[Gengis Khan]

"And how is this related to Pope Benedict's protest against using the power of the state to prohibit religious conversion?"

Well Pope Benedict should be more concerned about the hatred and intolerance ailing Christians lands rather than raising the stink every now and then over not having the right to convert Hindus. Everything isnt perfect with Christianity and they are hardly in any position to set a good example.

[Mrs. Don-o]

I certainly agree that example is the best teacher. The 20th centry popes have been good examples; and the counter-examples (e.g. Catholic people cooperating with Nazi crimes in the WWI era) were clearly examples of people acting against the instructions of the popes, the doctrines of the Church, and the precepts and example of the Divine Founder of Christianity.

The assassination of Mahatma Gandhi by a Hindu fanatic, and the communal massacres between Hindus and Muslims at the time of the partition of the Indian subcontinent, should not be held as emblematic of Hinduism, any more than the un-Christian behavior of Christians should be held as emblematic of Christianity.