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PURCHASING SOULS: CHRISTIAN CONVERSION ACTIVITIES

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(1) Christianity and Hinduism: Domination or Dialogue - Swami Aksharnanda
Throughout the colonial period Christianity enjoyed a specially favoured relationship with the state and, together church and state cooperated to reproduce a western European Christian culture in the Caribbean. In this context, indentured Indians and Hindus, introduced in the colonies not only for the fruits of their labour but also for the salvation of their souls...
(2) An Act of Aggression - Swami Aksharananda
Carlton Campbell's letter `A definite disservice' (Chronicle 1/10/00) deserves a close examination, contradictory though it is. In his initial paragraph he accuses Hindu leaders of panicking at "peripheral conversions" and towards the end of his letter concedes that Hindus are switching to Christianity in such numbers as to panic Dharmacharyas, Gurus and Swamis...
(3) The Nature of Hinduism and Conversion to Christianity - Dr. MN Srivastava
I read with interest the views of Mr R. Singh in his letter captioned "There is a true sacred Hinduism" (SN 22.6.98) and of Mr C. Campbell in his letter captioned "Mr. Singh should look again at the Gita" (SN 14.7.98) on what they consider to be real Hinduism and on the problem of Hindus converting to Christianity...
(4) Mahatma Gandhi's Life should be a Painful Reminder to Christians of their Excesses - Swami Aksharananda
1. Steve Foster's "One cannot proselytize..." (SN 10/31/98) excuses those Europeans and their descendants who unleashed untold atrocities on Indians and Africans and on other native peoples across the world, as practizing a "heretical or apostate form of Christianity"...
(5) Christian hegemony continues in Guyana - Swami Aksharananda
Article 1 of the 1980 constitution of Guyana enshrined in the constitution the principle of secularism. In a secular state there is, ideally, a separation between state and religion and there is no official state-sponsored religion...
(6) Beware of False Healers - The Maha Sabha of Trinidad &Tobago
BENNY HINN and all who claim the power to heal are instructed in Luke 4:23 "Physician, heal thyself." On his Trinity Broadcasting Network in the United States, Hinn has been highlighting his two-day visit to Trinidad...
(7) Hindus in Trinidad fight inroads by Christians - Tim McDonald
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad Tyrone Allen's soft Southern accent rises from a whispered exhortation to a dramatic crescendo that makes the conference room reverberate. ``Touch your neighbor and say, `I'm in the Lord for life,' '' Allen commands. The assembled U.S. and local Pentecostals touch hands, fingers and shoulders and murmur amens and hallelujahs...
(8) Catholicism’s Two Faces - 
"Pope John Paul II," announced his Eminence Cardinal Francis Arinze from the United Nations podium...
(9) Our Way is the Only Way to God -
Catholic declarations such as Dominus Jesus are written for Catholic priests and theologians. They make difficult reading for the lay person, especially one neither familiar with the central concepts of the Catholic Church nor in possession...
(10) Conversion slur on Tripura Church - Sehkar Datta
Allegations have been levelled against the Baptist Church in the state that it is forcibly trying to convert Hindu tribal students in schools run by it...
(11) The Jungle of Christ - David Kostinchuk
This article is titled "The Jungle of Christ" because there is a labyrinth of Christian television evangelists ( Evangelist: a person who brings the gospel to pagan people or nonbelievers) engaged in a massive worldwide well planned, organized onslaught against Hindus and Muslims in an effort to convert them to Christianity... 
(12) Unholy War - J Seesha Sai
"TENSION seems to be building up in the tiny island republic of Trinidad and Tobago with a prominent Hindu leader declaring "war" against the Christian community. Blasting the Christians for their "aggressive conversion designs", Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha secretary general Satnarayan Maharaj had said, "Hindus will no longer be charitable or passive in their dealing with these groups. Don't let them come to your doorstep. Do not let them into your house. Tell them to get out. Throw them out of the villages. Don't offer any hospitality."
(13) Christians Should Practice their Faith Without Seeking to Malign Others - Swami Aksharananda
"In Jesus Me Can't Die" is a DVD song in chutney style routinely heard on several of the nation's television stations including the state-owned NCN. The singer, a certain Mr. Anil Azeez, glorifies Jesus Christ as saviour, which is standard christian belief. Clearly, the singer is entitled to his religious beliefs and has the right to practise and propagate them even if it may be on public funds. But what must be unequivocally and vigorously condemned is the provocative attack on Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims in the same song which goes on to say: "allah, krishna, buddha can't set me free." ...
(14) The Claim of Establishing a Hindu Nation is Absurd - Somadatta Mahabir Nandalall
I have had the opportunity to listen to the song "In Jesus Me Can't Die" and find it very inflammatory. The theological implications of the song is that Jesus is superior to Allah, Krishna and Buddha, for the singer emphasizes that "Allah, Krishna, Buddha can't set me free." This is a theology of hate....

■ Christianity and Hinduism: Domination or dialogue?
Sunday Stabroek News Guest Column - This week’s guest: Swami Aksharananda
Author: Swami Aksharananda
Source: Stabroek News, Sunday, July 7, 1996

Mission of civilization
Throughout the colonial period Christianity enjoyed a specially favoured relationship with the state and, together church and state cooperated to reproduce a western European Christian culture in the Caribbean. In this context, indentured Indians and Hindus, introduced in the colonies not only for the fruits of their labour but also for the salvation of their souls, were viewed as outlandish and foreign aberrations, heathen savages, and sinners that needed to be civilized and Christianized. The instrument chosen to effect this higher civilization was, of course, the Christian church.

Christianity and the Caribbean States
The principal expression of Christianity in the Caribbean is the hegemonic Christianity inherited from Europe, and enunciated by white metropolitan theologians located in and sensitive to, their environment of power and domination. With the decline of European global domination, United States became the center of this brand of Christianity and its concomitant ideologies of conquest and domination. From this new and fertile source Christian missionaries armed with their fundamentalist ideologies and endless material resources, come descending on us with concerns of our salvation.

The dominant classes in any society tend to order the dominant religion official or quasi-official at the service of the expansion, deepening and consolidating their dominance. Conversely, the dominant religion actively struggles for attainment of and participates in hegemony of the dominant classes. In the Caribbean, commencing from the Columbian era, officially sanctioned Christianity, more than any of our institutions, has served to legitimize and sanctify the dominant values of the ruling classes of the colonial state. To the extent that nuances of the church-state relationship and the dominating ideologies it produces are deeply embedded in Caribbean Christianity. Hinduism in the region still confronts hegemonic Christianity.

The continuation of this relationship of values and structures is no accident, no conspiracy. It is part of our colonial legacy. How often do we not hear "our Judeo-Christian values" being invoked? There is an unquestioned intimacy with which the symbols of the Christian church and Caribbean states intermingle. Look, for example, take the Trinity Cross, the highest civilian award of Trinidad and Tobago, the propriety of which as a national award in a multi religious society, has only recently been questioned by members of the Hindu community much to the outrage of the wider society. The presumption of Hindus! After all are not Christian and Western values, the norms? And is not conversion meant to accord status and approval from those who are the producers of the dominant western Judeo-Christian values?

Missionary Discourse: Its Socio-Political and Theological Background
Historically, it has been the powerful military and economic nations that sent missionaries abroad as part of their apparatus of conquest. Great Britain at the height of its imperial power supplied the majority of missionaries. Now the missionaries, who in ever-increasing numbers invade our shores, come from the United States, the current super power on earth.

Being a super power founded on conquest and subjugation, the pervasive social discourse in the in the United States tend to reflect triumphalism and domination. Missionary theology is a product of this environment. It is informed and empowered by, participates in and perpetuates the culture of imperialism and domination.

Any speech that denigrates and devalues a people is tantamount to an act of violence. Missionary theology devalues and denigrates individuals and groups. Since the days o Constantine, whenever the Christian church received the support of military power, individuals and groups labeled as "unbelievers," "sinners," "idolaters," "heathens," "savages," and "pagans" were victims of oppression and extirpation. Labels of hostility are the precursors to violence.

The assumption of superiority
Missionary theology is explicitly based on the assumption of superiority of Christianity over the religions of the world. Since Christianity is the only way to salvation, all deviants are cast into the fires of everlasting hell. The world is polarized into saved and sinner, free and condemned. Hence the imperative to convert to save. Even the usually liberal Vatican Council II has arrogated to itself the authority to assign to Hinduism a mere ray of truth, reserving for itself the full truth. Thus the council declares: All must be converted...all must be incorporated into Him by baptism and into the Church which is His body.

The fact is that missionary Christianity has been so obsessed with its own truth, it has failed to recognize even the possibility that others may have their truth. It has been so engrossed in proclaiming, announcing and sending that it seems to have permanently lost the compassion and love to listen and receive. In its profound arrogance it anointed itself the teacher of humanity and has steadfastly refused to learn from others. In the more than 150 years that Hindus have lived in this region, has Christianity learned anything from Hinduism? Hindus have been important only as objects of evangelism. Hinduism is still an "area of darkness" to many.

Is dialogue possible?
Hinduism is a confederation of religions, a living laboratory of faiths, and itself being churned out of an ongoing process of perpetual dialogue. Hinduism holds every religion to be an authentic modality of the divine and the sacred. God reveals God’s self fully and directly to all humanity and, being equally active in every faith tradition, is the ultimate inspiration and source of freedom and wholeness. There are no privileged recipients of revelation.

Hinduism teaches that all humans are destined to transform a self-centered life to a God or Reality-centered life, in their respective traditions. God accepts us all as we are. We are not required to present ourselves in any particular garb or caricature. True conversion, the discovery of the ultimate ground of being takes place in the heart of one’s own religious and spiritual traditions and not outside of it.

Human life is characterized by diversities. We possess many cultures, foods, clothing, music, languages. No one seeks to supplant one or all human languages with a single one. Linguistic diversity is a fact of nature. Similarly, religious diversity and the plurality of faiths is the natural order of human society, God’s own creation and gift to humanity.

We Hindus, conscious of our contributions to the rich cultural mosaic of the Caribbean rejoice in the plurality of our peoples, the plurality of cultures, the plurality of our religions. We therefore view with grave concern any activity, especially those bred on cultural monolithism, that threatens to rupture the fabric of tolerance and hospitality for which our region is famous. We are committed to preserve the plural cultures of this region. But as long as we are under the specter of Christian domination, the quest for genuine religious understanding and harmony will continue to evade us.

Now is the time for the practitioners of the various faiths to join together in some form of dialogue to strive for understanding, respect, and harmony among the religions of this region. Not only it is possible, dialogue is an imperative. The alternative may be a degeneration into further dehumanization.

■ An Act of Aggression
Author: Swami Aksharananda
Source: Guyana Chronicle, Tuesday, January 18, 2000

CARLTON Campbell's letter `A definite disservice' (Chronicle 1/10/00) deserves a close examination, contradictory though it is. In his initial paragraph he accuses Hindu leaders of panicking at "peripheral conversions" and towards the end of his letter concedes that Hindus are switching to Christianity in such numbers as to panic Dharmacharyas, Gurus and Swamis. What is peripheral conversion? Let us take the case of Guyana. At the end of indentureship in 1917 Indian Christians were less than one per cent of the Indian population. Today, the Christian population among Indians is more than 12 per cent. Certainly a cause for concern among Hindus, especially when the state in Guyana functions to perpetuate Christian dominance. Whatever is the problem of conversion it is Hindus who must decide what constitutes a threat to our existence and the appropriateness of any response.

Campbell also affirms the "right" of making converts demanded by Pope John 11 on his recent visit to India. But, where and how did Christianity get the "right" it so often invokes to propagate its teachings and make converts in other countries? Jesus himself never claimed such a right. His immediate disciples never claimed such a right. Even early Christians never saw evangelism as a right. Furthermore, the concept is alien to what is believed to be the teachings of Jesus. The answer to this claim of right can be found in history. Evangelism and making converts became a right when Christianity became powerful enough to enforce that claim of right, that, is, when it became the official religion of the Roman Empire, the world's most militarily powerful empire at the time. As Christianity spread across Europe with the help the sword, musket and canon, new Christian empires eventually arose in the west: Portugal, Spain, France and Britain, and finally across the Atlantic, the United States, and as their frigates and gunboats went around the world demanding landing rights and trading rights, they also demanded the right to make converts for Christianity. In due course there developed a clear commensurate relationship between right and power. So when Christian leaders speak of the right to propagate their religion and make converts they are actually participating in the arrogance of western imperialism.

Of the religions of the world Christianity best epitomises the old adage "might is right". Let's come back to the Pope's demand for the freedom to make converts in India. What does Catholicism have to offer to the Hindus, freedom and democracy? In fact freedom and Catholicism can hardly be said to go hand in hand. Catholicism gave the world that barbarous system known as the Inquisition that trampled on the freedom of people for centuries, Catholics invented the Index Librorium Prohibitorium (Index of Forbidden Books) a practice discontinued only in 1966, that also has for centuries suffocated the intellectual freedom of untold numbers. Now Pope John Paul II goes to India to lecture the Hindus on the need for religious freedom. Yet it was this same Pope who had no qualms silencing and then excommunicating Catholic priests such as Matthew Fox, Leonardo Boff, and that fine Catholic intellectual Swiss Hans Kung. What an irony that John Paul II, the infallible representative of the Catholic church, arguably the most dictatorial and undemocratic institution in the world, goes to India demanding freedom and right.

As countries won their independence and freedom from centuries of slavery and domination from the middle part of the last century onward, they began to challenge the ideology of colonialism and imperialism which also meant challenging the ideology of Christianity itself. In this India took the lead and many Hindu intellectuals openly challenged the Christian claim of the right to make converts under the guise of religious freedom. The challenge is still a weak one, because India is still weak. Yet twice in the past decade the Supreme Court of India, one of the most respected judiciaries in the world, declared that the right to propagate Christianity does not mean the right to make converts. The day is soon coming when every Hindu will begin to understand that whenever a Christian missionary comes to a Hindu home he or she does so with the sole intention to destroy Hinduism. This is an act of aggression against the Hindu religion and Hindu people. And the time is also coming when Hindus will deal with it in the appropriate manner.

■ The Nature of Hinduism and Conversion to Christianity 
Author: Dr M.N. Shrivastava
Source: Stabroek News 8.15.98

Dear Sir,
I read with interest the views of Mr R. Singh in his letter captioned "There is a true sacred Hinduism" (SN 22.6.98) and of Mr C. Campbell in his letter captioned "Mr. Singh should look again at the Gita" (SN 14.7.98) on what they consider to be real Hinduism and on the problem of Hindus converting to Christianity.

Being a born Indian and a Hindu, I believe Hinduism is much wider than the two writers conceived it to be. Since there had always been internal freedom in India to think and question, many diverse ways of worshipping God came up within Hinduism. Interestingly, the concept of God itself is of Hindu origin. The famous German scholar Max Meuller says "....in fact, the Rigveda is the only document in the world where one can see the evolution of the concept of God ....". The other religions of later origin (including Christianity and Islam) borrowed (the concept of) God from Hindus. The Hindus realised that there has to be conceived a hidden but omnipotent and omnipresent supreme power to keep law and order in the society, in addition to the authority of the state. Thus, though whether God created the universe may be questionable to some, Hindus were the first to 'create' God.

And, as usual when a new concept is developed, many `views', `ideas' and `hypotheses' are put forward which ultimately synthesise into one. Hindus accomplished this thousands of years back. Mr Singh is right when he says that worshipping God in abstract (nirakar) form was the first Hindu way of worshipping Him. However, the Hindus soon realised that this form of worship is difficult to be understood and followed by the common man, therefore they conceived a sakar (visible) form of God and conceptualised that Nirakar (abstract) God can convert himself into sakar (visible) form and even in the form of human beings and accepted Ram and Krishna as Avtars of the Supreme, as rightly pointed out by Mr Campbell (SN 14.7.98). There is no reason to think why He cannot and should not do it. The other religions modified the ideas and said that He sends only messengers and does not incarnate Himself.

Hinduism permitted worshipping God in different forms, as creator of the universe, as sustainer and as destructor (when the time comes) giving rise to the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh (Shankar). Hindus were also the first to initiate worshipping female goddesses in the form of Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Parbati, Sita and Radha, giving a high status to motherhood in the society. Even one can worship Him as his friend (as Arjun did), as husband (as Meera Bai did), or as a small child deity (as Surdas did). If He really exists, why should He not respond to all these forms of worship? It is just like a child when feeling hungry calls his mother by any word he may have learned-like mom, mama, mummy, amma or whatever-mother always knows he is calling her only. So whatever the way of worship, He knows you are praying to Him only.

Hindus realised that truth has many facets. The Upnishads declared 'Ekam sad vipra buhudha vadanti' - "God is one, the sages have described him in different ways". The Hindus never fell into the error of imagining, as some people do, that theirs is the only ultimate truth and that no further inquiry is required. Dr Radha Krishnan - second President of India and a great scholar - said " .....The Aryans (Hindus) did not possess the pride of the fanatic that theirs was the only true religion...." This is also one reason that when put under physical threat, pressure or when lured by money (as done by Muslims and Christians respectively during their long rule in India), Hindus sometimes tend to change religion as they believe that all paths lead to Him only. So to get the benefit, why not follow other paths.

The true Hindus really feel pity for them as to them this is like leaving a highway and following a narrow and uncertain short cut.

On one hand, Hindu dharma encompasses within itself Jainism and Buddhism which even do not believe in the existence of God, on the other hand, it nurtures the supreme philosophy of 'Vedanta' (the end of vedas) which propounds that everything which exists whether living or non living is the physical manifestation of God only. When God may have thought to create the universe there were only two alternatives before Him either to create everything out of nothing or to convert Himself into all whatever we see. Things only change form, they cannot be 'created'. So whatever we see through our eyes is all Him only and should be loved as such. If so, then where is the scope to hate any person, thought, or religion?

Thus, Hinduism is the only religion which permits co-existence. In other religions you should follow their path otherwise you are a sinner. This inhibits them to accept any place in their heaven for persons of any other faith including Mahatma Gandhi as enquired by Lancaster (SN 21.7.98) and K.K. Abraham (SN 22.7.98). Hindus understand their compulsions in taking this stand. Those religions were created as reactions to something that already existed and to attract people, they had to say that they are messengers of God sent with a new set of instructions. Hindus believe their own religion to be `anadi' (eternal) and `anant' (endless). The one which `begins' has to `end'. One prominent Hindu philosophy, Karmyoga, says if you have done your duties to your best in your lifetime you will reach Him, even though you may not have believed in His existence or prayed to Him even once.

Hindus consider diversity in religious thought within Hinduism as their strength, rather than a weakness. Diversity prevents conflicts. Uniformity (as exists in other religions) can give them strength but it can prove to be a weakness also as happened with the doctrine of communism recently. Those who favour uniformity become intolerant to dissent which goes against the spirit of inquiry. Tolerance in religious thinking is also reflected in tolerance in political thinking. The diversity of thought is perhaps the strength of Hinduism and explains why Christianity - which reached India before it reached Europe (52 AD) - and which completely swallowed the mighty empires and civilisations of Greeks and Romans could convert only 1.5% of Hindus to its fold, and that after two centuries of its mighty rule, and almost only those people having low economic status. It's just because it could not match the strong philosophical base of Hinduism. They could `lure' or `threaten ' but only rarely `convince' the common man.

In 1893, after Swami Vivekananda delivered his lecture at the World Congress of religions on Hinduism in Chicago, a leading New York newspaper wrote "....how foolish it was on our part to send missionaries to India to convert such a learned race to Christianity....". In Guyana, the problem of Hindus converting to Christianity is mostly due to ignorance of the principles and philosophy of Hinduism. The cultural part of the religion has been given good attention currently, the Hindus now need to understand in greater depth their intellectual and philosophical base by reading books and scriptures. For this purpose, there is need to establish good libraries in each Town and Temple. Hundreds of books are now available in English on Hindu religion and philosophy, it's not that essential to know Hindu or Sanskrit for this purpose, although it would be desirable.

Thus, if there can be any world religion, in principle it can be Hinduism only - and it will be one day.

Yours faithfully
Dr M.N. Shrivastava (Indian Rice Expert)

■ Mahatma Gandhi's Life should be a Painful Reminder to Christians of their Excesses
Author: Swami Aksharananda
Source: Stabroek News 1998

2. Regarding Gandhi's "misconceptions about the Christian message" as Steve Foster alleges, Gandhi would be the last person to pretend that he had a perfect understanding of orthodox Christianity. He would however claim to be a sincere seeker of truth having spent many years learning about Jesus and his life. But his was not a mere intellectual appreciation of the beauty of the teachings of Jesus. His understanding was grounded in the ethics of the Sermon on the Mount and emerged from the crucible of involvement and action in a world where some of his partners and adversaries professed to be Christians with whom he was engaged for over fifty years. In the process he has left us two edited works: "What Jesus Means to me" and "The Jesus I Love".

3. Mahatma Gandhi was profoundly influenced by the life of Jesus. Here was a Hindu who had the courage to declare: "the example of Jesus' suffering is a factor in the composition of my undying faith in non-violence which rules all my actions, worldly and temporal". In turn, he had a great impact on some of the most remarkable Christians of this century from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Dorothy Day, and Thomas Merton to Martin Luther King Jr. But this power to influence came not from his erudition but from the simple truth that he was able to live the message of Jesus in a remarkable union of theory and practice and with every ounce of his will embraced the ethical claims of Christ. He was able to live the commandment of radical love that Jesus spoke of in the Sermon on the Mount.

4. Mahatma Gandhi's life, therefore, constitutes the greatest challenge to Christians all over the world. In the stark simplicity of his living, his food and clothing which he produced with his own hands, and the strict principle of non-possession he adhered to, he is a constant and a painful reminder to Christians, especially in the west, of their betrayal of Christ, of their excesses, their over-eating, their over-wearing. Compare and contrast the pomp, power, and pageantry of the Christian church today and of the Jimmy Swaggarts, Pat Robertsons, and Benny Hinns of the world with the life and message of the man who was born in a stable and eventually nailed to a cross and you begin to see the truth in Gandhi's conviction that western Christianity has negated the message of Christ.

5. At the same time Gandhi had considerable difficulties, both theological and ethical, with the fundamentalist way Christianity was presented to him. One of these was the idea that Jesus is the only Son of God, a literalist teaching that has been used by missionaries as a starting point to condemn other faith traditions and to exclude anyone else as a possible son or daughter of God. For Gandhi, as for all who value experience above the clangour of mere belief, literalism is the stultification of faith. Instead he would hold that it is through the symbol, the myth, the metaphor that inner, life-giving meanings are grasped. Hence of Jesus Gandhi stated that, "I do not regard him as the only begotten son of God. That epithet in its material interpretation is quite unacceptable. Metaphorically we are all the begotten sons of God..."

6. Even literally speaking, translating the Greek, uios tou Theo, to mean "son of God", it has been observed that the definite article "the" does not appear in the original Greek and the phrase could as well be translated as "a son of God." Further it is that Jesus himself did not assume or claim any title implying a messianic role and status: not "Messiah", nor "Son of David", nor "Son" nor , "Son of God". The question then is how by the end of the fourth century CE Jesus came to be seen as "the son of God". The answer to this question lies in the examination of the highly syncretistic milieu in which Jesus lived and taught and in which the Gospels had their genesis. The title "son of God" was common in the ancient world whence it found its way into the belief and language of the early Christians. Generally kings and miracle workers alike in some parts of the ancient world were held to be the begotten of God. Roman emperors, in the New Testament period, were designated divi filius.

7. Within Judaism also the phrase is used. It is used to refer to the whole people of Israel as "Son of God" kings bore the title, and persons with a special commission from the Hebrew God, such as angels, were also so called (Psalms 2:7). It is therefore not surprising that Jesus as a spirit-filled prophet and charismatic healer should have been given the title by early Christians. And what happened, as the gospel went beyond the Hebraic and already highly syncretistic context into the Greek-dominated intellectual world of the Roman empire, was that the metaphorical son of God was transformed into a metaphysical son of God and, what eventually was a clear degradation of the idea, into literally a physical and biological son of God. On the ethical ground of Christianity, Gandhi was horrified to see the ease with which Christians separated ethic and morality from belief. He held the ethics of the Sermon on the Mount to be the cornerstone of Jesus' message, the power and grandeur of which would did not depend on the recognition of Jesus as the exclusive saviour.

8. The world is struggling to move out of religious narrowness as more and more people, including Christian, have come to recognise exclusivism as religiously regressive, for it turns the Lord of the universe into a white tribal God of Europe and the United States and their spiritual colonies. Mahatma Gandhi, the devout Hindu, perhaps more than any other single individual in this century has enriched Christianity enormously though the testimony of his personal life. At least one Christian scholar, Robert Ellswood, has paid his homage to this Hindu saint when he declared: No attempt to understand twentieth century Christianity can exclude the contribution of Gandhi. The Mahatma lives.

Yours faithfully,
Swami Aksharananda

■ Christian Hegemony Continues in Guyana
Author: Swami Aksharananda
Source: Stabroek News, September 11, 1999

Dear Sir,
Article 1 of the 1980 constitution of Guyana enshrined in the constitution the principle of secularism. In a secular state there is, ideally, a separation between state and religion and there is no official state-sponsored religion. Secularism ensures that the state (a) takes no active or passive part in promoting or legitimising any particular religion directly or indirectly, and (b) conversely, the state takes no active or passive part in oppressing or delegitimising any particular religion directly or indirectly. All religions are considered equal under the law. However desirable one may find this ideal, our very history conspires to circumvent it. The colonial state was in its very genesis a vehicle for the promotion of Christianity, the religion of the conquerors. But more than thirty years after independence there continues to be more than an implicit relationship between the state and Christianity. The state continues to function to consolidate and perpetuate Christian hegemony in Guyana. This state-church convergence employs subtle forms of coercion to entrench its domination while at the same time it seeks to persuade the dominated segment of the population, mainly Hindus and Muslims, to give their consent to being dominated. It has almost totally appropriated and monopolised the power of defining and legitmising the principal orientations and basic limits of all activity and discourse. But more pertinently, and certainly perniciously, this alliance is succeeding in the annihilation, subjugation, or marginalisation of all other religious orientations, again particularly Hindu and Islamic, that appear to constitute an obstacle to its consolidation of power while at the same time favouring the creation and development of those religious orientations and elements that fortify its domination. There is a silent subversion, generated by the deliberate collusion of Christianity and the state, of the fledgling tradition of secularism promised in 1980. Nowhere is this subversion more evident than in the field of education.

1. Throughout Guyana, state schools are used by a variety of Christian denominations, especially those with connections to American Pentecostalism, as churches. Pentecostals it will be remembered, more than any other Christian sect at this time, are engaged in the most vociferous and obscene condemnation of Hinduism and Islam. And in this the state is an accomplice.

2. The entire education system in Guyana is controlled by that dominant class that promotes westernised and Christian orientation. Having appropriated the power to define and delimit what is legitimate and not, this social bloc has monopolised the curriculum constructing it in a way that deliberately emphasises western and Christian mores while at the same time deliberately excluding and de-emphasising anything Hindu and Islamic in particular and Indian in general. By just going through the textbooks produced in Guyana one can hardly imagine that this is a country with half the population Indian.

3. Over the years there have been successful attempts through the instrument of the state to de-emphasise Hindu and Muslim contributions to the development of education in Guyana while at the same time re-inforcing and glorifying the Christian contribution. In 1976 all denominational schools (and other institutions) were required by the government of the day to change their names in order to delink them from their religious and ethnic background. While the government made sure that schools with Indian, Hindu and Muslim names complied with the requirement, Christian schools were never really affected. Thus Indian Educational Trust college became Richard Ishmael Secondary, Muslim Trust college became Brickdam Secondary school, Hindu college became Cove and John Secondary, Maha Sabha Secondary became Leonora Secondary. On the other hand, officially and otherwise, St. Stanislaus, St. Joseph's, St. Rose's, St, Agnes, St. John's, Sacred Heart, Stella Maris, Christ Church and others have retained their former names and their distinctive histories.

4. From a Hindu, and I am sure from a Muslim, point of view as well the most disturbing development in recent times is the return and arbitrary imposition of Christian prayers in primary and secondary schools in Guyana. Once again Christian power in collaboration with the state is asserting its hegemony. Hindu and Muslim students are forced to recite, under the threat of penalty, the Christian "Our father who is in heaven" prayer.

5. Under the guise of moral education in schools when a Hindu or Muslim child is forced to listen to a Christian functionary who by force of habit and dogmatic indoctrination must invariably, subtly and otherwise, denigrate the Hindu and Muslim traditions, this is in violation of the fundamental right and the civil liberty of the child.

6. Furthermore, this practice is in direct and flagrant contravention of Article 145 (3) of the Constitution of Guyana which unequivocally and unambiguously states : Except with his own consent (or if he is a person who has not attained the age of eighteen years, the consent of his guardian) no person attending any place of education shall be required to receive religious instruction or to take part in or attend any religious ceremony or observance if that instruction, ceremony or observance relates to a religion which is not his own. This travesty must not be allowed to stand.

Yours faithfully,
Swami Aksharananda

■ Beware of False Healers
Author:  The Maha Sabha of Trinidad &Tobago
Source: Trinidad Express, March 18, 1999

BENNY HINN and all who claim the power to heal are instructed in Luke 4:23 "Physician, heal thyself." On his Trinity Broadcasting Network in the United States, Hinn has been highlighting his two-day visit to Trinidad (February 27/28), not only stating that he had cast more devils out in Trinidad than he had in a long time but using the TV clip of a Hindu man from Moruga whom Benny Hinn claims to have cured. But Marcano Siewkumar, speaking from his bed at Ward 11 of the San Fernando General, totally disclaims Benny Hinn's healing. In the Express of Saturday, March 13, Siewkumar, said in an interview with Camille Boodoo: "No man can heal. Healing comes from the Creator." And asked if he was temporarily healed at the crusade, Siewkumar said: "Would I be in hospital if I was healed?" Siewkumar's wife, Molly, is reported to have told the Express reporter, "Benny Hinn never healed my husband." She went on to explain that the entire family fasted for six days before a Gita puja was performed for her husband and he felt better. Yet this poor, sick man was being wrongly used by Benny Hinn and some locals to publicise their claim to cure the sick.

Newsday of March 13 in a story by Azard Ali states: "But yesterday it was a severely ill Siewkumar lying at the San Fernando hospital who described himself as a staunch Hindu, condemned Hinn and his healing power. 'Benny Hinn healed me? Look where I am,' sobbed Siewkumar, fearing that he may never walk again." The same article further stated: "Contending that his worsened heart condition and the consequences of not being able to move brought about by paying homage to Benny Hinn instead of the Hindu deities he was accustomed to, Siewkumar sobbed: "I am going to be here a long time. I know that and I want to tell Benny Hinn something -he knows nothing about healing because I feel that something bad happened to me since." The Maha Sabha would like to know what follow-up action has been taken by Benny Hinn and his followers in Trinidad to meet with Siewkumar and others whom they claim to have healed. There is silence over these stories, yet extravagant claims continue to be made by Hinn and his local collaborators.

One pastor in central Trinidad has in the past published pictures of Indian women in orhanis whom he claimed to have converted. Why is there no paid advertisements proclaiming the cure and conversion of Marcano Siewkumar or any other verifiably cured person? Benny Hinn himself presides over a multi-million dollar US enterprise based in Miami. In two recent television programmes CNN dealt with Hinn whom they described as the outlandish charismatic who delights "in slaying" people with the spirit. CNN revealed that when travelling abroad Hinn stays in presidential suites at as much as US$2,000 per night. The international TV Network also stated: "A trip to Europe by Benny Hinn and his entourage (flying on the Concorde and staying in luxury hotels) cost US$9000 return for each of them." During an appearance on the Larry King programme on CNN Benny Hinn, referring to himself said, "I face devils as the Son of God." The message seems quite clear. Benny Hinn sees himself as the Arisen Christ. This man seems not to have read his own Prov. 16:19: "Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoils with the proud." It was well anticipated that just as the sick will move from doctor to doctor for diagnosis and healing, so too would they move to those who possess the "Sidhi" or gift from God to bring physical and emotional relief. In the Hindu tradition there are many blessed with this gift and hundreds from Trinidad, even people in prominent positions, travel to India for audiences with one of its most renowned healers and teachers. When, however, the God given gift is misused for commercial, or other purposes, then that gift is lost.

Since there is no locally recorded verifiable healing, what then was the purpose of Benny Hinn's visit to Trinidad? Those who keep close watch on so-called miracle churches have observed a steady drop in attendance. Where once some boasted of full audiences that necessitated multiple daily services with bulging coffers, decline has stepped in and international support has become necessary. The Roman Catholic Church which is one of the main targets has now put its Pope on the International Religious Circuit. While speaking to millions in Mexico, the Pope made a call to arms. According to an Associated Press report, he summoned the faithful "to take to the streets and confront the challenges of protestant evangelism". Hindus worldwide, including Trinidad and Tobago, are also responding in an aggressive manner to "Hindu-bashing" and the false healing claims. This new self-defense posture has thwarted well-laid-out international plans to subvert and destroy Hinduism and other traditional religions across the world. Because of poor harvest of converts and shrinking coffers, Trinidad and Tobago can expect over the next few years a flood of high profile tele-evangelists flying down to prop up their local religious collaborators.

■ Hindus in Trinidad Fight Inroads by Christians
Author: Tim McDonald (Associated Press)
Source: Published Saturday, June 10, 2000, in the Lexington Herald-Leader

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad Tyrone Allen's soft Southern accent rises from a whispered exhortation to a dramatic crescendo that makes the conference room reverberate. ``Touch your neighbor and say, `I'm in the Lord for life,' '' Allen commands. The assembled U.S. and local Pentecostals touch hands, fingers and shoulders and murmur amens and hallelujahs. The words could come from any Christian church or revival tent in America's Bible Belt. But Allen is preaching in a plush hall of the Trinidad Hilton, part of a Pentecostal campaign that worries Hindu leaders in the Caribbean island. Evangelical Christian churches are sprouting across Trinidad and Hindu leaders are fighting back. ``I told our people to throw these people out of the villages,'' said Sat Maharaj, head of the Hindu organization Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha. ``We launched a counter-campaign'' that includes literature pointing out alleged inconsistencies in the Bible and what Maharaj calls its undue focus on material possessions.

``We're in the soul-saving business,'' responded Allen, pastor of Bible Way Church in Virginia Beach, Va., which held a recent conference here. ``We have a purpose, and this purpose is to give out our knowledge of the Lord.'' Hindus chafe especially at visits by American evangelicals like Benny Hinn, who last year spoke of Trinidad as a ``country full of devils and demons.'' The competition touches on the delicate balance between Trinidad's East Indian and African descended communities, each constituting almost half the population of 1.3 million. East Indians mostly descendants of laborers imported by British colonizers in the 19th century were once overwhelmingly Hindu, with some Muslims. But Christian churches have made steady headway in recent decades and now can claim perhaps a third of the East Indians. Consequently, census figures show that Hindus now account for only a quarter of the Trinidadian population. Pentecostals say many Hindus need little convincing. ``If you're in an organization that does not satisfy your needs, I see nothing wrong with moving,'' said the Rev. Peter Hosein, a Trinidadian who says he's a Christian of no denomination trying to start his own church. ``It's not stealing. You're just moving to higher ground.' Winston Cuffie says Hindus in poor, areas might find some Pentecostal churches attractive because they look affluent. Cuffie's Miracle Ministry is housed in his Christ Castle Church in Chaguanas, in central Trinidad. Built from donations and fund-raisers, the $1.8 million complex arises, magnificently pink, like a castle from its modest surroundings. ``Material success is part of it,'' said Cuffie, whose congregation of 1,600 includes many converts from Hinduism and offers investment seminars and other financial strategies. ``If you're in poverty and you're suffering, we teach you how you can come out of that situation.'' Many Hindus say they are mobilizing to stop the conversions if only to maintain a centuries-old tradition on the island.

``It is, in fact, a religious war, not in the sense of Muslims and Christians fighting a bloody war, but it is a war,'' said Kamla Persad, a Hindu activist and newspaper columnist. ``No Hindu organization over the years had a program to match the Christians. Now we are going out and trying to reconvert our people. The Hindus are waking up to that.''

■ Catholicism’s Two Faces
Publication: Hinduism Today (USA)
Date: January / February, 2001

"Pope John Paul II," announced his Eminence Cardinal Francis Arinze from the United Nations podium, gives personal example as a promoter of reconciliation and harmony between peoples of different religions. The promotion of peace is part and parcel of what it means to be a Catholic." The personable Arinze, 69, of Nigeria is president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. He addressed 2,000 world religious leaders gathered for the Millennium World Peace Summit August 29.

On September 5, with the blessings of the same Pope John Paul II, the Vatican released Dominus Jesus, a document [sidebar] which does little to "promote reconciliation and harmony between peoples of different religions." It declares all non-Christian religions "gravely deficient." Even all non-Catholic Christian churches "are not Churches in the proper sense," but "suffer from defects."

The world press was merciless. "Vatican Rejects Equality of Religions," roared Associated Press. "Vatican Claims Monopoly on Salvation," declared the Washington Post headlines. "The Vatican’s Sad Statement on Salvation," headlined Religion News Service. Their article said, "The pronouncement ... is so pathetic it seems cruel even to notice it. Better to let the belligerent words of Vatican conservatives pass unheard through the sands of reality."

The leader of the Anglican Church, Rev. George Carey, was miffed by "the idea that Anglican and other churches are not "proper churches." Muzammil Siddiqi, president of the Islamic Society of North America, retorted, "Our position is the same thing-that the Catholic position is deficient." A Jewish leader asked, "Who spoke directly to God to know who’s deficient?" Sat Maharaj, a leading Hindu of Trinidad, "took comfort in our knowledge that the Catholic Church holds no exclusive franchise to heaven."

On October 1, the Pope offered to clarify, "Our confession of Christ as the only Son isn’t arrogance that deprecates other religions but an expression of joyous gratitude." He added that the document "clarified essential Christian elements" and "doesn’t intend to express lack of consideration for the churches and ecclesiastic communities." Ms clarification neither refuted nor corrected any statement in the original text.

■ Our Way is the Only Way to God
Publication: Hinduism Today (USA)
Date: January / February, 2001

Catholic declarations such as Dominus Jesus are written for Catholic priests and theologians. They make difficult reading for the lay person, especially one neither familiar with the central concepts of the Catholic Church nor in possession Of a copy of the Unabridged Oxford English Dictionary. The Latin title, "Dominus Jesus" means "Lord Jesus," "Jesus is-Lord," or even "Jesus Rules." Following are excerpts from the document which is available in full at www.cin.org/docs/dominus-jesus.html. Our own explanations of some terms and concepts are included in brackets.

"The Church’s constant missionary proclamation is endangered today by relativistic theories which seek to justify religious pluralism. As a consequence, it is held that certain truths have been superseded; for example, the definitive and complete character of the revelation of Jesus Christ, the nature of Christian faith as compared with that of belief in other religions, the inspired nature of the books of Sacred Scripture, the unicity and salvific universality of the mystery of Jesus Christ [that is, salvation is only possible through Jesus], the universal salvific mediation of the Church [that is, the salvation through Jesus is only provided by the Catholic Church].

"The roots of these problems are to be found [in] the eclecticism of those who, in theological research, uncritically absorb ideas from a variety of philosophical’ and theological contexts without regard for consistency, systematic connection, or compatibility with Christian truth. "As a remedy for this relativistic mentality, which is becoming ever more common, it is necessary above all to reassert the definitive and complete character of the revelation of Jesus Christ.

"Therefore, the theory of the limited, incomplete, or imperfect character of the revelation of Jesus Christ, which would be complimentary to that found in other religions, is contrary to the Church’s faith. Such a position is in radical contradiction with the foregoing statements of Catholic faith according to which the full and complete revelation of the salvific mystery of God is given in Jesus Christ. "This distinction is not always borne in mind in current theological reflection Thus, [Catholic] theological faith is often identified with belief in other religions, which is religious experience still in search of the absolute truth and still lacking assent to God who reveals himself.

"Those solutions that propose a salvific action of God beyond the unique mediation of Christ would be contrary to Christian and Catholic faith. "The ecclesial communities which have not preserved the valid Episcopate and the genuine and integral substance of the Eucharistic mystery are not Churches in the proper sense [which includes the Anglicans, Presbyterians and all other Protestants]. They suffer from defects. [section 17] "It would be contrary to the faith to consider the Church as one way of salvation alongside those constituted by the other religions, seen as complementary to the Church or substantially equivalent to her. "Some prayers and rituals of the other religions may assume a role of preparation for the Gospel ... One cannot attribute to these, however, a divine origin.... Furthermore, it cannot be overlooked that other rituals, insofar as they depend on superstitions or other errors, constitute an obstacle to salvation.

"With the coming of the Saviour Jesus Christ, God has willed that the Church founded by him be the instrument for the salvation of all humanity. This truth of faith does not lessen the sincere respect which the Church has for the religions of the world, but at the same time, it rules out, in a radical way, that mentality of indifferentism characterized by a religious relativism which leads to the belief that one religion is as good as another. "Followers of other religions [are], objectively speaking,... in a gravely deficient situation in comparison with those who, in the Church, have the fullness of the means of salvation.

"Inter-religious dialogue, therefore, as part of her evangelizing mission, is just one of the actions of the Church in her mission ad gentes [that is, the Church’s efforts to convert all non-Christians]. Equality, which is a presupposition of Interreligious dialogue, refers to the equal personal dignity of the parties in dialogue, not to doctrinal content, nor even less to the position of Jesus Christ in relation to the founders of the other religions. "The Sovereign Pontiff John Paul II, at the Audience of June 16, 2000, granted to the undersigned Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, with sure knowledge and by his apostolic authority, ratified and confirmed this Declaration, adopted in Plenary Session and ordered its publication."

■ Conversion Slur on Tripura Church
Author: Sekhar Datta
Publication: The Telegraph (India), January 29, 2001

Allegations have been levelled against the Baptist Church in the state that it is forcibly trying to convert Hindu tribal students in schools run by it. The Baptist Church authorities in Khumlung have allegedly made it incumbent upon Hindu tribal students in a school near the headquarters of the autonomous district council to attend regular prayer sessions in a nearby church. With this allegation, the growing religious conflict between the National Liberation Front of Tripura and the Hindu resistance groups over the issue of forced conversion drive by militants has taken a new turn.

The NLFT is backed by the Church. The guardian of a student of the residential school said on condition of anonymity that his son and other students of the school were being "virtually forced" to attend prayer sessions at the church in Khumlung. He said, "We tribals have our traditional religious faiths and practices akin to Hinduism in many ways and this is very unfair on the part of school authorities to force underaged children to attend prayer sessions at the church." He further alleged, "Their basic purpose is probably to convert all students to Christianity."

Sources at Khumlung, the headquarters of the autonomous district council, named ADC executive member (education) Sridam Debbarma as "one of the patrons" of the move. However, Sridam Debbarma, when contacted over telephone, described the allegation as "completely false and malicious," asserting that he was a professional politician and not a religious preacher keen to convert or reconvert people. "India is a secular country and anyone can pursue or practise the religious faith of his choice and I have absolutely nothing to do with it," he said. Debbarma added that he was already overburdened with his political and administrative work and there was absolutely no question of thinking of such peripheral issues.

But official sources from Khumlung alleged that the authorities of Khumlung’s "Tanki Bazar Baptist Church" are engaged in persuading poor tribal students belonging to the impoverished jhumia (shifting cultivator) families to visit the church every Sunday and attend prayer sessions. The Khumpui Academy High School had been set up by the ADC authorities, when a coalition of the Congress and the Tripura Upajati Juba Samity was in control of the district council, mainly to impart free education to poor tribal students in the English medium. It than 500 students, half of whom are converted Christians. Besides, there were largescale financial irregularities in the school, sources alleged. The guardian of the students have brought the matter to the notice of the ADC authorities but no action has been taken so far.

■ The Jungle of Christ
Author:  David Kostinchuk
Source: People United For Religious Freedom Wesite. http://www.escape.ca/~dkost/

This article is titled "The Jungle of Christ" because there is a labyrinth of Christian television evangelists ( Evangelist: a person who brings the gospel to pagan people or nonbelievers) engaged in a massive worldwide well planned, organized onslaught against Hindus and Muslims in an effort to convert them to Christianity. The purpose of this paper is to alert non- Christians about the people involved in this assault on their religions, as well as their plans and methods. At the present time the research I have been doing has yielded more information on India because the people involved feel more secure in their progress to convert Hindus. The information of their assault on the Muslim religion is somewhat more secretive and guarded; however, Muslims should not feel complacent as the plans, methods and objectives of their assault on Islam are slowly surfacing.

List of Organizations Referred to in Paper:
The Jungle of Christ
Gold Teeth Miracle
Case History of A Woman Who Converted to Christianity

The following is a list of the organizations engaged in wholesale evangelism (The preaching of the gospel ) as well as the organizations that comprise their support systems. This list only includes organizations referred to in this paper.

Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN): Many people believe this network to be the world's largest Christian network. It consists of 536 broadcasting stations around the world that are owned or affiliated with CBN. (http://www.tbn.org/whois.htm). This network was started in 1973 and is presently headed by Paul and Jay Crouch. It is interesting to note that one of its original directors was Jim Bakker who spent five years in prison for fleecing his flock of $158,000,000. At the present time this organization grosses $100,000,000 a year. (The Orange County Register June 1 1999).

Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN): The Christian Broadcasting: Network was founded in 1960 by Pat Robertson. CBN is considered to be one of the largest Christian broadcasting television ministries and presently airs programs in the U.S. and 90 foreign countries. Their mission is to convert 5,000,000 people to Christianity by the year 2000. (http://www.cbn.org/about).

Life Outreach International ( LOI): James Robiison is the founder. Even though this organization has relief organizations they use these to support evangelistic endeavors. They state that they see 1,000,000 people convert to Christianity in a year. (http://www.lifetoday.org/pages106ffltr.htm). Trinity Television (TTY): This organization was started by Willard and Betty Thiessen and is based in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada. They are presently engaged in the US, Canada, India and plan to expand to convert Muslims. (TTY Newsletter; Nov. 1998).

Church Of The Rock International (COTRI): This group is led by Dr. Lawrence Kennedy. The purpose of this group is to combine ministers, pastors, evangelists and missionaries of different denominations into a coordinated group to convert people to Christianity. (COTRINewsletter; Oct.-Dec.1999).

700 Club: This is a daily Christian television program that is sponsored by the Christian Broadcasting Network. This show features Pat Robertson. They plan to reach an audience of over 1,000,000 daily. The 700 Club is used to raise money for CBN international operations. 700 club USA portrays Muslim and Hindu religions as being inferior and they are considered to be in spiritual error. (http://www.flex.com/~jai/articles/robertsn.html)

AD 2000: This group is focused on increasing an intensified effort on world evangelism by the year 2000. (AD 2000 And Beyond Overview; June 30, 1999)

Sat 7: This organization was started in 1995 to promote Christian satellite television service in North Africa and The Middle East, Iran and Iraq. (http://www.sat7.org/associate.htm).

Galileon International Films and Television Services (GIFTS): this group provides visual media in different languages for organizations and people engaged in the evangelism of Hindus and Muslims. (http://www.freeyellow.com/members/gifts/index.html )

Open Doors International: (ODI) This group have bible distribution campaigns to distribute bibles to non-Christian countries. ( ODI; Nov. 5, 1998)

The onslaught against Hindu and Muslim religions has a wide range of countries targeted by evangelist groups. Some countries such as Indonesia, Singapore and India are considered to have governments that are lax in their tolerance of activities of evangelists. Countries such as India are considered prime targets because of the high percentage of Muslims and Hindus and lower levels of education among the poor. The term 10/40 Window is used to describe the area which has the majority of non -Christian religions. This area stretches from Africa to Japan. Peter, Wagner the head of the AD2000 &Beyond Movement considers this area the final target for world evangelism. He considers this area as Satan's last stronghold. ( CBN News; Oct. 1, 1999) However the Turkic people are considered essential as a gateway to the Muslim world and is more important than the 10/40 Window. This area has been given the term " The 35/45 Turkie Window." This area is formed by the 35 and 45 degree latitudes and extends from Skopje, Macedonia to Urumchi, China. ( AD 2000 + Beyond Movement Overview; Aug. 18, 1999). Christian Broadcasting Network targets consist of India which contains 80% Hindus and 14% Muslims and Indonesia which is 87% Muslim. Countries in Africa include Kenya, Uganda, Burkina and Benin. CBN has 28 countries serviced by their ministries to convert Muslims. Among those are Cyprus, Iraq, Sudan, Afghanistan and Egypt. (http://.worldreach.org/muslim.html). Trinity Broadcasting Network has ministries in Africa and The Middle East This year they have added new stations in Indonesia, India, Ski Lanka, Kenya and Zambia.. (TBN Newsletter; Nov. 1998 ). There are; however, smaller evangelistic organizations such as The Church Of The Rock International which targets Asia, Africa and The Middle East. (http://www.northchurch.org/international.htm); Trinity Television which targets India, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyragyzstan. (TTY Newsletter; Nov. 1998)

Evangelists use the terms; "spread the teachings of Jesus," " spread the gospel," etc.; however, other people could say that this is brainwashing and conditioning people to convert to Christianity. They use relief organizations, mass media, television, distribution of tapes, bibles, movies tracks, etc. to start their conversion to Christianity. These are just tools to use in their efforts to convert people. Life Outreach International sponsors feeding programs and other relief to people during disasters such as drought, typhoons, earthquakes, etc. However they say that their main mission is not relief but they are committed to evangelism. They say that they have reached 4,000,000 children and they hope that some will become preachers or evangelists in addition to being saved. (http://www.lifetoday.org/pages106fftr.htm).

Christian Broadcasting Network distributes food ,clothing and money however they claim that they are winning ten times as many converts as they would if they were operating as only an evangelistic organization. In Indonesia they offer a feeding program, counseling center and a medical outreach program. (http://www.cbnworldreach.org/indonesia.html). Church of The Rock maintains hospitals, orphanages, bible schools and crises centers to spread the Gospel of Jesus. ( COTR Oct. DEC. 1999) AD 2000 operations in the Middle East contain self-help projects, childcare centers, youth camps and bible centers. (ref). Christian Broadcasting Network includes Muslim Ministries. Muslims are reached through satellite television service. Some of the programs are "Hayatoun Afddal" the Arabic version of "One Cubed" which targets Muslim teenagers.(http://www.cbnworldreach.org/muslim.html). They plan to introduce an animation program called "He Is Risen". This program portrays the hope and life that comes from knowing and accepting Jesus Christ.(http://www.cbnworldreach.org/indonesia.html) In addition they plan to introduce a program called "Inside Solutions" a thirty minute show which will be shown on a weekly basis. In The Far East they broadcast "Super book" which is an animated series of bible studies. This appeals to children. They also plan to open an indigenous production studio. In Africa they have gospel programming in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. They also broadcast news, sports and family entertainment in Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and Cyprus. Sat-7 provides Christian satellite television service to people in North Africa, The Middle East,Iran and Turkey.They plan to reach 200,000,000 people. They plan to have daily broadcasts for two hours a week in Arabic by the year 2000-2001. In 2002-2003 they plan to have a daily broadcast of three hours or more in addition a weekly broadcast in Arabic. In 2003+ they plan to have a 24 hour a day service via satellite. They have large expectations of conversion because of the unhindered ability of Christian evangelists to broadcast. ( Sat-7; Feb. 23,1998 ) Trinity Broadcasting Network has expanded to 784 foreign stations. New additions on cable television include: Delhi, Calcutta, Zambia and Lesotho. In Africa they have: Bophuthatswana, Kenya, Namibia, Swaziland, Transkei and Uganda. (http://tbn.org/newsltrs/9911/991105.htm). Information on programs in The Far East is somewhat limited. Another method of conditioning people is to introduce movies, tapes etc. to your target group. The 700 Club distributes video and literature. Life Outreach International produces programs, videos and audio cassettes in almost any foreign language. In India 1,000 videos of "The Life Of Jesus" were circulated where the gospel is not openly welcomed. In addition 5,000 copies were distributed throughout Arab nations in The Middle East. Bibles were also made available. (http://www.lifetoday.org/pages/india/htm). AD 2000 Organization India Reach is sending out direct mail to people. If they respond they are given personal visits within six weeks. Their goal is to reach 5,000,000 people by the year 2000. (http://www.ad2000.org/uter53.htm). Galilean International Films & Television Services has a cassette discipleship program. These tapes are used to convert people who are non literate. Neo-literate people are given 4 cassettes and a cassette player so they can work in different villages. (http://www.freeyellow.com/members/giftsna/index.html). Trinity Television is raising money to translate "Sonshiny Day' so they can distribute this tape to stations beaming into the former parts of The Union of Soviet Russia. Muslims are sent Christian literature if they write to the television stations. (TTY Nov. 1998) It is interesting to note that Trinity Television states that Muslims want morals and ethics put back in their government.

Miracles are another avenue to use in order to convince non-Christians to convert to Christianity. This can also be used to draw other Christians into the evangelical ministry. Unfortunately, people can be deceived and confused by these claims. This can be a draw to encourage poor people who do not have medical or dental care. However this can also be used toward the higher class in the sense that the evangelist is recognized by God as a superior being. Benny Hinn, a popular healing evangelis, claimed that " He is a Godman." " I'm a sample of Jesus." " I'm a super human being." ( Praise The Lord, TBN, Dec. 6, 1990 ). According to Neil Richardson - UK + Philip Powell - NZ Benny Hinn submitted 3 testimonies with doctor records as testimonies to the Christian Research Institute. Dr. Preston Simpson MD ( CRI's medical consultant ) stated that the documents were confusing and very poor.

Direct quote from The Christian Witness Magazine.
Case 1: Colon Cancer: A careful examination of the medical records supplied by Hinn reveals that the malignant tumor had been surgically removed ( along with the appendix and eight lymph nodes), rather than miraculously healed.

Case 2: Lupus and related disorders: This is a particularly interesting case in that lupus is well known to go in remission spontaneously for years at a time. This naturally makes miraculous healing difficult to verify. What can be verified are the effects of lupus - in this case damage to the sacroiliac joint - which was definitely not healed.

Case 3: Spinal tumor and various cancers: This case really has problems. To begin with, the tapes of the CAT scan of the spine were erased before the bones could be evaluated. Next, the records reveal that the spinal tumor began shrinking some three months prior to Hinn's Miracle Invasion Rally. And finally, the tumor was still present- not healed- months after the alleged "healing." (http://www.christian-witness.org/unmasked.....benny_hinn.html). "One 85 year old woman died after coming forward for a healing touch by Hinn after one of the zealots fell on top of her breaking her hip. The woman's family has a $5,000,000 lawsuit against Hinn. (http://www.christian.witness.org/unmasked.....benny_hinn.html). Hinn also appears on the Miracle Network-Tbn schedule for Asia/India. (http://tbn.org/indiasaturdayschedule.htm). Teeth being filled with gold is another example of how television evangelists claim to be recognized and rewarded by God. This article appeared in The National Post.

"TV EVANGELISTS FORCED TO RECANT CLAIMS OF GOD's DIVINE DENTISTRY

Willard Thiessen, who hosts a religious program on television was wrong in saying that God had implanted a gold tooth in his mouth, when in fact they had been implanted by a dentist. Dick Dewert a religious television broadcaster stated to his CJIL-TV audience in March that God had implanted a gold tooth in his mouth. In fact Dr. Jack Sherman, Mr. Dewert's dentist stated that he had put it in about ten years earlier. (http://www.nationalpost.com/network.asp?f=990512/2587127.html). Lindor Reynolds wrote that Willard Thiessen made a confession that God didn't give him a gold tooth, his brother Elmer did it. This was after Thiessen claimed that it was a miracle that his tooth had been filled and credited God with filling it. He also stated to Lindor that his wife Betty had two of her teeth filled while they were at a meeting. (Winnipeg Free Press May 12, 1999) Sigmond Freud (considered to be the father of western psychiatry ) would probably say that people who considered God to be their personal dentist were suffering from " delusions of grandeur). One of the biggest moneymakers for television evangeliststs is claiming to have great success in converting Muslims and Hindus to Christianity. They often cite testimonials of people who have been converted to encourage their flock to continue donating to their coffers. Testimonials are common, they cannot be disapproved and are very vague. Sat-7 citing their success used: "Eighteen year old boy from Syria." "Woman from Morocco." "Grandmother of regular viewing children" and "Man from Morocco." ( Sat-7 News Update-september 1999 ) These organizations often cite the success of their programs. Audry Meisner from (TTY) made an appeal for funds from their members to translate "Sonshiny Day" for people in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan. Don Wallace, a businessman from B.C. Canada , who supplies tapes, etc. told Audry that "Sonshiny Day" was a big success in the Far East. (Trinity Television Newsletter, Nov. 1999). At the other end of the continuum "Open Doors International" tend to bias their reports on anti Christian incidents. This can lead to hate and intolerance against non Christians. A few of the incidents they use are: Chad: More harassment against evangelist believers, Indonesia: 25 Christians killed, Saudi Arabia: deported the last 2 Filipino christians and Sudan: the regime began procedures to confiscate church property, etc. (http://www.gospelcom.net/od/country.htm). The television evangelist does not care about the disastrous results that conversion can have on family interaction. Often conversion can turn; parents against children, children against parents. Sibling against siblings, husbands against wives and wives against husbands. This can also happen to Christians when members of their families get caught up in the evangelist abyss. Evangelists use terms to brainwash and condition converts such as: Lay down your own agendas, ideas and control. " " Deal aggressively with the enemy." "Act in obedience to anything the Lord asks you to do." "Wait in silent expectancy of what the Lord tells you to do." ""We're in a real war." We're dealing with a real enemy." "Confess anything He reveals to you." "Our families, our relations, our testimonies are his main attack," and "Remove all hindrances and obstacles in your quest for Jesus." All of these can be used by unscrupulous evangelists to put a person under the evangelist's control and up families."

CASE HISTORY OF A WOMAN WHO CONVERTED TO CHRISTIANITY

1997: Usha Chamanlal converted to Christianity.
1998, Jan. Usha made contact with Willard Thiessen of "Trinity Television' " Its a New Day"
1998, Sept. Usha started working for "Trinity television"
1998, Nov. Usha stated that Betty Thiessen told her that if she made it harder on her husband he might become closer to God.
1998, Nov. Pastor Bob ( Willards son-in-law and Usha's counselor ) stated she should remove all hindrances and obstacles in her quest for Christ.
1998, Nov. Usha deserts her husband and abandons her eight year old son to live with Brent Anderson ( a cameraman at Trinity Television ) "to save souls for Christ " ( Letters and journals 1998, Nov.)

The results of converting to Christianity can be disastrous to converts and their families. It is interesting to note that these people want ethics and morals put into Muslim governments. The evangelist can find that breaking up families can be economically advantageous. Young people can contribute future earnings to the ministry. Young women and wives can be used sexually by the ministry. An economic advantage is also gained by wives who leave their husbands, especially in North America. If a woman is articulate she can be persuaded to go on the speakers circuit to make money for the ministry. (Abuse by her husband is a good topic in North America.) In North America there are professional speakers who go from church to church or ministry raising money for the people who sponsor them. If a woman has talents in the martial arts she can be persuaded to make teaching tapes for the ministry to distribute to create extra income. In North America the property is divided upon divorce. The woman can be persuaded to give the proceeds from the property settlement to the ministry. In Manitoba, Canada the assets: car, home, business, pension funds, etc. are divided 50/50 upon divorce. If the woman can be persuaded by the ministry to donate this money to the ministry this can be very lucrative. Widows alienated from their children can be asked to leave money to the ministry in their will when they die.

(Trinity Television Newsletter Nov. 1998) In North America a will is a legal document which describes who you want your money and assets to be given to when you die. In this paper I have only touched the surface of conversion to Christianity. If anyone wants to receive further information from me please e-mail. If you have links I would appreciate them. If you are want more of this information read the other articles on this website .If you have any comments on this article they would be appreciated.

The Rape of India
In the article " The Jungle Of Christ" I discussed the plans of the television evangelists and their assault on India. In this article I will deal with this subject in a more detailed perspective. The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines rape as:
1.take by force. 2. commit rape on. fig. forcible interference with institutions, country, etc. The rape of India is done in a model similar to a military model used to invade, occupy, control, or subject a population of a given country. PLUG, PREM, and Nice are acronyms that describe their plans methods and goals. PLUG refers to all the people, in every language, urban center and geographic division. PREM refers to prayer being offered, research on the target area, equip and train their people and mobilization must be constant. Nice refers to networking with indigenous people, using initiative when the results are stagnant, being a catalyst to encourage change, and to encourage cohorts engaged in evangelism. (http://www.ad2000.org/uters1.htm) At the present time North India is considered the core target of evangelists in their effort of world evangelism. They justify this to Christians by using derogatory remarks like " 900 million Hindus are spiritual bondage" (Baptist Press 10/99) or "900 million people lost in the hopeless darkness of Hinduism" (Baptist Press 11/99)

At the present time North India is considered to be the core target of the evangelists in their effort of world evangelism. North India is a major population and political center. It is also considered the religious hub of India, the most socially deprived, has the lowest literacy rate, having the smallest percentage of Christians in its population as well as having immense research done on the population. The evangelists consider North India as being the most accessible target in their plan for world wide evangelism as well as having an added incentive of having a Muslim population of 140 million. The southern Baptists plan to have 4,700 southern Baptist work with millions of international partners. Their goal is to have 15,000 career missionaries, 50,000 volunteers, and 1,000 southern Baptist college grads every year. The length of service for the college grads is to be two years. ( Baptist Press 11/22/99)

The evangelists strategy for North India includes treating Indian missions and Indian evangelists as equal considering that India has a strong GNP and a growing middle-class. Due to the large population base the evangelists strategy includes dividing up the population base into smaller target groups such as women estimated to number 487 million or girls under 15 which is estimated to number 158 million. They plan to use literacy programs o target the illiterate which is estimated to be 48% of the population. They also plan to supply the Indian church with tools such as translators, humanitarian relief, etc. so the churches can become self sustaining and would not need outside assistance. (http://www.gem-werc/mmrc9812.htm). The evangelists India outreach teams -hbi ministries international-India provide schools, orphanages, medical centers etc. In a six week period outreach teams ministered to 19,000 children and taught Hindu and Muslim students in Christian schools.

The reader of this article should be aware of the fact that these students could be influenced toward Christianity by their teachers. In addition orphanages can be the breeding ground for future evangelists. In an orphanage children could be brainwashed and conditioned during school and after school. The children in an orphanage can have their social life controlled after school so they only socialize with evangelists. These children have no family or other people outside of the evangelists to look after their welfare so they can easily be programmed.

The Dogs of Christ
This letter is about how my family was torn apart by television evangelists. One part of the letter it states the things that they tell a convert to their ministry in order to condition the convert. This article is being sent out to make people aware of the actions of some the power hungry, egotistical evangelists who are using god, Jesus, the bible and Christianity as an excuse to try to convert people to Christianity. While there are many charlatans who use this technique for their personal gain, whether political or economic there are missionaries over there that have a genuine concern for their fellow man. These people respect the religion and customs of other people and detest and abhor the tactics that people like Willard use. (Willard should clean up his own actions before condemning other people). It has come to my attention that Mr. Willard Thiessen of "Trinity Television" It's a New Day is expanding his efforts to expand evangelism in the far east. His target is Muslims as well as Hindus. I am sending you some information on him, propaganda he is passing out as well as an example of the results of his efforts. Mr. Thiessen's daughter Audery Meisner puts on a program that targets kids by using puppets etc. It is designed to convert and condition kids to convert to Christianity, while ignoring the social consequences of this act such as turning kids against their parents.{Newsletter Nov.1998) (Direct Quote)

"SONSHINY DAY IN CENTRAL ASIA" by Audrey Meisner

In the last four months this thought has been confirmed four times over. SONSHINY DAY IS NOT OVER. The lord is opening new doors beyond our wildest dreams. Just a few weeks ago, Don Wallace a businessman from BC who provides Christian TV programs for Central Asia called. He excitedly told us that Sunshiny Day has been a huge success in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan since beginning airing several months ago. These countries alone have a combined potential viewing audience of 56 million people. These countries only have two or three channels to choose from and the dial is proving to stop right at Sonshiny Day. The multigenerational families watch TV together. Grandmas and Grandpas, teenagers and little children and the seem to love an aspect of this program. The young girls like the fashion, the older people like the values and morals, and the kids simply love the action. As they are writing to the TV stations about Sonshiny Day, they are being sent Christian literature in their language to help them grow in their faith. The twelve shows have been used over and over again. It's time for new shows to be translated. This is an expensive process. First the Canadian programs are transcribed on a computer disc. This is already in progress, then it is given to CBN in the Ukraine, where they have the equipment and the people to completely translate every word into Russian. The songs, the puppets, everything. This is an expensive process, totaling $400 US per program. In order to get 30 more programs on the air, this will cost $12,000 US.  Don Wallis says," It's thrilling to see the response from these people. They are so positive, because they want morals and ethics put back in the government so that people can begin to live normal lives. Sonshiny Day is exactly what they want." After the new shows are translated, the rest of Russia will also use them, and that's another 100 million people. Will we, as North Americans invest our money into these translations? I sure hope we can start to see beyond our borders and reach out to the rest of the world. I've never regretted making, Sonshiny Day a "no compromise" to the point show about Jesus Christ and his saving power. Now I'm even more glad. These precious people are getting the message loud and clear.

Let's spread the good news!" Here is an example of of conditioning he puts people through in guidelines for them to follow.(Newsletter Nov. 1998) (Direct Quote). 1.Ask the lord to purify your heart. Ask him to forgive you, and let you see your heart as He sees it..
2.Confess anything he reveals to you.
3.Acknowledge your need for the holy spirit to direct your prayer time, and lead you according to His heart.
4.Lay down your own agendas, ideas and control. Empty yourself of any concerns and let the peace of the lord be your guide.
5.Come against distractions that hinder your thoughts.
6.Deal aggressively with the enemy and any specific attacks that are against you..
7.Take time to praise and thank the lord for the time you'll have together.
8.Ask for the fear of the Lord to act in obedience to anything He may ask you to do or say.
9.Wait in silent expectancy of what he wants to tell you.
10.After He reveals direction and strategy, pray according to this with the power and authority He has given you in the name of Jesus." However is it possible Mr. Thiessen tells you what the lord wants you to do? Here is a chronological list of events as they occurred to my wife.

1990 I married Usha Chamanlal.
1997 My wife converted to Christianity.
1998 Jan. My wife saw Willard on television and she made contact with him. She kept in close contact with him.
1998 Sept. Usha started working at Trinity Television. During the time period from when she started until she left she ignored our 8-year-old boy.
1998 Sept 18 Usha mentioned in her e-mail that Betty Thiessen (Willard's wife) said," If Dave has greater brokeness he might turn closer God." Betty was her advisor and mentor.
1998 Sept. I mentioned that I would divorce her if she continued to act the way she did.
1998 Oct. 18 My wife sent e-mail stating that Pastor Bob Meisner (Willards son-in-law) said," Hindrances in her life that inhibit her calling to God should be removed.". (Bob is also her advisor and mentor) Usha stated," Dave has been a snare and obstacle in my path for Jesus."
1998 Nov. 1 She wrote in letters in which she was talking to God that we were like snakes and vipers who must be eliminated by fire because we multiply like mice. This is in response to me taking our boy out for Halloween.
1998 Sept. 4 Usha wrote a letter saying that in her conversation with God she must unite with Brent Anderson to save souls for the Lord. He was a cameraman for "Its A New Day."
1998 Nov. 20 Usha deserted me and abandoned our boy so she could commit adultery with Brent. She justifies this according to Matthew 5:12"32 "But I say unto you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery.

As you can see if a person converts to Christianity the results could be dramatic if the person becomes brainwashed and conditioned. If you would like to help fight against despicable people like Willard please contact me. Willard's web site is www.newday.org His e-mail address is staff@newday.org. If you think that his program discriminates against your religion or spreads hate and intolerance you can complain to the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council at: complaints@cbsc.ca (you can contact them to see the procedure and who is eligible) You must be in an area where you can watch his program to register a complaint.

Yours respectfully,
David Kostinchuk

About the Author: My family was broken up by a television evangelist, resulting in my wife living with a member of her church to save souls for Christ. In addition she abandoned her 8 year old boy At first to me it was a simple solution to ignore television evangelists by changing the channel on the television. I soon started watching them and did not like what I heard so I became curious and started to watch them to see what they had to say, which led me to do more research in this area. I have put my letters and research in chronological order. The alert observer of these writings will notice how in my first letter called " TV Evangelist Abyss " I started my attack on television evangelists. In the second letter it shows that I started to look at the television evangelists plans against Muslims and Hindus which is called "The Dogs of Christ." In the article called "The Jungle of Christ" I had written after doing research on the variables of global evangelism. This article just touches the surface of the dynamics that I explored. I will go into these subjects into more detail in future articles. I tried to write the articles in such a way to give ordinary people and students links and web sites if they choose to do research on this subject. I wish to thank Muslims, Hindus and Christians who took the time to e-mail me and for the time they took to do research to find links to aid me.

David Kostinchuk

■ Unholy War
Author: J Seesha Sai
Source: Trinidad Express, Feb. 11, 1999

TENSION seems to be building up in the tiny island republic of Trinidad and Tobago with a prominent Hindu leader declaring "war" against the Christian community. Blasting the Christians for their "aggressive conversion designs", Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha secretary general Satnarayan Maharaj had said, "Hindus will no longer be charitable or passive in their dealing with these groups. Don't let them come to your doorstep. Do not let them into your house. Tell them to get out. Throw them out of the villages. Don't offer any hospitality." Nearly 16,000 kilometres away from India, where the Trinidad and Tobago Hindus hail from, and more than 150 years after the first batch of Hindus landed in Port of Spain as indentured labourers, the scene seems no different from the one in their ancestral homeland. Conversion seems to be the cause of the cauldron here too, with the likes of Maharaj running a campaign against the "evil designs".

Who will take it lying down if these Christians distribute pamphlets denigrating Hindu gods when mourners are cremating their dear ones? One such incident happened in Mosquito Creek in south Trinidad, where the people who brought the "message of Jesus" were beaten up. This incident happened two months ago. Last Divali, Christian groups went from house to house, calling a Hindu goddess "prostitute'', Maharaj told Rediff On The NeT. Warning of a "social earthquake" if the "detractors of Hinduism continue to ride roughshod over them", he said what was happening was a conspiracy to destabilise Trinidad and Tobago. Asked how the situation compares with the one in India, he said: "The same thing is happening there. The Western media does not give the complete picture. They don't give the Hindu perspective at all. However, in Trinidad and Tobago, we are more aggressive because we are a minority, though 40 per cent of the population has Indian roots only 25 per cent are Hindus. What is more, we are surrounded by 700 million Christians (referring to South America, North America and the Caribbean)... It is a miracle that even after 150 years we can still find Hindus in Trinidad and Tobago. It is a miracle that we have a Hindu Prime Minister.''

Maharaj also said his SDMS has no ties with the Sangh Parivar. "We interact with them and exchange ideas." The Congress and its president Sonia Gandhi are unnecessarily blaming the Sangh Parivar for the anti-Christian attacks back in India, he feels. "Didn't they send in troops to the North-East to end militancy? In the North-East, they are not only trying to convert people, but also seek independence from India. The Congress is now trying to reap political mileage by denigrating the Vajpayee government...There is nothing earth-shattering about such anti-Christian attacks. Such attacks have taken place elsewhere, in other countries... But what is shocking is the Christians in India are asking the US to intervene! I can't understand how an Australian can live in India for so many years and preach... You need permission to preach even in the US." A leading Hindu advocate in Port of Spain was also critical of the evangelical groups. "They think you are not civilised until you embrace Christianity. They think Hindus are like the African tribals who need to be exposed to civilisation."

However, a leading woman executive in the capital blamed politics for the situation. "I am a Hindu from India. But I have several Christian friends." A leading businessman agreed. "Such things are raked up during elections, and forgotten... Only a handful of people are kicking up the controversy." If that is so, why has a war been declared against the entire community? "Our war is only against Afro-Christian evangelists. Not Anglicans, Roman Catholics, Seventh-day Adventists and all such groups which are members of the Inter-Religious Organisation, which is a secular outfit," said Maharaj, adding that several Christians felt "we reacted too violently". Roman Catholic Archbishop Anthony Pantin had given a new twist to the controversy with his statement that there was no need for confrontation between the SDMS and the Thusia Seventh-day Adventist Church of Morvant which is allegedly behind the Christian "aggression". Describing the incidents as very disturbing, Pantin had said this would not solve their differences.
However, Thusian minister Noel Emmanuel Jack had accused the government of promoting Hindu religion. "The Church is justified in its condemnation of Hinduism. We have a Hindu government that is trying to include a part of Hindu culture in everything. It is important to be aware of the immoralities of Hinduism."

He admitted, according to reports in the local media, that his organisation had distributed pamphlets bearing titles like, "The Hindu scriptures show Shiva to be an immoral and deranged vagrant" and "How Tantric sex worship to Maha Kali promotes adultery, incest and sex orgies as Hindu religious practice". "Our concern is with the salvation of Hindus. The pamphlets show the gross contradiction in Hindu scriptures. Thusians do believe that Hinduism is pagan. We are the only ones fighting against Hinduism in a scholarly and intellectual way," he had told the Sunday Guardian newspaper. Jack and Pantin were unavailable for comment. "Who are they to make such statements? We should have the freedom to practise the religion we like," shot back the principal of a school in Carapichaima in central Trinidad. The principal was equally critical of statements blaming the present "Hindu" government for violence. "Hindu PM?" he roared. "This is a racial press. They never called anyone a Christian PM. Why should they..." To end the conversions, Maharaj felt that Trinidad and Tobago's blasphemy laws should be amended. "The centuries old British law at present protects only Christians. Not Hindus.'' [J Seesha Sai is one of the journalists who accompanied India's Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to T&T this week.]

■ Christians should practise their faith without seeking to malign others
Author: Swami Aksharananda
Source: Stabroek News (Guyana), Friday, June 1st 2007

Dear Editor,

"In Jesus Me Can't Die" is a DVD song in chutney style routinely heard on several of the nation's television stations including the state-owned NCN. The singer, a certain Mr. Anil Azeez, glorifies Jesus Christ as saviour, which is standard christian belief. Clearly, the singer is entitled to his religious beliefs and has the right to practise and propagate them even if it may be on public funds. But what must be unequivocally and vigorously condemned is the provocative attack on Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims in the same song which goes on to say: "allah, krishna, buddha can't set me free."

In a multi-cultural context and in the present environment of heightened religious sensitivities worldwide as we propagate our ideologies and beliefs we have to ensure that it is done in a way not to cause hurt to others, especially when we speak of them. Our country is blessed with a remarkable religious and cultural diversity in which, significantly enough, Hindus and Muslims, the communities vilified in the song, together make up close to 50% of the total population. Is it not sheer reckless arrogance on the part of the singer that while proclaiming his faith he deliberately chooses to offend such a large segment of the population?

Lest we think that this is an isolated indiscretion, Mr. Azeez's performance reveals a phenomenon quite common to world religions where the proclamation of one's faith is concomitant with the denigration of the faith of others. As a matter of fact this tendency was already quite entrenched among the newer religions that arose in the Middle East which seemed destined to devalue and, wherever possible, decimate, mostly by foul and violent means, earlier religious beliefs and practices.

Look, for example, at the genesis of Christianity. While many of the world's most renowned biblical scholars are of the opinion Jesus did not say, and indeed could not have said, several of the statements attributed to him in the four gospels, the Gospel of John succeeded in making Jesus himself a Jew-hater by imputing to him some of the earliest and unambiguous anti-semitic sentiments found anywhere in Christianity.

It is also known that these Middle Eastern faiths possess three salient characteristics. According to Aravind Sharma, professor of Religious Studies, McGill University, the religions of the Middle East are conclusive, that is each will argue that it is the one and only true religion. They are also exclusionary, that it those who do not subscribe to them are excluded from salvation, and finally they are separatist, that is, to belong to any one of them, one must not belong to another. Consequently, any attempt to present and propagate these faiths inexorably leads to confrontation with others.

But confrontation is not necessary. If these Christians who denounce other faiths to promote their creed knew the history of the origins of Christianity they would realize that much of what passes for Christianity today was already prefigured in the pagan Mystery religions of the Hellenistic world. In fact once their minds are open they would come to realize that the historical thread of Christianity goes back to a much earlier time.

One recalls Sigmund Freud's scathing iconoclastic dictum that the Bible is a 'total plagiarism' of Sumerian and Egyptian mythologies. In examining this connection it will be seen that the most important Christian symbol, the cross, is derived from the Hindu swastika and that every fundamental Christian dogma, from the virgin birth to the crucifixion and resurrection, owes its origins to the pre-Christian religions of India, Greece, Iran and most of all Egypt.

One of the most charming features of Christianity is the picture of Mary and baby Jesus. Yet historians tell us that Egypt and its peoples had knelt at the shrine of the Madonna and Child Isis and Horus for many long centuries before, as Tom Harpur, former Anglican priest and Professor of Greek and New Testament, University of Toronto puts it, "any allegedly historical Mary lifted a supposedly historical Jesus in her arms." Harpur further tells us that far from being an original contribution to the world of religions, Christianity was turned in the early centuries into a literalist copy of a resplendent spiritual forerunner.

He goes on to say, "there is nothing the Jesus of the Gospels said or did, from the Sermon on the Mount to the miracles, from his flight as an infant from Herod to the Resurrec-tion itself, that cannot be shown to have originated thousands of years before, in Egyptian Mystery rites and other sacred liturgies such as the Egyptian Book of the Dead."

Two British scholars, Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy, in examining the close parallels between the Greco-Roman Mystery Religions and early Christianity in the case of the beliefs, doctrines, rituals and rites based upon the Osiris/Dionysus story, the hero is the saviour of mankind, God Incarnate, born of a virgin in a cave on December 25; he has a star appear at his birth, is visited by magi from the East, and turns water into wine at a wedding; he heals the sick, casts out demons and performs miracles; he is transfigured before his disciples, rides on a donkey into a special city, is betrayed for thirty pieces of silver, and celebrates a communal meal with bread and wine; he is put to death on a cross, descends into hell, and is resurrected on the third day; he dies to redeem the world's sin; he ascends into heaven and is seated beside God as a divine judge. Coincidence? Clearly, the parallels are too strong to ignore! Hopefully knowledge will temper arrogance making room for humility to find a place in the heart.

Going back to the saviour theme, the singer's effrontery is matched only by his ignorance, willful or otherwise, of Hinduism when he declares, "… Krishna … can't set me free." Among the contemporary, living religions of the world with an ancient root nowhere is the saviour theme more copiously depicted than in the religion of Krishna. This is precisely what Blessed Lord says in the Bhagavad Gita: I will liberate you, free you, and break the shackles of your bondage. Don't you worry (18:66). Krishna in the Gita says, "I am the way and the destination, the goal, the supporter, the lord, the witness, the abode, the refuge, and most importantly the mother and the father" (9:17-18) and "I rescue those drowning in the ocean of birth and death" (12:7). So all that Mr. Azeez needs to do is to open his heart and even he will find redemption in the saving grace and mercy of the Lord of the Gita.

Some will argue that Mr. Azeez is expressing his freedom of speech, freedom of artistic expression. But should there be any limitation on a person's freedom of speech, especially in a case like this? Should artistic freedom give a person the licence to inflict hurt on others? What should be the role of the TV stations, the Broad-casting Commission? And, clearly the most important question: Can Christians, and others too, teach, promote, and practise their faith without directly or indirectly, implicitly or explicitly seeking to malign others? If the answer to this question is yes, then there is hope that we may still be able to live in harmony. Contemplating the consequences of the alternative is unthinkable.

Yours faithfully,
Swami Aksharananda

■ The claim of seeking to establish a Hindu nation is absurd
Author: Somadatta Mahabir Nandalall
Source: Stabroek News, Friday, June 15th 2007

Dear Editor,

I have had the opportunity to listen to the song "In Jesus Me Can't Die" and find it very inflammatory. The theological implications of the song is that Jesus is superior to Allah, Krishna and Buddha, for the singer emphasizes that "Allah, Krishna, Buddha can't set me free." This is a theology of hate, and Swami Aksharananda ["Christians should practice their faith without seeking to malign others" (SN 06/01/07)], the brilliant Hindu scholar, took a moral and ethical stance against the song by showing historical examples of the violent consequences of such a theology. It is a matter of national significance since the song, as Swami Aksharananda pointed out, targets the religious sensibilities of approximately 50% of population. Therefore, for peaceful religious coexistence and tolerance, even the Christian evangelical leadership must condemn this song. I propose that eventually people of all faiths, whatever their religious persuasions, will have to arrive at the age-old Hindu position that the saving grace of God is not limited to a particular church or religion.

Roger Williams in his letter captioned "Swami Aksharananda's criticism of Christianity is part of a resurgent Hindu nationalism" (SN 06/07/07) offered what he considered a rebuttal to the issues at hand, stated "Aksharananda's historical outline of Christianity is to be considered inane babbling." However, Williams avoided addressing the points raised in Swami's letter, but went off-track theorizing that people like Swami Aksharananda and others who speak up for Hindu interests in Guyana are merely seeking to establish a Hindu nation. This is outlandish propaganda because everyone knows that the ruling PPP historically accepts the ideology of Marxism, which by definition is incompatible with Hinduism. Swami Aksharanada himself has been subjected to widespread harassment by the PPP machinery, which I think will haunt them in history.

Most of Williams' letter was preoccupied with the Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which he obviously knows little about. Williams says that the RSS is "elusive and shadowy - it is open only to Hindu males - primarily upper caste." This is pure nonsense! I recommend that William visit the RSS website (www.rss.org).

In a further attempt to demonize the RSS, Williams referred to the now defunct article entitled, "The Foreign Exchange of Hate: IDRF and the American Funding of Hindutva." The report had no official impact in US where it was planned and executed. Why? Biju Mathew, an author of this report was found to be a coordinator of the Forum of Indian Leftists, another name for the communists in India. The press conference in Delhi to release the report was organized by a well-known communist organization. Like in Guyana, the communists in India are against Hindu awakening.

In closing, I quote Swami Aksharananda: "One of the great gifts of Hinduism to humanity is unity in diversity" (Hindu Sangam speech in Tampa, Florida, 09/18/06). Guyana is a multicultural society and this great utterance of "unity in diversity" is important for the country's development, and is particularly relevant to a world still struggling with the aftermath of 9/11.

Yours faithfully,
Somadatta Mahabir Nandalall