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Thanks to Pope
By Cho Ramaswamy
Publication: BJP Today
December 1-31, 1999

“Christianity is synonymous with proselytisation is the view held by some Hindu organisations” wrote ‘Economist’, a leading magazine in U.K., before Pope’s arrival to India.

But one cannot ignore the several issues which have erupted following the airing of his views by the Pope when in India.

“Freedom of religion includes freedom to convert. If one wants to change his religion and get converted, no one has any right to bring about a change in his intention directly or indirectly. In the first 1000 years after Christ, Christianity was established in Europe, in the second millenium in Africa and in the third millenium Christianity should reap a good harvest in Asia”. That was the papal declaration while in India.

Organisations like V.H.P. are concerned over whether any such harvest is being planned. And the Pope’s pronouncement shows precisely that such a harvest plan does exist.

The Pope should have taken care to avoid such talks. It is sad that he did not want to avoid it. There are lot of noble ideas in Christian religious teaching. Had Pope dwelt on them, it would have added dignity to his visit. But he has spoken in a manner which has kicked up controversy. Having accepted the hospitality of the Indian Government, he has failed to respect the sentiments of the majority of people of this country.

If Christianity is to reap a rich harvest in India, it means that Hindu religion stands to lose a lot. As the pope has not so far spoken of expecting a harvest in Islamic countries, it is clear that he has no plans to reap a harvest from out of Muslims and hence Hindu religion is the fertile ground for harvests. And this shows that the V.H.P. expressing concern is quite in place.

Pope spoke in praise of secularism in India. In the same breath he talked of reaping a harvest, giving rise to the question, whether he respects that secularism or intends to exploit it.

The Church is ready to enter into hearty dialogue with the followers of other religions, said the Pope and quickly added the reason for doing so. He has said, that religions could propagate the beliefs but to attain fulfillment only through belief in Jesus Christ. That is, while he hints at a dialogue with Hindus it is just “to seek refuge in Jesus to attain fulfillment”. Thus even a dialogue has conversion as its basis.

In my view, Hindus need not have to go anywhere seeking fulfillment or perfection. The completeness of the belief system In Hindu religion is hard to come by anywhere else, I think. Is there a question that Hindus religion has not analysed? Does there exist a problem unsolved by Hindu religion? And is it not the path of Dharma that is shown by Hindu religion?

Hindu religion has the answer to all questions such as: What after death? Why is it that while one is happy, the other Is sad? Which way to attain God? The path of Bhakti? That of knowledge? Or self control? Which one is great, sanyasa or family life? What are the various stages ordained for a human being?

What are the actions and attitudes to be discarded by man? What are the thoughts that are harmful to a human being? What is the right path to be chosen? How to love not only fellow humans but the flora and fauna in God’s creation? How can man elevate himself What is one’s social responsibility?

Hindu religion has gone into ever so many questions such as these, debated them, accommodating supplementary questions and answering them as well, so that even a dullard like me can grasp it. Hindu religion thus helped me to uplift myself. That is Hindu religion, the path of Dharma.

If one wants to be affluent, perhaps one can achieve it through other religions. If one craves for fulfillment one need not forsake Hindu religion.

Hindu religion accepts that there are several paths leading to God. That is why a true Hindu respects people following other religions as well. Again, that is how Christianity and Islam could strike roots and flourish in India. Christian religion also is respected in India because the true Hindu respects other religion. Hindu religion never says “If you don’t accept my religion, you will languish in eternal hell”. ‘Truth is one, Rishis have said it in different ways” That is how Hindu religion puts it.

Just because we respect our neighbour, it doesn’t mean that all in our house should rush to the neighbour’s house and live there. We cannot think of doing that. Likewise, just because Hindus respect other religions, it doesn’t mean that Hindus will have to meekly welcome the instigation to desert Hindus religion.

It is one thing for a person to be convinced and get converted; it is altogether another thing to attempt converting en masse to effect a harvest. One is the selfish calculations of an individual: it cannot be questioned. But the other is the conspiracy of ‘child lifters’ and it has to be thwarted.

Planned conversion has in it the tendency of interfere with one’ s beliefs. Coming, as it did, from the head of Christians world wide, the call to “reap a harvest”, will only amount to become a diktat, “go and interfere with the other’ s beliefs”.

Hence the way Pope has spoken is very much below his status and dignity and definitely he has not reciprocated in a fit manner to the official welcome by the Government of India and hospitality extended to him.

At the same time, we cannot deny the fact that Pope’s visit has added some big gains to India. Through his speech, the Pope has made it very clear to Indians that leaders of other religions praise our secular nature A even if to render it subserve their calculations. Pope’s visit has also driven home the point that, if one has the right to propagate “Yes to conversion”, one has also the right to propagate “No to conversion”. Again, Pope’s visit has focused on the point that though it is very difficult to accept some methods of the Hindu organisations, there really lies a root cause for their concern. All this bodes well.

The rich yield anticipated by the Pope will not materialise. This is because what Pope sowed A having the harvest in his mind’s eye A was not the seed on the field i.e., Hindu religion. It is manure which he has sprayed and the land of Hindu religion is beholden to the Pope for that.
 

 

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