Christian fundamentalists teaching superstitious garbage to innocent Indian school-kids
Imagine sending your kid to a school where all the teachers and staff from the Principal down to the doorman are all superstitious religious fanatics with no understanding of the scientific temparament; people looking for the slightest excuse to declare "miracles".
No need to imagine it. It is already happening. Christian fundamentalists are already teaching religious superstitious hogwash, Biblical fairy-tales and similar crap to innocent Indian school-kids.
It is indeed ironic that Indian Hindu parents who steer their kids away from reading the Bhagavad Gita, or Upanishads in order to uphold their "secular" credentials and stay away from excessive dabbling in Hindu heritage (presumably because it has so many evils like "Casteism") see no problems in sending their kids to be indoctrinated with Christian fairy-tales and unscientiific religious dogma, by people representing a culture that practised slavery for centuries destroying the lives of millions of people of Africa and wiped out entire cultures from the continents of North and South America to "spread the message of Jesus Christ".
And now these Christians have the gall to play the "civilized" side and lecture India on the Caste System.
And Indian Hindu parents send their innocent kids to be educated by these suerstitious morons that call themselves "Fathers" and "Mothers".
Note how the news-report (Rediff in this case) talks about the BJP protest in the headline and non-chalantly talks about the superstitious crap being taught to innocent Indian kids by the Christian fundamentalist teachers, as if nothing could be more normal.
All this stems from a misunderstanding of what secularism means. I am secular. That means that I treat people of all religions equally. It does not mean that I must keep quiet when ignorant superstitous Christian fundamentlist morons brain-wash innocent kids of my country with their Bblical unscientific "the world was created by God in six days" fairy-tales and dogmatic "the Chrsitan God is the only God and all others (pagans) are worshipping false Gods who will not be able to save their souls" crap.
The teachers of this school wre teaching innocent Indian school-kids that "Jesus Christ has descended into Mandal's body and is allowing him to perform miracles". Young kids trust teachers. If this is not an example of religious fundamentalists misusing that trust to teach Christian dogma to Hindu kids, then what is ?
This cannot be allowed. Schools are not a place for religious brain-washing of young innocent Indian Hindu kids by evangelist Christian fundamentlists posing as teachers, "Fathers" and "Mothers".
Secularism does not mean accepting garbage. Or accepting misconduct. Religous fundamentslists cannot be allowed to pose as teachers. Superstition and dogma cannot be allowed to be taught in school.
Help me stop this charade being done in the name of Secularism.
Rediff reports:
Lucknow: BJP activists attack convent
Sharat Pradhan in Lucknow | September 10, 2006 21:14 IST
At least 30 or 40 activists of the youth wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party stormed into Lucknow's Loreto Convent school Sunday evening, resorting to vandalism and intimidating helpless nuns living on the campus.
Even though the violence lasted only about 15 minutes, window panes of offices and the school chapel were broken, flower pots were smashed and the activists threatened the nuns with dire consequences. They raised slogans against the 135-year old school for allowing a man to claim he had turned 'divine' as Lord Jesus had 'descended' into his body .
The Association of Catholic Educational Institutions has decided to keep all its schools closed on Monday as a mark of protest against the attack, association secretary Father Paul Rodrigues told mediapersons.
The incident took place in Lucknow protected VIP area, a stone's throw from the official residences of both the Uttar Pradesh Governor and the chief minister.
The attackers carried placards and posters, condemning the school and accused the principal of 'forcing' students to participate in religious rituals, allegedly with the intent of luring them into Christianity � a charge vociferously refuted by the school authorities, students and parents alike.
The nuns, who live on the campus without even a single security personnel, were taken by surprise when a group of 30 or 40 young men carrying BJP fags broke into the locked gates of the school and began damaging the property.
The institution's Sister Superior, Sister Tressia told mediapersons, "Initially I rushed out and appealed to them with folded hands not to indulge in violence, but then some of them attempted to charge at me, so I hurriedly rushed inside, bolted the door and then called up the police."
She said, "They then started smashing the glass panes on doors and windows with wooden rods and stones and also flung our flower-pots on to the window panes of the school chapel. Fortunately the police arrived on the scene following which they ran away and we were spared."
Reacting to controversy over a prayer meeting in which a special invitee of the school created a 'miraculous appearance' of Lord Jesus Christ on September 6, school principal Sister Tressia said, "There was nothing shady about that special assembly."
She said, "It was one of our spiritual assemblies where our aim is to let the children have an experience of God; and here was this man with divine powers, who was brought by a parish priest from West Bengal to provide that experience."
She clarified, "Participation in the assembly was absolutely optional and we had made it clear to all students and teachers that they were free to leave if they so desired."
However, she admitted, 'probably on account of the shock, one or two girls fainted, but they were revived soon and even their parents have no complaint on that count'.
She named the 'divine' person as Nobo Kumar Mandal.
"A rickshaw-puller until about seven years ago, Mandal acquired miraculous healing powers with which he not only cured his own kidney failure, but also thousands of people who visit his center in a rural pocket of Krishnanagar in West Bengal. He came here with Father Sebastian, a well known parish priest from Murshidabad," the Sister Superior disclosed.
"Since he was so widely known for his great powers, we thought our students too could share the experience," she said, while emphasising, "After all ,besides providing formal education and emotional development, our institution's objective is to also promote spiritual development of the students, which we are free to do in our own way. It is not binding on any student to follow our religious preaching."
Earlier in the day, when contacted over his mobile phone, Father Sebastian spoke to this reporter from Murshidabad. "Well, I fail to understand why you all are suspicious," he said.
Describing Mandal as 'divine' and the 'chosen one of the Lord', he said, "Mandal really has miraculous healing powers; you have to see to believe that Lord Jesus actually descends on him to bless those who seek his blessings."
posted by Harsh Vardhan @ 4:31 pm
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5 Comments:
I agree the act was wrong. But I think it was adventurism on part of one school rather than a prevalent practice. I have undergone all my schooling in convent schools (not 1 but 4 different schools). Never did anyone ever preach anything about christianity.
But yes, I don't see these preachers as any different from credit card companies giving cold calls to people asking if they want their credit card.
Religion should not be sold as a marketable commodity by promising free gifts and discounts.
If you think you need to market your religion, why not go all the way to TV ads by ramp models.
Excellent points.
I think this was not a prevalent practice earlier, but becoming more so.
Antonia "Sonia Gandhi" Maino is encouraging this actively.
Harsh
Watch this video about conversion by Christian missionaries.
http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=3c13e5d869a1ccff0620b77daf703c92.703761
Anjali:
Ramp models will be able to sell only new religions which talk about the body. Those who talk about soul cannot use ramp models (they need souls). Mandal and such people are declared as superior souls which directly contradicts the notion of Advaita.
Anyway, my sister went to Convent too and she was not taught about Christ etc.
I think students have a very premature mindset and spiritual magic is best kept away from them.
To the realized one, there can be no magic in this universe; then who are these who are preaching religious magical powers in school? None other than the ignorants.
Thanks for the link !
Harsh
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