WIELDING the pen with power and determination to smash the injustice and discrimination against Dalit Christians and other oppressed masses is part of the priestly duties of Fr Mark Stephen. When he was the parish priest of Ongur, a predominantly Dalit Christian village in the Chengalpattu diocese, during 1984-1990, he followed with utmost concern… Read More »
Syed Ali Mujtaba Bhajans by a band of Westerners, is that not surprising! More so if they claim to sing in Hindi, Bhojpuri and Nepali, fused with sitar, tabla, violin and guitar, any one with musical ears could be tempted to watch them perform live. Chris Hale, Peter Hicks and Fiona Hicks along with Uday… Read More »
A new foundation called Gospel and Hindus (Evangelie en Hindoes) is starting up in Rotterdam on December 2nd, 2005. It aims at serving the Christian churches in the Netherlands and Flanders (Dutch-speaking part of Belgium) to “witness to Hindus and to love them as their neighbours.” It will provide information about Hindus in Netherlands… Read More »
The Cachar and North Cachar Hills districts of Assam located in the southern banks of river Brahmaputra witnessed the worst ever-ethnic mayhem between the Dimasa and Hmar tribes, rattling the age-old bonhomie. The mercury soared to new summit with the summary execution of 27 Dimasas in March 2003 culminating in to mass exodus of… Read More »
At least from 1540 onwards, and in the island of Goa before that year, all the Hindu idols had been annihilated or had disappeared, all the temples had been destroyed and their sites and building material was in most cases utilized to erect new Christian Churches and chapels. Various viceregal and Church council decrees… Read More »
“Never attribute to Devil-worshipping conspiracies what opportunism, emotional instability, and religious bigotry are sufficient to explain.”–Shawn Carlson, Ph.D. In an ideal society that protects religious freedom, people have the right to choose which religion is best for them and criticize other faiths when those faiths infringe upon the rights of others. But what is… Read More »
Christianisation was the third force of colonialism as best expressed by Jomo Kenyatta, the late Kenyan leader, who said: “When the white man came he had the bible we had the land. Then he said ‘let us close our eyes and pray’. When we opened our eyes we had the bible he had the land.”… Read More »
Delivered at a public discussion organised by Prajna Bharati A.P., on “The Ethics of Religious Conversions” at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Hyderabad. I was raised as a Catholic and went to Catholic school. My uncle was, and still is, a missionary. We were told that he was going to South America to save the souls of… Read More »
Introduction: Contrary to the policy of Carmelite of Mary Immaculate missionaries, they entertain converted (dalit) Christians neither in the appointments nor in the admissions. The institution and church started for the dalit converts about two centuries back are now out of bounds for them. This is one among several instances of dalit live of Christian… Read More »
Open Letter to Valson Thampu: Dear Rev. Valson Thampu, The T.N. ordinance and Article 25, The Hindu dated 13 October by you where you made a statement ” What are the ground realities in respect of conversion and the moment matters of conscience like conversion are legislated upon from an obstructionist standpoint, this allergy… Read More »