American Christian Booklet on Evangelizing in India

["Ram Narayanan" <loraln@worldnet.att.net>]

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Postings not related to the writing of the Manifesto or policy chapters
are likely to be summarily rejected. Thanks for your understanding. IPI
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Henry wrote:

>The Presbyterian Prayer is the foreigner's perception of India, as >many
Indians are insensitive to homelessness, illiteracy, disease .........

>.......what is wrong if a missionary cares for the leperosy patients
>in them, provides education, and give them some humanity. Why >should
others who do not provide these services and only believe >making money
as
their "idol",  should decry those who provide >servicesto the deprived,
if
that service comes from their Christian >faith.? We should not only be
intellectual but
>also compassionate. We are not only mind people but also heart >people.
Weshould also follow Buddha as we follow scholars.of >culture.  Allo me
to
be compassionate to my fellow Indians and say >my prayers to the
millions of
Dalits.


Nothing wrong, Henry, the way you put it.  But the Presbyterian booklet
I
quoted from didn't have very much to say on the issues you have
highlighted.
Unfortunately, It focuses totally on decrying Hinduism and  on
converting
Hindus to Christianity. The booklet, as I mentioned previously, is
titled
"Tens of Millions Still Wander in Darkness in India's Hindi Heartland".
The
term "Darkness" is clearly meant to mean Hinduism and the other
religions
indigenous to India as well as Islam.  Here are some exact quotes:

"Ask God to deliver India's millions from the darkness of Hinduism".

"Upon waking up Hindu Gujjars repeat the name of a god to show that they
have not forgotten him. They remain almost completely unreached with the
gospel that could save them from sin, Satan, and eternal death. Father,
bring the truth to the deceived Gujjar people and set their hearts free
to
embrace the gospel. Prepare and send more missionaries to them".

"Pray for a strong church among the 2,100,000 Muslim and Hindu Gujjar
people
of India".

"Health is poor for the Jogi groups (in Himachal  Pradesh), though their
lifestyle is improving since the government provided Jogi communities
with
drinking water and electricity.  More important, these wanderers are
lost
within the lies of a religion that worships a deity named Baba
Gorakhnath
and his disciple Raja Bartari Chandra. They also practise ancestor
worship.
Unlike most low caste peoples, the Jogi are one of India's most
resistant
groups to the gospel".

"Pray for a strong church among the 11,200 Hindu Jogi peoples of India".

"Plead with God for unreached peoples. We don't know  how many people
from
these subcastes (astrologers and palm readers) have embraced Christ but
we
do know that those in the Hindi belt are working under the empowerment
and
influence of demonic spirits in one of the most spiritually dark regions
of
the world. It is unlikely that many are Christian believers. Father of
Light, may the light of your gospel soon dispel the darkness that has
pervaded and bound these people for centuries. Give them freedom and joy
in
bowing the knee to Jesus only".

"The Kumaonis (in Uttar Pradesh) are recognized as a handsome people
........Their Hindu practices and festivals have a very strong hold on
them.
Lord, give courage to the Kumaoni Christians so they will have many
openings
to share the gospel with their Hindu neighbors. May the Kumaoni become
so
devoted to You that they forsake their Hindu idols. May there soon be a
powerful moving of Your Spirit among the Kumaoni that will amaze all of
India"

"The Buxas are considered one of the most Hinduised tribes in India. A
typical greeting among the Buxas is 'Ram, Ram', in honor of the Hindu
god,
Rama. Along with their devotion to Hindu gods, the Buxas also worship
tribal
deities. Father, we ask Your mercy on the Buxa people. Send Your workers
to
this harvest field so that the Buxas may worship the only One worthy of
worship and praise".

"It happened last October in Mumbai. Indian believers held a major All
India
Conference on Visual Media Development to show the possibilities of
using
new media tools. The purpose of such a Conference was to accelerate
evangelistic efforts in this information age. And now:

*Pray that the Lord will establish fellowships of Christians with media
skills in various parts of india as a follow up to the Conference.

*Pray for the  production of the first ever Christian media handbook
that
will list individuals and agencies who will work together to evagelize
India.

*Pray that God will help Christian media professionals and agencies to
work
together in unity so they can accelerate the pace at which the gospel is
to
spread to unreached Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Jains."

And so it goes on and on. But the motivation is obvious  -  to repeat a
South Korea in India. According to some reports, South Korea was 90
percent
Buddhist at the end of the Second World War; now it is 45 percent
Christian
and Christianity is well on its way to become the most dominant faith in
South Korea.

Ram Narayanan

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the National Debate on System Reform.       debate@indiapolicy.org
Rules, Procedures, Archives:            ../debate/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------