Why christian missionaries prefer to work in India,srilanka and alikes and not in pakistan,bangladesh & likes?

Question

Can any body inform the reason behind this choosiness

Answer 1

As far as India is considered being a secular country they have a conducive atmosphere.They have the support of the politicians also. Illiteracy, poverty and tolerance makes India a soft target for them.

Answer 2

I'm making an educated guess. It appears that politically speaking India and Srilanka have positive relationships with the United States. Pakistan and Bangladesh do not have as many connections with the United States.I think Bangladesh and Pakistan are predominately Muslim countries and given the political climate these days, the US will not send missionaries.

Answer 3

According to their charters, missionaries go where they are needed the most. If they are needed in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, or wherever else, that's exactly where they will go. I have yet to hear of missionaries who are choosy in their assignments. However, I have heard of missionaries who would volunteer to be sent to "the poorest of the poor" countries --- and between India & Bangladesh, wouldn't that be the latter?

Also, because of its large population, it is to be expected that there are more missionaries in India than anywhere else in Asia. But this is a matter of necessity, not personal choice.

Was your comment a personal observation or was it actually based on a study?

Answer 4

India, Srilanka are vast populated and the money is not reaching everyone. Basically the religion or dharma in which they are placed is amicable to accep any form of worshipping the Almighty. The health, poverty and amicable nature to worship are the causes for the missioneries to grow and spread their mission. That being the main motto of Christians, they go in all fields lilke, health, education, worshipping centres and prefer to work in these places. Whereas Pakistan and Bangladesh are influenced by the religion and way of life taught by Prophet Mohammed and they are muslims by cause and effect in this world. Hence, Christians will not touch such countries. Anybody approaches the person who can be mended and amicable to accept any need in this world. That is available in India and that is why they chose these India, Srilanka and alikes and not Pakistand or Bangladesh or Afghanistan and Shaarza.

Answer 5

The Christian missionaries do have their own Mission & Vision strategy too. A few above me mentioned that the primary job of such missionaries would be to convert people from whatever religion they have into Christianity. This motivational programme itself may not be a bad act, since most of the established religions have inherent quality of preaching people to be good person and follow this and that and avoid this and that etc.

Being Muslim, I have seen that the Tabligue Jamaat people do the same thing of conversion into Islam in smaller scale among the non-Muslims too. These Tabligue people would primarily come to reinforce the belief of Islam among the Muslims as their main objective. May be about 5% of their effort goes to preach non-Muslims about Islam.

Since the conversion rate from Islam to other religion is less than 1% or in tiny fractions (guess), the success rate of Christian missionaries in Muslim dominated countries are less or negligible. Now you tell me where to invest your time and money so that the return you get is more and efforts yield 'productive' results? Answer: go to non-Muslim countries.

Besides, the eating and drinking as well as socializing habits are quite different for Muslims than those practiced by Christians and Hindus. Therefore, lifestyles of these members of Christian missionaries are much compatible in India and Sri Lanka than those in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

By the way, I worked as a technical Instructor in a Catholic Relief Services (CRS-Rome) run training school in Bangladesh and came across a few Christian missionaries here who would not openly preach; rather work hard to see people stand on their own feet. I seldom found these Christian missionaries grumble about quality & taste of food, condition of weather, habits of people or existence of dirty-politics etc of their host land. There is no strong prejudice existed, at least in Bangladesh, against such Christian charities.

However, these Christian missionaries do prefer to work mostly with the underprivileged and among the tribal people (mostly Mongoloid race) who are not readily assimilated among the Bangla speaking people (Dravidian race) and leads a second-class citizen’s status. This is true for almost all the countries of the world too.

Therefore, please do not generalize the question and try to insert your prejudice about the four countries of South Asia. We have slightly different cultures and we love ours way of life no matter how difficult it may look to others, and vice-versa.

Answer 6

In Pakistan, christian missionaries, will certainly get stoned, if not hung. Also, muslims are scared to convert, after all, apostasy is punishable by death.

India is somehow better known. If you've noticed, almost all classics, if they mention missionaries, mention India. There seems to be a glamour associated with being a missionary in India.

Also, hindus are more tolerant. They will not go up-in-arms against missionaries because they convert people. Even if they do protest, in 'secular' India, they will be called fundamentalists, or fanatics by pseudo-secularists. And there is no law in hinduism against conversion, even if there is, its highly improbable it would be followed. Anyone insisting on death for converts or missionaries would be legally liable, unlike in muslim countries.

Answer 7

Good Question. I dont know abt Srilank and Alikes. Since i am in India i can answer this. I feel very sorry to tell this. I am not blaming any religion. There are many castes and religions. Castes were made according to their work. Religions are made according to the God they worship. The Supreme power is God.

The Hindus and Muslims built temples and mosques for worshipping Whereas the Christians(converted) they build the Church in India only for making money. The foreign countries think that indians are poor. its true bcoz there some poor people who really suffer. The people who is having the link in foreign countries used to get money from them in name spreading the christianity.

The hindus and muslims never disturb other religions peoples, but where as the christians disturb other peoples asking them to worship only Jesus and not others. They used to tell that he is the only real God as if all others or duplication. I have very good experience. I have seen people started building a church by getting money from foreign countries to spread christianity in India.

They will ask some converted christians to come to this church. The expense the church will bare. They ask peoples to join by filling the forms. They also insist them if u r converted to christianity, and if u join morenumber of peoples u wil get a good house, ur childrens education will be taken care and ur childrens marriage will be done by our church, Like this they motivate the people.

The poor peoples whoever suffers, if he/she comes to know that everything is coming free if they join this religion and canvas many people for conversion, automatically they get converted. Suppose if they dont receive 100% of the benefit which church peoples assured atleast they get 25% benefit as moral support and get together. They mingle with people every Sunday. This is the real reason why join.

The person who is taking charge of building the church and for conversion really earns lot of money (cheating foreigners who give money) and settled well.

Answer 8

Not everyone in this world is Christian and they are not interested in being colonized. I might like to see the end of religious fundamentalism-this applies to any religion. It comes from indoctrination, social problems, undemocratic governments, foreign interference and isolation. I am referring more to Third World countries dealing with these issues.

Why do evangelical fundamentalist Christians feel the need to go to any country? Why poor countries in the developing world? They do not go to provide services to the poor Christians but to convert. Mother Theresa and David Livingstone really went over to help first. There were opportunities for conversions, but they didn't push it on people.

I feel it would be better for Christians to offer services and outreach in their own networks. There is much need for counseling, fundraising for the poor, advocacy networks and education in the Christian community. Why not start at home first? If you want to help, go join Amnesty International, give money to Freedom House and work with CUSO and Habitat for Humanity. Don't push Christianity on people who already have a religion.

Answer 9

Christian missionaries prefer to work in India,Srilanka and alike and not in Pakistan and Bengladesh and alike because
1)Most of inhabitants are hindhus which is divided into seve ral castes
2)Most of them relatively are not rich and not well educated
3)Hidhu religion followers are easier to convert their religion into christianity than muslims,where there is no caste
4):Most of them need help in economy and education and missionaries have enough frund for it
5)Hindhu religion has given many burden to its followers so they want to choose another religion which is more efficient
and simple life.

Answer 10

Very Good Question

Christian Missioneries prefer to work in India as India is broad countries. Except few the mind of Indians particulary people lliving in hills, ,jungle and those are poor are not fanatic about religion. This is applicable to people of Sri Lanka. also.
But people of Pakisthan and Bangladesh are extremly orthodox about the Islamic religin and they are first Islam, and Pakisthani or Bangladeshi later