Furthermore, certain Hassidic groups who physically attacked a meeting of the Hebrew Christian 'cult' have themselves been labeled a 'cult' and equated with the followers of Reverend Moon, by none other than the President of the Central Conference of American Rabbis. Despite officially being a secular nation, organizations allied with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are actively promoting mass conversions to Hinduism. 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. If there are any mistakes, or if any part of the person being baptized is not fully immersed, the baptism must be redone. 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. [13] The theology thus rejects infant baptism. [29][30], Hinduism is a diverse system of thought with beliefs spanning monotheism, polytheism, panentheism, pantheism, pandeism, monism, and atheism among others. [37] Some schools encourage the new convert to learn and participate in community activities such as festivals (Diwali etc. This is for countering the claims of BJP. "Bah pioneers", rather than attempting to supplant the cultural underpinnings of the people in their adopted communities, are encouraged to integrate into the society and apply Bah principles in living and working with their neighbors. Sukmawati Sukarnoputri, 69, embraced Hinduism in a ritual called 'Sudhi Wadani' . There is no daily call to prayer, no Sunday morning sermons. [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]. 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. 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 -. 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. [37], Religious conversion to Hinduism has a long history outside India. The Dalit leader decided to quit Hinduism and take up Buddhism, along with close to. The worst part is Casteism. 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. Conversion is illegal if there is any element of compulsion or bribery. {{{short}}} 66 Comments. Mass conversion in India PM's home state sparks anger The conversion happened hours after Modi's Hindu nationalist party called for a new law to ban 'forced religious conversions' Asia According to official figures for the year 2020, the biggest gainer in terms of new converts was Hinduism. 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. [12] Latter Day Saints baptisms also occur only after an "age of accountability" which is defined as the age of eight years. [7] Christian baptism has some parallels with Jewish immersion by mikvah. 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. 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. Whatdomormonsbelieve. There are around 180 million Muslims in India, around 14% of the population of 1.3 billion. For example, in the 11th century in Burma, king Anoratha converted his entire country to Theravada Buddhism. Also find news, photos and videos on conversions to hinduism. "Almost every day now, mass Buddhist conversions are taking place across India," he told me . Saurav Datta teaches media law and jurisprudence in Mumbai and Pune. Some people convert under the influence of other social conditions. 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. Some of these . He ordered mass conversion of the Muslims to Christianity. your password . We are neither seen nor heard. Last week the hardline group Vishnu Hindu Parishad (VHP) claimed to have reconverted more than 20 Christians in the southern state of Kerala. 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. Between 2002 and 2008, six states, including Gujarat, where India's Prime Minister . The Inquisition in France and in Iberia worked to convert heretics with varying success. 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. ", "Zoroastrianism needs to adapt its archaic laws or die | Ariane Sherine", "Joining a Cult: Religious Choice or Psychological Aberration? United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, n.d. He will not be alone. [24] A formal conversion is also sometimes undertaken by individuals whose Jewish ancestry is questioned, even if they were raised Jewish, but may not actually be considered Jews according to traditional Jewish law. 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. The landless labourer points to a picture of Hanuman, the Hindu monkey god, on his wall and says it will soon be gone and replaced by an image of the Buddha. 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. Advertise With Us | Gods of the Blood: The Pagan Revival and White Separatism, page 183, Mattias Gardell, 2003, Param Vir: Our Heroes in Battle, p.21, Major General Ian Cardozo, 2003, List of converts to Hinduism from Christianity, International Society for Krishna Consciousness, List of converts to Hinduism from Buddhism, List of converts to Christianity from Hinduism, List of converts to Sikhism from Hinduism, List of converts to Buddhism from Hinduism, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/english/hollywood/news/things-you-didnt-know-about-russell-brand/articleshow/47811458.cms, https://www.indiatvnews.com/entertainment/hollywood/i-am-a-follower-of-hinduism-says-russell-brand-859.html, https://littleindia.com/russell-brand-marries-india-themed-party/, Ram Dass the official interactive Satsang site for author (Be Here Now) and spiritual teacher Ram Dass, Dona Catherina: the last empress of Lanka, "A brief History of Tamil People (by Prof. A. Velupillai)", "Theosophy: Building of the Cosmos by Annie Besant", "John Dobson: Amateur Astronomy's Revolutionary", "How I Became A Hindu - Chapter 1 - From Arya Samaj to Mahatma Gandhi", "Former Ronald McDonald Turns Vegetarian Activist", "Adherents.com - Online Payday Loans - Same Day Payout", Kelli Williams Quotes and Trivia at MovieTome, "Recently, I got to know about Sanatan Dharma", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_converts_to_Hinduism&oldid=1133347277. [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. 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. 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. {{#more}} 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. It was evident that lack of reservation benefits forced many Dalit Christians to re-embrace Hinduism. Illustrating the problems that can arise from such subjective viewpoints is this extract from an article by Dr. C. Davis, published in Cleveland State University's Journal of Law and Health: "According to the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Jews for Jesus and Hebrew Christians constitute two of the most dangerous cults, and its members are appropriate candidates for deprogramming. All Indian religions usually practice mutual religious syncretism among each other. The boundary between them is not easily defined: what one person considers legitimate evangelizing, or witness-bearing, another may consider intrusive and improper. There is no specific ritual for becoming a Jain. Evangelization sharing the Gospel message or "Good News" in deed and word, is an expectation of Christians.[8]. Going way beyond, they endow the government with surveillance powers over a constituency of people. [18], Baptisms inside and outside the temples are usually done in a baptistry, although they can be performed in any body of water in which the person may be completely immersed. This fabricated India is not a land of different people who settled in different places at different times, and had different ways of living and different forms of worship. Falkenberg, Steve. Missions of the 19th century spread against a background of North Atlantic revivalism with its emotionalism and mass-meeting crowd psychological behaviours. They may number thousands, or only hundreds, or possibly even less. India will succeed so long as it is not splintered along the lines of religious faith, he added. 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. Some have suggested that the concept of missionary conversion, either way, is contrary to the precepts of Hinduism. "My mother died of her injuries. "I have hidden my roots. Now we are on Telegram too. [37] Some of these places are mathas and asramas (hermitage, monastery), where one or more gurus (spiritual guide) conduct the conversion and offer spiritual discussions. [35][36] However, various schools of Hinduism do have some core common beliefs, such as the belief that all living beings have Atman (soul), a belief in karma theory, spirituality, ahimsa (non-violence) as the greatest dharma or virtue, and others. The VHP appears to be behind Wednesdays ceremony. This suits their propaganda well and helps in the mass mobilisation against Muslims and Christians. pleople like you christian conversion money from abroad. The following is a list of converts to Hinduism from other religions or a non-religious background. Article 18.2 bars coercion that would impair the right to have or adopt a religion or belief, including the use of threat of physical force or penal sanctions to compel believers or non-believers to adhere to their religious beliefs and congregations, to recant their religion or belief or to convert." 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. Evangelization. This is list of converts from Indian-origin religions. Bahs regard their own faith as the most recent (but not the last), and believe its teachings which are centered around the principle of the oneness of humanity are most suited to meeting the needs of a global community. Stark, Rodney and Roger Finke. which appears on Wednesdays. your username. Instead, they looked for exclusive ground, literally, i.e. All Indian religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainsim and Sikhism, are collective called "Sanatan Dharma" and "Dhamma", and all others are called mleccha. 77% of the new converts to Islam were Hindus and 63% women. [citation needed]. The mass conversion of dalits takes place on the anniversary of one of India's most controversial religious events. 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. BBC News. SS Subramuniyaswami (2000), How to become a Hindu, 2nd Edition, Himalayan Academy. Answer (1 of 17): Yes, a lot of people. This happened in a very calculated way and the then Govt. ", Learn how and when to remove this template message, International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Doomsday Cult: A Study of Conversion, Proselytization, and Maintenance of Faith, United Nations Commission on Human Rights, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Forced conversion of minority girls in Pakistan, Safavid conversion of Iran from Sunnism to Shiism, https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c2a4.htm, http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Monergism, https://archive.today/20220314005237/https://www.whatdomormonsbelieve.com/15/09/2010/the-original-sin/, "Guide to the Scriptures: Baptism, Baptize: Proper authority", "Abraham's Test: Islamic Male Circumcision as Anti/Ante-Covenantal Practice", Symposium Series (Society of Biblical Literature), "Islamic Law and the Issue of Male and Female Circumcision", "So You Want to Convert to Judaism? A series of attempts by rightwing Hindu groups to hold mass conversion ceremonies have caused controversy in recent months. Also, 32 people left Islam to join Hinduism. [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. According to the report, the converts said they were neither lured nor coerced into Hinduism. Apostate is a term used by members of a religion or denomination to refer to someone who has left that religion or denomination. "India investigates reports of mass 'reconversion' of Christians". This page was last edited on 21 January 2023, at 07:01. But we need to be judicious while moderating your comments. "Look we make up 150m people of India. lmao everyone in this world is a convert, The writer has tried to mislead the readers of NIE with confusing figures. Not so for the small community of Christians in Agra, a town in the northern Indian province of Uttar Pradesh. But often on trains people ask about my background, what my father did, where I am from. This table summarizes three Protestant beliefs. [1] In some cases, religious conversion "marks a transformation of religious identity and is symbolized by special rituals".[2]. BJP divide people on religion wise for vote. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines. Christanity has 2.5-3% base in 82% Hindu dominated India. In another case, Larissis v. Greece, a member of the Pentecostal church also won a case in the European Court of Human Rights.[68]. "Islam is egalitarian, and we get the self-respect," said Khalik. 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. 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