"The whole world knows that most of the ancestors of India's Christians and Muslims are Hindus," Surendra Jain, the VHP's Joint General-Secretary, said [] Christianity lost 242 believers to the other two religions and attracted only 119 persons. BBC News. Tellingly, the punishment is doubled if those who convert are women, or members of the lower castes and tribal communities. [I say] why wait?". Homecoming in the Christmas season is supposed to be a joyous occasion, accompanied by camaraderie and cheer. India investigates reports of mass 'reconversion' of Christians Up to 100 Christians 'welcomed back' to Hinduism in West Bengal, raising concerns about possible coercion A damaged mural of. [63], Research in the United States and in the Netherlands has shown a positive correlation between areas lacking mainstream churches and the percentage of people who are members of a new religious movement. "Untouchability" was abolished under India's constitution in 1950 but the practice remains a degrading part of everyday life in Indian villages. Obamas words on Tuesday on the rights of religious minorities in the predominantly Hindu country came after three days of carefully choreographed demonstrations of warm relations between the US president and Modi. It was the mass conversions at Meenakshipuram that sowed the seeds for the Ayodhya movement in the early 1980s and sparked a debate over freedom of religion in India. Can you explain why? Indonesia has the world's largest population of Muslims. [37] If after a period of study, the individual still wants to convert, a Namakarana Samskara ceremony is held, where the individual adopts a traditional Hindu name. So all tribals and SCs converted to Christians here. There is no daily call to prayer, no Sunday morning sermons. Mate. the biggest gainer has been Islam. Published: 02nd April 2021 04:33 AM| The consensus in Spiritism is that God, the Great Creator, is above everything, including all human things such as rituals, dogmas, denominations or any other thing. As an untouchable, the 25-year-old is at the bottom of Hinduism's hereditary hierarchy. All the comments will be moderated by the newindianexpress.com editorial. Morris, Harold C., and Lin M. Morris. Converts from undetermined former religion, Religious Conversion: Contemporary Practices and Controversies, page 3, Christopher Lamb, M. Darroll Bryant, Kan Sastri, A History of South India, p382-383. It still exists in India and in our village too. On 14 October 1956, Dr BR Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, took a life-altering decision. Jain monks and nuns are required to observe these five vows strictly. Sukmawati Sukarnoputri, 69, embraced Hinduism in a ritual called 'Sudhi Wadani' . 17 Thiyya community members including 11 females converted to Islam. Brahmanism?? |A+AA-. Attending the ceremonies are monks from America, Britain and Taiwan. Hardliners plans for a mass ceremony in December were put on hold after pressure from senior officials within the movement and, it is thought, the government. At the end of the 12th century, Jayavarman VII set the stage for conversion of the Khmer people to Theravada Buddhism. [20] In the Islamic religion, it is believed that everyone is Muslim at birth. [21] In Islam, circumcision is considered a sunnah custom and is never mentioned in the Quran. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, A Buddhist monk shaves the head of a man converting him to Buddhism. People who embraced Hinduism constituted 47 per cent of religious conversions in Kerala during the one-year period under reference. 29 January 2015. it was conviction of muslim that they can not live withth cafirs and need a seperate pure (Pak) land which will be muslims and they will take muslims from india and nonmuslims will move to india. Conversion is illegal if there is any element of compulsion or bribery. The widespread Dalit mass conversions to Buddhism have enraged many Hindu organizations from Delhi in the north to Yadgir in the south. When these turn of events created a furore in parliament, the Narendra Modi-led central government instructed the local administration to thwart the Samitis grandiose plans, and Christmas day went peacefully. Some Christian sects require full conversion for new members regardless of any history in other Christian sects, or from certain other sects. In terms of spiritual practices, there are many you can try and see what works for you such as r/Introspection, r/yoga, r/meditation or r/bhajan. More portentous was the grand ghar wapsi (homecoming, or mass-reconversion) programme announced by the Dharam Jagran Samiti (loosely translated into Hindi-Religious Awakening Front) in the neighbouring town of Aligarh, where Christmas was to be celebrated by bringing 4,000 Christians and 1,000 Muslims back into the folds of Hinduism. 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India - Using extremely anti-minority rhetoric, a Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader in India on Wednesday tweeted his support for mass 're-conversion' programs pushing Indian Christians and Muslims to convert to Hinduism. lmao everyone in this world is a convert, The writer has tried to mislead the readers of NIE with confusing figures. According to this theology, baptism must be by immersion, for the remission of sins (meaning that through baptism, past sins are forgiven), and occurs after one has shown faith and repentance. "India parliament uproar over conversions by Hindu groups". But its record in adjudicating the evidently unsecular anti-conversion statutes is dubious. Kafiristan, now called Nuristan, is in NE Afghanistan. the Guardian. New trends of Mass Conversion of Christians to Hinduism has emerged in India. "The [local] priest tells me if I was a good dalit in this life, then in my next life I can be born into a better part of society. 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At one stage Kerala Anglo Indian nurses were very well respected in other states also but with the passage of time the conversion to Islam picked up the race and see now they are in majority. There is no daily call to prayer, no Sunday morning sermons. Hinduism has no traditional ecclesiastical order, no centralized religious authorities, no universally accepted governing body, no binding holy book nor any mandatory prayer attendance requirements. Look at the net impact not the gross. They will then give the go-ahead only once he is satisfied that one is not swapping religions for monetary benefits or other inducements, or by being taken in by fraud, or being swayed by either promises of salvation or threats of incurring divine displeasure, as the case may be. He will not be alone. Of the 33 persons who crossed over to Islam from Christianity, 9 were Syrian Catholics, who included two women. Copyright - newindianexpress.com 2023. We are neither seen nor heard. and biggest lose Christianity. 22 December 2014. {{{long}}} Read More More than 70 people from the village of Kumarriguda, 40 miles outside Hyderabad, the capital of southern India's Andhra Pradesh state, will leave the Hindu religion. It was evident that lack of reservation benefits forced many Dalit Christians to re-embrace Hinduism. Going way beyond, they endow the government with surveillance powers over a constituency of people. "Converts" redirects here. Frankish armies spread Roman Catholicism eastwards in the Middle Ages. In October 2021, Sukmawati Sukarnoputri of Indonesia converted to Hinduism. First, there has been increasing campaign against Muslims as a result of which these. Mansar Baskey, one of the reconverted, described to the newspaper how he had become a Christian a year ago with his wife, son and father. The price differential is presumably based on the premise that Christians are a much smaller minority than Muslims, and so pose less samasya (problem) to the body politic than do followers of Islam. [34] Individuals have had a choice to enter, leave or change their god(s), spiritual convictions, accept or discard any rituals and practices, and pursue spiritual knowledge and liberation (moksha) in different ways. The Muslim castes which have been particularly vulnerable to Hindu missionary efforts have been those Indians look up to the judiciary to uphold the secular values of the republic, and the Supreme Court has, time and again, thwarted onslaughts on peoples core fundamental right of religious freedom. Proselytism is the act of attempting to convert by persuasion another individual from a different religion or belief system. There are no rituals or dogmas, nor any sort of procedures in conversion to Spiritism. Threat of 'mass conversions' by Hindu far right groups causes fear among India's religious minorities [Al Jazeera] "Homecoming" in the Christmas season is supposed to be a joyous occasion,. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines. Buddhism received two new believers who switched from Hinduism. Ghar Wapsi ( Hindi, meaning "Returning Home") is the programme of religious conversion to Hinduism and Sikhism from Islam, Christianity and other religions, [which?] [38][39][40] Some sects of Hindus, particularly of the Bhakti schools began seeking or accepting converts in early to mid 20th century. Some people say that missionaries are forcefully converting them. No society is immune from the darkest impulses of men. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Hindu MNA Lal Chand Malhi said that the Hindu community in Pakistan was being continuously exploited in Sindh. In that case, the judges could remedy the errors of 1977 by seeking inspiration from the European Court of Human Rights 1993 ruling in the, Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights, programme announced by the Dharam Jagran Samiti, anti-conversion laws in force in various states, Uproar in India over forced conversions. Colonial missions since the 19th century have attracted people to an implied nexus of material well-being, civilisation, and European-style religion. One does not need to ask any authorities for admission. The third attribute of semetic tradition that of creating a bond of one people is sought to be achieved by replacing the turbulent river of history, with its diverse tributaries and distributaries, with a mainstream mythological narrative based on the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Meaningless data. The Parivars Achilles Heel could be the Dharama Jagran Samanvay Vibhag bounty of Rs 5 lakh and Rs 2 lakh. Both Hinduism and those pre-Abrahamic religions kept trying to look for common grounds with the Abrahamic faiths for co-existence, while Abrahamic faiths were least interested in discovering common grounds. Religious police in (for example) Iran and Saudi Arabia answer for the correct religious expression of those in their purview. Last Updated: 02nd April 2021 02:32 PM He ran away after being tied up with his mother and clubbed for a night by an upper caste neighbour for allowing his goat to wander. Christianity is not an inclusive religion. They may number thousands, or only hundreds, or possibly even less. In Hyderabad the first person to convert will be KRS Murthy, 70, who was the first dalit recruited into the state's civil service in 1959. When performing a Baptism, Latter Day Saints say the following prayer before performing the ordinance: Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. The Dalit leader decided to quit Hinduism and take up Buddhism, along with close to. Religious enthusiasm for proselytism can play a role. Anti-cult evangelicals protest that 'aggressiveness and proselytizing are basic to authentic Christianity,' and that Jews for Jesus and Campus Crusade for Christ are not to be labeled as cults. "My mother died of her injuries. The mass conversions which are being planned are part of a strategy to bring in congregationalism through the back door. Falkenberg, Steve. The six Astika and two Nastika schools of Hindu philosophy, in its history, did not develop a missionary or proselytization methodology, and they co-existed with each other. Search titles only; Posted by Member: Separate names with a comma. Newer Than: Search this thread only; Search this forum only. We are not committing any sin by bringing back our people to our own religion. The following is a list of converts to Hinduism from other religions or a non-religious background. What is God? Many a time, Muslim girls convert to Hinduism for marriage but that is not highlighted in media. Photograph: Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images. In addition to the baptizer, two members of the church witness the baptism to ensure that it is performed properly. Merchants and traders of India, particularly from Indian peninsula, carried their religious ideas, which led to religious conversions to Hinduism in Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia . All Indian religions usually practice mutual religious syncretism among each other. Before becoming prime minister, Modi was previously denied a US visa following accusations that he stood by during, or even encouraged, sectarian violence in the western state of Gujarat in 2002, when he was chief minister. In fact, there are millions of men and women living in the world who were non-Hindus by birth but later accepted Hinduism as their way of life. Not so for the small community of Christians in Agra, a town in the northern Indian province of Uttar Pradesh. The rise of the BJP to power at the national level in 1998 spurred a spate of anti-conversion legislation. Richadiana Kartakusama (2006), Archaeology: Indonesian Perspective (Editors: Truman Simanjuntak et al. There was a complete massacre of Hindus unleashed in full fury. Adaptation in favour of Matrimony "Love Jihad" is the hot all the rage a chain of the methods second-hand in favour of the determination. Disclaimer : We respect your thoughts and views! In fact we think that there are very few differences between Buddhism and Hinduism," says Lalit Kumar, who works for a Hindu nationalist welfare association in Andhra Pradesh. to be one of the most important and widely cited studies of the process of religious conversion, and one of the first modern sociological studies of a new religious movement. Latter Day Saint churches do not recognize baptisms of other faiths as valid because they believe baptisms must be performed under the church's unique authority. Senior VHP functionaries contacted by the Guardian on Thursday said they were unable to comment. Different factors and circumstances may operate and interact to persuade individuals of groups to convert and adopt a new set of religious doctrines and habits. "Look we make up 150m people of India. [61][62] The Church of Scientology requires that all converts sign a legal waiver which covers their relationship with the Church of Scientology before engaging in Scientology services. The Hindu right has become increasingly wary of Buddhist conversions, seeing its call for equality as exerting a powerful pull on the lowest castes. Conversion to Hinduism. But these benefits aside, there was another more substantive reason why many Indians, especially the Dalits (Untouchables) and tribals embraced Christianity, and even Islam. BJP is true party work for nation. [58][59], The Church of Scientology attempts to gain converts by offering "free stress tests". "Psychological Explanations of. Web. Some have suggested that the concept of missionary conversion, either way, is contrary to the precepts of Hinduism. Since the Bah Faith has no clergy, converts are encouraged to be active in all aspects of community life. Active proselytisation was an integral part of the colonial project; indeed, as historian Ranajit Guha states, the Bible and the toothbrush were one of the main instruments of the British colonialists. [66] Chinese traditional religion lacks clear criteria for membership, and hence for conversion. The Making of a Moonie: Choice or Brainwashing? The Parsis, a Zoroastrianism group based in India, classically does not accept converts, but this issue became controversial in the 20th century due to a rapid decline in membership. Converts to Islam are due to marriage/love issues. The issue of mass conversions has paralyzed India's parliament, with opposition lawmakers demanding Modi make a statement on earlier reports of poor Muslims being coerced into Hinduism. It has been distributing pamphlets in and around Aligarh seeking donations from the public to help fund a reconversion ghar wapsi (homecoming) ceremony that the saffron outfit is planning to hold on Christmas Day and during which it will seek to bring Muslims and Christians back into the Hindu fold from which they have allegedly strayed. Religious Freedom and Mass Conversion in India illuminates the ways in which these tactics immobilize potential converts, reinforce damaging assumptions about women, lower castes, and religious minorities, and continue to restrict religious freedom in India today. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Saint Paul in Athens fits here, as do some of the Indic religions (such as Buddhism insofar as it ranks as a religion and Jainism). Modi, 64, a former organiser with a revivalist Hindu organisation, has yet to make any public comment on the reconversion ceremonies. 72% of the new converts to Hinduism were Dalit Christians, mostly Christian Cheramars, Christian Sambavas and Christian Pulayas. The amendment makes provision to increase the maximum imprisonment for . Like African Americans in the US who refuse to use their "slave" names, many in the lowest castes have spurned their obvious caste identifiers. These mass conversion movements, and resulting narratives questioning converts' sincerity and agency, set the stage for three central challenges undermining the human right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion in India today: Legislation limiting "forcible" and "induced" conversions Religious conversion is the adoption of a set of beliefs identified with one particular religious denomination to the exclusion of others. The initiation ceremony may also include Yajna (i.e., fire ritual with Sanskrit hymns) under guidance of a local Hindu priest. Modi has denied any wrongdoing and a supreme court inquiry has found insufficient evidence to support the charges. Digvijaya Singh, of the ousted Congress party, thanked Obama on Twitter for speaking up for the Indian citizens rights to profess practice and propagate his religious belief. A team of Buddhist monks from across the country is being formed to lead the mission, with an all-India "mega event" set to take . A religious creed which can capture the ear and support of secular power can become a prestige movement, encouraging the mass of a people to follow its tenets. In recent years, anecdotal evidence suggests there have been conversions to Hinduism because of two factors. "Dalits should concentrate on illiteracy and poverty rather than looking for new religions. 100 percent correct. Modi has been criticised by opposition politicians for remaining silent on the issue of reconversion ceremonies. In fact they stop talking to me. The Original Sin What Do Mormons Believe?. Reports of a new mass conversion of Christians in India have raised concerns over freedom of worship, days after Barack Obama challenged the countrys record on religious tolerance. [14], In addition, Latter Day Saint theology requires that baptism may only be performed with one who has been called and ordained by God with priesthood authority. To be like Islam and Christianity, which are seen to be muscular religions that enjoin proselytisation to swell their ranks, Hinduism, as viewed by the saffron brigade, needs to gird up its loins to project a more virile and vigorously assertive persona. 2014-12-30. Gavin Flood, Brill's Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Editor: Knut Jacobsen (2010), Volume II, Brill. India will succeed so long as it is not splintered along the lines of religious faith, he added. Despite mass gatherings like the Kumbh Mela, Hindus have traditionally never practiced congregational worship. Church authorities told the Indian Express that around 1,000 local people had been baptised in the poverty-stricken and remote area over the last year. In a shocking update, an alleged 'mass conversion' took place in Rajasthan's Jaipur as around 400 families have been allegedly converted. The doctrine is first considered as science, then philosophy and lastly as a religion. Exceptions to encouraging conversion may occur in some Buddhist movements. When converting to Hindusim to which caste do they convert to?? In that case, the judges could remedy the errors of 1977 by seeking inspiration from the European Court of Human Rights 1993 ruling in the Kokkinakis case, which struck the right balance between keeping out improper proselytism and Christians right to practise, profess, and propagate their faith. A conversion in accordance with the process of a denomination is not a guarantee of recognition by another denomination. [50][51], In the second half of the 20th century, the rapid growth of new religious movements (NRMs) led some psychologists and other scholars to propose that these groups were using "brainwashing" or "mind control" techniques to gain converts. This page was last edited on 13 January 2023, at 09:42. This is list of converts from Indian-origin religions. In connection to this, many users in India posted a claim that the 'princess of Indonesia' converted to Hinduism following which 50,000 Indonesians did the same. [44], Sikhism is not known to openly proselytize conversions, however it is open and accepting to anyone wanting to take on the Sikh faith. Despite this UN-declared human right, some groups forbid or restrict religious conversion (see below). Mass conversions of areas and communities to Buddhism occur up to the present day, for example, . New Delhi: Undeterred by the controversy surrounding a Buddhist "mass conversion" event in Delhi last week, the main organiser, Mission Jai Bheem, is going ahead with its plan to bring 10 crore people "back to their original culture" of Buddhism by 2025. All Indian religions usually practice mutual religious syncretism among each other. His blog takes a contrarian view of topical and timeless issues, political, social, economic and speculative. "We want to be equal to upper castes. The worst part is Casteism. 05 Oct. 2016. Mass Conversions to Hinduism: The Ghar Wapsi Movement With the BJP taking over control following the 2014 general elections, it has been commonly accepted that the Hindutva ideology now not only wields socio-religious control but also access to political power as well. However, people who converted to Buddhism said they faced caste. [19], Following baptism, Latter Day Saints receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands of a Melchizedek Priesthood holder.[19].