Andrew Sparkes, the British ambassador to Nepal, was recently drawn in a controversy over his remarks about protecting an individual’s right to change religion.
This should not be considered as a “big deal” but it was somehow manipulated and it turned into an uproar. Probably there is a reason why it became such a controversy. It is undeniable that there is an increasing number of Christian converts in the country as result of an aggressive form of proselytism by some Christian churches which are operating on the borderline between legality and illegality.
This can happen also because the legislation is inadequate in matters of regulating the operation of different, let’s say not “traditional” religions in Nepal.
Christianity is a profoundly diverse and fragmented religion with thousands of churches being setting up along history, many of them in recent years.
All these churches or denominations, despite all believing in Jesus Christ, differ greatly from each others. Often it was sheer politics and self interest that broke down and split Christianity in thousands of pieces.
There is not a single one Christian church, there are some more “mainstreamed” denominations and some others that were more recently created and are totally autonomous and independent from others.
The Catholic Church has a lot to blame itself for its past misdeeds that first led to the split with the Orthodox Church in Eastern Europe and later on provoked the creation of the Protestant movement.
The newest churches are very much “hands on”, very “horizontal” and succeeded and appealed to the masses because they offered a new vision, a new way of praying by getting read of hierarchies that still dominate the mainstream churches.
To some extents these new churches have reinvigorated Christianity with new energy and enthusiasm. The problem is that some of these new denominations are offering a pretty much “integral” vision of the Christian faith that can clash with local traditions and believes.
Likewise everybody can be turned to be a Hindu Guru, the same happens with Christian churches. Myself a Christian, I could set up my own church or movement if I had a deep “vocation” and faith to preach the gospel of Jesus.
Be clear that there are not good and bad churches, all, big and small are on the same level and all should have the same degree of freedom to operate in Nepal provided that they all have good, legitimate intensions and accept to get “integrated” within the local communities.
The more traditional denominations like the Catholic Church have a more institutionalized profile and have rejected, after centuries of forced conversion and proselytizing around the world, any policy related to active proselytism. This is certainly welcome after centuries of abuse and exploitation.
Some of the youngest churches, undeniably much more vibrant and alive than the old denominations, are instead pursuing a very aggressive conversion drive. To some extents it is also normal, after all, when you are young you “kick” more but this should be treated carefully.
Of course not all are in that and we cannot generalize but it is undeniable that a few are doing that.
This approach in a country like Nepal obviously creates problems and tensions. Therefore in the light of the happenings on the ground, it is normal that “a big deal” was made out of the words of the British Ambassador.
Enjoying the right to change religion should be claimed as it is a universal right but at the same time we all know that some of the most important “mainstream” religion, Islam, does not accept any of its adherents to convert to any other religion. If you want to marry a Muslim, you need to convert to Islam.
Controversial as it might be, this is one of the tenets of Islam that we need to respect.
Therefore conversion is and always be a very sensitive issue. To me the biggest danger is not really the fact that many Hindus are converting to Christianity after all it is up to them to make a choice and it is very hard to prove that a forceful conversion really happened.
Let’s people join new religious groups but let’s make sure that these groups, churches, new and old, are practicing a faith that does not compete with the locally established ones. Religions should never be a zero sum game and if you really get into that, it is something that can really backfire even bringing to communalism as we see in India.
What worries me most is the fact that many Christian churches are preaching an “orthodox” form of religion, very “pure” and to some extents radical. Nepal has been enriching through cultural and religious syncretism, the amalgamation and mixing of elements between Hinduism and Buddhism. Let this continue and get even more enriched with some doses of Christianity.
This is one of the most important intangible heritages and societal assets of the country and it must be preserved and protected.
Christian churches are welcome to operate and work in the country. I have no doubts on their good intentions and profound believes in social justice as per Jesus’ gospel. At the same time they must be more accommodating towards local traditions and cultures. You can be a good Christian by also putting and receiving the tika. I do not see any problem in doing that. I was grown up in a liberal but church going family and I married a Hindu. My prospective, my vision of religion tremendously improved though I know I should have a much deeper understanding of Hinduism.
Those currently preaching a return of Nepal as a Hindu state are advocating a no sense but, to some extents, their worries can be understandable in the light of radical forms of preaching and enforcing of religion practices at odds with local traditions.
Those forcefully and aggressively preaching other religions in the country should better reconsider their strategies and tactics.
A diversity of creeds is welcome and it is always enriching as long as cultural accommodations to respect and acknowledge the existence of century long religious practices and believes are practiced and promoted.
Nevertheless it is urgent for the Government, while upholding the total and uncompromised freedom of religion for the Nepali citizens, to come up with some sort of better regulations regarding the working modalities of less traditional faiths in the country.
In such way any the existing “gray areas” to express, practice different a different religion will be wiped out, offering a stronger legitimacy to the thousands of nepali citizens who freely decided to adopt a new faith.
Add new comment