People convert to a different religion for various reasons, including active conversion by free choice due to a change in beliefs,[3] secondary conversion, deathbed conversion, conversion for convenience, marital conversion, and forced conversion. Views expressed above are the author's own. 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. Currently there are 25 to 60 million people[specify][citation needed] studying Spiritism in various countries, mainly in Brazil, through its essential books, which include The Spirits Book, The Book on Mediums, The Gospel According to Spiritism, Heaven and Hell and The Genesis According to Spiritism. Both are true in their own contexts. But, the solution a national legislation to ban and criminalise conversions assertively advocated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which commands an absolute majority in parliament, and despite repeated disavowals, remains rooted in essentially a chauvinistic, right-wing Hindu ideology, is far more disconcerting, and if implemented, would deal a grievous blow to the constitutional ideal of secularism. Answer (1 of 17): Yes, a lot of people. [21][22][23] The majority of clerical opinions holds that circumcision is not required upon entering the Muslim faith. 2 Dec 2020 0. 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. [37], Religious conversion to Hinduism has a long history outside India. 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. It would be downright specious, even dishonest, to claim that missionaries and proselytisers activities in India had nothing but a salubrious effect. Whatdomormonsbelieve. Look at the net impact not the gross. This reveals that the missionaries did bring material gifts to the native population especially western medicine and hygiene. Conversion to Christianity is the religious conversion of a previously non-Christian person to some form of Christianity. We are not committing any sin by bringing back our people to our own religion. Converting to Islam requires one to declare the shahdah, the Muslim profession of faith ("there is no god but Allah; Muhammad is the messenger of Allah"). Mass conversions of areas and communities to Buddhism occur up to the present day, for example, . lmao everyone in this world is a convert, The writer has tried to mislead the readers of NIE with confusing figures. "Islam is egalitarian, and we get the self-respect," said Khalik. Buddhism received two new believers who switched from Hinduism. You can become a Hindu even if you are born a non-Hindu and you are of a non-Asian origin. 241 of the 506 people who reported their change of religion with the government were Christians or Muslims who converted to Hinduism. The VHP appears to be behind Wednesdays ceremony. Mass muslim conversion to hinduism from islam. Modi has denied any wrongdoing and a supreme court inquiry has found insufficient evidence to support the charges. In the New Testament, Jesus commanded his disciples in the Great Commission to "go and make disciples of all nations" [Matthew 28:19] [Mark 16:15]. "My father practiced Hinduism. {{{short}}} However, he has warned members of parliament and ministers not to make statements that might distract from his development agenda, after one member of his government called Indian Muslims bastard children last year. [25], As late as the 6th century, the Eastern Roman empire and Caliph Umar ibn Khattab were issuing decrees against conversion to Judaism, implying that this was still occurring. Christanity has 2.5-3% base in 82% Hindu dominated India. The mass conversions which are being planned are part of a strategy to bring in congregationalism through the back door. This table summarizes three Protestant beliefs. Many a time, Muslim girls convert to Hinduism for marriage but that is not highlighted in media. 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 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. [12] Latter Day Saints baptisms also occur only after an "age of accountability" which is defined as the age of eight years. Sunday saw more than 100 persons belonging to the SC/ST communities embracing Buddhism at Guduvanchery, a Chennai suburb, under the auspices of Mass Movement for Transformation, claiming to be a. Proselytism is the act of attempting to convert by persuasion another individual from a different religion or belief system. For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service, {{{add_comment_link}}} The spectre of losing Dalits to another faith and that too a public pledge to reject Hinduism in the election campaign season has reignited an age-old debate about caste oppression. 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. BBC News. BJP is in power today only because other parties played religious politics by oppressing the majority Hindus and providing every right. I think Hinduism's influence is weaker than one god religions. 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. More than 550 Hindu temples in the Portuguese territories were razed to the ground. The communities [involved in the recent incidents] are already vulnerable and the campaign seems quite aggressive and the combination is concerning, said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director of Human Rights Watch. "CatholicHerald.co.uk Cardinal protests against forced conversions to Hinduism". This is list of converts from Indian-origin religions. A total of 144 persons adopted Islam. . [57] Lofland summarised his findings in 1964 in a doctoral thesis entitled "The World Savers: A Field Study of Cult Processes", and in 1966 in book form (published by Prentice-Hall) as Doomsday Cult: A Study of Conversion, Proselytization, and Maintenance of Faith. Often these are relatively small, close-knit minority religions that are ethnically based such as the Yazidis, Druze, and Mandaeans. Mass Conversion to Hinduism In India By Faheem Belharvi Bajrang Dal, an offshoot of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) converted at least 57 Muslim families (200 people) into Hindus at a "Purkhon ki Ghar vapsi" coming home of the ancestors ceremony held at Agra, Uttar Pardesh. Bangladesh was secular, but nobody was trying to push mass conversions to Hinduism or Brahmo Samaj. Mass conversions of areas and communities to Buddhism occur up to the present day, for example, in the Dalit Buddhist movement in India there have been organized mass conversions . Bahs recognize the divine origins of all revealed religion, and believe that these religions occurred sequentially as part of a divine plan (see Progressive revelation), with each new revelation superseding and fulfilling that of its predecessors. 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. Anyone found guilty is visited with imprisonment extending to three years, and with a financial penalty of 50,000 rupees (approximately $800). A national anti-conversion law, if enacted, would definitely be challenged in the Supreme Court. The laws of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh make it incumbent upon neighbours or villagers to inform the administration and the police of any activities of pastors, nuns and clergymen which could give rise to a suspicion of proselytising motives. 66 Comments. Amen. In Tibetan Buddhism, for example, the current Dalai Lama discourages active attempts to win converts. 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. which appears on Wednesdays. {{#totalcount}} Much of the theology of Latter Day Saint baptism was established during the early Latter Day Saint movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. [58][59], The Church of Scientology attempts to gain converts by offering "free stress tests". Some people say that missionaries are forcefully converting them. Persons newly adhering to Buddhism traditionally "Taking Three Refuge" (express faith in the Three Jewels Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha) before a monk, nun, or similar representative, with often the sangha, the community of practitioners, also in ritual attendance. What is God? Starting from the premise that the freedom of religion and religious chose of those who are converted (note; the laws never say those who convert) need to be protected from incursions of proselytisers the various anti-conversion legislations, ironically termed as freedom of religion laws make it mandatory for the convertees to inform the head of the district administration. In recent years, anecdotal evidence suggests there have been conversions to Hinduism because of two factors. He poisoned the water supply and thereby rendered the Raj. your username. But its record in adjudicating the evidently unsecular anti-conversion statutes is dubious. Web. The historical God-fearers may represent a philosophical bridge between Hellenism and Abrahamic faith. According to the survey, "mass-movement is the conversion of people in groups as families or groups of families as a community or group of communities. 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. All Indian religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainsim and Sikhism, are collective called "Sanatan Dharma" and "Dhamma", and all others are called mleccha. [16], Baptism is seen as symbolic both of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection[17] and is also symbolic of the baptized individual putting off of the natural or sinful man and becoming spiritually reborn as a disciple of Jesus. "Dalits should concentrate on illiteracy and poverty rather than looking for new religions. Now we are on Telegram too. [21] In Islam, circumcision is considered a sunnah custom and is never mentioned in the Quran. The punishment will be three to ten years in prison and at least Rs 50,000 as fine. Stark, Rodney and Roger Finke. Most are from the so-called tribal or adivasi community, among the most deprived in India. The following is a list of converts to Hinduism from other religions or a non-religious background. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: While the BJP, in its election manifesto, has promised an Uttar Pradesh model law against forceful religious conversion and love jihad in Kerala to woo Hindu and Christian voters, the data sourced by TNIE from the government gazettes paint an altogether different picture. This situation stems from a law passed in the 1930s by the dictator Ioannis Metaxas. 22 December 2014. [Galatians 3:28] Islam allegedly spread in North Africa through just administration, and in the Balkans by integrating new believers with improved tax conditions and social prestige. The widespread Dalit mass conversions to Buddhism have enraged many Hindu organizations from Delhi in the north to Yadgir in the south. Despite officially being a secular nation, organizations allied with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are actively promoting mass conversions to Hinduism. This doctrine answers the question of the righteous non-believer and the unevangelized by providing a post-mortem means of repentance and salvation. One might well question in face of such provisions, do the laws even need to use the modifiers forcible or fraudulent? pleople like you christian conversion money from abroad. 100 percent correct. Mormon baptism does not purport to remit any sins other than personal ones, as adherents do not believe in original sin. Details of the incident are unclear but it was reported that between 50 and 100 Christians from some of the poorest communities in India were welcomed back to Hinduism in a homecoming ceremony in a remote area in the eastern state of West Bengal on Wednesday. [7] Christian baptism has some parallels with Jewish immersion by mikvah. Instead, they looked for exclusive ground, literally, i.e. On Christmas Eve, the flock of believers were cowering in fear, because a couple of churches were burnt and there was the looming threat of more skirmishes with the belligerent among their Hindu brethren spiralling into serious communal clashes. One does not need to ask any authorities for admission. 11/6/01 The historic rally on November 4 in New Delhi featuring a mass conversion of Hindus to Buddhism has taken place, but not in the way that had been planned. On the other hand, persecution can drive religious faith and practice underground and strengthen the resolve of oppressed adherents as in the cases of the Waldenses or the Bah Faith. Lofland noted that most of their efforts were ineffective and that most of the people who joined did so because of personal relationships often family relationships with existing members. 2014-12-30. to be adopted and modified from Chinese Buddhist refuge-taking ceremonies. The rise of the BJP to power at the national level in 1998 spurred a spate of anti-conversion legislation. More than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed by rioters. "India parliament uproar over conversions by Hindu groups". The Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) government in the western state of Gujarat controversially amended an anti-conversion law to classify Buddhism and Jainism as branches of the Hindu religion, denying them status as unique religions. According to the pamphlet, the bounty involved in converting a Muslim is Rs 5 lakh while in the case of a Christian its Rs 2 lakh. Match case Limit results 1 per page. Place Nagpur, Maharashtra, the city where the Headquarter of Rastriya Swayamsewak Sangh is situated. Explore conversions to hinduism profile at Times of India for photos, videos and latest news of conversions to hinduism. 05 Oct. 2016. [13] The theology thus rejects infant baptism. "Yet where are the Dalit news anchors, the entrepreneurs, the professors? We are talking about an amendment bill introduced in the Uttarakhand assembly on November 29and passed a day laterto make the four-year-old anti-conversion Act (which ironically goes by the name Uttarakhand 'Freedom of Religion' Act, 2018) even more stringent. It states that "Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. "I have hidden my roots. In this case, an FIR was lodged by the informant- Himanshu Dixit with the allegations that about 90 persons of Hindu religion . Display results as threads Though ostensibly secular in objective, the anti-conversion laws in force in various states of India Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh (all areas with a significantly high population of tribals, Dalits, the depressed castes, and reeling from poverty, illiteracy and abysmal healthcare) in effect gives the government a vast swathe of control over peoples choices in matters of faith and religion. University of California Press, 2000. p.114. Moinuddin Chisti facilitated the coming of the Islamic Jihad to India by mediating the union of Jai Chand and Mohammed Ghori. Advertise With Us | 72% of the new converts to Hinduism were Dalit Christians, mostly Christian Cheramars, Christian Sambavas and Christian Pulayas. AAP Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam's video, in which he is seen at an event where mass conversion of Hindus took place, has gone viral. When I tell them my caste they stop asking questions. 06/24/2021 India (International Christian Concern) - 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. Low-caste Indians are leaving Hinduism en massepartly to stick it to their prime minister. 17 persons including 12 females were from the Nair community. 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