Manipur, India bans Christians from preaching

[TruthSeeker]

Manipur, India bans Christians from preaching

India: January 27, 2009, Pakistan Christian Post

Read this notice of Chringmeirong Rongmei Village council, pasted on the notice board on the village gate in Manipuri is translated as: "No Christian activities and propagation within Chingmeirong Kabui (Rongmei) village Ward No. 173, any living person violating this order will be punished under the rules and regulation of the village council - By Order Village Council/Village Chief, Chingmeirong."

Under this law, three families from Chingmeirong Rongmei village were penalised. Kaphun Kamei, around 50 years old, along with his wife and children were the latest victims. Their house cum church building was dismantled by villagers on December 14, 2008, after imposing the fines prescribed by the village council.

Past incidents of the diktat ordered by the village council against Christians include the following as reported by the Sangai Express on September 13, 2007. Kahaolung Malungmei was fined a pig and rice beer jar and later banished from the village for becoming a Christian on October 12, 1995. On July 16, 1997, Kumari Kalingjon was fined Rs 5000. Kaphun Malangmei was fined Rs 5000 and chased out of the village after his house was burned on July 10, 2006."

A church building and the house of a pastor were reportedly dismantled while the pastor, his wife and children were also beaten up by miscreants in the heart of Imphal city, Manipur, on December 14 night, reports news portal News Blaze.
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Indian religious tolerance??

 

[Salahadin]

That is so sad to hear

 

[metalfalcon]

Nobody can Stop a Religion from Growing, The more they will try to stop it the more it will spread.

 

[Captain03]

its acts like these that people want to convert
freakin imbeciles

 

[zombie]

you take an article from a pakistan christian post...then dont care to see that a village doesnt mean the state, let alone a country and then question the tolerance of indians in general....so now if indian christians prevent others from converting to islam or judaism or not allow hindus to celebrate diwali in christian dominated states or indulge in hate speech...what then?

since you are apparently a truth seeker...

Conversion: Christianity’s convoluted case

Introduction: Last month, 300 pastors discussed the threat and lambasted conversion to Judaism as the work of Satan. But the Bnei Menashe registered a growth of over 50 per cent in the past few years in Mizoram alone.

Christian missionaries have added a new dimension to the national debate over conversions with their objections to an unexpected Judaic threat to their flock in the north-eastern states of Mizoram and Manipur. With the century-old Church under threat of a mass exodus, Christian theologians are working overtime to counter the growing affinity between some Mizo and Kuki tribes with Judaism (Deccan Herald, April 22, 2005).

Most Mizos were converted to Christianity in the decades preceding Independence. Sometime in the 1970s, however, some members of the tribes noticed that their indigenous customs and rituals closely matched those of the Jews. Both Mizos and Kukis, for instance, practice the eighth-day circumcision, levirate marriages, altar sacrifices and Sabbath, all of which are very Jewish traditions. Their suspicion that they might be of Jewish origin was substantiated by Israel’s Rabbi Eliahu Avichail, who runs the Jerusalem-based Amishav, an organisation devoted to tracing and helping descendants of Israel’s Ten Lost Tribes to return to the ‘Holy Land’, a right guaranteed to every Jew under the Israeli Constitution.

Amishav claims Mizos and Kukis descend from the tribe of Manasseh, which was exiled from Israel’s northern kingdom after the Assyrian invasion in 721 b.c., along with nine other tribes. The claims have led to Mizos and Kukis designating themselves as ‘Bnei Menashe’ or sons of Manasseh, the younger son of Joseph and father of one of the ten lost tribes of Biblical Israel. Seven thousand have re-converted to their ‘original’ Judaic faith and Amishav even helped 800 to migrate to Israel. The migration was halted in 2003 when Israel’s Interior Ministry expressed doubts about their Jewish origins, but the Chief Rabbinate (apex religious body) authenticated the claims of the Bnei Menashe on March 30, 2005.

Christian leaders are perturbed over the exodus from Christianity to Judaism, claiming this will “destroy the social fabric of both the tribes.” Though missionaries have consistently showed contempt for similar concerns of Hindu organisations, Dr P.C. Biaksiama of the Christian Research Centre in Aizawl, Rev. Chuauthuama of the Aizawl Theological College and Rev. Colney of the Mizoram Presbyterian Church Synod now demand a social movement against conversions.

Dr Biaksiama has gone so far as to say that not only the Church, but the Central and state governments should recognise the arrival of the Rabbis as a “religious and cultural invasion”. In a language akin to that of so-called Hindu fundamentalists, the Christian theologian argues that it is only the promise of “better living standards” in Israel that is luring many tribals to join the Bnei Menashe. Perhaps this is a tacit admission that these tribes have failed to substantially improve their lot after abandoning their traditional gods and customs and adopting the religion of the erstwhile colonial masters.

Dr Biaksiama warns that “mass conversion by foreign priests will pose a threat not only to the region’s social stability, but also to national security.” People will cease to be loyal to the nation as they will become eligible for a foreign citizenship. Last month, 300 pastors discussed the threat and lambasted conversion to Judaism as the work of Satan. But the Bnei Menashe registered a growth of over 50 per cent in the past few years in Mizoram alone, which has a population of barely nine lakhs (Hindustan Times, May 7, 2005).

When not at the receiving end, however, Christian missionaries sing a different tune. In Sri Lanka, US-backed evangelicals have succeeded in getting the United Nations to intervene in the matter of the island’s proposed anti-conversion Bill, mooted by the Buddhist Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) party and the Minister of Buddhist Affairs. The Bill is a sequel to the offence caused by foreign missionaries to the native communities in the wake of the tsunami.

Evangelists, however, managed to get UN special envoy, Asma Jehangir of Pakistan, who represents the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR), to visit Sri Lanka and assess the status of freedom of religion there. Although the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR) defines ‘Freedom of Religion’ as the ‘freedom to pray and practice’, missionaries always stretch this to mean ‘freedom to convert’. They are now working overtime to dub the anti-conversion legislation as a violation of human rights. It remains to be seen how the Sri Lanka government tackles this menace.

It is high time the Church acknowledged that its conversion activities are perceived as an act of cultural aggression and cause deep resentment among target communities. Only last week, residents of Mangal-warapete village near Mysore, Karnataka, were rattled at Church authorities preaching hatred against Hindus as worshippers of Satan. Provoked by the pastor of the Harvest India Church, established by American missionaries, the entire village revolted and ransacked the Church.

Christian missionaries are insensitive to the hurt caused by their ‘hate’ speech and to the misgivings caused by their close links with foreign missionary bodies. In Nepal, where it is a crime to convert minors, a Christian couple was arrested on April 27, 2005 for precisely this offence. Babu and Sabitri Varghese were running a school and orphanage in Birganj city with support from an American missionary charity, Equip Nepal.

Conversion: Christianity's convoluted case

 

[Zovc]

This is indeed very sad. India is the most religiously intolerant country in the world. These extremist Hindus have problems with everyone.

 

[Al-zakir]

India and USA are new best friend so what's USA doing about it. This has been going on for while. If this was taking place in Pakistan or Bangladesh than west would have start barking like a wild dog but nothing being done here. Let west worry about them as this isn't our problem to solve............

 

[notsuperstitious]

Yawn!

Do some research before starting on ur hindu bashing trip kids.

the village is a Ronmei trible village and they don't want anyone to chnage from their traditional faith, the council that decided this is unconstitutional. since captainji is here, let me make this crystal clear - they are not hindoooo!!!

Fact Finding Team visits Chingmeirong : 28th jan09 ~ E-Pao! Headlines


funny thing is in many 'brotherly' countries ppl are not allowed to change their religion

 

[suresh_]

This is indeed very sad. India is the most religiously intolerant country in the world. These extremist Hindus have problems with everyone.

ha ha....
extremist hindus eh? can a muslim in pakistan convert his religion?
coming from the 'secular' pakistanis, this is really really funny.

and get your facts before you distort them, read the posts of my fellow indians, so that you get the grasp of the situation. then you can go on your hindu hate campaign.

 

[Captain03]

ha ha....
extremist hindus eh? can a muslim in pakistan convert his religion?
coming from the 'secular' pakistanis, this is really really funny.

and get your facts before you distort them, read the posts of my fellow indians, so that you get the grasp of the situation. then you can go on your hindu hate campaign.

umm actually they can
they have no restrictions on them by anyone
we dont look at people by their religion but by their acts
i mean look at mohammed yousuf
nobody ever asked him to covert but he did it by his own will
and the whole pakistan treats him the way they treated him b4
maybe u should know about something b4 u go on blabbering something out

 

[suresh_]

umm actually they can
they have no restrictions on them by anyone
we dont look at people by their religion but by their acts
i mean look at mohammed yousuf
nobody ever asked him to covert but he did it by his own will
and the whole pakistan treats him the way they treated him b4

you gave a wrong example, buddy. give me an example where a muslim converted to other religion. there should be atleast one such incident, if it is allowed!

 

[Captain03]

you gave a wrong example, buddy. give me an example where a muslim converted to other religion. there should be atleast one such incident, if it is allowed!

there are many conversions vice versa
in paper idk but there are several that have happened
infact ive seen one in my own life
a fella converted from hindu to christian
i just gave that example to show how we treat people the same no matter what their religion is

 

[notsuperstitious]

there are many conversions vice versa
in paper idk but there are several that have happened
infact ive seen one in my own life
a fella converted from hindu to christian
i just gave that example to show how we treat people the same no matter what their religion is

this guy ought to write a book on logic.

Even tho ur example makes ZERO sense, such examples themselves would not be sufficient. I can give u example of A R Rahman - see he converted from hindu to islam and we make him our most celebrated, most successful, most loved musician

u my dear friend, are priceless!

 

[ahmeddsid]

Look whats happened is real bad, The rape of the Nun etc. We are working towards bringing the culprits to the fore. I know Mr John Dayal personally, he is at the forefront getting the victims justice. It will be served.

 

[Captain03]

this guy ought to write a book on logic.

Even tho ur example makes ZERO sense, such examples themselves would not be sufficient. I can give u example of A R Rahman - see he converted from hindu to islam and we make him our most celebrated, most successful, most loved musician

u my dear friend, are priceless!

hmm u seem to edit you post and add the whole last paragraph
did it take u 4 hours to think of an stupid comeback?
and a r rehman is not celebrated because he is muslim but is celebrated because of his work
otherwise we all know how minorities are celebrated in ur country
and p.s. u r truely an idiot