Author: Swami Nirliptananda
Publication: Bhartiya Pragna
Date: February 2002
Introduction: Proselytisation: a
challenge to freedom and peace
Freedom is an essential characteristic
of Hinduism. Every Hindu has a freedom of choice and freedom to worship.
This is implied by the concept of "Ishta" (chosen deity). No one has the
right to interfere, condemn, or impose his own beliefs on others. That
is the general outlook of the Indogenic religions. That is why there is
hardly any conflict among them.
But the proselytising religions
have a history of religious wars because the followers of each try to impose
their own system of beliefs on the others. The whole idea of conversion
is based on a false premise. It is based on the perception that if there
were only one religion there would be harmony and peace in the world. Apart
from the proselytising creeds there are many freethinkers who hold a similar
view, particularly in India. Such a viewpoint still persists in spite of
glaring facts about inter-religious violence that one witnesses every day.
In fact, inter-religious and sectarian violence is one of the basic threats
to harmony and peace today. In view of the circumstances that now prevail
we have got to look seriously at any article of faith that can be used
to incite people to hate, to denigrate or to create situations that can
lead to conflict. Since the declaration of the United Nations' bill of
the freedom to convert, the world has changed immensely. Our world has
become like a global village. There are large numbers of multi-faith organisations
among the civilised nations which believe in the principle of mutual coexistence.
With the changed circumstances presently,
new laws are enacted to control those who take advantage of the old system
to commit violence. Similarly new laws are needed to regulate the conduct
of those who believe that they have a fundamental right to convert and
dominate over others. It is one of the last vestiges of imperialistic rifle
that still remains. The idea of "global village" is to adopt values of
universal significance, values that promote unity and harmony and not values
that influence divisions and conflicts.
In the view of this, we are of the
opinion that the United Nations' declaration of the freedom to convert
has over-lived its existence since it favours a concept that is linked
with conflicts and wars. Our position is that a bill be passed to the effect
that label conversion as a threat to peace and is dangerous to harmonious
existence in the modern civilisation that is armed with powerful weapons
of destruction. A fair proposal would be that "religious activity in any
form should not be done with a motive to convert. If someone is satisfied
that by adopting another religion in which he/she would find better spiritual
satisfaction, then every one should respect that choice". Such a position
would get rid of distrust and create an atmosphere of harmony and peace
among religions.
The violence in most countries is
connected with the proselytising religions. We can take the Middle East,
Indonesia, Philippines, Bosnia, Russia, China, 'Kashmir and Afghanistan,
etc., as examples. But when we look at the Eastern religions such as Hinduism,
Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism in India and Taoism in China there is relatively
peaceful coexistence among them because they believe in certain principles
that are of universal application. Both peace and violence are inherent
in human nature. One is achieved through knowledge and self-control and
the other because of ignorance.
Lifeline
It appears that conversion is the
lifeline of the proselytising creeds and means such as freedom of speech,
logic, dialogue and discussions to discover the truth which can lead to
peace are not encouraged. Such principles are replaced by dogmas. In England
for example the number of people going to church has drastically declined
and there were many redundant Churches at one time that had been converted
to other usages. This decline may be true also in other countries.
Hence various means are adopted
to get hold of people even by tempting them which is contrary to their
own doctrines. If the charity work they provide is properly scrutinised
it will reval that the motive is not compassion but to recruit people to
fill the vacuum which otherwise the church would not be able to function.
Charity without compassion
The Churches' claim to be charitable
cannot be sustained because whatever they do is done for the sake of some
favour, namely to convert. A rich Charity in Jamshedpur (Bihar) used to
run a 44-bed hospital. The beds were about two feet wide with a metal base
on which was an inch thick mattress. To lie on such a bed must have been
torturous. But beggars are not choosers and the poor had no alternative.
If charitable work is not motivated by compassion, what else could be the
reason?
The Bharat Sevashram Sangha started
their leprosy project in the same area in a hospital made of thatched roof
and mud walls. But the three feet wide beds with three inches thick mattresses
which they provided were quite comfortable. Later, when they could afford,
the Sangha established proper hospitals and the Charity's hospital was
handed over to the Sangha. It is an indication that conversion happens
only because of material needs. To take advantage of another's difficult
situation cannot be called charitable. The objective of religion is to
transform the exploitative instinct of man into the spirit of sharing and
caring.
Temptation
To maintain their existences, some
religions use conversion as a sort of commercial trade to get hold of people
at any cost. It is like another kind of slave trade practised in a more
subtle form. I was once targeted in the 1960s while in Britain and was
offered a Parish church. I was told that I would be a good preacher. It
was clearly a tempting offer but it was declined because of my understanding
of both Hinduism and Christianity.
It can hardly be denied that temptation
is one of the main approaches used to convert ignorant and poor people
despite the fact that temptation is regarded as a cardinal sin. But, for
the purpose of conversion everything seems to be excusable and religious
ideals become perverted in the process. Families are divided, countries
are divided, brothers and sisters fight with one another, and properties
are looted; all these find support under the cover of conversion. Some
of the countries in Africa and elsewhere still remain poor although their
populations have been converted.
Conversion will not stop by pleading
Conversion cannot be stopped by
pleading but by duplicating the services offered by the missionaries and
educating the Hindus about the greatness of their culture. If the services
offered by them are provided by the Hindus there will be no conversion.
People only change their religion because there is no alternative service
being provided.
During a recent discussion with
one of those who believed in conversion I was made to understand that there
were fundamentalists in Hinduism. I refuted her statement and pointed out
that the people she called fundamentalists were reacting to conversion
and if it was stopped the reactionaries would simply disappear. But I was
told that conversion could not be stopped. My reply was that she was the
fundamentalist because she thought that she had the fundamental right to
convert others and they had no right to convert others and they had no
right to resist.
Proselytisers are sensitive to conversion
from their own religion
I know of a lady who embraced Hinduism
and those who belonged to her former faith tried to get her back into their
fold but she refused. Finally, twelve of them went to argue and convince
her that it was wrong for her to leave her religion. They are very sensitive
to conversion from their religion but do not think that others feel the
same.
Conclusion
Compare the above with the tolerant
Hindu with a universal outlook and one gets the message. They are like
pawns in the hands of the proselytising creeds whose hidden agenda and
motives are concealed under the cloak of charity. The question one may
ask is: how can one reconcile the multi-cultural spirit with conversion?
The fact is that proselytisers often use the multi-cultural organisations
and platforms to promote themselves. Hindus who are by nature multicultural
are easily taken in by the pretensions of the proselytising religions.
As I mentioned earlier, conversion is so central to the proselytising creeds
that it is impossible for them to renounce it without dire consequences.
Therefore, those belonging to the non-proselytising religions will have
to work out their own strategies to confront them.
(A talk given at the World Congress
for the preservation of Religious Diversity held In New Delhi, India, from
Nov 15th to 17th 2001)
