[Assam] Missionaries: the good, the bad, and the ugly - Ramdas Lamb, Washington Post

[Ram Sarangapani]

This column is from the Washington Post, March this year. The topic is like
a lightening rod, and attracts a lot of attention both within India and
outside.

A Rajastani friend of mine based at Guwahati brought up this topic of
conversion this past year. He, of course, is convinced that conversion goes
on the all the time in the NE. My question to him was, if it was just
'charity and helping' that helps in converting poor or caste Hindus to
Christianity, then why don't Hindus also do the same to keep them from being
converted. He acknowledged that Hindu philanthropic groups had been slow on
the take and now many such groups (even at Guwahati) are doing this & quite
successfully..

But, I am guilty, my question to him wasn't sincere. What kind of people
would convert back and forth? Could these people just be pretending and have
secretly not converted from their religion at birth? Do religions seriously
want such people? It all seems so superficial.

Heck someone like me could easily convert into another religion, given the
right sum, and without batting an eyelid :-).

__________
There are some interesting observations in the column. Here are a few:

"No matter how well intentioned, any attempts to push a religious belief or
denomination on someone ultimately benefits no one and demeans the religion
in the process. If missionaries actually have something of genuine worth and
value, why do they need to seduce, coerce, or threaten people to get them to
accept it? " - Ramdas Lamb

"Although nowadays most Christian proselytizers have renounced such
violence, groups like the Manmasi National Christian Army in Assam, India,
continue to use threats to force
conversion." - Ramdas Lamb

"There are many dangerous cults and Jesus Jihadi organizations out there,
they will never be able to convert the vast majority of Hindus, but their
goal is to convert just enough to start violent rebellions such as in
Northeast India and destabilize the unity of India. " - from one of the
comments

___

http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/ramdas_lamb/2010/03/missionaries_the_good_the_bad_and_the_ugly.html



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Hindu monk in India from 1969-1978. Professor, University of Hawai’i, world
religions and contemporary American religion.
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 ** <http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/ramdas_lamb/>Missionaries:
the good, the bad, and the ugly

*Q: Is there a problem with proselytism overseas by U.S. religious groups?
Isn't sharing one's faith part of religious freedom? When does it cross the
line into manipulation and coercion?*

Missionary proselytization has been an integral part of the two main
prophetic religions, Christianity and Islam, since early on in the formation
of each. It is precisely the reason they are the two largest religions in
the world. It is also one of the darkest and most sinister aspects of
religion and one of the main reasons so many people have a negative view of
anything to do with religion. The basis and justification for
proselytization is an extremely narrow minded and arrogant assumption: "My
religion is the only right one, I have the only truth, all other religions
are wrong, and it is my duty to get others to think and believe like me."
This belief has been used by Christians and Muslims for more than a
millennium to justify the seduction, coercion, torture, and even murder of
countless individuals in trying to get them to convert.

This does not mean that missionaries as a group have not done many good
things for people over the millennia, and some continue to have positive
impacts in the lives of the poor and needy. Examples of this can be seen
currently in both Haiti and Chile. However, the negative actions of those
who focus is proselytization far outweigh the positive.

Religion is simultaneously one of the best as well as one of the most
destructive of human creations. Religions have inspired people like Mother
Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King to selflessly serve others
and work to make the world a better place. Religions have also given rise to
an ideology of hatred and have provided justification for the kinds of evils
perpetuated by the likes of Aurangzeb, Hitler, and bin Laden.

Proselytizers are fundamentalists whose ideology divides the world into
"believers" and "non-believers." The latter comprise all those who are
different, those perceived as the "other." One of the biggest difficulties
that we face in this world is our distrust of others, a feeling that leads
to fear, hate, and violence. In his 1991 documentary entitled "Beyond Hate,"
Bill Moyers addresses concepts such as "insider and outsider," "us and
other," etc. and the pivotal role this bifurcated view plays in justifying
hatred and violence. Proselytizers thrive on these distinctions, these
divisions, drawing sharp lines between their own beliefs and those of
everyone else. Non-believers are seen as lesser, sometimes even as evil, and
clearly in need to either being changed or, in the extreme, annihilated.

More wars have been fought because of narrow religious doctrine and beliefs
than for any other reason, and Christians and Muslims have been at the
forefront. Both their histories are punctuated with wars against people of
other religions, and the paths they have followed are riddled with the
bodies of millions of innocent victims. One of the more extreme examples is
the case of Timur, the 14th-century Muslim conqueror. In December, 1398, he
overthrow the reigning Muslim ruler in Delhi. His justification was that the
ruling dynasty was too tolerant of Hindus and did not convert them. Timur
happily recounts in his memoirs that in the process of taking over, his army
slaughtered 100,000 Hindus in a single day.

Forced conversions continue, as is evident by events in countries like
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Egypt. Even in the Gaza strip, two
western newsman were recently forced to convert at gunpoint. Just last week,
two young Sikh men were kidnapped and
beheaded<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Taliban-kill-2-Sikhs-send-heads-to-Pak-gurdwara/articleshow/5601006.cms>by
members of the Taliban in Pakistan for refusing to convert to Islam.
While such actions clearly do not represent the vast majority of Muslims,
they have been condoned and even justified by fundamentalist Muslim leaders,
and very few Muslims speak out in opposition, often out of fear. A recent
and welcome exception is Dr. Tahir ul-Qadri, an influential Pakistani Muslim
scholar, who just released a 600-page *fatwa* (religious edict) condemning
Muslim terrorism and suicide bombings. Although it is a powerful and needed
statement, it is a rarity, and Dr. ul-Qadri has unfortunately put his own
life in danger in the process. Fundamentalists, irrespective of their chosen
ideology, find disagreement difficult to allow, and violence has
increasingly become a common reaction.

Christian missionaries in the past were not much better. In addition to the
violence in the name of Christianity that was perpetuated during the
Crusades and the Inquisitions, a look at the early proselytization efforts
in India, the Americas, and the Pacific makes it clear that many
missionaries found relatively easy justification for the torture and
execution of those who refused to become Christian or who challenged their
beliefs. Although nowadays most Christian proselytizers have renounced such
violence, groups like the Manmasi National Christian Army in Assam, India,
continue to use threats to force conversion.

Most European and American Christian missionaries during the last two
centuries in Asia have found offers of food, work, education, and health
care to be better methods for gaining converts. In the late 1700s,
missionaries followed on the heels of the British East India Company and
began a concerted effort to take over the Indian soul. Once the British
government took control the country, proselytizers had a relatively free
reign to pursue their objectives. Again, some missionaries did good works,
but those focused on proselytization showed little actual concern for the
well being of those they sought to convert.

Many Hindus had hoped that Indian Independence would help curtail the more
underhanded activities of the missionaries, but this did not happen. Less
than a decade after Independence, a government study conducted in central
India known as the Niyogi
Report<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niyogi_Committee_Report_on_Christian_Missionary_Activities>brought
to light many of the underhanded and cynical methods that Christian
missionaries were continuing to use. The Indian government did little about
it, and as a consequence, many of the same tactics remain prevalent.

Currently, Americans donate millions of dollars annually to Christian
organizations that advertise charity work they do around the world. While it
is true that some organizations do help many people, the assistance of many
such groups comes with a price for the people being helped. That is because
the real focus of most missionaries is on their proselytization efforts, for
which a significant portion of the money is used. Far too often, their
activities have absolutely nothing to do with spirituality or real charity,
and everything to do with getting names and numbers of converts, so the
missionaries can go back to their funding agencies and supporters and ask
for continued finances for their claimed "successes."

In India, missionaries tell their supporters in the U.S. that they provide
free or inexpensive services to the needy. However, once initial assistance
is given, then conditions are often added for subsequent help. If free
education is provided, conversion may then be a requirement for its
continuance past a certain point. If aid is in the form of health care, then
the quality of care or type of medicine and treatment available may be
determined by one's willingness to convert. This becomes a serious and
difficult issue for parents who bring a sick or injured child to a
missionary hospital. They may be told that the necessary care is only given
to Christians, or that the required medicines "will only work" on
Christians. For those who do convert in order to receive needed care, they
may well be pressured to then convert other family members or else lose
whatever aid they are receiving. I have seen families torn apart by such
missionary activities in Central India where I conduct research. Again, this
is not what all missionaries do, but these are fairly common occurrences.

In early 2009, Pope Benedict XVI met the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and
agreed to stop all conversion attempts directed at Jews. A month later,
Cardinal Jean-Louis Pierre Tauran, president of Vatican's Pontifical Council
for Inter-religious Dialogue, visited India and was asked while there if he
would offer Hindus the same respect. He refused. There is a degree to narrow
mindedness in every religious tradition, but when that is coupled with
fundamentalist arrogance and powerful backing, nothing good can come from
it.

In his "Seeds of Contemplation," the late Catholic Trappist monk and mystic
Thomas Merton warns about those with spiritual pride who think of themselves
as having the truth and humility while others do not, who think they are
suffering for God's sake but deep inside are becoming full of pride in their
supposed sanctity, who think that everyone else must adhere to their truth.
Merton writes that when such an individual thinks that "he is messenger of
God or a man with a mission to reform the world. . . He is capable of
destroying religion and making the name of God odious to men."

I am a strong supporter of freedom of religion. Most proselytizers are not.
They want the freedom to coerce vulnerable and gullible individuals into
converting, and they can justify many nefarious methods to accomplish their
goal. No matter how well intentioned, any attempts to push a religious
belief or denomination on someone ultimately benefits no one and demeans the
religion in the process. If missionaries actually have something of genuine
worth and value, why do they need to seduce, coerce, or threaten people to
get them to accept it? Maybe their methods suggest that what they have to
offer is not that worthwhile.

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 Comments

Please report offensive comments below.


 "Darn, my religion sucks and everyone is quitting and eroding my power, it
must be cheating for other religions to steal my minions."

No not really, Hinduism has been around for 5000 years, I have no doubt we
will be around for the next 5000. Infact Christianity foundations are
actually very weak today especially in Europe.
There are many dangerous cults and Jesus Jihadi organizations out there,
they will never be able to convert the vast majority of Hindus, but their
goal is to convert just enough to start violent rebellions such as in
Northeast India and destabilize the unity of India. Christianity and Islam
has historically spread through force, so their is virtually no chance of
them succeeding everywhere in India unless they launch a traditional
medieval crusade.


 Posted by: siyer79 | March 15, 2010 9:22 PM
Report Offensive
Comment<onfaith at washingtonpost.com?subject=On%20Faith%20Panelists%20Blog%20%20%7C%20%20siyer79%20%20%7C%20%20Missionaries:%20the%20good,%20the%20bad,%20and%20the%20ugly%20%20%7C%20%204824931&body=%0D%0D%0D%0D%0D================%0D?__mode=view%26_type=comment%26id=4824931%26blog_id=618>

"Darn, my religion sucks and everyone is quitting and eroding my power, it
must be cheating for other religions to steal my minions."

No not really, Hinduism has been around for 5000 years, I have no doubt we
will be around for the next 5000. Infact Christianity foundations are
actually very weak today especially in Europe.
There are many dangerous cults and Jesus Jihadi organizations out there,
they will never be able to convert the vast majority of Hindus, but their
goal is to convert just enough to start violent rebellions such as in
Northeast India and destabilize the unity of India. Christianity and Islam
has historically spread through force, so their is virtually no chance of
them succeeding everywhere in India unless they launch a traditional
medieval crusade.


 Posted by: siyer79 | March 15, 2010 9:21 PM
Report Offensive
Comment<onfaith at washingtonpost.com?subject=On%20Faith%20Panelists%20Blog%20%20%7C%20%20siyer79%20%20%7C%20%20Missionaries:%20the%20good,%20the%20bad,%20and%20the%20ugly%20%20%7C%20%204824930&body=%0D%0D%0D%0D%0D================%0D?__mode=view%26_type=comment%26id=4824930%26blog_id=618>

Sounds like sour grapes to me. "Darn, my religion sucks and everyone is
quitting and eroding my power, it must be cheating for other religions to
steal my minions."

Please... if people don't want to be in your religion, too bad for you.

So the people get bribes (which make their lives better like free education,
etc.) and then join a new church. Sounds like a big win for the guy who got
bribed. After all, he can always quit and join another church.

Posted by: ZZim | March 9, 2010 11:03 AM
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Comment<onfaith at washingtonpost.com?subject=On%20Faith%20Panelists%20Blog%20%20%7C%20%20ZZim%20%20%7C%20%20Missionaries:%20the%20good,%20the%20bad,%20and%20the%20ugly%20%20%7C%20%204823736&body=%0D%0D%0D%0D%0D================%0D?__mode=view%26_type=comment%26id=4823736%26blog_id=618>

Regarding the Indian, Muslim emperor Aurangzeb, the Indian journalist Amulya
Ganguli has said, "that most bigoted of all Mughal emperors, had once
written to his underlings: ". . . information has reached our noble and most
holy court that certain persons interfere and harass the Hindu residents of
the town of Benaras and its neighbourhood and the Brahman keepers of the
temples... Therefore, our royal command is that, after the arrival of this
lustrous order, you should direct that, in future, no person shall in
unlawful way interfere and disturb the Brahmans and other Hindu residents at
these places, so that they may, as before, remain in their occupation and
continue with peace of mind to offer prayers for the continuance of our
god-gifted empire, so that it may last forever."

Posted by: twforg | March 7, 2010 6:33 AM
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Comment<onfaith at washingtonpost.com?subject=On%20Faith%20Panelists%20Blog%20%20%7C%20%20twforg%20%20%7C%20%20Missionaries:%20the%20good,%20the%20bad,%20and%20the%20ugly%20%20%7C%20%204823296&body=%0D%0D%0D%0D%0D================%0D?__mode=view%26_type=comment%26id=4823296%26blog_id=618>

Bin Laden was our guy till it became convenient to blame him for 9/11. If
you still believe that version of 9/11, then you haven't done your research.
See http://www.twf.org/911.html and if you wish to debate this I'm
available.

Enver Masud
Founder, The Wisdom Fund

Posted by: twforg | March 6, 2010 7:58 PM
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Comment<onfaith at washingtonpost.com?subject=On%20Faith%20Panelists%20Blog%20%20%7C%20%20twforg%20%20%7C%20%20Missionaries:%20the%20good,%20the%20bad,%20and%20the%20ugly%20%20%7C%20%204823260&body=%0D%0D%0D%0D%0D================%0D?__mode=view%26_type=comment%26id=4823260%26blog_id=618>

There are so many things to object to in this article, it would take a week
to do them all.

The Hindu violence against Christians in India, especially in the state if
Orissa (sp), has been recent. It occurred, in part, because upper-cast
hindus want to protect their power and they stir up lower-cast Hindus (who
convert to Islam and Christianity in party because it's a way out for them)
to kill Christians because they accepted "bribes" (education, healthcare,
etc.) to convert -- whether that was the reason or not.

The secularists, spreading their own "religions" (Communism, Naziism,
Facism, etc.) have actually killed for more people than religionists have.

Other types of religion do prosyletise, and that is why they have spread so
much as well (Bhuddism comes immediately to mind -- and of course
secularism).

Furthermore, those who have railed against Christian prosyletising in this
and related articles (especially if they are U.S. Christians)are also the
ones who howl the most if we don't "prosyletise," i.e., if we do not speak
or act against the evil in other societies (as well as our own). It's a
"damned if you do and damned if you don't" situation.

I'm inclined to think that those who rail against prosyletising (religious
or political) and accusing others of arrogance, hatred, etc., should look in
the mirror.

Posted by: madoradataman | March 6, 2010 5:06 PM
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Comment<onfaith at washingtonpost.com?subject=On%20Faith%20Panelists%20Blog%20%20%7C%20%20madoradataman%20%20%7C%20%20Missionaries:%20the%20good,%20the%20bad,%20and%20the%20ugly%20%20%7C%20%204823202&body=%0D%0D%0D%0D%0D================%0D?__mode=view%26_type=comment%26id=4823202%26blog_id=618>

Truly well-written. Congratulations for highlighting a serious problem in
many countries across this world.

Posted by: Filibuster | March 5, 2010 10:39 AM
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Comment<onfaith at washingtonpost.com?subject=On%20Faith%20Panelists%20Blog%20%20%7C%20%20Filibuster%20%20%7C%20%20Missionaries:%20the%20good,%20the%20bad,%20and%20the%20ugly%20%20%7C%20%204822909&body=%0D%0D%0D%0D%0D================%0D?__mode=view%26_type=comment%26id=4822909%26blog_id=618>

PROSELYTIZATION is a manifestation of the SUPREMACIST foundation of
Christianity & Islam.

No one else has this serious flaw that Christians and Muslims have in their
"religions" or spiritual systems. Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, Zoroastrians,
Jews, Wiccans, Animists, etc.. are all trying to make themselves better, not
trying to undermine others.
Conversion has caused some of the biggest problems in third world countries.
The "charity" and "kind deeds" are insincere and deceptive actions, and
therefore, are acts of evil.

Muslims & Christians don't seem to get the basics of goodness and
spirituality. Pretending to be good while having and ulterior motive fools
no one and is an act of evil. This can lead to crusades and suicide
terrorism.
REMEMBER: Almost all religious conflicts in the world involve Muslims or
Christians on one side or both.
Sneakiness, deception, conversion, undermining other cultures, etc... is
offensive and nonspiritual.

You really feel the urge to do charity? Go to the inner city in America and
help those in need. Look in your own family and help those who are depressed
or drunk or angry.
Stop going to 3rd world countries and causing problems & hurting others.

Posted by: clearthinking1 | March 5, 2010 4:43 AM
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After reading this rather unbalanced diatribe on the evils of proselytizing,
I am left to think that Lamb is engaging in a bit of proselytizing as well.
He sounds like someone who hates Christians and Muslims.

He overgeneralizes and oversimplifies a topic that is far too complex for
him to condense into a few "sound bites" for this article.

He often likes to portray Hindus as victims of the nefarious ways of the two
religions he despises. But if you look through the annals of history, you'll
see cases of Hindus persecuting both Muslims and Christians.

Posted by: imterpsfan2 | March 4, 2010 10:49 PM
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Comment<onfaith at washingtonpost.com?subject=On%20Faith%20Panelists%20Blog%20%20%7C%20%20imterpsfan2%20%20%7C%20%20Missionaries:%20the%20good,%20the%20bad,%20and%20the%20ugly%20%20%7C%20%204822795&body=%0D%0D%0D%0D%0D================%0D?__mode=view%26_type=comment%26id=4822795%26blog_id=618>

Excellent article. Very well thought out and touches on very serious points.

Posted by: WilliamHood | March 4, 2010 7:26 PM
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Comment<onfaith at washingtonpost.com?subject=On%20Faith%20Panelists%20Blog%20%20%7C%20%20WilliamHood%20%20%7C%20%20Missionaries:%20the%20good,%20the%20bad,%20and%20the%20ugly%20%20%7C%20%204822764&body=%0D%0D%0D%0D%0D================%0D?__mode=view%26_type=comment%26id=4822764%26blog_id=618>

Not just a fine philosophical essay but a commentary that provides concrete
evidence of the ways and methods of proselytizers.

Posted by: tarle_subba | March 4, 2010 6:34 PM
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Comment<onfaith at washingtonpost.com?subject=On%20Faith%20Panelists%20Blog%20%20%7C%20%20tarle_subba%20%20%7C%20%20Missionaries:%20the%20good,%20the%20bad,%20and%20the%20ugly%20%20%7C%20%204822747&body=%0D%0D%0D%0D%0D================%0D?__mode=view%26_type=comment%26id=4822747%26blog_id=618>

Magnificent writing and expose of these narrow-minded bigots who are
masquerading as "men of God" and then engaging in relentless cheating,
coercion, violence and deception.

Posted by: Nparry | March 4, 2010 5:13 PM
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