It is not a Hindu vs. Christian debate, it is a Missionary vs Indian
sovereignty debate...Pran Lal

We live in a global village today, where is the question of such
sovereignity? Ban the missionaries from India, but can you ban the various
satellite TV programs (like Billy Graham's) from reaching millions? Don't be
gullible about the VHP. From the existing nexus of crooked politicians and
criminals we have progressed to crooks masquerading as characters from our
great epics. Give India to VHP & Co and you aint seen nothin' yet (I started
this letter before the Staines murders). I say it is a question of what
meets the spiritual needs of any person and let people freely decide their
beliefs. I personally believe while all can call on his name, faith in
Christ is revelatory and self propagating, it doesen't depend upon
missionaries. Jesus said his sheep will hear his voice. People cannot
inherit faith in the Christ, nor can they acquire it by joining a church or
signing their name somewhere. They must exercise their free choice. If I had
to force or demand that my true love declare her love for me it is not the
same as her own spontaneous committment.

The priest who asked the school kids in Gujarat to sign the Bibles was over
zealous and probably harmless, maybe he was conniving, but he sure was
stupid. That is not how individual hearts can be changed-Jesus clearly said
"born again" change (like an engine rebuilt) was required to enter the
kingdom of heaven, and that calls for repentance, not coerced belief. "Born
again" is a cliche that is highly suspect, and for good reason. Test it
before you believe it. Authenticate it before you scorn it. Observe people
in whom you sense a difference and ask why. People you can trust will give
you an honest testimony, and you maybe amazed at what you learn. If Mrs
Staines had access to Dara Singh and his cohorts it would be interesting to
see what happens. Conversion has to do with a change of heart. If earlier
convictions proved fruitless, change of belief will follow. By their fruits
ye shall know them-thats not very difficult to assess.

So, I am not sure you are being very "secular" (all-encompassing) when you
say you believe in God and Man. You may be recognizing the Jewish and
Islamic notions of God, but you left out a major chunk of Indian
population...Pran Lal

Who am I to leave out a major chunk of India's population or anybody else
for that matter? As I said earlier, we've all been conned into these
divisions called religions, and I opted out long ago. I do not believe in
man-made divisions so to all the various philosophies and "isms" you have so
carefully detailed I say KISS -Keep It Simple Sajan! All the many "isms" are
so confusing I know they baffle even those who claim to believe them.
Eventually they are abandoned and most people observe what they feel like
while pursuing another religion called materialism. I make no claim to be
all encompassing but I do believe in One who is, I'm just transparent about
my beliefs. Nobody can convert anybody-only God can, and that too only if an
individual consents out of his free choice. All we need freedom to breathe
in breathe out.

India is in me. That is good enough....Pran Lal

Distance makes the heart grow fonder -initially. Eventually its out of
sight, out of mind. Will PL Junior be so red hot about what you believe? Is
that a loss? I think not, our children will have more objectivity and
hopefully more compassion in their passion.

India is in all Indians not just those of a particular creed. My magazine
(TII) was started six years ago based on that premise, and we tug on heart
strings because we know those feelings exist in Indians no matter how long
they have been away. But if the country goes the way of hate and violence as
it seems to be going thanks to the VHP, Shiv Sena etc., India will just be a
bad memory and people will say good riddance, glad they left. Thats how many
feel already.

Why don't we demolish this set of missionary lies that Christianity is a
2000 yr old religion in India, FIRST, and then lets build a strong
Hindu-Christian relationship on the foundation of Truth; a relationship
that can last. Alright?........Pran Lal

Lets do more than that. Lets leave religion completely out of it. Lets call
Indians, Indians, a spade a spade, reject falsehood and share ideas on why
Indians should not discriminate against Indians on the basis of creed or
caste or anything else. GK Chesterton said, "Civilisation is a great idea,
why doesen't someone start one?" I know you think India is a great
civilisation which won't fade away. But history tells another tale. Take a
good look around- fundamentalism in any country has only led to people
suppressing and killing one other in the name of God regardless of what
religion dominates. The X'ians do it in Northern Ireland, Taliban in
Afghanistan, Sangh Parivar in India, various factions in Pakistan, Iran, and
Lebanon etc.

Don't you see what's going on? We need a better idea. Whats yours? For me
its Christ not something called 'Xianity. The Christ cherished by
Vivekananda who knew the difference and realised India didn't need 'Xianity.
He refuted the arguments of critics branding Christ as a westerner, when he
wrote: "Had I but lived in Palestine during the holy incarnation of the Lord
Jesus Christ, I would have washed his holy feet not with my tears but with
the blood of my heart. Jesus Christ was born in the eastern world. We would
comprehend him well, he is not a stranger to us. He really belongs to the
eastern world which is ours. Only India of the east can really understand
the Ahinsa Dharma of Jesus. India can steadfastly follow the path of love
chartered by him and fulfill it. Jesus Christ is our heritage. Tyagis who
live out the holy love of Jesus in their lives must rise up in the thousands
of thousands...the avatar of love, viz Jesus must be proclaimed by tom-tom
in India, in towns, in villages, and all over the land...Jesus Christ is our
need. May he rule the hearts of the people of India."
Man if a Christian wrote something like that he would be hounded! Regardless
of Vivekananda's views that had to come from the heart.

I'm no historian, and you have a point about historical distortion. But look
at it this way. If Jesus is the saviour of mankind, do you think he would
have died a lost cause in some remote Jewish outpost and the news obscured
for very long? The Vedas provide evidence of a supreme Prajapati sacrifice
in clear detail matching the Nazarene's death so clearly,that it could only
be Jesus. So in that sense Jesus was foreshadowed in the 5000 year old
Indian scriptures at the time of the Rigveda. The 19th chapter of the 10th
Mandala of the Rig Veda deals with the sacrifice of the sinless, perfect and
omnipotent Purusa in 16 verses. Study the details and compare the
crucifixion at Calvary.

If ole Thomas missed the boat and got delayed my contention still is, India
has seen 'Xianity, but very little of Christ. And thats because
institutionalised 'Xianity for all its dikhavat, is led by people serving
vested interests and their own ambitions, not the humble Saviour who came
for us all, who in his time on earth never pitted one creed against another
nor spoke against any ideology. He simply staked a claim on the Truth.

Either he was mad or he lied or what he said is true. Truth is embodied in
his person, its not just a good idea. Gandhiji eventually came to a similar
conclusion.

Pran I will not thrust my ideas about Jesus's divinity down anybody's
throat. But how can I not tell my countrymen that there is a Saviour? The
name Jesus means "God to the rescue," and Emmanuel means "God With Us."
(Matthew 1: 23) He came to give us the forgiveness we all seek at some point
in our lives, hoping maybe we'll find it by journeying somewhere as
pilgrims. He came to set the captives free, break our chains of fear and any
kind of bondage, heal our broken relationships, change our lives and give us
the desires of our heart. But we do have to make a pilgrimage- the shortest,
most difficult one of all - from a proud mind to a humble heart. Thats the
transaction he calls for.

Do you ever doubt that night will fall? That the sun will rise? Those who
know the Christ are as certain about his faithfulness and ability.(Jeremiah
33:20) People are throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Christ can
change our poor, hate filled, divided country and give us hope. Change our
system from one of deceit to one of integrity. It was Christ who inspired
Bapu not 'Xianity. It is faith in Christ that gives Mrs Staines the grace
and courage to carry on her husband's work among lepers rather than seek
vengeance or leave India with a broken heart. It is Christ who turns evil
into good. Their actions are abhorrent but the Bajrang Dal has unwittingly
advanced the cause of Christ. They are forcing India to choose between
lunacy and love. Focusing on conversions is a farce. Thinking people will
not be misled by cliches and vested interests, if they investigate Christ.
Read a book called "Evidence That Demands A Verdict," by Josh Mcdowell. The
answer my friend is blowing in the wind.

And there is plenty of evidence. The media keeps looking for scoops but the
worst kept secret ignored by them is that the living Christ is changing
lives today. From the President of Benin to Richard Nixon's hatchetman
Colson to all the American celebrities the media loves to poke fun at.
(Isn't there anyone in the SAJA crowd who has met him? C'mon guys stand up
for Jesus!) On homeground, ask what happened to Sreenivas Bhattacharya,
(first name is right, not certain about the surname) brilliant Phd Sanskrit
scholar, and former blue eyed wonder boy of the Sangh Parivar, now hiding
underground from the VHP. His book will be out shortly if they don't kill
him first on how he met Christ. He was in the very team that planted the
bomb (it was a specially designed bomb) that blew up the Babri Masjid. Read
authors like Chuck Colson, Philip Yancey, Larry Crabb, Erwin Lutzer,Dave
Hunt, Sadhu Sundar Singh,ex-Delhiite Ravi Zacharias and many many others who
will jolt anybody's complacent notions about Jesus. Don't be put off by
Jerry Falwell and company. (When you read just ignore the jargon and
tendency of American Christian authors to write as if Christ originated from
and belongs to the West)

When I was in USA in the seventies a popular bumper sticker
was,"America:love it or leave it." That eliminated those who loved it but
wouldn't accept it as it was, yet wouldn't leave it. People who wanted to
change America. We also feel that way about India don't we? We want to do
our bit. You are on the side of tradition and religion, I question both with
respect and without any bias toward any and offer convictions based on
evidence, and experience-and not just mine.

>From experience and observation, I'm convinced that Matthew 6:33 (Seek ye
first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be
added unto you) can do what all the economic planning cannot- wipe out
poverty. Okay so it won't make the five year plan but that is my point of
view, you have yours. Whats the point of conflict if we both care about India?

If our motives have to do with progress and a better future for Indians then
our ideas must be judged by the fruits they bear, not met with intimidation
and the rule of the jungle. During the early days of liberalisation, when
India appeared to be the South Asian tiger, the hopes of all those who
longed to go back were riding high- but media hype and reality are world's
apart. Today it seems the worst fears about India may come true.

Continued in.....PART TWO