St Thomas, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ, brought Christian faith to India in 52 A.D. Despite the ‘conversions’ since then, the Christian population is not even 3% in India! The reason is not far to seek.  First and foremost, unlike the peoples of many nations where the other disciples went, people of India had a strong religion then. More than a religion, Hinduism is a way of life. It is so broad-based that TRUE HINDUISM can accept Jesus as an avatar. In fact, millions of Hindus in our country pray to Jesus and Mother Mary. They cannot be called Christians as they are not baptized.

Secondly, many Hindus prefer to be in their own religion and have no compunction in placing their trust in Mary and her Son. Hinduism is polytheistic, unlike monotheistic religions like Christianity and Islam. No wonder the Christian population is just above 2% even after two millennia! The Father of the Nation was a staunch Hindu and breathed his last with ‘Hey Ram’ on his lips. But Gandhiji proclaimed that he was ‘a true Hindu, true Christian, true Muslim’. If we follow this attitude of Gandhiji’s, India would become heaven on earth. According to the Mahatma, ‘Truth is God’ and TRUTH is not the monopoly of one religion.

Another mistaken notion of many is that Christianity is a western religion. They forget that Jesus was from the Orient. For that matter, all religions have risen from the East; whereas almost all technological developments have been from the Occident. It is a kind of Divine Division of Labour. Those who decry Christianity as a foreign religion have no hesitation in accepting the benefits of Western inventions for their material comforts and pleasures. Nothing is considered ‘foreign’ then! The great Rig Veda welcomes: ‘Let noble thoughts come to us from all directions.’ How many Indians especially religious and political heads pay heed to this exhortation? May wisdom dawn on everyone!

ALICE K. JOSE, Bangalore