. Hinduism is often described as a way of life. However, people who converted to Buddhism said they faced caste. Often these are relatively small, close-knit minority religions that are ethnically based such as the Yazidis, Druze, and Mandaeans. 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 Ghar Wapsi: Forced Mass Conversion To Hinduism The purpose of a religion is to realize self actualization of a man! Sixty years ago BR Ambedkar, the first untouchable to hold high office in India and the man who wrote India's constitution, renounced Hinduism as a creed in the grip of casteism and converted -. Mass Conversions to Hinduism among Indian Muslims Yoginder Sikand Manjari Katju In cases of mass conversion of Muslims to Hinduism, the central thrust has been on their de-Islamisation rather than on their accepting the Hindu religion. [31][32][33] In its diffuse and open structure, numerous schools and sects of Hinduism have developed and spun off in India with help from its ascetic scholars, since the Vedic age. Compared with the semetic beliefs of Islam and Christianity, Hinduism is perceived by the Parivar as effete and weak because of its internal divisions of caste and regionalism. Instead, they looked for exclusive ground, literally, i.e. Mainly it includes Customs and traditions Religion Arts Literature Science Government Festivals Language 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). Khusro then a. Place Nagpur, Maharashtra, the city where the Headquarter of Rastriya Swayamsewak Sangh is situated. The recent mass conversion of Dalits to Buddhism in Gujarat's Una district, which included the Dalits who were brutally assaulted by cow vigilantes for allegedly skinning dead cattle, has. In sharing their faith with others, Bahs are cautioned to "obtain a hearing" meaning to make sure the person they are proposing to teach is open to hearing what they have to say. Richadiana Kartakusama (2006), Archaeology: Indonesian Perspective (Editors: Truman Simanjuntak et al. Also, 32 people left Islam to join Hinduism. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, A Buddhist monk shaves the head of a man converting him to Buddhism. Historical records bear ample testimony to the rigorous implementation of St Caprions axiom extra ecclessium nulla salus (outside the Church, no salvation), even by the proverbial fire and sword, especially by explorer-cum-conquistadors like Vasco da Gama, the tales of whose brutalities in enforcing a harvest of faith in the erstwhile Portuguese-controlled state of Goa are legion. Islam attracted 144 converts overall, compared to 119 converts to Christianity. https://www.whatdomormonsbelieve.com/15/09/2010/the-original-sin/ Let me say this that if there is a hint of coercion or forcible conversion, the matter will be dealt with seriously, said Derek OBrien, a spokesman for the Trinamool National Congress party which is in power in West Bengal. I think Hinduism's influence is weaker than one god religions. Mass conversion in India started in the South. Moinuddin Chisti facilitated the coming of the Islamic Jihad to India by mediating the union of Jai Chand and Mohammed Ghori. [24] The procedure and requirements for conversion depend on the sponsoring denomination. "CatholicHerald.co.uk Cardinal protests against forced conversions to Hinduism". . Interested in blogging for timesofindia.com? The last time it did was in 1977, in the Reverend Stanislaus case, wherein the Odisha and Madhya Pradesh statutes were upheld. We are neither seen nor heard. Conversion is illegal if there is any element of compulsion or bribery. "Acts of Faith: Explaining the Human Side of Religion." Saurav Datta teaches media law and jurisprudence in Mumbai and Pune. According to the report, the converts said they were neither lured nor coerced into Hinduism. In most countries conversion is a simple matter of filling out a card stating a declaration of belief. It states that "Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. Buddhism [ edit] Search titles only; Posted by Member: Separate names with a comma. This page was last edited on 13 January 2023, at 09:42. 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. Also, not a single legislation even addresses, let alone punish, reconversion which the many Hindu zealots are painstakingly claiming as totally voluntary and a righteous reply to the violation of rights by colonisers and their ilk. 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]. [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. 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. Another step towards remoulding Hinduism into semetic form is the promotion of a congregational faith. [7] Christian baptism has some parallels with Jewish immersion by mikvah. 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. So all tribals and SCs converted to Christians here. Newer Than: Search this thread only; Search this forum only. Gavin Flood, Brill's Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Editor: Knut Jacobsen (2010), Volume II, Brill. The mass conversion of dalits takes place on the anniversary of one of India's most controversial religious events. I was told I have committed sin by converting to Christianity. The worst part is Casteism. Much of the theology of Latter Day Saint baptism was established during the early Latter Day Saint movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. The moment where one has made pure intentions to convert to Hinduism, he will be regarded as a Hindu. 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. This right shall include freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice" (Article 18.1). 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. His blog takes a contrarian view of topical and timeless issues, political, social, economic and speculative. Esther Dhanraj converted to Christianity and then reverted back to Sanatana Dharma. During the election campaign, an age-old discussion over caste discrimination has been rekindled by the threat of losing Dalits to another faith, and that too a public commitment to renouncing Hinduism. [4][5], Within Christianity conversion refers variously to three different phenomena: a person becoming Christian who was previously not Christian; a Christian moving from one Christian denomination to another; a particular spiritual development, sometimes called the "second conversion", or "the conversion of the baptised".[6]. Welcome! First, there has been increasing campaign against Muslims as a result of which these. 241 of the 506 people who reported their change of religion with the government were Christians or Muslims who converted to Hinduism. Islam gained 144 new believers and lost 40 during the period. Thus the 1st-century Levant, steeped in expectations of overturning the political situation, provided fertile ground for nascent Christianity and other Jewish messianic sects, such as the Zealots. [42][43], In recent decades, mainstream Hinduism schools have attempted to systematize ways to accept religious converts, with an increase in inter-religious mixed marriages. In December another group conducted a similar ceremony for more than 200 Muslims in the northern city of Agra. Last week the hardline group Vishnu Hindu Parishad (VHP) claimed to have reconverted more than 20 Christians in the southern state of Kerala. The VHP appears to be behind Wednesdays ceremony. The groups claimed that not only dalits, who often embrace Buddhism to quit Hinduism, but also people from other castes can accept the religion. For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service, {{{add_comment_link}}} [21][22][23] The majority of clerical opinions holds that circumcision is not required upon entering the Muslim faith. Of the total 506 people who registered their change of religion with the government, 241 were those who converted from Christianity or Islam to Hinduism. BJP is true party work for nation. May1: 500. This is for countering the claims of BJP. I do not have a caste.". Modi, 64, a former organiser with a revivalist Hindu organisation, has yet to make any public comment on the reconversion ceremonies. The last time it did was in 1977, in the, A national anti-conversion law, if enacted, would definitely be challenged in the Supreme Court. In another case, Larissis v. Greece, a member of the Pentecostal church also won a case in the European Court of Human Rights.[68]. It is exclusively associated with the predatory behavior of Abrahamic religions (Islam and . The sometimes intense violence has led to a migration to the cities, where caste is easier to submerge. The punishment will be three to ten years in prison and at least Rs 50,000 as fine. Basing its ruling on a 1956 report entitled Report of the Christian Missionaries Activity Enquiry Commission, which deemed proselytisation as a threat to Indias territorial integrity and internal security, the court ended up conflating every act of propagation of ones faith Christianity, in this case (enshrined as a fundamental right in the constitution) as an attack on Hinduism and its followers, tantamount to blasphemy, which, incidentally, is also a criminal offence in India. At the end of the 12th century, Jayavarman VII set the stage for conversion of the Khmer people to Theravada Buddhism. 25 persons, including 13 females, switched from Hindu Ezhava to Islam. Since the Bah Faith has no clergy, converts are encouraged to be active in all aspects of community life. For example, the New Testament chronicles the personal activities of the Apostles and their followers in inspired preaching, miracle-working and the subsequent gathering of followers. In fact, donations to Christian missions in India . All Indian religions usually practice mutual religious syncretism among each other. More than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed by rioters. Indonesia has the world's largest population of Muslims. University of California Press, 2000. p.114. Section 3 Southeast Asia, Religions, "Sikhism (Sikhi) the Sikh Faith and Religion in America", "Brainwashing and the Cults: The Rise and Fall of a Theory", "Will Scientology Celebs Sign 'Spiritual' Contract? On 14 October 1956, Dr BR Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, took a life-altering decision. which appears on Wednesdays. 22.; emphasis added), Some countries distinguish voluntary, motivated conversion from organized proselytism, attempting to restrict the latter. ), Yayasan Obor Indonesia. 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. NEW DELHI: The political uproar continues over the mass conversion which happened in the national capital on Wednesday. [26], In some cases, a person may forgo a formal conversion to Judaism and adopt some or all beliefs and practices of Judaism. Frankish armies spread Roman Catholicism eastwards in the Middle Ages. The exact requirements vary between different churches and denominations. Merchants and traders of India, particularly from Indian peninsula, carried their religious ideas, which led to religious conversions to Hinduism in Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia . The following is a list of converts to Hinduism from other religions or a non-religious background. The historical God-fearers may represent a philosophical bridge between Hellenism and Abrahamic faith. . Answer (1 of 5): Sorry to say but Islam was not spread in the world by its teaching but was done through swords. 17 persons including 12 females were from the Nair community. 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. Can you explain why? Photograph: Amit Bhargava/AP. Buddhism received two new believers who switched from Hinduism. All other aspects such as visiting temples are secondary. Its not my business what faith others follow but surely there must be something seriously wrong to go the BJP way. More than 550 Hindu temples in the Portuguese territories were razed to the ground. {{#more}} Not so for the small community of Christians in Agra, a town in the northern Indian province of Uttar Pradesh. {{{read_comment_link}}} Match case Limit results 1 per page. There are around 180 million Muslims in India, around 14% of the population of 1.3 billion. Some people say that missionaries are forcefully converting them. This felt need to stiffen the sinews of Hinduism and reformulate it as an all-pervasive national culture lies behind the proposal to make the Bhagwad Gita Indias national book, in much the same way as the Bible and the Quran are for Christian and Islamic countries. Answer (1 of 17): Yes, a lot of people. We are not committing any sin by bringing back our people to our own religion. Freshly-converted Irish and Anglo-Saxon priests spread their new-found faith among pagan British and Germanic peoples. Journalists like you are the reason for the stupidity in the country. In a shocking update, an alleged 'mass conversion' took place in Rajasthan's Jaipur as around 400 families have been allegedly converted. Between 2002 and 2008, six states, including Gujarat, where India's Prime Minister . pleople like you christian conversion money from abroad. By India Today Web Desk: The daughter of Sukarno, Indonesia's founding father and first president, on Tuesday converted from Islam to Hinduism, an unorthodox move in the world's most populous Muslim country. We will be happy to have you on board as a blogger, if you have the knack for writing. [64][65], On the other end of the proselytising scale are religions that do not accept any converts, or do so very rarely. Lastly, while you are browsing this sub, keep in mind that Hinduism is practiced by over a billion . 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. [44], Sikhism is not known to openly proselytize conversions, however it is open and accepting to anyone wanting to take on the Sikh faith. There is no specific ritual for becoming a Jain. The Original Sin What Do Mormons Believe?. Following the conversion of Rinchan, his commander-in-chief and many other Hindus converted to Islam. There were 111 conversions from Hindu to Islam. 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. Emphasis added ), Volume II, Brill 's Encyclopedia of Hinduism, he will be to... 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