[Unam Sanctam]

India has responded with diplomatic equanimity to Pope Benedict XVI's seemingly provocative remarks condemning attempts to ban religious conversion in certain states.

Indian states attempt to deny religious freedom, and the Pope is being "provocative" by condemning this human rights breach? Give me a break!

[bnelson44]

Kinda nice to have a Pope again....

[starbase]

I guess I'm suffering a disconnect between this:

New Delhi responded on Friday with a statement, reiterating the constitutional "freedom of conscience" and the right to freely profess, practise and propagate religion. "It is acknowledged universally that India is a secular and democratic country where adherents of all faiths enjoy equal rights," said a foreign ministry spokesperson.

And this:

In India, the statement comes in the backdrop of Rajasthan planning to become the sixth state to enact the anti-conversion law the pope was referring to.

[Hieronymus]

Ping

[NYer]

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[The Lion Roars]

The Pope should first apologise for the brutal inquisition in Goa. The Portugese conquerers of Goa didnt even spare the peaceful jewish community. A synagogue was burnt down and the jews were subject to an inquisition along the hindus.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goa_Inquisition

The Goa Inquisition was the office of the Inquisition acting in the Indian city of Goa and the rest of the Portuguese empire in Asia. Established in 1560, it was aimed primarily at Hindus and wayward new converts and by the time it was suppressed in 1774, the inquisition had had thousands of people executed and tortured. Christian missionary St. Francis Xavier, in a 1545 letter to John III, requested for an Inquisition to be installed in Goa. St. Francis Xavier made it a point not only to convert the people but also destroy the idols and ancient places of worship

http://www.apol.net/dightonrock/inquisition_goa.htm

The Inquisition in Goa, on account of its rigors, was reputed to be the worst of the existing inquisitions in the catholic orb of the five parts of the world, as felt unanimously by national and foreign writers. The inquisition, this tribunal of fire, thrown on the surface of the globe for the scourge of humanity, this horrible institution, which will eternally cover with shame its authors, fixed its brutal domicile in the fertile plains of the Hindustan. On seeing the monster everyone fled and disappeared, Moguls, Arabs, Persians, Armenians, and Jews. The Indians even, more tolerant and pacific, were astounded to see the God of Christianism more cruel than that of Mohammed, deserted the territory of the Portuguese and went to the lands of the Muslims, with whom time had made peaceful living possible, in spite of the fact that they (Indians) had received from them enormous and incalculable evils. In this fashion the fields and cities became deserted as are today Diu and Goa

The inquisition did not punish only the Christians accused of having trespassed, but also Muslims, Hindus, and other foreigners of different religions: they were accused of practicing their religion in Portuguese lands, subject to the Portuguese crown, where Catholicism was the Law. Many were condemned to whipping and work in the galleys, and this fear of being condemned to the stake, often made these gentiles and Muslims embrace christianism as a mode of escape.

[Gengis Khan]

Ping!

[familyop]

"New Delhi responded on Friday with a statement, reiterating the constitutional 'freedom of conscience' and the right to freely profess, practise and propagate religion. 'It is acknowledged universally that India is a secular and democratic country where adherents of all faiths enjoy equal rights,' said a foreign ministry spokesperson."

I don't see any problem with that. In at least one part of India (north or northeast), even Christian guerrilla groups have massacred villagers who refused to convert. Apparently, India is trying to prevent such violence from all sides.

[starbase]

I'm not sure what to think about laws telling people they can't advertise their religions, but I have worked with some Indian guys who told me that the people in the countryside are like people in feudal times, they're completely ignorant.

One guy said missionaries will give a Tylenol to some poor, uneducated guy who was complaining of a headache, then when the headache goes away, they tell him Jesus cured it, so he converts.

I would guess this law is meant to stop overt abuses like that, and other examples of taking advantage of the local people's temporary disadvantage of backwardness.

[beavus]

Ideally, the government of a free society wouldn't identify in law ANY religion. Either people are free to peacefully speak, read, gather, and act, or they are not. If some group of people wants to label itself a "religion", that should be up to them. The government should have nothing to do with it, and should not treat them any different than anyone else.

A truly impartial government would codify neither protections nor penalties specifically for religion.

[GregH]

I suspect this law would probably be against the Indian constitution which guarantees freedom of religion.

But Indian court system is archaic and slow and full of politics, it would take some effort to get these laws repealed which are passed by the State not the Federal Govt.

The upper caste hindus who sit at the top of the Hindu caste sytem that is oppressive and demeaning and in some cases even worse than slavery, dont like religious conversions to Christianity etc which are mostly happening at the lower end of the caste sytem. These upper caste hindus sneer at conversions and are worried at their loss of power base.

They try to whip up nationalist religious fervour but they fail because majority of Hindus are by and large tolerant, peaceful and respectful of other religions especially Christianity as they see the good it has done in their society when it comes to schools, social development etc. Since India is a democracy these bigots cannot get their views across to get elected in a big way since their views are in a minority, outside a minority of states where their nationalist party is in office they dont command much respect.

[dennisw]

The Pope should concentrate his efforts in Muslim nations. Hindus are peaceful pagans who are not bent on world conquest. Leave them alone. Go convert the idolators of Muhammad and moon gawd allah

[Antoninus]

India has responded with diplomatic equanimity to Pope Benedict XVI's seemingly provocative remarks condemning attempts to ban religious conversion in certain states.

Ah, I see. India institutes religious repression. Pope condemns it. Pope's words are provocative, not India's actions.

Sometimes, propaganda is just too easy to see through.