Laws to stop religious conversion

The Indian state of Gujarat became the latest state that recently passed a law which prohibits religious conversions without official permission. Gujarat is the latest of six Indian states to approve measures aimed at ending conversions. Signed April 9, the law establishes prison sentences of up to four years — along with fines — for converting someone by force, fraud or allurement. The Tamil Nadu state government similarly banned forced or induced conversions. The ordinance, issued on October 5, bans religious conversions “by force, allurement or fraudulent means” without defining the terms. Violators are subject to three years’ imprisonment, except in cases where the converts are minors, women, or members of scheduled castes or tribes. In those cases the imprisonment could extend to four years with an additional fine of 100,000 rupees ($2000). In every instance, both the convert and the minister involved must report to the magistrate. The ordinance follows the pattern of those passed by the Madhya Pradesh state government in 1968 and the Arunachal Pradesh state government in 1978. Orissa enacted the “Orissa Freedom of Religion Act” in 1968 which was overturned by a higher court and then restored by India’s Supreme Court in 1973.

To these moves to protect India’s indigenous religions, Rome reacted as anticipated. In an international release entitled  “Pope decries anti-conversion laws in India” [Vatican City, June 3]) Pope John Paul II decried new anti-conversion laws in some Indian states, and urged the Church in India to “courageously” proclaim the Gospel. “This is not an easy task, especially in areas where people experience animosity, discrimination and even violence because of their religious convictions or tribal affiliation,”  the Pontiff, who met a group of Indian bishops, said. “These difficulties are exacerbated by the increased activity of a few Hindu fundamentalist groups which are creating suspicion of the Church and other religions,” John Paul said. “Unfortunately, in some regions, the State authorities have yielded to the pressures of these extremists and have passed unjust conversion laws, prohibiting free exercise of the natural right to religious freedom, or withdrawing State support for those in the Scheduled Castes who have chosen Christianity,” the Pontiff said. John Paul told the Indian churchmen that despite “the grave difficulties and suffering” caused by the crackdown, the Church in India must continue with evangelizing. He urged them to engage in dialogue with the leaders of other religions as well as the local and national authorities so that India will continue to “promote and protect the basic human rights of all its citizens”, including religious freedom. (Agencies) This is not the first time that the Pope has interfered with India’s internal affairs. Only a few years ago while delivering the clear message to the heathen Hindus of India on their most festive occasion of Divali, the Pope boldly told Hindus that unless they take to Christ they cannot be saved and exhorting his troops to redouble their efforts in Asia where the numbers of papists are meager, the Pope has administered a well deserved slap in the face to pagan Hindus.

Hindu scholars and religious leaders have always held that conversion is the lowest denominator in which persons are swayed from one faith to another. Religions that pursue this path of conversion commit ‘an act of spiritual violence’ as Gandhi termed it. Mahatma Gandhi said the following of conversion: “There is nothing but vilification of Hinduism in the books distributed by the missionaries.....The advent of a missionary in a Hindu household has meant the disruption of the family. The missionaries are vendors of goods who target the most susceptible when they are most vulnerable, using just not dialogue but allurement and violence. If I had power and could legislate, I should certainly stop all proselytising.” It is ironic that the Indian National Congress that embraced Gandhi never saw to implement his vision. Now it is the BJP-inspired states that seek to heed the call of the Mahatma. It is also interesting to note there has not been a similar cry from Rome to treat with similar apostasy laws in other countries. Some nations, which have apostasy laws include Afghanistan, Myanmar (Burma), Sudan, Azerbaijan, Yemen, Comoros, Uzbekistan, Egypt, Colombia (conflict areas), Nigeria (north), Cuba, Iraq, Qatar and Libya. Brunei, Morocco, Tunisia, Russian Federation (the Muslim republics of Chechnya, Kabardino, Balkarya and Dagestan), Mexico (southern state of Chiapas), Indonesia, Tajikistan, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Kurdistan, Algeria, India, Mauritania, Djibouti, Nepal, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Eritrea, Kuwait, Syria, Malaysia, Ethiopia, Bahrain, Belarus and Jordan. India is not alone.

David Frawley’s “Ethics of Conversion” reminds us to remember the latest word from the Pope in the “Coming of the Third Millennium”: The Asia Synod will deal with the challenge for evangelisation posed by the encounter with ancient religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism. While expressing esteem for the elements of truth in these religions, the Church must make it clear that Christ is the one mediator between God and man and the sole Redeemer of the world.” “In other words all the greatness of Buddhism and Hinduism does not alter the basic view of Christianity that Christ alone is the supreme religious figure. No Buddha, Krishna, Ramana Maharshi or Sri Aurobindo can compare with him. What are the elements of truth that the Pope is speaking about? If he doesn’t credit either Buddhism or Hinduism with anything equal to Jesus, he probably does not give them much credit for their ideas of karma, dharma or rebirth, their practices of yoga and meditation, or their entire seeking of enlightenment and self-realisation that is not defined in terms of Jesus. “Clearly such a statement is condescending. It has abandoned the old heathen-pagan-idolatry charge but the goal is still conversion, not respect.” With the wealth of the West at their disposal to induce poverty stricken Hindu India, there is a need to balance the scales. These laws are a step in that balancing act.