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What is 'wrong' in religious conversion? By Kumar Chellappan Religious Conversion is back in the news and that too with more vigour. Although religious conversion used to be big news in north India, it was conspicuous by its absence in Kerala. Now conversion news has become as widespread as sex scandals and general hartals. It all started with the attack on the US Missionary Bishop Cooper who while on a visit to Kerala in 2003 got involved in evangelisation work. The Sangh Parivar people attacked him and the poor Missionary left the country in a huff. It is not known whether the Hindu `fundamentalists' lodged any complaints with the local police. These organisations are doing a lot of work for the `uplift' (social and spiritual) of the poor and the downtrodden. There are not many Hindu organisations involved in such projects. I am yet to come across any Hindu organisations or Hindu missionaries who are actively working with lepers, physically and mentally challenged people, HIV + infected people and so on. There are many centres run by nuns and missionaries for terminally ill patients. Orphanages and old age homes managed by the Christian Missionaries offer a lot of relief to all those rejected by their close ones. It need not be a strange coincidence that most of the hospitals, orphanages and educational organisations are run by Christian Missionaries. It requires a lot of money to run these establishments. It is quite natural that foreign agencies offer funds and other aids to these organisations. What is wrong if the Missionaries encourage the poor and the downtrodden to embrace their religion? For the poor, what matters most is two square meals a day. All the governments, which ruled the country for the last sixty years or so, failed miserably in poverty eradication. Although they churn out data and statistics to prove that the number of people below the poverty line has come down, there is no dearth of news about deaths due to starvation and poverty. Even a state like Bengal, which is under a progressive secular regime uninterruptedly for the last 27 years is not free from starvation deaths. Where governments fail, organisations like Missionaries Of Charity emerge, offering food and other benefits. What is wrong if they ask the `unreached' to get converted to their religion? If the Missionaries of Charity or any other organisation is capable of eradicating poverty by making people change their religious belief, they should be encouraged to do so. Courtesy: Asianet Global http://www.aiccindia.org/what_is_wrong_with_religious_conversion.htm To subscribe just send a blank mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Disclaimer : This message may contain confidential, proprietary or legally privileged information. It should not be used by any one who is not the original intended recipient. If you have erroneously received this message, please delete it immediately and notify the sender. The recipient acknowledges that MOSt is unable to exercise control or ensure or guarantee the integrity of/over the contents of the information contained in e-mail transmission and further acknowledges that any views expressed in this messages are those of the individual sender and does not bind MOSt unless the sender does so expressly with due authority with MOSt. Before Opening any attachment please check them for viruses and defects.