, Communism would have
worked tirelessly to eliminate other political options, thus changing the very
nature of American society!
Clearly, one-sided accommodation does not work.
The really strange thing is that this Christian claim
of monopoly on god comes from the West, a society which otherwise celebrates
choice and freedom. They enjoy hundreds of brands of soap and drinks, they even
revel in various schools of political thought. But when it comes to god, only
theirs is the true god! How hypocritical!
Hindus have willingly let Christianity develop and
prosper in India. But the proselytising Catholic Church and others want to keep
growing at the expense of Hindus. They ask: what do the Hindus have to fear from
a minuscule 2.3 per cent community? This argument is a smoke-screen. Today
Nagaland (87.5 per cent), Mizoram (85.7 per cent) and Meghalaya (64.6 per cent)
are Christian-majority states. Nagaland and Mizoram have witnessed bloody
secessionist movements backed by various Churches. Hindu laymen and priests are
being murdered and evicted. The state police uncovered links between armed
terrorists and various churches. There is a direct link between conversion and
secession.
Naturally, the Hindus wonder what the target of
Christianity is: 5 per cent? 20 per cent? 65 per cent? Where does the cannibalization
of Hinduism stop?
The worst aspect of the proselytisation debate is the
Christian stance that it is the only true religion. It comes as an offensive
blow to Hinduism that is willing to accept other religions as also valid paths
to God. Why should one accept the Pope's claim of being the sole representative
of God? Why should everyone be forced to believe that the Bible is divine? Why
can't other religions' books be equally or more divine? Why talk of religious
freedom and respect for others when you don't accept the validity of other
religions in principle? After all, why would someone want to go from an
inclusive ideology to a restrictive one?
Proselytising Churches act in an organised way against
Hindu groups like the Vishwa Hindu Parsihad, trying to paint them as intolerant
and reactionary. Hinduism accepts that there can be other paths to god besides
itself. Christianity claims to be the sole path to god, condemns other
religions' followers to Hell for not accepting Christ, and actively seeks to
destroy other religions. Who is the real intolerant here?
This proselytising Christians' attitude of
self-righteousness is the fountainhead of intolerance. While throwing platitudes
about love and peace, the Christian proselytisers base their ideology on
institutionalised hatred and intolerance. Such retrograde thinking is but one
step behind the madness of Talibanism, which also seeks to destroy other
religions based on divine sanction.
Obviously, even in this modern age, the Vatican does
not want to let go of its superstitions. The Christian proselytisers ridicule
deeply held Hindu beliefs as superstitions and depict Hinduism as the work of
the Devil. But their insistence on the Bible's divinity and holiness of Jesus
can also be regarded with the same cynicism. Instead of thinking about religion
in a reasonable, logical and harmonious manner, the Church insists on
maintaining its supremacy while denigrating other religions that have equal if
not more basis for divine claims. The Vatican's insecurity runs so deep that it
dislikes even the mention of other churches as 'sister churches', insisting on
being treated as the 'mother' of all churches!
Yet the Pope manages to hold an exalted position in the
media. Here is a religious leader who propounds that even other non-Catholic
Christian churches have 'defects' because they do not accept him as the sole
leader. Here is a leader who openly claims that non-Christians are in a 'gravely
deficient situation' regarding salvation. Here is a leader who beatifies an
anti-semitic Pope disregarding outraged world opinion. But still he gets
positive, glowing coverage without fail, and is treated as the paragon of
tolerance and understanding. I shudder to think how the media will tear apart a
Hindu leader making such ridiculous claims!
Herein lies a grave lesson for non-proselytising
peoples, especially Hindus. The Vatican's attitude makes it clear that one-sided
tolerance and accommodation is invariably treated as a lack of conviction and
confidence, is mistaken for weakness and is not reciprocated. While Hinduism
encourages religious tolerance, the Vatican strives to limit the principle of
religious pluralism, unabashedly claiming that the idea of 'one religion is as
good as another' endangers the Church's missionary message.
Hindus should treat this as a wakeup call for
action. Reform of Hinduism should be accelerated to remove caste-based
inequalities and foster brotherhood and respect for all. The proselytising
Church must be made to realise that its schizophrenic attitude of talking
tolerance while behaving like a predator does not wash anymore.
|