Unethical conversions

"The philosopher John Locke who wrote the Letter on Toleration pointed out that the person who is being forced to change his religion could always pretend to be converted whilst not believing in the new religion. The convert needs merely to conform outwardly for no one can force him to change his inner thoughts about what is taught in religions. If he believes in Karma and doesn’t believe there is a God he could continue to believe in these things although to please the evangelist he could outwardly conform."

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by R.M.B. Senanayake

(February 19, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The Universal Declaration of Human rights has recognised the right not only to the practice of religion but also the right to change one’s religion. One could change the religion one is born into, because one genuinely believes in the teaching of such other religion or because of some favours asked for and granted as he believes by the God worshipped in such religion.

Conversion not always a rational process

Of course one could also change one’s religion because of some material benefits obtained from those who propagate such religion. Buddhist organisations accuse Christian evangelists of offering money or material benefits to Buddhists to become Christians. Religious conversions are not necessarily after rational discussion or reasoning out. Emotions are as much a part of human motivations and behaviour as rational thinking. Buddhists generally assume it’s a matter of reasoning out or a rational process because Westerners who convert to Buddhism do so after study and analysis of the Buddha’s thought. But the large majority of Buddhists born to Buddhist families continue to be Buddhists not because they have carried out a rational examination of the Buddha’s doctrine. Popular religion whether Buddhism or Christianity is a matter of worship of God or Gods and seeking out favours from them such as a cure for illness, or even material benefits. Buddhists who believe in astrology seek divine help to mitigate the malefic effects of the planetary movements. So people are not entirely rational in the practice of their religions. Religious fervour is emotional. The Hindus have two paths to liberation or salvation namely the Bakthi’ (devotional) or the way of knowledge through mental discipline and insight.

False conversions don’t last

So while there could be genuine as well as false or unethical conversions- the unethical person is more the convert rather than the evangelist although the latter too could have the impure motive of converting the other person when he practices charity by giving money or other material benefits. But does his impure motive matter.

The philosopher John Locke who wrote the Letter on Toleration pointed out that the person who is being forced to change his religion could always pretend to be converted whilst not believing in the new religion. The convert needs merely to conform outwardly for no one can force him to change his inner thoughts about what is taught in religions. If he believes in Karma and doesn’t believe there is a God he could continue to believe in these things although to please the evangelist he could outwardly conform. But such conversions will not last and our own history has shown so.

In the 1930s how many politicians who were Christians changed over to Buddhism? In any society people who belong to a minority like to adopt the ways of the majority except of course where they are ethnically different and will not be accepted. In the case of religion there is no such obstacle and many Christians became Buddhists. So fake conversions are not uncommon. The Buddhist organisations that are protesting against ‘unethical conversions’ are assuming that all these conversions of Buddhists or Hindus to Christianity are fakes. If so they are they will not last.

But there could be genuine conversions as well as fakes. The fakes are hardly a matter for concern to the Buddhists. But the genuine ones are exercising their fundamental right. It’s like the freedom of the press. The press could publish true as well as false news. But liberals are against any press censorship because the censors could curb the true news as well as the false. (There may be some justification in the interest of the security of the state at a time of war). It’s the same consideration that applies to the freedom of religion.

Suppose a law is passed to ban unethical conversions. Such laws have been passed in some Indian states. How will such a law be enforced? A genuine convert will not complain. A false convert will also not complain because he knows the remedy is in his hands. He can just take the material inducement and ask the missionary to go fly a kite. What really happens in those states where Anti-Conversion laws have been passed is for interested third parties who are hostile to Christians preaching their message bring in complaints against the missionaries before the authorities. This is what happens in Pakistan. Already the president of a Buddhist activist organisation has asked the Police not to entertain complaints from Christian missionaries who are attacked by Buddhists who are against conversions to Christianity. This is what happens in Pakistan. In other words what is planned would seem to be for mob attacks on Christian missionaries who preach the gospel. Preaching the gospel is a fundamental right which Christians are enjoined by their Founder to carry out. It is the same position as prevailed in the Roman Empire and in many other countries where the preaching of the Gospel is hindered.

As Toynbee pointed out religious freedom is the foundation of all freedom. The founders of religions and religious movements all had to face opposition from their societies. Toynbee says the higher religions have equipped man to stand against his society in his quest for truth and salvation. "Being morally free he is also morally bound to obey God rather than his fellowmen if he is faced with this formidable choice. In defying his society he will be courting martyrdom: but if his society does make a martyr of him it will be courting its own defeat by the principle for which the martyr has given his life. This spiritual freedom at the possible price of martyrdom is the source of freedom in every other sphere-the political, economic, the aesthetic. "

But has the proportion of Christians increased? Not according to the recent Census according to a Buddhist friend of mine who knows. Why then the agitation? It is perhaps due to the higher visibility of the Christians who are seen pasting the pictures of Jesus Christ or the blessed Virgin. True Christianity is the practice of the values of the Kingdom of God on earth. Jesus enunciated these values in the Beatitudes. The Christian missionaries who resort to material inducements as alleged are not ushering in the Kingdom values. Those who oppose them must realise that the Buddha taught his followers equanimity- to face up to unpleasant situations without being angry or violent but calmly and dispassionately.

As for those who oppose ‘unethical conversions’ they have to realise that with the open economy there is not only competitive in the economic sphere but even in the religious and cultural spheres. Globalisation is more than an economic movement.