Author: Dilip (Jay) Lakhani
Publication: Vivekananda Centre
<vivekananda@btinternet.com>
Date: October 24, 2004
Dear all,
Today we were invited to make a
presentation on the 'Issue of conversion' at the Swaminarayan Temple in
Neasden, London. The auditorium was filled to capacity with nearly 2000
people present. Some of the key ideas we presented were:
The history of brutal conversion
practises carried out through 'force, fraud, fear and financial inducements'.
And the continuation of these practices
in modern times under the 'guise of spreading the good news'. We argued
that what they are offering is really old news! Hinduism prides in giving
the latest news with contemporary proponents of spirituality and does not
need such old news.
We told the youngsters present that
it is not enough that we just give them the body-armour in the guise of
'proper knowledge and understanding of their religion' to withstand the
serious assaults on their religious beliefs. It is necessary for them to
be able to respond in a 'robust and rational' manner by pointing out the
weakness of other faiths. For too long they have been shown the weakness
of their religion and strength of other religions. Time has come to redress
the balance. We have to adopt an 'aggressive stance' on this issue.
We spent long time tidying up many
serious misconceptions about Hinduism quite deliberately paraded as Hinduism
in the Western education system and the media.
We told the audience that those
'mud slinging missionaries' who had done tremendous harm to Hinduism in
the past are not dead and gone - they continue to do mischief through modern
media and through religious education system in the West.
We made very pointed comments about
some of the serious weaknesses of the Abrahamic philosophy. If the Abrahamic
God invented eternal hell for billions of people of this world then he
is certainly more wicked than Hitler who only tortured and killed a few
million! Today we were very rough on the Abrahamic faiths.
We said the reason the Christians
are keen to convert poor illiterate tribes people of India is because they
are losing ground in their home territories where the educated Westerners
are abandoning their religion in droves, so they make up their numbers
by converting the destitute in the third world. They are making up in quantity
what they lack in quality.
We dished out a lot of material.
The youngsters became quite excited. At the end of the session we were
very pleased to see a large number of youngsters coming up to us and making
thumbs up signs.
What has happened in this largest
temple in London today is very special ~ the largest sectarian movement
in the West has given us access to present the teachings of Vivekananda
to their whole congregation. We have never addressed such a huge assembly
of Hindus in the past, this was a very pleasing experience.
The heads of many Hindu bodies were
present at this event. We have been assured that these kinds of talks will
be arranged in all the temples throughout the length and breadth of Britain.
Jay (Dilip) Lakhani
Vivekananda Centre
London
