The ‘Sickular’ rants of a Christian Fundamentalist Bishop

Reference the news report – ” Flutter over Bishop’s Hindu terror remark ” – TNIE – 17 Apr 2013-
http://newindianexpress.com/states/tamil_nadu/Flutter-over-Bishops-Hindu-terror-remark/2013/04/17/article1548344.ece

The report stated, among others, ” Bishop M Prakash, Chairman, Tamil Nadu Minorities Commission – – -“. The name of the “SECULAR” Bishop, rang an instantaneous familiar chime. Here’s why.

Professor Pradip Ninan Thomas, who teaches at the University of Queensland, Australia, had published in 2008 his ‘research findings’ on ‘Christian Fundamentalism’ in Tamil Nadu in general and the ‘city of his birth’ – Madras – in particular. It was entitled – ” Strong Religion, Zealous Media “.

In his ‘Introductory Chapter’, Prof. Thomas candidly wrote : ” The term Christian Fundamentalism as used in this book describes the doctrines and attitudes of Christian groups and sects who are united in their belief that Christian triumphalism is mandated in the Gospels and that, as such, chritians are duty bound to translate this vision into politicalreality through the ballot box, by influencing the political agenda of their governments and by engaging and supporting Christian conversions “ (PP-14).  A la. Arun Shourie’s  “HARVESTING OF SOULS ” !!

Preceding Prof. Thomas Ninan’s research – by 16 years – the Hindu intellectual, (late) Shri Ram Swarup, wrote in 1992, in his ‘excellent’ treatise – ” Hindu View of Christianity and Islam ” –

” The whole prophetic spirituality, whether found in the Bible or the Quran, is mediumistic in essence. Here everything takes place through a proxy, through an intermediary. Here man knows God through a proxy, and probably God too knows man through the same proxy. The proxy is the favoured individual, a privileged mediator. ‘No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him’, says the Bible (Mt.XI.27). The Quaran makes no very different claim. ‘This day have I perfected your religion for you’, says Allah of the Quran through his Last Prophet (5.3)”.

” There are other similarities of the same fundamental kind into which we need not go here. But none of them are calculated to promote peace. The seeds of conflict, not only amongst the ‘Believers’, but also with the rest of the world, lie at the heart of these two ideologies. Each of the two is presided over by a bellicose God, each chief of his own hosts; each claims sole sovereignity. A larger charity and nutual respect and even tolerance, and co-existence, cannot be strong points of such ideologies” (pp-21,22)

Again. ” If religious tolerance is a value, Christianity as well as Islam lack it badly. Wherever they have gone, they have carried fire and sword and oppressed and dsetroyed so far as it lay in their power. They demolished and occupied the temples and shrines of others. Any tolerance shown was an exception, intolerance was the rule. Hindus know to some extent what the Muslims did, but the Christian record in this matter has not been less thorough.” (pp-42)

It is into the foregoing descriptions of ‘monotheistic bigotry’ ,that Bishop M.Prakash, of the Tamil Nadu Minorities Commission, fits – ‘SEAMLESSLY’ !!

Prof. Thomas Ninan wrote :

” While the presence of the Church in Chennai and in Tamil Nadu in general is strong, and bishops belonging to the Church of South Indiaq have been courted by politicians, it is clear that in the era of economic globalization and India’s tryst with liberalization, the groups actively involved in politics are factions within the Pentacostal Churdh who are aligned to the two key Dravidian parties – the DMK and the AIADMK. Bishop Ezra Sargunam, who heads the Indian Pentacostal Church, and who is a former member of the TN Minorities Commission, is a supporter of the incumbent DMK party. When the AIADMK is in power, it is the turn of Bishop M.Prakash, who heads the Synod of Independent Churches, to take over as the Christian representative on the Minorities Commission” (pp-24)

Again. ” These two Church representatives from the Pentacostal/Independent traditions, have been recognized by politicians for the ‘vote banks’ they represent. – – – -. They have however, used their connections and politics to smoothen the way for the continuation of uninterrupted mission work in the South; actively, publicly supported the right to convert; played an instrumental role in organizing Pentacostal rallies and conventions; and, more importantly, taken a lead role in manufacturing and communicating globally the changing nature of the Chritian identity in India”. (pp-25)

Further. ” While there is to date, scant evidence to suggest that these two leaders [Ezra Sargunam & M.Prakash] are actively involved in advocating separatism, their commitment to muscular forms of mission and evangelism and, in particular, to conversion has taken them on a collission course with Hindu Nationalists and secularists”. (pp-25).

Any wonder then the RANT’ as reported in your paper ?? !!

Lastly. ” It has also resulted in their becoming the de facto spokespersons for Indian Christians and in their being featured on Capitol Hill in USA, at the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), and the U.S. State Department’s Annual Report on International Religious Freedom”. (pp-25).

From an Indian perspective – “QUISLINGS”. No More. No Less !!

Since we are Nehruvian Secular, our ‘secular politicians’ have no qualms about ‘TANGOING’ with these ‘SECULAR FUNDAMENTALISTS’ !!

Ninan wrote :

” The relationship of these new churches with mainstream politics is public. At the ‘Every Tongue Every Tribe’ convention organized by the Indian Pentacostal Church, that I attended in January 2006 in Chennai – the First National Convention specifically devoted to missionising of tribal India – the Chief Guests included India’s present Finance Minister, P.Chidambaram, along with a host of politicians from the Congress Government and the then opposition DMK. That this convention was specifically convened to celebrate the conversion of tribals was not an issue of concern for these politicians”. (pp-26)

But then, they are all ‘NEHRUVIAN SECULARS’. They can do no wrong. They are Honourable men & women. So was Brutus !!

Since governments are loath to protect native traditions, vote banks, secularism – in the Indian Context of the Term !!, and the spread of information through the Net and Social media, have all come togther, to make the ‘COMMUNAL HINDU’, aware and to clash head on with the ‘SECULARS’ like Bishop Prakash !! SIC !!

And for general information. Prof. Ninan wrote :

” For example, the Assemblies of God  [in Tamil Nadu] exhibited a growth of 264 % and the Pentacostal Mission 327%. The Maranatha Full Gospel Church in Tamil Nadu showed a growth of 94%. In addition to churches numbering more than in any other city in South Asia, Madras has a large number of Christian institutions sponsored by the churches. Among tham 11 Bible correspondence schools, 4 broadcasting studios, 10 Bookshops, more than 75 children’s homes and orphanges – – – – 20 communication centres”.

He concluded : ” These statistics need revision given the tremendous growth that has taken place in Chennai and Tamil Nadu in general”. (pp-23)

So to the RANTS of ‘FUNDAMENTALIST’ Bishop Prakash : “TAKE A HOP, SKIP AND A LONG WALK”. YAWN !!