Posted on 08/14/2004 2:49:30 AM PDT by joylazarus
An Open Letter to His Excellency Luigi Ventura - Papal Nuncio to Canada Re: Sri. Sri. Ravisankar’s Speech in St. Joseph’s Oratory
Your Excellency,
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus!
I think I am one of the right persons who should respond to the issue of Sri Sri Ravisankar, an Indian spiritual leader, having his public speech under the guardianship of Catholic Church in St. Joseph's Oratory in Montral on 15th August 2004. My nationality and qualifications are the reasons why I think I am one of the right persons to write this note. I am an Indian Catholic and former Seminary Professor of Philosophy and Sociology in Trivandrum and Neyyattinkara diocesan seminaries in Kerala, India. Presently I am working in Ireland as a Social Worker.
I am sure you know that India is a land of spirituality and philosophy. The polytheistic nature/approach of Hindu religion gives freedom to its followers to worship any number of gods, no matter if they are dead or alive! This is why one can see innumerable number of Hindu living gods in India. Bhagvan Satya Sai Baba, Mata Amritananda Mayi, Bhagvan Osho Rajaneesh, Swami Shuddhananda Brahmachari, etc. are some of the prominent living or recently departed gods in India. There are more still to come from India since Hindu religion needs such gods for its existence! While Baba and Mata attract thousands through their charity and humanitarian campaigns Osho and some others use their philosophical and literary skills to influence the so called intellectuals and those who love to be considered intellectuals! The recent origin, Sri. Sri. Ravisankar, falls into the second category, of course, with more secular colouring!
You may please understand that all these human gods in India got so much publicity and support within the last five years when India was ruled by the Hindu fundamentalists and upper caste government, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)! I am sure you might not have heard even the name of Sri Sri Ravisankar before 1999. Mata Amritananda Mayi also became a global personality within this period. Till then she was just an ordinary Hindu sanyasi (nun). Now she represents the Hindu religion in the International Religious Conferences conducted by United Nations! Do you think that an ordinary lady who can’t even utter a word in English can come to this level without ample political backing? (Please note that she belongs to Kerala which is the most educated State in India where English is the first language in most of the schools and all the colleges!)
Do you know that BJP government has the hidden (public) agenda of legally prohibiting religious conversion just for checking the masses that are attracted to the Word of God and to the Catholic Church? Their agenda contradicts the fact that India is a democratic and secular republic where one is free to choose his/her own religion. Do you know that this agenda is studiously implemented in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu States in India ignoring the protests from the Christian groups? Though the Christians are the minority groups in India (just 2% of the Indian population!) the BJP fundamentalists became frightened by the power of the Word of God. It was really devastating for them to see the power of Charismatic movements that emerged in Kerala and spread out in every nook and corners of India!
The political system was quite favourable for the Devils to act. Everything happened within the BJP regime including raping of Catholic nuns, killing of priests, murdering of newly converted Christians, and so on!! These were direct attack to Christianity and to the Catholic Church. The more subtle attacks came in the form of saffronising of education by re-writing the history books by Hindu fundamentalists, and promoting the human living gods. Highlighting the human gods with philosophical and secular colours is more subtle and cunning! They don’t talk against Christianity, so they don’t antagonise our faith! When they say like all religions are good, all religions take you towards the ultimate reality, whatever may be the religion your personal ethics is important, etc. we cannot blame the masses who are attracted towards this high profiled philosophical gimmicks. The public also get relieved because they need not go through the narrow road of don’ts in the Ten Commandments and also they need not practice the painful do’s of the Catholic Church in order to enter the gate of heaven!
Sri Sri Ravisankar has never ever uttered a word against Christianity. He will never do that, I am sure! But at the same time he will never tell you that Jesus is the only living God! When he says all religions are equal, good, and will take you to moksha (heaven) is it not contradictory to the first commandment that our Lord gave us through Moses? Is it not an effort to equate Jesus Christ to any god or Christianity to any religion? When he preaches that nirvana (Salvation) can be attained through leading a life of ahimsa (non-violence) and purity of heart then what is the meaning of the death and resurrection of Jesus? If Art of Living is a way for enlightenment then why should we need our Holy Bible and have to believe in Jesus (Acts 16:31)?
If Ravisankar is a politician or a social reformer he can very well say these with the intention of promoting communal harmony. But he is introduced as a spiritual leader, ‘the rage of New Age spiritualism’! People got attracted towards his philosophy and spirituality and introduce him with the title ‘His Holiness’. So, he is definitely not a politician or a social reformer. Even if he is a politician or social reformer why the Catholic Church needs to conduct his programs in its premises to sell his ideas? When public need to pay $10 to $15 for attending his talk is it not a trade? Should we allow making our Lord’s place a marketplace (John 2:16)?
Your Excellency, I am very much aware that there is no much time left for the actual event to take place in St. Joseph’s Oratory. Still I take the opportunity to bring into your attention that our Lord didn’t allow time for the traders to clear themselves from the Lord’s Temple (John 2: 13-17). Rather, His was an offensive, on the spot action for the sake of the Almighty Father who has to be honoured at the maximum without any excuses, without conditions, without worries on the consequences! Fortunately, science and technological advancement make things far easy for you. You need not make a whip to chase the traders as our Lord did. Only a matter of using your will for the Lord! I hope you will take appropriate action in this regard.
With prayers,
Your Brother in Christ. Gidolf Lazarus Social Worker – Child & Adolescent Psychiatry E-mail: joylazarus@yahoo.com Tel. +353876770447 Copy to:
1. Saint Joseph's Oratory: fatherweb@saint-joseph.org 2. Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops: cecc@cccb.ca
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