Recently I had an interesting dialogue with a Catholic Father [which is rare indeed, as they never have time for it or allowed to do it outside their church authority]. He came to know me through another bhakti of the Lord whom he remained as a spiritual mentor in the past. Agreeing with my principle to remain as you are, with your birth [religious/social/community] identity to follow the Lord, he requested to share not only the Gospel with some of his contacts to whom he told about me but also tell them clearly that they need not become Christian to know and follow the Lord.
But I see some logical inconsistency in such a view and talk from a Christian. Let me play the devil’s advocate here. Suppose if I am not a bhakti of the Lord but remain a Hindu. Then some Christians tell me that I can remain a Hindu and need not become a Christian or join their church or community to follow the Lord, then I would ask them: ‘does it mean that my religion and community is correct but only not my Gods? If my religion and community is correct, then why not my Gods also. If I can remain a Hindu and still follow and worship your God, then why not I worship my own Gods and now selectively change only my Gods to your Christian God but detain my religious and social identity? Then why don’t you do the same? In the past you or your ancestors were also Hindus. Then why not return back to your ancestral religion and community and still continue to worship your Christian God? If your God is good and correct but only your church and community is not, then what is the need for you to remain in that church and community? As you yourself see that how our Religion accommodates all kinds of faith expression without any need to compromise with doctrinal issues but only remain culturally and socially as Hindu then what is the need for you to continue to remain part of that alien religion and community. Will your church and community agree with you to be part of it but feel uncomfortable to remain in it. Of course the people of every faith have the right to criticize their own religion and community with a spirit of reform. But I see that, that is not your aim but only to convert others to your doctrinal view. Changing one’s doctrinal view within a religious community is normal. For example a Shaivite could become a Vishnavite verse verse. Even one can change her sadhana dharma not changing her samajic dharma [social duty/order] by following the gods of other faiths as several Hindus go to Darga, Catholic pilgrim centres like Velannkannit to fulfill some vows after their prayers are sanctioned by the deities in those Churches? But your present approach by remaining as a Christian and trying to persuade us to follow selectively your religious views looks logically not correct to me.’
In our anxiety either to share or ‘convert’ people of other faiths to our particular view about God, we never see the logical inconsistencies not only in our communication but also in our conviction. As Hindu bhakti of the Lord, I can naturally and spontaneously share about my bhakti when someone in my own community questions it. Here I need not compare my bhakti with that of Christians or to their religious institution or sociological community. If someone questions that to me, then I can say, ‘as I am not part of their religion or church or community I am not qualified to answer these questions. But thankfully OUR own Religion and worldview allows me to choose my own sadhana that addresses my spiritual needs. Even Muktiveda endorses my view. That’s enough for me. I neither need any endorsement from any Church or Christian community or need to spend my time to defend Christianity.
Then, this means that the Christians are not under an obligation to share about their faith and religion as it is mandatory on their part as they claim that their Bible emphasizes. Yes and no is my answer. But knowing your limitations which your church and community now put on you in sharing your faith with the people of other faiths, you can engage in dialogue with the people of other faiths, first listening and learning from them. Then when the time comes for you to point out the blessings of following the Lord, you can point to people like us. Meanwhile, pay attention to your own community and try to address their needs.
Considering their plight and needs you need to pay more attention to attend them than bring more people to complicate your problem further. You are not in a position or equipped to handle the problem a new convert would face. By bringing more means, you are adding more problems to you. This does not mean that only a perfect church can be involved in evangelism. But either you should be ready to address the new issues that might come along with new converts. Or keep away, making their life double miserable through conversion and fail to address their issues. At the same time I don’t agree that it should be the responsibility of a separate wing called ‘Mission’. Their job is to proselyte and your responsibility to provide pastoral care. But your own church and mission history proved how both of you have failed miserably so far. Help your church to understand this principle in their relationship with people of other faiths and teach them what should be their approach. In case if some non-Christians, for some reasons want to become Christian, then tell them that it is not required and encourage them to remain in their religious and social community and continue to follow the Lord. When the question comes to provide fellowship and teaching to them, do it your best outside your church and community. If possible, guide such people to us.
In our involvement with the people of other faiths, [in our case non-Hindus], we should not keep our religious zeal and evangelical urge alone as the criteria but should think logically how to never present some logically illogical view about your faith as well as efforts to convert others. Whatever might have happened in the past, now Hindu apologetics have well prepared us to counter all such illogical approaches from the people of other faiths.
Gurukulam
12-5-2024
Recently I had an interesting dialogue with a Catholic Father [which is rare indeed, as they never have time for it or allowed to do it outside their church authority]. He came to know me through another bhakti of the Lord whom he remained as a spiritual mentor in the past. Agreeing with my principle to remain as you are, with your birth [religious/social/community] identity to follow the Lord, he requested to share not only the Gospel with some of his contacts to whom he told about me but also tell them clearly that they need not become Christian to know and follow the Lord.
But I see some logical inconsistency in such a view and talk from a Christian. Let me play the devil’s advocate here. Suppose if I am not a bhakti of the Lord but remain a Hindu. Then some Christians tell me that I can remain a Hindu and need not become a Christian or join their church or community to follow the Lord, then I would ask them: ‘does it mean that my religion and community is correct but only not my Gods? If my religion and community is correct, then why not my Gods also. If I can remain a Hindu and still follow and worship your God, then why not I worship my own Gods and now selectively change only my Gods to your Christian God but detain my religious and social identity? Then why don’t you do the same? In the past you or your ancestors were also Hindus. Then why not return back to your ancestral religion and community and still continue to worship your Christian God? If your God is good and correct but only your church and community is not, then what is the need for you to remain in that church and community? As you yourself see that how our Religion accommodates all kinds of faith expression without any need to compromise with doctrinal issues but only remain culturally and socially as Hindu then what is the need for you to continue to remain part of that alien religion and community. Will your church and community agree with you to be part of it but feel uncomfortable to remain in it. Of course the people of every faith have the right to criticize their own religion and community with a spirit of reform. But I see that, that is not your aim but only to convert others to your doctrinal view. Changing one’s doctrinal view within a religious community is normal. For example a Shaivite could become a Vishnavite verse verse. Even one can change her sadhana dharma not changing her samajic dharma [social duty/order] by following the gods of other faiths as several Hindus go to Darga, Catholic pilgrim centres like Velannkannit to fulfill some vows after their prayers are sanctioned by the deities in those Churches? But your present approach by remaining as a Christian and trying to persuade us to follow selectively your religious views looks logically not correct to me.’
In our anxiety either to share or ‘convert’ people of other faiths to our particular view about God, we never see the logical inconsistencies not only in our communication but also in our conviction. As Hindu bhakti of the Lord, I can naturally and spontaneously share about my bhakti when someone in my own community questions it. Here I need not compare my bhakti with that of Christians or to their religious institution or sociological community. If someone questions that to me, then I can say, ‘as I am not part of their religion or church or community I am not qualified to answer these questions. But thankfully OUR own Religion and worldview allows me to choose my own sadhana that addresses my spiritual needs. Even Muktiveda endorses my view. That’s enough for me. I neither need any endorsement from any Church or Christian community or need to spend my time to defend Christianity.
Then, this means that the Christians are not under an obligation to share about their faith and religion as it is mandatory on their part as they claim that their Bible emphasizes. Yes and no is my answer. But knowing your limitations which your church and community now put on you in sharing your faith with the people of other faiths, you can engage in dialogue with the people of other faiths, first listening and learning from them. Then when the time comes for you to point out the blessings of following the Lord, you can point to people like us. Meanwhile, pay attention to your own community and try to address their needs.
Considering their plight and needs you need to pay more attention to attend them than bring more people to complicate your problem further. You are not in a position or equipped to handle the problem a new convert would face. By bringing more means, you are adding more problems to you. This does not mean that only a perfect church can be involved in evangelism. But either you should be ready to address the new issues that might come along with new converts. Or keep away, making their life double miserable through conversion and fail to address their issues. At the same time I don’t agree that it should be the responsibility of a separate wing called ‘Mission’. Their job is to proselyte and your responsibility to provide pastoral care. But your own church and mission history proved how both of you have failed miserably so far. Help your church to understand this principle in their relationship with people of other faiths and teach them what should be their approach. In case if some non-Christians, for some reasons want to become Christian, then tell them that it is not required and encourage them to remain in their religious and social community and continue to follow the Lord. When the question comes to provide fellowship and teaching to them, do it your best outside your church and community. If possible, guide such people to us.
In our involvement with the people of other faiths, [in our case non-Hindus], we should not keep our religious zeal and evangelical urge alone as the criteria but should think logically how to never present some logically illogical view about your faith as well as efforts to convert others. Whatever might have happened in the past, now Hindu apologetics have well prepared us to counter all such illogical approaches from the people of other faiths.
Gurukulam
12-5-2024
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