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| Yes | 36% | 40 votes | Total: 110 votes | |
| No | 64% | 70 votes |
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Add to FavoritesHinduism is one of the oldest religions in the world. It is based on a caste system and embraces reincarnation. To the rest of the world it appears to be a religion of mysticism and one that promotes dire poverty. We have all heard the stories of farm fields being destroyed by cattle unhampered because they could be reincarnated relatives. How true this is one does not know for certain, but pictures often accompany these stories.
Christ came to earth not only to die for our sins, but also to teach us how to live. Evangelical Christians feel that lives can be improved by sharing the hope that is offered in life with Christ. To understand this, one must understand what evangelical Christianity is all about. It is Christianity that takes the Bible literally. This being said, Matthew 28:18-20 is a commission for Christians to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It doesn't leave any room for "choice". This is not just taking the message to Hindus but to everyone, worldwide. Evangelicals believe that Christ will not return until the Gospel has been delivered to all corners of the earth. Acts 1:8 tells Christians, "... and you shall be my witnesses in Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth". How then, if one believes these to be New Testament commandments can a Christian not go where he believes that he has been called to go to deliver the message that leads to eternal salvation. After all, if one really believes this to be true yet fails to share with everyone he meets who has not met Christ,there is no concern in him for them. Believing in, "ye must be born again ..." as the only road to salvation, means that if one truly cares about his fellow man, which he is also commanded to do in the "Golden Rule", he must share Christ, regardless of the recipient's religious persuasion.
People the world over revile Christians for their evangelism, not realizing that it is not optional. If the Holy Spirit is indwelling they must evanvelize. Even so Christians understand that it is difficult to listen to a message when the stomach is empty. The New Testament also emphasizes this in the verses in Matthew that say if one does it to the very least of the brethren he has done it unto the Lord. This refers to meeting physical needs as well as spiritual needs of others.
Christians were first called Christians at Antioch as a derogatory term, insulting them for being followers of Christ. Unfortunately, Christians are not always Christlike. Perhaps if they were, there would not be so much adverse reaction to evangelism; for example, who in the world does not have regard for Mother Theresa whether or not they are Catholic. She was truly a lover of mankind. Oh that all Christians would follow this example.
Penn of the magic team Penn and Teller is an avowed, outspoken athiest. He even has a personalized license plate on his car that says "doggone" which is "no god" backward. He relates an incident that occurred on night during a performance. A Christian who apparently was aware of Penn's atheistic stance made his way to the stage and gave him a Bible. Penn was not offended; he was impressed. He said that if a person truly believed the Bible to be literal truth and saw a "truck of unbelilef" rushing at a person at high speed about to annihalate him, but did nothing to stop it, it would have to be because of hate. He felt that if someone truly believes in something that will be the ultimate salvation for someone but fails to share it, there is no love or caring in him - that one who truly believes in something should prostelatyze that message for the sake of mankind. He is absolutely right.
Learn more about this author, Linda Burleson.
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No
Historians are of the belief that Hinduism is the oldest religious tradition still practiced in the world.Statisticians tell us that, with over 1 billion followers, this is the third most widely practiced religion, after Christianity and Islam.
Hinduism, as many other religious traditions do, has a vast and complex series of doctrine. However, the term Hindu is really an umbrella label imposed on the greater spiritual and philosophical traditions in the Subcontinent.
The label has become an easy way to categorise a wide ranging set of beliefs, sometimes contradicting each other, and often blurring the lines between differing interpretations and understandings of ancient scriptures.
With such a rich, varied and complex history, and with an overt focus on tolerance towards difference of belief, and a personal duty to live a peaceful and pure life, it seems rather insulting, and completely unjustifiable that Christians feel the need to, as has been the practice over centuries, step into places, and impose their beliefs and doctrine on people who are, thankfully, deeply aware of who they are and where they stand in their spirituality.
The cynical person would suggest that this is just another form of religious imperialism. Using the aspirations of often poverty stricken people, dangling a 'carrot and stick' of enlightenment before them, and inducements of alleged financial wealth, would seem to be quite an un-Christian and underhanded method of recruiting followers.
The Bible advises followers to 'speak the Gospel clearly, fearlessly, graciously, and respectfully whenever an opportunity presents itself' (see Colossians 4:2-6, Ephesians 6:19-20, and I Peter 3:15). Nowhere does it say give them a bath, turn them into Westerners, and threaten them with eternal damnation if they don't conform. Nor does it say to denigrate, erode and erase indigenous cultures and beliefs, even though these cultures extend back farther than the written word, and have existed in harmony with other cultures, and, indeed, the earth.
Evangelicals and missionaries, for the most part, have the best intentions. However, good intentions and good deeds are very far apart indeed. If Evangelicals feel that they wantto do something helpful and worthwhile to people less fortunate than themselves, then by all means, do it without the attached strings. Offering the word of God to cultures who worship in another way should be just that. An offer of enlightenment. Nothing more. Not the offer of material superfluity that is, ironically, becoming the downfall of the culture that is trying to sell it to those with less.
Learn more about this author, Michael Whye.
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