As individuals, as a society, as a nation, we are different. Sometimes these differences are minor and are passed over easily — like habits of eating or dressing. At other times they are major and become the source of irritation and conflict.There come times in a great and diverse country like India when the ruling powers, under the guise of unity, keep trying to force uniformity and conformity upon its people.This is why we ask: Do differences matter? Is diversity of value?At different times and at different levels, this question gets thrown at us. Let’s look at some of the issues involving differences in today’s societies.One of the critical questions in almost every society is the acceptance of homosexuality and other forms of sexuality.For centuries, heterosexuality was the norm in most societies, and other forms of sexual expression were seen as deviant, restrictive and susceptible to either criminal or divine punishment.In fact, in most communities today, it is still the norm. So how accepting are we of gender differences?What about those differences based on race or caste? Here, too, the record of history has been largely negative. Whole systems of slavery or serfdom were in vogue, based on demeaning people “not like us” — in physiognomy, skin color and language.While public slavery is rare today, discrimination against people of color continues. In India, for example, hos
The report on “Bishop Jacob Muricken’s plan of leaving the bishopric to lead an ascetic life” raises many questions:Leaving the bishopric to become an ascetic is purely a ‘personal decision.’ Why should others raise questions? Who are we to pass a judgement on the bishop? The bishop has been nursing the dream to become an ascetic since 2017. It is a clear evidence that he has been prayerfully ‘discerning’. It is my opinion that he seems to have found his real vocation. I quote three points from the report to substantiate my view:1) “The decision was communicated to Pala Bishop Joseph Kallarangattu earlier in 2017. Initially, the bishop had not given approval for my demand.” However, Bishop Muricken was quoted as saying, “I persisted in my demand and he asked me to continue in the bishop’s position and lead a monastery life. Since that is impractical, I have decided to follow my mind”.2) He said that although he was not interested to lead a secluded life it was on “inspiration from God” that conditioned his mind.3) The priest also pointed out that the bishop is related to Saint Alphonsa, the first woman saint of India. “Muricken is the maternal house name of St Alphonsa, and her spirituality has influenced him a lot”.Taking the clue from the above point, “call to priesthood” is indeed a “call to a life of renunciation.” Jesus had laid down his condition clearly: “If you wish to be my disciple, “take up your cross
Father Kung, the Indian theologian says, was one of the representatives of the progressive wing in the Church in the area of theology. “He has contributed much to Post-Vatican II theology.” “He has done his good work and has gone to the Lord. He can continue to support those who are busy with reforming the Church. Pope Francis gives us hope. We can only thank God for the gift of Hans Kung to the Church in the Post Vatican period for challenging all of us by his reflections,” added Father Amaladoss, who now resides at the Institute of Dialogue with Cultures and Religions, attached to Chennai’s Loyola College.-Michael Amaladoss
Two international reports recently have left Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in India grieving and complaining that global organizations probably have an agenda against it. The complaining started after reputed agencies doubted if India is indeed a democracy.V-Dem Institute in Sweden has downgraded India’s status from a ‘democracy’ to ‘an electoral autocracy,’ while another NGO, US-based Freedom House said “India’s status declined from ‘Free’ to ‘Partly Free’ as a nation due to a multiyear pattern in which the Hindu nationalist government and its allies have presided over rising violence and discriminatory policies affecting the Muslim population.”The Freedom House report made caustic and vitriolic comments on the status of Muslims in India under Modi, whose government led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is wedded to pro-Hindu political ideology of Hindutva, or Hindu nationalism.Subscribe to your daily free newsletter from UCA News“The political rights of India’s Muslims continue to be threatened,” it said and referred to Indian government and parliament enacting a new law, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which grants ‘special access to Indian citizenship to non-Muslim immigrants and refugees from neighboring Muslim-majority countries – Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.It also said Muslim candidates notably won 27 of 545 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha
The recent harassment of Christian nuns from Kerala in Jhansi by Bajrang Dal goons, and also the police, must be unequivocally condemned as a disgrace to our country.Nuns are women who render great service to society in the fields of education and health care. The best girls schools in India are run by the convent ‘sisters’, and everyone wants his/her daughters or other female relatives to be admitted to these schools. The hospitals they run are also excellent.The nuns give their whole lives in service to society, wanting nothing in return for themselves. They live a life of sacrifice, depriving themselves of the pleasures and happiness that most women have, of a family life with a husband and children.And yet many people level all kinds of false allegations against them, some of them being unmentionable. The allegation that they do forcible conversion is palpably false.When I was a lawyer, and later a justice in Allahabad High Court, the nuns of St Mary’s Convent, Allahabad, who run the best girls school in the town, would often come to me for help, which I always gave pro bono.Their worst harassment would begin a month or two before school admissions in the month of March (the school session started in April). Often, they were harassed by the authorities, who wanted their daughters or other female relatives to be admitted in the school.Now, seats are limited, and for every seat, there would