Missionaries face jail in India

The Sunday Times ^ | July 30, 2006 | Dean Nelson, Delhi

[vimto]

JULIA and Richard do not look like fugitives but they could be jailed under new Indian laws to stop missionaries converting low-caste Hindus to Christianity without a magistrate’s approval. A well educated British couple with young children, they left London two years ago to teach missionary work in some of India’s poorest states, such as Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Orissa.

Last week Madhya Pradesh became the latest state to pass an anti-religious conversion bill that could leave Christian missionaries open to criminal charges. Leaders of India’s 26m Christians say the bill is an attempt to intimidate and persecute them, while increasing votes for the Hindu nationalist BJP party. Under its provisions missionaries and their converts face up to three years in jail if they do not notify a magistrate of their intentions.

Christian leaders also fear the initiative will encourage attacks against them. India’s National Commission for Minorities has voiced concern about incidents in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in which orphanages and schools have been targeted.

Last month police in Madhya Pradesh raided a Bible study group and arrested worshippers after complaints that they were converting Hindus. Nuns have been raped and several priests have been murdered in the past seven years. Last year 11 members of a Hindu mob that burnt an Australian missionary and his two young sons to death as they slept had their convictions overturned.

Hindu fundamentalists claim missionaries, mostly American and South Korean, prey on the ignorance of lower castes and persuade them to turn against their culture. The missionaries say they provide education and healthcare and teach the Bible to untouchables whose own religion treats them as outcasts.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Hey WKB, do ya'll like to beat up Hindu missionaries over there in Mississippi?

I've never heard of such a thing, and see 3 Hindu temples in the Jackson area, but someone keeps claiming that ya'll don't allow them:

http://tinyurl.com/jyu4n

[WKB]

It's been a long day for me and
when I was a little boy my hair was blond
so explain to me how Mississippi got involved
in this thread.

[WKB]

Can a brown hindu woman win a Senate seat from Mississipi??



Is one running?

[Diddle E. Squat]

Posts 96 & 97.

It is wrong to state that Hindu missionaries would be welcome in the SOuth. First of all hindu missionaries are not even allowed inside the US....Can a brown hindu woman win a Senate seat from Mississipi?? We all know the answer.

Over the last couple of months on several thread this poster has stated that Hindu missionaries are beaten if they go to MS, aren't allowed in the US, are chased out of the South, etc. I finally got fed up and pinged the person I knew from MS. Perhaps I shouldn't have dragged you in, but I'm rather tired of the lies about the US and Mississippi.

[WKB]

"Posts 96 & 97.

It is wrong to state that Hindu missionaries would be welcome in the SOuth. First of all hindu missionaries are not even allowed inside the US....Can a brown hindu woman win a Senate seat from Mississipi?? We all know the answer.

Over the last couple of months on several thread this poster has stated that Hindu missionaries are beaten if they go to MS, aren't allowed in the US, are chased out of the South, etc. I finally got fed up and pinged the person I knew from MS. Perhaps I shouldn't have dragged you in, but I'm rather tired of the lies about the US and Mississippi."






Kind Moderator would you please ask
"The Lion Roars" to refrain from making
unsubstantiated statements and flat out lies about Mississippi and the US. "The Lion Roars Since Mar 2, 2006" WE may have a troll on the line.

[WKB]

Check Karma's sign on date

[saalebhosdike]

I pray to God that I be saved from those who wants to save my soul.

Well said!

[saalebhosdike]

The vast majority are NOT involved in terror. Why not draw up a list of terror organizations that are not allowed, much like the US does. But banning ALL missionaries...most of whom are NOT involved in terror is ridiculous.

Gosh! Replace 'missionaries' by, say, 'muslims'. Say that and FR will give a free ticket out, tchya?

[saalebhosdike]

You obviously have no concept of freedom. Why do you even bother to take part in a forum named "Free Republic"? When it comes to the concept of freedom you are clueless.

:-) Can't stop laughing....

[The Lion Roars]

Nice to quote me out of context. This is a thread about India and I found people indulging in baseless allegations. Anyways dissecting your comment..

It is wrong to state that Hindu missionaries would be welcome in the SOuth.

You think otherwise??

Can a brown hindu woman win a Senate seat from Mississipi

Nice to quote me selectively. Here is the context- A White Catholic Italian Woman heads the largest political party in India - the Congress Party. Would you then call India an intolerant and undemocratic state??

WE may have a troll on the line.

I know what I am!! I sorry but I dont need to convince YOU. I hope FR is free enough to allow me to express my opinion. I have made some good friends since my time here and relish the discussions. Unfortunately this isnt one. Enough said!!

[Gengis Khan]

Suits me fine.

Hindus don't convert people anyways. There is no concept of conversion in Hinduism. "Conversion" itself is a western concept and has no parallels in Hinduism.

[Gengis Khan]

"What He says about Himself is contradicted by what I understand is believed about Shiva. "

And tell me what is it that you know about Shiva is contradicted by Jehova? What makes you think that the two are mutually exclusive?

[Gengis Khan]

That is quite true. The point is Britain itself isn't a heaven of tolerance.

[Justice]

You only took half my quote dumb@$$. Go back and read the whole post I made.

[Gengis Khan]

"I would like to see the foreign Indian Religions being banned from coming into America. "

BTW Christianity is as much "Indian Religion" as in Hinduism. Christianity came to India long before it reached Europe and long before America was even discovered. So to ban "Indian Religions" you will have to ban Christianity as well.

I didnt talk about banning Christianity (read my posts again). I am talking about banning foreign Missionaries. I am not against Christianity, I am against Evangelical fascism (very much wahabbism) which isn't Christianity.

[Diddle E. Squat]

"Conversion" itself is a western concept and has no parallels in Hinduism.

And apparently also the concept that all men are created equal and endowed with certain inalienable rights.

[Gengis Khan]

The Christian propagandist media draws a very nice picture about missionaries helping the poor with food, medicine education etc but the ground reality is very different. An unchecked growth of Missionary activities in NE have given rise to a major security and law enforcement issue. Even if they may be low in numbers the Church is by no means short on funds comming from America and weaponry comming from across the border.

Check this:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/717775.stm
http://www.freeindiamedia.com/current_affairs/21_july_current_affairs.htm
http://indpride.com/churchbacksterrorism.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/south_asia/899422.stm

[Gengis Khan]

"And apparently also the concept that all men are created equal and endowed with certain inalienable rights."

If true, I don't understand why it didn't dawn upon you guys to practice it until the 60's.

Slavery, racism, inquisition, pogrom, holocaust weren't exactly Indian concepts.

[saalebhosdike]

Who gives a cr@p what you posted? I'm having fun at so many levels here... hahahaha...