Message 1142 of 1767
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/persecuted_church_of_india/message/1142
From: PG VARGIS <PGVINDIA@c...>
Date: Tue Oct 30, 2001 9:25 am
Subject: Did Peter ruin a wonderful
opportunity?
-------------Forwarded Message-----------------
From: "Vishal Mangalwadi", INTERNET:mangalwadi@c...
To: "PG VARGIS", PGVINDIA
Date: 10/28/101 3:31 PM
RE: Did Peter ruin a wonderful opportunity?
Sunday, October 28, 2001
From: Vishal Mangalwadi
Re: Buddha & Christ, Ram Raj
& Pudaite, Nov 4 & Baptisms
Dear Brother Ram Raj,
Thank you for sending me a copy of your letter (below) to Dr. Rochunga Pudaite. It helps me understand another great man - the Apostle Peter. Peter's influence on world history has been at least as great as Gautam Buddha's and certainly greater than Constantine's. I am praying that you will become India's Peter. In a massive, spontaneous rally in Jerusalem, Peter led 3,000 Jews (who had been mocking him) to become followers of Jesus Christ. That first conversion event kick-started the Christian Church. Persecution followed; Christians were martyred; but the Church continued to grow and bless the world in spite of many set backs.
A factor very relevant to your current situation is that just before becoming the chief spokesman for Christ, Peter denied three times that he had any relationship with Christ. He called down curses on himself and swore that he did not even know Christ! This was because the Lord Jesus had been arrested and Peter had good reasons to assume that he too would be persecuted if he confessed that he was a part of Christ's inner circle.
It was inevitable that the militant Hindus would attack you because Dr. Pudaite and K. P. Yohanan are raising Christian money in America to help support the emancipation of dalits. There was never any doubt that some of your dalit rivals would attack you for your relationship with Christians and that some sincere Buddhists would dislike your willingness to forge an open alliance with Christians who want dalits to follow Christ. Therefore it is perfectly understandable that you would try to save your movement by distancing yourself from those Christians who are your most open supporters.
However, at this moment you have to choose between your reputation and dalit emancipation. If we really want to make a historic difference to the Indian civilization then (among other things) we need at least 100,000 new schools and 1,000,000 new small industries and businesses. If you leave this task for the government of India, or the affluent upper castes, or at the mercy of the "creamy layer" of the lower castes then it would not happen for many more centuries. "Hindu dalits" will, at best, become "Buddhist dalits". The social force that educated and transformed Europe and America was the Christian Church not western governments. The American Church donates 100 times more money and manpower for charity than the government of America. This is the force that you need behind you and Dr. Pudaite (Bibles For The World) and K. P. Yohanan (Gospel For Asia - GFA) have done a great job of rallying the American church behind your cause.
I am sorry that the GFA has now removed its website promoting your movement. I hope Dr. Pudaite will not be bullied by the militant Hindus. The problem with GFA website was not that it gave the exaggerated figure of 300 million Hindus that are "in the valley of decision". Its problem was that it understated the figures. The Other Backward Castes (OBCs) and SC/ST together are at least 64% of India. So the victims of Hinduism number at least 640 million. They have no reason to remain Hindus. My advice (for whatever it is worth) is that you should not enter politics as a dalit leader. You should revive the Backward Classes Federation, which includes all the victims of Hinduism, before you enter electoral politics. Meanwhile you can join hands with Dr. Pudaite to establish Delhi International University to train an army of dalit teachers and entrepreneurs to begin to shape India's future.
The militant Hindus and the upper caste press will do their best to separate you from the Western Church. But that will not help your cause. Hinduism's victims need greater, not lesser, international solidarity. Neither Dr. Pudaite, nor KP Yohanan, nor you are taking any western help for yourself. If Mother Teresa became a beggar, it was to bless the needy; and that is nothing to be ashamed of. That is why the government of India itself is not ashamed of asking for International aid.
It is tragic that the majority of Christian leaders have advised you against baptizing anyone on Nov 4th rally. It is understandable that as a (de facto) politician you will choose to side with the majority. In one sense I am sad that Dr. Pudaite and I are in the minority. But I have never pretended to be the voice of the Indian Church. I believe that the Indian Christian leadership is wrong. Their fear of persecution is not baseless. But it is wrong for shepherds to put their security above the need of the sheep. The dalits coming to your rally on Nov 4th are sheep that want to get out of a pen managed by wolves that have exploited them for 3,000 years. It is not surprising that the wolves are mad. The Christian leaders who are reluctant to embrace the sheep because of the fear of wolves are not following Christ at this point, however sophisticated their rationalization. So, I am not sad that I am in the minority. As I have argued in my book, conversion is the revolution the Dalits need. At this point I am an Ambedkarite.
Europe was not reformed by Martin Luther forging political alliances with weak and fearful Church leaders. It was reformed because at one point Luther chose to stand alone and be martyred for truth. It was then that masses rallied behind him. My prayer for you has always been that you will go beyond rally to initiate India's reformation.
I respect Buddha. I am proud of him because my father was also from a Sakya caste. However, I know enough about philosophy and history to know that Buddhism is not going to make much of a difference to the dalits. Its doctrines of karma and reincarnation will continue to explain inequalities instead of eradicating them. The Buddhist denial of the reality of immortality of the human soul made in God's image will fail to provide the required basis for human dignity and fundamental rights to our nation. Buddhism has no solution to the problem of sin in our souls. Therefore it cannot regenerate us as the Gospel does. This means that Buddhism will never give you followers whom you can trust. Dr. Pudaite, on the other hand, is someone who will lay down his life for you, just as Jesus gave his life for Peter who disowned him. It is understandable that you will invite only those Christians on your platform that do not go beyond affirming their solidarity with dalits and Buddhists. Such Christians might gain some mileage from your rally, but they will not serve the cause of India's regeneration.
I will be there at the rally, although we may not see each other until the 5th on the occasion of the release of my book. Thank you for agreeing to come for that function. I know some of your colleagues may not be unhappy for you to support an evangelistic book. Therefore, I admire your courage and appreciate your support.
Ruth joins me in sending you our regards. May God bless you and make you a blessing
Vishal
Visit www.VishalMangalwadi.com
-----Original Message-----
From: buddha@d... [mailto:buddha@d...]
Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2001
12:43 AM
To: R. pudaite
Cc: Dr. D'suja; JOHN DAYAL; sam@a...;
Vishan Mangalwadi; sunil sardar; K.P. Yohnan
Subject: urgent and important Clarification
Dear Dr. Rochunga Pudaite,
There are hundreds of people in my life who had lovingly called me dear Son. And it is very often to say someone as a brother and sister and in similar manner you must have called me Son. As you are spreading the news that you have adopted me as your son so by now thousands and even millions would have adopted me as their son. Please refrain from issuing such statements and information to others. You insisted upon me to visit to your place to discuss about setting up of International University in Noida, for Dalits. You also asked me to pursue the matter with the government. There was no religious part to my visit to you.
I had not asked you to baptize anyone, including myself on November 4th or any other day and you had not been asked to invite people to join Christianity on that day. I have not permitted to distibute any books on that day at the cermenoy. I had been working hard for four years to mobilise the people for Buddhism and in my foreword I have differed from you and the wirter Vishal that to me Buddhism is adequate religion to meet the requirements of my country. Please do not encash while putting my name in the website, emails and elsewhere which is miscommunicating my philosophy and my beliefs.
A copy of your interview with Ted Beckett on 23 October at Colorado Springs is with me. I completely deny the contents of that interview and disown the information therein. Please do not circulate such untruthful matters.
Please do not encash personal relationship.
Sincerely Yours,
Ram Raj