Open Letter to His Holiness Pope John Paul II

[Guest guest]

Here is an excellent letter from - FYI

> > >

> > > -

> > > shyam tiwari <srtiwari

> > > Sunday, October 24, 1999 9:07 PM

> > > Open Letter to His Holiness Pope John Paul II

> > >

> > > > " Dr S. Subramanya, Co-Convenor

> > > >

> > > > Open Letter to His Holiness Pope John Paul II

> > > > Sun, 24 Oct 1999 12:11:00 +0530

> > > >

> > > > Open Letter to His Holiness The Pope John Paul

II

> > > > From

> > > > Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Arsha Vidya Gurukulam,

Coimbatore,

> > > T.N,

> > > > India

> > > >

> > > > His Holiness

> > > > The Pope John Paul II

> > > > The Holy See

> > > > The Vatican City State.

> > > > E-Mail: pyclub

> > > >

> > > > Your Holiness,

> > > >

> > > > On behalf of many Hindus whom I know personally, I welcome

> your

> > > > visit to Bharat. This is a

> > > > country with an ancient civilization and unique religious culture

> which

> > > > accommodates many

> > > > religious traditions that have come to this country throughout the

> > > > centuries.

> > > >

> > > > Being the head of the Vatican State and also the Catholic

> Church

> > > > with a great following all over

> > > > the world, you enjoy a highly venerable position and can play a

> > > significant

> > > > role in diffusing religious

> > > > conflicts and preserving the world's rich cultures. You have in

your

> > > > Apostolic Letter tertio

> > > > millennio adveniente, 38 (10 November 1994) voiced your intention to

> > > convoke

> > > > a Special Assembly

> > > > of the Synod of Bishops for Asia. After seeing the report of the

> > > > Pre-Council of the General

> > > > Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops Special Assembly for Asia

> appointed by

> > > > you, I want to bring to

> > > > your kind notice the concerns of many Hindus in this country about

> > > religious

> > > > conversion. In the

> > > > second Vatican council, the status accorded to the world religions

was

> > > that

> > > > of a means for

> > > > preparing them for Christ. We all understand that the Catholic

> religion

> > > does

> > > > not accommodate

> > > > other religions, except in this context. But I am appealing to you

> here

> > > to

> > > > accept that every person

> > > > has the freedom to pursue his or her own religion.

> > > >

> > > > In the recent past, you mentioned that reason should be

> respected.

> > > > On the basis of reason,

> > > > no non-verifiable belief is going to fare any better than any other

> > > > non-verifiable belief. Therefore,

> > > > according to reason, there is no basis for conversion in matters of

> faith.

> > > >

> > > > Apart from reason, there is another important issue, which I

> > > request

> > > > you to consider. Among

> > > > the world's religious traditions there are those that convert and

> those

> > > that

> > > > do not. The

> > > > non-converting religious traditions, like the Hindu, Jewish, and

> > > > Zoroastrian, give others the

> > > > freedom to practice their religion whether they agree with the

others'

> > > > tenets or not. They do not

> > > > wish to convert. I would characterize them as non-aggressive.

> Religions

> > > > that are committed by

> > > > their theologies to convert, on the other hand, are necessarily

> > > aggressive,

> > > > since conversion

> > > > implies a conscious intrusion into the religious life of a person,

in

> > > fact,

> > > > into the religious person.

> > > > This is a very deep intrusion, as the religious person is the

deepest,

> the

> > > > most basic in any

> > > > individual. When that person is disturbed, a hurt is sustained

which

> is

> > > > very deep. The religious

> > > > person is violated. The depth of this hurt is attested to by the

fact

> > > that

> > > > when a religious sentiment

> > > > is violated, it can produce a martyr. People connected to a

converted

> > > > person are deeply hurt.

> > > > Even the converted person will suffer some hurt underneath. He must

> > > > necessarily wonder if he has

> > > > done the right thing, and further, he has to face an inner

alienation

> from

> > > > his community, a

> > > > community to which he has belonged for generations, and thus, an

> > > alienation

> > > > from his ancestors. I

> > > > don't think that can ever be fully healed. Religious conversion

> destroys

> > > > centuries-old communities

> > > > and incites communal violence. It is violence, and it breeds

> violence.

> > > > Thus, for any humane

> > > > person, every religious sentiment has to be respected, whether it is

a

> > > > Muslim sentiment or a

> > > > Christian sentiment or a Hindu sentiment.

> > > >

> > > > Further, in many religious traditions, including the Hindu

> > > > tradition, religion is woven into the

> > > > fabric of the culture. So, destruction of a religion amounts to the

> > > > destruction of a religious culture.

> > > > Today, for instance, there is no living Greek culture; there are

only

> > > empty

> > > > monuments. The Mayan,

> > > > Roman, and many other rich cultures are all lost forever, and

humanity

> is

> > > > impoverished for it. Let

> > > > us at least allow humanity to enjoy the riches of its remaining

mosaic

> of

> > > > cultures. Each one has

> > > > some beauty, something to contribute to the enrichment of humanity.

> > > >

> > > > In any tradition, it is wrong to strike someone who is

> unarmed.

> > > In

> > > > the Hindu tradition this is

> > > > considered a heinous act, for which the punishment is severe. A

> Buddhist,

> > > a

> > > > Hindu, a Jew, are all

> > > > unarmed, in that they do not convert. You cannot ask them to change

> the

> > > > genius of their traditions

> > > > and begin to convert in order to combat conversion. Because it is

the

> > > > tradition of these religions

> > > > and cultures not to convert, attempts to convert them is one-sided

> > > > aggression. It is striking the

> > > > unarmed. I respect the freedom of a Christian or a Muslim to

practice

> his

> > > > or her faith. I do not

> > > > accept many of their beliefs, but I want them to have the freedom to

> > > follow

> > > > their religion. You

> > > > cannot ask me to respond to conversion by converting others to my

> religion

> > > > because it is not part

> > > > of my tradition. We don't believe in conversion, even though

certain

> > > Hindu

> > > > organizations have

> > > > taken back some converted people. Thus, conversion is not merely

> violence

> > > > against people, it is

> > > > violence against people who are committed to non-violence.

> > > >

> > > > I am hurt by religious conversion and many others like me

are

> > > hurt.

> > > > Millions are hurt. There

> > > > are many issues to be discussed regarding conversion, but I want to

> draw

> > > > your attention to only

> > > > the central issue here, which is this one-sided violence. Religious

> > > > conversion is violence and it

> > > > breeds violence. In converting, you are also converting the

> non-violent

> > > to

> > > > violence.

> > > >

> > > > Any protest against religious conversion is always branded

as

> > > > persecution, because it is

> > > > maintained that people are not allowed to practice their religion,

> that

> > > > their religious freedom is

> > > > curbed. The truth is entirely different. The other person also has

> the

> > > > freedom to practice his or

> > > > her religion without interference. That is his/her birthright.

> Religious

> > > > freedom does not extent to

> > > > having a planned program of conversion. Such a program is to be

> construed

> > > > as aggression

> > > > against the religious freedom of others.

> > > >

> > > > During the years of your papal office, you have brought

about

> > > > certain changes in the attitude

> > > > and outlook of the Church. On behalf of the non-aggressive

religions

> of

> > > the

> > > > world, the Hindu, the

> > > > Parsi, the Jewish and other native religions in different countries,

I

> > > > request you to put a freeze on

> > > > conversion and create a condition in which all religious cultures

can

> live

> > > > and let live.

> > > >

> > > > [signature on File]

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Dear Prasad Bhargava:

 

Thanks for posting the open letter to the Pope. It is really

no use. It is like the 3 little pigs requesting that they be

spared. Secondly, the Protestant churches are far more active

in India in terms of prosyletization and the Pope has NO

jurisdiction over them. It is appealing to the wrong party.

The problem with our people is many of them have not read

their own scriptures leave alone reading someone else's. The

gospel of Matthew 28:19-20 which clearly states: " Go ye

therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of

the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to

observe all the things whatsoever I have commanded you: and

lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

Amen. "

 

You think in the light of these words from Jesus, the

" preservation of ancient ways of life " (which were, according

to them, set up by idolatrous false prophets) has any serious

relevance or consideration. The appeal only made me chuckle!

 

regards,

B.N.Hebbar