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Publication: Hindu Vision
Date:
RSS Sarsanghchalak Shri K.S. Sudarshan
has called for forming a federation of Indian Christians who subscribed
to the idea of a Swadeshi Church. This, according to him, would be the
first step towards the creation of a National Church in India which would
be free of foreign controls of all kinds.
The RSS Sarsanghchalak was recently
speaking in Nagpur as chief guest after releasing the book The Indian Church?
written by senior journalist Virag Pachpore.
Concept of National Church
Shri Sudarshan said all sects of
Christianity could be included in the federation. If the Christian community
in India has to assimilate with the cultural mainstream of the country,
it should adhere to the concept of a National Church, the RSS Sarsanghchalak
emphasised.
Shri Sudarshan further said that
the Christian community should come out of foreign influence and discard
foreign funding, and added that the power and wealth of Indian Churches
should be only in the hands of Indian 'Christians.
Tracing the progress of Christianity
since its advent in India Shri Sudarshan said Christians living in this
country since the fourth century had assimilated the culture and traditions
of India. An ideal form of Christianity existed in Kerala, he said, but
the advent of the Portuguese vitiated the atmosphere.
Pointing out that there is no place
for 'women in Christianity, the RSS chief quoted St. Peter's words in which
the latter had said that woman was not in the original scheme of things,
and that she, being created out of a rib of a man, was an afterthought.
Woman is Animal?
A debate was spurred in 6th and
7th century Europe on the issue of whether woman be considered human or
be classed with animals. In the 18th century an assembly of Bishops ruled
that Christian women may be considered human while women belonging to other
faiths were between humans and animals.
This ruling had an inexorable impact
on the European society where countless women were burnt alive and subjected
to inhuman tortures after being labelled witches, the RSS Sarsanghchalak
said. Many books are now being written in Europe bringing out the darker
side of Christianity, he informed the gathering. Only Way to God?
He further said that around 1000
representatives of various religious faiths who gathered at the New York
Peace Summit held last year had signed a declaration upholding the equality
of all religions as different ways to reach the One God. However, the Vatican,
while decrying the New York summit declaration, came out with a 36-page
document stating that no other religions are equal to the Roman Catholic
faith. The document also mentioned that those who were trying to equate
with the Roman Catholic faith were crossing the limits of tolerance.
Discussing the issue of Dalit Christians
in India, the Sarsanghchalak said their condition is worse. Dalits in the
Christian community in Kerala had demanded reservation in Christian institutions,
but were denied it. Later a demand of reservation for dalits and OBCs on
a national level was made by Church leaders.
