The Hindu caste system and other social issues like untouchability are some of the reasons behind conversions in addition to money and other earthly benefits! But the fact is that conversion does not change caste loyalties or feelings. Christians and other minorities in India are as much caste oriented as Hindus are. This is not all that different from countries like the United States. Most African Americans are Christians like the vast majority of Caucasians but that does not mean that interracial relationships are common.

There is a Christian community in Kerala called Syrian Christians and some Syrian Christian claim that they are Christians who converted from Brahmin priests (Ravi Zacharias has made such a claim). The Syrian Christians are well known for strong caste feelings and very few of them marry other Indian Christians leave alone other Indians.

I do not think that believing in something and debating/discussing with others is discrimination. But imposing your religious views on others is discrimination. There is also a difference between believing something to be true and what is true. For centuries some Christians thought slavery, racial discrimination, colonialism, gender discrimination etc. were true. Nowadays some Christians believe that that their religion is the only true religion and therefore the beliefs of billions of others are false (I have not heard of a summit or a treaty to this effect). What is consistent in all this is a sense of superiority without supporting evidence and the necessity to meddle in the affairs of other nations and their people.

To promote this myth billions of dollars are collected from the followers in the West and then pumped into countries like India to spread the message of “truth” (when it costs less than $1500 for a round trip ticket to India and even less to “befriend and explain their points of view”). Individuals like Ravi Zacharias even teach the faithful how to cheat on the Indian visa application form by not providing the real reasons for the visit (Ravi has claimed that his father was “in charge of the visa department” of the Indian government. Wow!). He says that if the real reasons are provided then the Indian government will black list them. There are many foreign missionaries in India and to my knowledge Indian government has no such policy. Watch video “How to witness for Christ to a Hindu (2:40) on YouTube before it is also removed from the site!

Conversely any Indian (including Indians who are Christians) who has ever tried to get a visa to a Western nation knows how difficult it is to get. Only a fraction of the applicants are approved. I wonder what the reaction would be if Indians apply for visas to the US for promoting Hinduism or Islam in the country?

The truth about the so-called truth tellers!

Going to Christian schools, reading the Bible and talking to other Christians about their religion is part of seeking. On one hand I heard about Christianity from individuals like you who only talk about the good verses that portrays God as this peace loving and caring person.

But then I read the Bible and came across verses like Deuteronomy 15: 1-3 where the Bible makes some racist comments “At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. Every creditor shall cancel the loan he has made to his fellow Israelite. He shall not require payment from his fellow Israelite or brother, because the LORD’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed. You may require payment from a foreigner, but you must cancel any debt your [Israelite] brother owes you“. What is different about a non-Israelite like you or me?

I kept reading further and I came to this wonderful book called Leviticus. In chapter 25 versus 44-46 it states the following: “Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. You can will them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life“. I am yet to visit Israel!

I love the peaceful and caring religion that you preach. But unfortunately I cannot find that religion in the Bible.

Matthew 7:7 through 7:9
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

Anything is possible. One day human beings might create a new universe. That is not the point here. What does the Bible say?

The Bible says that god took some clay from the ground and made it look like a man. He then breathed gently into the clay. The mans eye opened and began to live. That is the story of Adams creation. God then took a rib from Adam’s side when he was sleeping. When Adam woke up the next day he found Eve sleeping next to him.

Based on scientific evidence this creation story is completely false and totally inaccurate. Human beings are not created from clay and a woman is not created in a single day or from a mans rib!

Why do you think that I need to read more about Christianity? I know as much about the Bible and Christianity as the next person.

Thank for proselytizing! I am glad to know Jesus loves me although I am not sure how you know this to be true.

Fortunately though hard work and a lot of luck I have been able to eke out a decent life for myself and my loved ones. Instead of loving people like me who neither asked for nor need his love, he should spend his time and effort helping the millions of us who are dying due to hunger, cancer, HIV, war etc. Will you let someone you love live on the streets during winter, eat from garbage cans because they cannot afford anything else, become casualties of war or beg on the streets? These people need his love badly but he seems to be ignoring them or unable to answer their prayers!

I hope you understand that the “sacrificial god” story might bring comfort to Christians but does not mean anything for the rest of us. Religion is full of stories of sacrificial and resurrecting gods. There is nothing unique about this Christian myth. In Hinduism and Buddhism we call this concept as Avatars (Hindus believe that Vishnu has at least 10 major avatars. Vishnu not only has avatars as a human being but also as many other living creatures. He saved not just humans but all living things. I believe that Vishnu is much more of a “greener” god than Jesus!).

The summary of a story that you read in a book and quoted sounds like the feel good stories that Christian missionaries are fond of telling. I have heard Ravi Zacharias tell many such “stories”. The theme is the same. An argument is put forth and always the Christian argument wins and the rest of us end up looking like fools. But I do not know whether you noticed but the Christian wins the argument only when the Christian is narrating the story. Have you listened to the same stories from a Hindu, Buddhist, Islamic, Judaic or atheistic view points? They are pretty hilarious!

The “author” of this tall tale seems to be suggesting that a god who “comes to us” is superior to the god that “we have to find”. I do not understand this logic. I guess you like your pizza delivered rather than takeout! This story also shows a lack of understanding of both Islam and Buddhism. Buddha who is god, came to earth, lived as a human being and suffered the same things that all of us human beings suffer. As a human being he then found solutions and also found out the reasons for this suffering. So you see he did come down from the mountain!

The same is true for Prophet Mohammed. Let us not forget that according to Islam Jesus is just a prophet!

In regards to Genesis, when it comes to Eve being made from Adam’s rib think of it this way, way back when would we have ever thought it possible to use hemopoeitic cells to create other cells? Can we really limit God and say for God of all beings it’s not possible. :-)

John 3:16 and 3:17
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

The fact that God loved us so much, God loved you sir so much, that He would send His own Son to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins (that Jesus was the sacrifice for sin once and for all) so that we could be reconciled to God. That Jesus who was inequality to God would humble himself for us, would die in physical body for us, and take upon the judgement for our sins so that we could be reconciled is amazing!That kind of love, sacrificial love is such an amazing thing. I truly hope if you have not understood how much God loves you yet, that you are shown and able to accept this free gift which makes us right with God not based on our own works or our own righteousness but on what the acceptance of what God did for us and God’s rghteousness.
:-D

There was something I once read in a book and it went like this:
“Meanwhile, I was engaged in a conversation with a Bhuddhist leader and a Muslim leader in this particular community. They were discussing how all religions are fundimentally the same and only superficially different. ‘We may have different views about small issues’ one of them said, ‘but when it comes down to essential issues, each of our religions is the same.’ I listened for a while, and then they asked me what I thought. I said, ‘It sounds as though you both picture God(or whatever you call god) at the top of a mountain. It seems as if you believe that we are all at the bottom of the mountain, and I may take one route up the mountain, you may take another, and in the end we will all end up in the same place.’ They smiled as I spoke. Happily they replied, ‘Exactly! You understand!’ Then I leaned in and said, ‘Now let me ask you a question. What would you think if I told you that the God at the top of the mountain actually came down to where we are? What would you think if I told you that God doesn’t wait for people to find their way to him, but instead he comes to us?’ They thought for a moment and then responded, “That would be great.” I replied, “Let me introduce you to Jesus.’”
God bless!

The Bible is full of contradictions including on such important issues such as whether Jesus is the son of god, who is responsible for evil, way to salvation, death on the cross, resurrection and ascension. All these contradictions in addition to all the violence, hatred and intolerance that are part of scripture do not add up to the truth. It adds up to confusion.

I did make a positive statement of truth. I will repeat it. “I am not interested in the debate about which religion is true”. This is not an intellectually safe or meaningless position. It is the truth!

Ezekiel 20:25-26 – I also gave them over to statutes that were not good and laws they could not live by; I let them become defiled through their gifts—the sacrifice of every firstborn—that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the LORD.

It also appears you are least interested in the concept of truth when you are asked to make a positive statement about it. So I’m going to assume that you are a skeptic and a sophist, positions that are both intellectually safe and intellectually meaningless.

I am not sure why a “Christian” should be critical of other religions or go about claiming that other religions are false. A Christian is a follower of Jesus and his teachings. In the Bible God commands his followers (Ten Commandments) not to worship other gods or to bow before other gods (this is an acknowledgment that there were other gods). But God admonishes those who question him or his teachings, which is what a Christian does when he/she tries to prove that Christianity is true. The Bible also does not state that Christians should go about disproving other religions and their gods. Passing judgment according to the Bible is what god does and not human beings (including Ravi Zacharias)!

Irrespective of what certain Christians might feel about evangelism, it is a “trick and a con” in the eyes of those who are skeptics and those who do not believe in Christianity. Christians like most other religious groups cherry pick versus from the Bible that they want to follow and ignore those that does not fit with their current beliefs. In 1 Peter 2:18 and Leviticus 25: 44-45 it says that Christians can buy slaves from nations around them and the slaves in turn are told to submit themselves to their masters whether their masters were good to them or not. Most Christians today do not approve of slavery and most Christians do not think that they are any less of a Christian because of their opposition to slavery (I am not equating slavery with evangelism but some of His commandments are best when left alone). So I am not asking you to follow Christianity and not follow his commandments. You are already doing it! Evangelism will end when people who are doing it and those who are morally and financially supporting it realize the damage it is doing to indigenous people and their cultures.

I am glad that you agree that the Jesus Christ story has “major thematic elements that are similar to older stories”. I however do not think that there are major differences between the teachings of Jesus, Buddha or Krishna about what would happen to us in the end. Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism and Islam have varying degrees of belief in the concept of heaven and hell and what people should do to get there. Christianity itself has different versions of salvation. You indicate that a Christian is saved by having faith in Christ. In Revelation 20: 12-13 the Bible states that “the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done”. According to you God judging a person by deeds is a belief of Islam and not Christianity!

The concept of human beings as sinners who have to repent for salvation is also not unique to Christianity. Christianity borrowed this concept from Judaism. Jerusalem Talmud Sanhedrin 28b states “The Holy One, blessed be His name, said to Elijah, ‘Behold, the precious gift which I have bestowed on my world: though a man sins again and again, but returns in penitence, I will receive him”.

I am least interested in the concept of truth when it comes to religion (as in a religion is true and others are not). It is normally a word used by those religious people who only have a superficial or limited knowledge of the scriptures or are dependent on others to tell them what their religion is about. Who am I? Am I an atheist or a skeptic? I am just an observer. Sometimes I like to play the role of an umpire.

The following are two verses from the Bible. I am still wondering which statement is the “truth”.

Jesus speaking in John:

John 5:31 – If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid.
John 8:14 – Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid.

Evangelism is a tenant of the christian faith, it is not a trick or a con. The true evangelist believes that conversion is morally right and existentially necessary. If you ask us to accept the principle that a good faith effort to bring people to truth is wrong you ask us to accept that there is a superior truth contrary to the tenant of evangelism, in short you ask us to call ourselves christian but not follow his commandments.

you say that Christianity is a great religion “But the problem always comes when a certain group considers the other as inferior or when one group thinks that it has the inside track on the truth, morality, meaning of life and so on.” Every monotheistic faith, at least, make a fundamental claim to truth that rejects all others. Are you suggesting that Christianity and other religions can both be true? Or people possessing truth should not make it known or make an argument for it? Are you suggesting that if there is a truth, that the ignorant are better left ignorant?

You ask “How can Christianity be the only path when almost all of its doctrines, beliefs and gods are borrowed from other more ancient religions?” It is very common for people to think that all religions are fundamentally the same differing only in unimportant details. Christianity is unique in the world most religions are unique, each offering different opinions on the nature of good and evil, sin and redemption, among other issues. Even between different christian sects these fundamental questions are answered differently.

Finally you say that “Even if Jesus Christ was a real person there is nothing unique about his story. What does Jesus Christ teach that you cannot find in the teachings of Krishna, Buddha or Prophet Mohammad?” I am fully aware that the story of Christ has major thematic elements that are similar to older stories, but there is really nothing surprising about several theological formulas being similar. If I asked several architects to construct a building meant for a particular purpose, should i be surprised if most of the designs have similar structural elements. However, Krishna, Buddha, Mohammad and Jesus offer fundamentally different formulas, regarding Hinduism I am not sufficiently educated in all of the various subsets of nor do i know which view of Hinduism you are referring too, but i do know that Buddhism is born out of a rejection of the Vedas and the caste system. With regard to Islam and Christianity, in Islam on the final day of judgment each individual will be forgiven or condemned to some afterlife based upon their deeds, in Christianity all are sinners but are saved through faith in Christ and repentance rather than good works.

I have to wonder is the author of this article an atheist or just a skeptic? One of the key features to Ravi Zacharias’ ministry is that he offers and argument for why he is a Christian, and says by what standards he judges the various faiths of the world.

I say this because anyone can make a cogent argument offering proof against a fundamental truth. But what then do you offer in its place? Don’t tell me why you are not a christian, tell me why you are a (Fill in the Blank)? What is your burden of proof?

Now I am a clown and a fool? It is individuals like you who give Christianity a bad name and then drive people away from your religion.

I learnt what I know about Christianity by attending prestigious Christian institutions in India. Most of my teachers in these institutions were Christian priests and nuns who dedicated their entire lives to the Lord. After class I would read the Bible myself and clarify the questions that I have with my teachers. So if you think that I do not know anything about Christianity then that would be an indictment of the Christian educational institutions that I attended and graduated from with honors.

However, I do think I know a little bit about Christianity than you give me credit for and I do believe that my teachers knew what they were talking about. Although they were deeply religious they knew that scripture is subject to interpretations and some scriptures were at odds with modern scientific discovery. They were very wise compared to some of their counterparts in the West!

Please feel free to express your opinions on the Vedas. I do not want to set any “pre-qualifications” on who can or cannot comment on it.

One of my favorite Rig Veda quotes about Creation:

Who really knows? Who will here proclaim it? Whence was it produced? Whence is this creation? The gods came afterwards, with the creation of the universe. Who then knows whence it has arisen?

Whence this creation has arisen – perhaps it has formed itself, or perhaps it did not – the one who looks down on it, in the highest heaven, only he knows – or perhaps he does not know.

Your rant is very similar to that of a Hindu and Muslim fundamentalist. When a person disagrees with you, throw everything at him and call him names and demean him. You are correct when you say that I “got the best of what Christianity has to offer”. I went to Christian schools that respected all culture and highlighted aspects of Christianity that are inclusive and non-judgmental. Looking back I am very glad that I did not go to Christian schools run by hateful individuals like you. There is no bitterness. There is a lot about Christianity that I learnt from these schools that I cherish even today.

This is 2010. Christian colonization of India ended in 1947. So there is no need for an Indian today to be “grateful” for the education that is provided by Christian institutions. It is a business and the education is not free. I personally believe that this is the least Christianity can do for exploiting India, its people, its culture and its resources for almost 500 years.

As you probably guessed English is not my mother tongue. It is the fourth language that I learnt and I still have a long way to go before I can become an expert. Language to me is more than spelling and grammar. It is an expression of culture, ones values and traditions. You have used words like “dimwit”, “clown”, “low life” and “fool” to describe me. You have used terms like “talk about putting your smelly diseased foot in your sore infested mouth” to describe what I said. Although you might be grammatically correct your choice of words and the tone tells me a lot about you and what you are about. It also reflects poorly on your worldview and Christian values!!

You cherry picked one of the sentences to question my language abilities. Where I am from, if you do not understand what a person said all you have to do is ask for clarifications. There is no reason to demean the person and his education and then accuse him of taking “cheap shots” when you are the one doing it.

The interpretation of Biblical scripture changes as new scientific discoveries are made. The six day creation story mentioned in the Book of Genesis was the correct interpretation for 1800 years. This started to change as scientists began talking about billions of years. This is what I meant to convey by the statement that you claimed that you did not understand (You would have understood it clearly if you read the whole answer. But I know that your real intention is not to question my language but to show me in poor light, minimize the impact of what I have to say and silence my voice. I know all the missionary tricks. I wasn’t born yesterday!!).

I do not know whether Ravi is a truthful or godly man. I do know that his interpretation of Christianity and the Bible is one of the many different interpretations of Christianity and the Bible. I also believe that he like some other preachers is very selective regarding the verses he teaches and stays away from contradicting verses and controversial subjects that are part of the Bible including slavery, discrimination and violence.

I am not sure whether many Indians would agree with your statement that Ravi does what he does because of his concern for his countrymen. He does what he does in order to spread his version of Christianity. Your definition of Christianity as a relationship is also interesting.

Words like personal relationship with Jesus and so on are modern interpretations that does not have any Biblical foundation. Jesus wants you to treat him as God and to follow his orders. The Bible has a lot of information on what he will do to you if you do not obey. On judgment day he will review your performance and determine whether to send you to heaven or hell. He does not want to have any kind of relationship with you before or after.

Such terms are often used by those believers who want to distance themselves from Christianity as a religion and all its trappings. The personal relationship with god version of Christianity is almost like Buddhism and certain aspects of Hinduism. You bypass religion, scripture and traditions and create your own reality and develop direct relationship with the god that you created.

Doubt has set in and disbelief is right around the corner!

“Like they say in the East “there is nothing new under the Sun”.”

Actually dimwit, that happens to be from the Bible.. not some eastern saying. Talk about putting your smelly diseased foot in your sore infested mouth.

Ravi happens to be a Truthful and Godly man. He does what he does out of love and concern for his fellow countrymen; while low lives like you try to take cheap shots at him. I am thankful though that you are not very intelligent and can’t come up with anything that even remotely sounds valid.

I am an educated Christian…yup, from India.. Converted, yes!! I’ve got my degrees in Applied Mathematics from one of the best Universities in the world. I have and continue to study religion and culture… and Christianity is the one and only relationship (yes, relationship, because it’s different is that essence from any other religions, it’s a relationship) that makes sense.

Actually, you are not worth my time. I suggest, for your own sake, please make an effort to study!! not read!! the teachings of the bible before you take cheap shots at it. Not only do you end up sounding foolish, but you also end up sounding bitter and angry.

U clown.. please stick to what you know. It’s evident from reading your comments that you have absolutely no clue on what Christianity is all about. Like I would not comment about the Vedas because it takes years of learning before one is able to scrap just the surface, Christianity is the same. You only make a fool of yourself. Talking about “claims” of Christianity.. anyway, I claim you are a fool. Peace out.