gandhiji on conversion

8/6/2019 Gandhiji on Conversion

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WhoisaHinduIcallmyselfaSanataniHindu,becauseIbelieveintheVedas,

theUpanishads,thePuranas,andallthatgoesbythename

of Hindu scripture, and therefore in avataras and rebirth; I

believeinthevarnashramadharmainasense,inmyopinion

strictly Vedic but not in its presently popular and distorted

crude sense; I believe in the protection of cow. I do not

disbelieve in murti puja. (Young India: 6th October, 1921 /

CWMGVol24Pg370371)

WhyIamNotaConvertHinduismasIknowitentirelysatisfiesmysoul,fillsmywhole

being.Whendoubtshauntme,whendisappointmentsstare

me in the face, and when I see not one ray of light on the

horizon, I turn to the Bhagavad Gita, and find a verse to

comfortme;andIimmediatelybegintosmileinthemidstof

overwhelmingsorrow.Mylifehasbeenfulloftragediesand

iftheyhavenot leftanyvisibleand indelibleeffectonme, I

owe it to the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. (Young India:

6th

August,

1925

/

CWMG

Vol

32

Pg

195)

IDisbelieveinConversionIdisbelieve intheconversionofonepersonbyanother.My

effortshouldnevertobetoundermineanother'sfaith. This

implies belief in the truth of all religions and,therefore,

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respectforthem.It impliestruehumility.(Young India:21st

March,1929/CWMGVol45Pg145)

Conversion:ImpedimenttoPeaceIt is impossible for me to reconcile myself to the idea of

conversionafterthestylethatgoesoninIndiaandelsewhere

today. It is an error which is perhaps the greatest

impediment to the world's progress toward peace. Why

should a Christian want to convert a Hindu to Christianity?

WhyshouldhenotbesatisfiediftheHinduisagoodorgodly

man? (Harijan: 30th January, 1937 / CWMG Vol 70 Page

367)

NoSuchThingasConversionIbelievethatthere isnosuchthingasconversionfromone

faith to another in the accepted sense of the word. It is a

highlypersonalmatterforthe individualandhisGod. Imay

nothaveanydesignuponmyneighbourastohisfaithwhich

Imust honour evenas I honour myown.Having reverently

studiedthescripturesoftheworld Icouldnomorethinkof

asking a Christian or a Musalman, or a Parsi or a Jew to

change his faith than I would think of changing my own.

(Harijan:28thSeptember,1935/ CWMGVol68,pg20)

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NoConversionDesignsUponMeIamnotinterestedinweaningyouawayfromChristianity

andmakingyouHindu,andIdonotrelishyourdesignsupon

me.,ifyouhadany,toconvertmetoChristianity.Iwould

alsodisputeyourclaimthatChristianityistheonlytrue

religion.(Harijan: 6thMarch,1937 /CWMG Vol71Pg12)

ConversionConversion must not mean denationalization. Conversion

should mean a definite giving up of the evil of the old,

adoption of all the good of the new and a scrupulous

avoidance of everything evil in the new. Conversion,

therefore,shouldmeana lifeofgreaterdedicationtoone's

country, greater surrender to God, greater selfpurification.

(YoungIndia:20thAugust,1925/CWMGVol32Pg316)

ApingofEuropeansandAmericansAs Iwander about through the length and breathof India I

see many Christian Indians almost ashamed of their birth,

certainly of their ancestral religion, and of their ancestral

dress. The aping of Europeans by AngloIndians is bad

enough, but the aping of them by Indian converts is a

violencedonetotheircountryand,shall Isay,eventotheir

newreligion.(YoungIndia:20thAugust,1925/CWMGVol32

Page316)

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WhyShouldIChangeMyReligionI hold that proselytisation under the cloak of humanitarian

work is unhealthy to say the least. It is most resented by

people here. Religion after all is a deeply personal thing. It

touchestheheart.WhyshouldIchangemyreligionbecause

the doctor who professes Christianity as his religion has

curedmeofsomedisease,orwhyshouldthedoctorexpect

metochangewhilstIamunderhis influence?(Young India:

23rdApril2,1931/CWMGVol51Pg414)

MissionaryAim:UprootingHinduismMyfearisthatthoughChristianfriendsnowadaysdonotsay

oradmititthatHindureligionisuntrue,theymustharbourin

theirbreastthatHinduismisanerrorandthatChristianity,as

they believe it, is the only true religion. So far as one can

understand the present (Christian) effort, it is to uproot

Hinduismfromherveryfoundationandreplaceitbyanother

faith.(Harijan:13thMarch,1937/CWMGVol71Pg43)

UnderminingPeople'sFaithThe first distinction I would like to make between your

missionary work and mine is that while I am strengthening

the faith of people, you (missionaries) are undermining it.

(YoungIndia:11thAugust,1927/CWMGVol39Page314)

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PhysicianHealYourselfConversionnowadayshasbecomeamatterofbusiness, like

anyother. India (Hindus) is innoneedofconversionofthis

kind. Conversion in the sense of selfpurification, self

realization is the crying need of the times. That however is

neverwhatismeantbyproselytization.Tothosewhowould

convert India(Hindus),might itnotbesaid,"Physician,heal

thyself."(YoungIndia:April23,1931/CWMGVol51,pg414)

Missionaries:VendorsofGoodsWhen the missionary of another religion goes to them, he

goeslikeavendorofgoods.Hehasnospecialspiritualmerit

that will distinguish him from those to whom he goes. He

doeshoweverpossessmaterialgoodswhichhepromisesto

those who will come to his fold. (Harijan: 3rd April, 1937 /

CWMGVol71Page98)

IfIhadthePowerandCouldLegislate.If I had the power and could legislate, I should stop all

proselytizing. In Hindu households the advent of a

missionary has meant the disruption of the family

coming in the wake of change of dress, manners,

language, food and drink . (Harijan:11th May, 1935 /

CWMG Vol 67 Page 48 - 49)

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TheOnlyBegottenSonofGod?I regard Jesus as a great teacher of humanity, but I do not

regardhimastheonlybegottensonofGod.Thatepithet in

its material interpretation is quite unacceptable.

Metaphorically we are all sons of God, but for each of us

theremaybedifferentsonsofGod inaspecialsense.Thus

formeChaitanyamaybetheonlybegottensonofGod.God

cannotbetheexclusiveFatherandIcannotascribeexclusive

divinitytoJesus.(Harijan:17thApril,1937/CWMGVol71Pg

131)

WesternChristianityTodayItismyfirmopinionthatEuropedoesnotrepresentthespirit

of God or Christianity but the spirit of Satan. And Satan's

successes are the greatest when appears with the name of

Godonhis lips.(YoungIndia:8thSeptember,1920/CWMG

Vol21Pg241)

I consider western Christianity in its practical working a

negationofChrist'sChristianity.IcannotconceiveJesus,ifhe

was living in flesh in our midst, approving of modern

Christian organizations, public worship, or ministry. (Young

India:22ndSeptember,1921/CWMGVol24Pg290)

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ChristianityandImperialisticExploitationChristianity in India has been inextricably mixed up for the

lastonehundredandfiftyyearswithBritishrule. Itappears

to us as synonymous with materialistic civilization and

imperialistic exploitation by the stronger white races of the

weakerracesoftheworld.ItscontributiontoIndiahasbeen,

therefore, largelyofanegativecharacter.(youngIndia:21st

March,1929/CWMGVol45Pg144

NoRoomForThemInthemanner inwhichtheyareworkingtherewouldseem

tobe no room forthem.Quiteunconsciously theydoharm

tothemselvesandalsotous.Itisperhapsimpertinenttosay

thattheydoharmtothemselves,butquitepertinenttosay

that they do harm to us. They do harm to those amongst

whomtheyworkandthoseamongstwhomtheydonotwork,

i.e.,theharmisdonetothewholeofIndia.ThemoreIstudy

theiractivities themoresorry Ibecome. It isatragedythat

such a thing should happen to the human family. (Harijan:

December12,1936/CWMGVol70Pg139)

Outrage!Onlytheotherdayamissionarydescendedonafaminearea

with money in his pocket, distributed it among the famine

stricken, converted them to his fold, took charge of their

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temple,anddemolishedit.Thisisoutrageous.(Harijan:11th

May,1935/CWMGVol67Pg49)

LettheHindubeaBetterHinduIcametotheconclusionlongagothatallreligionsweretrue

andalsothatallhadsomeerrorinthem,andwhilstIholdby

myown,IshouldholdothersasdearasHinduism.Sowecan

only pray, if we are Hindus, not that a Christian should

becomeaHindu.ButourinnermostprayershouldbeaHindu

should be a better Hindu, a Muslim a better Muslim, a

ChristianabetterChristian.(YoungIndia:January19,1928/

CWMGVol41Pg112)

WelcomeThemBackIf a person through fear, compulsion, starvation, or for

materialgainorconsiderationgoesovertoanotherfaith,itis

a misnomer to call it conversion. Most cases of conversion

have been to my mind false coin. I would therefore

unhesitatingly readmit to theHindu foldallsuch repentant

without much ado. If a man comes back to the original

branchhedeservestobewelcomedinsofarashemaydeem

tohaveerred,hehassufficientlypurgedhimselfof itwhen

he repents his error and retraces his steps. (Harijan: 25th

September,1937/CWMG Vol72,Pg253)

CWMG:CollectedWorksofMahatmaGandhiasavailable

onwww.GandhiServe.org

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