An article published
by Indiafacts.org, “Why Christianity poses a clear threat to India,” accuses
Christianity of being a threat to India, so much so that the writer proposes implementing
“Ghar Wapsi” (converting Christians to Hinduism).1
Why this hatred
against Christianity? Are the foundations for such accusations against
Christianity legitimate?
Christianity’s Western
Connection
The accuser
of Christianity posits America as the chief instigator, as a Christian nation,
to impede Hinduism, “Just like the Syrian
Christians backed their western co-religionists over the local Hindu and Muslim
communities, with whom they had co-existed – and from whose help they had
thrived, prospered, and gentrified – modern Indian Christians look up to the West,
especially the United States. In their view, America, being the most Christian nation, should help them in keeping
India – and thereby Hindus – in line.”(Emphasis Mine). 2 Thus
the article presents Christianity as a threat to India.
Make no mistake;
the United States of America was constructed upon the Judeo-Christian
foundations. However, any unbiased observer of the present-day USA would
concede to the progressive deterioration and the sustained abandonment of the Judeo-Christian
foundations. Those who deem USA as a Christian nation have misplaced their facts.
Christianity
is the largest religious group in the USA. But this does not make America a
Christian nation. Only a minority of 19% Americans identified America as a
Christian nation, whereas 69% Americans identify America as a “Nation of many
Religions.”3 Since America is not a Christian nation, the accusation
that Christian-America impedes or destabilizes Hinduism is invalid. Therefore, Christianity
is not the reason for America to impede Hinduism.
Christianity’s Role
in India’s Partition
The accuser
of Christianity posits Christians' alignment with the Muslims during the
partition as a destabilizing factor to India’s unity. This is far from being
true. Why?
The Bible –
the Word of God – governs Historic Christianity and its adherents. Christianity
should be questioned only if the decisions of the Christians are bible-based.
If the decisions of the Christians are not based on the Bible, then these decisions
are independent of Christianity. Hence, Christianity should not be questioned
in these scenarios.
The Bible
does not make any specific assertions to help the Christian decide whether to
align with India or Pakistan. Hence, the decision made by the Christians to
align with Pakistan – provided that the narrative of Christians aligning with
Muslims during partition was factual – has nothing to do with Christianity.
This was not a Christian decision, but a political decision.
Christianity a Fifth
Column?
The accuser
of Christianity accuses Christians of being a fifth column in India. Dictionary.com
defines “Fifth Column” as a group of people who act traitorously and
subversively out of a secret sympathy with an enemy of their country.
This accusation
exposes the extreme hatred of the accuser towards Christianity. Hence, it would
be worth one’s while to examine the reasons behind this rather unsympathetic accusation.
Some Christians Suffer from Foot in the
Mouth Disease: To blindly attribute a natural disaster as God’s act against
those who persecute the Christians is to speak firmly with both our feet in the
mouth.
While I
examined this theme in 2013, I pondered, “On
22nd September 2013, militants killed many Christians at a Church in Peshawar,
Pakistan. On 25th September 2013, a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit the
Baluchistan region of Pakistan killing more…Was this earthquake God’s response
to the killing of HIS people?”4 Finally, I arrived at this
conclusion, “…deficiency of evidences of
God’s wrath upon Pakistan should motivate Christians towards a godly and a
legitimate reaction. First, pray for those affected whose lives are changed
rather irreparably. Second, if we are able, we should offer material
assistance, for we are mandated to love our neighbor. Third, if we cannot
corroborate our inner convictions with objective evidences, we should refrain
from uttering derogatory statements that adds more pain to a burning wound.
Many lives need our moral and physical support, so let us be agents of love and
comfort in this situation.”5
Indian Christians are not Stooges of the
West: The accuser of Christianity says, “today’s
Indian Christians are a means for the West to penetrate the higher echelons of
power in New Delhi.”6 The premise for this accusation is
predicated on the hypothesis that the Indian NGOs funded by the Americans act
against the Indian interests.
It is a known
fact that Americans fund both the Christian and the non-Christian NGOs. A study
undertaken in 2010-2011 reveals that Christian NGOs receive 40% of the total
American funding to the Indian NGOs.7 So who benefits from the
remaining 60% of American funds? Hindu religious organizations such as Mata
Amritanandamayi Math could be the beneficiaries of these foreign fundings.
There is
another interesting aspect to this theme. India’s single largest temple trust had
a revenue of Rs. 2262 crore (Rs. 22.62 billion) in 2014, which apparently is
twice the foreign donations received by 10 biggest Christian and Christian
affiliated organizations in India!8 This statistic trivializes the
foreign funds Indian Christian NGOs receive.
Could it be
a fact that only Indian Christians are used as a means for the West to
destabilize India? No, not by any stretch of imagination!
Consider
the Indian nationals arrested by India for spying for foreign countries, Diplomat
Madhuri Gupta, Navy officer Commodore Sukhjinder Singh, Manmohan Sharma, a
senior Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officer, 1975 batch Research and
Analysis Service (RAS) officer Ravi Nair, Rabinder Singh , Ashok Sathe, RAW
officer K V Unnikrishnan and the likes.9 There are more names here.10
I will let you decide who in these lists were Christians and who is not. To the
best of my knowledge, none of these were Christians.
Therefore,
it is very unfair to blame Christians of being the stooges of the West.
Christianity’s Proselytization
Efforts
Wasn’t it the
renowned atheist and magician Penn Jillette (from Penn & Teller) who said
that he respects Christians only if they proselytize (evangelize)? Christianity
is an actively evangelizing religion. But Christianity is NOT the only actively
evangelizing religion. Hinduism (Asaram Bapu, Murari Bapu, Swami Ramdev, Amma,
Satya Sai Baba, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar etc.), Islam (Zakir Naik, Shabbir Ally
etc.), Atheism (Dawkins, Harris, Dennett etc.), and Buddhism are actively
evangelizing religions as well. Significantly, Indian constitution does not
prohibit evangelization.
Evangelization
is not to lure people into Christianity for material benefits. This is not the
biblical mode of evangelization.
Has Christian
evangelization been so successful that Hindus or those from other religions ought
to be cognizant of Christian evangelization? Christian evangelization, as per
the Indian census statistic of 2011, has yielded a mere 2.3% of Indian Christians,11
which is a decline from 2.6% in 1971.
So much for
Christianity’s proselytization efforts!
Christianity Breaking
India?
The accuser
of Christianity quotes authors Rajiv Malhotra, Aravindan Neelakandan and Koenraad
Elst to accuse Christianity of attempting to delegitimize Hinduism as India’s
native religion.12 This seems to be a thought process inhabiting the
theoretical realms without actualizing in the existential.
How so?
Despite
Christianity’s presence in India for almost 2000 years, Christianity has neither
established itself as a majority religion, nor has Hinduism tumbled down to a meager
state of a minority status. Therefore, the accusation that Christianity is a
divisive force fails against this existential reality.
Has Christianity
served India? Yes, absolutely! A cursory glance at the number and the age of Christian
orphanages, old age homes, homes for the destitutes, schools, colleges and hospitals
reveals the prolonged existence and the magnitude of Christianity’s selfless service
to India. Apart from this, Christians and Christian churches serve the poor and
the needy in their community.
Conclusion
The Bible mandates
Christians to serve and submit to governing authorities, “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no
authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist
have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority
is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring
judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but
for those who do wrong…Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities,
not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who
give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you
owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if
honor, then honor.” (Romans 13: 1-7, NIV).
Moreover,
none of the accusations leveled against Christianity is valid. Therefore,
Christianity is not a threat to India.
Endnotes:
1 http://indiafacts.org/why-christianity-poses-a-clear-threat-to-india/
2 Ibid.
3 http://www.christianpost.com/news/is-america-a-christian-nation-new-poll-suggests-few-americans-view-the-us-as-a-christian-country-142124/
4http://rajkumarrichard.blogspot.in/2013/09/does-god-kill-those-who-kill-christians.html
5 Ibid.
6 http://indiafacts.org/why-christianity-poses-a-clear-threat-to-india/)
7 http://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/why-christianity-failed-in-india/293895
8 Ibid.
9http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/The+list+of+Indian+officials+and+spying+cases/1/95091.html
10 http://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/the-vanished-spies/224695
11 http://www.census2011.co.in/religion.php)
12 http://indiafacts.org/why-christianity-poses-a-clear-threat-to-india/
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