Hindu's to Christians in India: "convert or die"

[Thor]

Hundreds of Christians in the Indian state of Orissa have been forced to renounce their religion and become Hindus after lynch mobs issued them with a stark ultimatum: convert or die.
The wave of forced conversions marks a dramatic escalation in a two-month orgy of sectarian violence which has left at least 59 people dead, 50,000 homeless and thousands of houses and churches burnt to the ground. As neighbour has turned on neighbour, thousands more Christians have sought sanctuary in refugee camps, unable to return to the wreckage of their homes unless they, too, agree to abandon their faith.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008...anity-hinduism

[peter12]

Oh... makes sense.

[HotHotHeat]

Religion FTW!

[Caged Great]

Well, obviously there extremists in every religion.

[RougeUnderoos]

"Say you believe what we believe or we'll light you on fire".

Hard to argue with that.

Are these ######s just bored? They can't possibly believe they've actually "converted" their victims.

[Thor]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

Well, obviously there extremists in every religion.

Which is sympathized by moderate religious people.

Enablers

[photon]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

"Say you believe what we believe or we'll light you on fire".

Hard to argue with that.

Are these ######s just bored? They can't possibly believe they've actually "converted" their victims.

Probably not, but they've effectively "deconverted" them from their own religion.

The true Christians die because they won't deny their faith, and the false ones reject God. It's a win-win (for the people doing the forcing I mean).

[kermitology]

Yikes.. I realize that there are extremes in every major religion, but wow. I didn't expect it from the Hindu's. Ganesha is one mad mother fataer.

[Joborule]

Awesome. Sounds like a fair deal.

Some people...

[photon]

Of course that's the basic message of any exclusive religion: "Convert or go to whatever version of hell we believe in," the punishment in this case is just a little more immediate.

[Thor]

Originally Posted by photon

Of course that's the basic message of any exclusive religion: "Convert or go to whatever version of hell we believe in," the punishment in this case is just a little more immediate.

Exactly, we are right, you are wrong. And in most cases, its justified to kill people who don't share your beliefs.

[Vulcan]

I thought at one time the Hindu's were pretty open about Christianity. They figured Jesus was just another god to worship among their pantheon. I guess things have changed.

[Calgaryborn]

Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

[Reggie Dunlop]

It's a little more complex than religion vs. religion. That's a impoverished region, so there's a wave of American and European evangelical missionaries coming in that do things differently than the old-school Protestants and Catholics. It's as much a class war, as these missionaries looking for souls to win over tend to target the lower-caste segment of the population.

Some Hindu swami was assassinated in August which touched off the wave of violence. You've got Maoists claiming responsibility, but officials are blaming Christians, so there could be some political motivations as well.

Big mess though.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0401/p01s04-wosc.html

[arsenal]

Originally Posted by Calgaryborn

Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Yup, and they all worship the same person .

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by kermitology

Yikes.. I realize that there are extremes in every major religion, but wow. I didn't expect it from the Hindu's. Ganesha is one mad mother fataer.

Yeah Hinduism is generally a very very peaceful religion. I guess that leaves Buddhism and Wicca left.

As Reggie says though, it's probably more politically motivated than anything.

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by arsenal

Yup, and they all worship the same person .

Their own sense of self importance?

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by Daradon

Yeah Hinduism is generally a very very peaceful religion. I guess that leaves Buddhism and Wicca left.

As Reggie says though, it's probably more politically motivated than anything.

Yeah, I figure pretty much every popular religious movement starts out with a downtrodden, economically disadvantaged minority somewhere. Heck that goes for political movements too.

Of course, I'm not a trained historian/theologan/anthropologist or anything -- it's just something I figures makes sense.

[Thor]

Originally Posted by Daradon

Yeah Hinduism is generally a very very peaceful religion. I guess that leaves Buddhism and Wicca left.

As Reggie says though, it's probably more politically motivated than anything.

So we are thinking its nothing to do with religion, its politics.

Last time I checked people didn't go to such extremes for a political ideology, but a religious ideology they definitely do.

Like Israel is a political problem, northern Ireland, the separation of India into Pakistan, etc..

Its all politics, nothing to do with religious beliefs. Even though those beliefs are absolutist, and are not forgiving of those who don't agree.

Coincidence.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

Yeah, I figure pretty much every popular religious movement starts out with a downtrodden, economically disadvantaged minority somewhere. Heck that goes for political movements too.

I'm sort of the same mindset

Religions, generally, don't promote violence or any of that kind of stuff. Its the religious extremists that are overzealous to promote their religion that causes the violence, not the religion that causes it.