Do you know people are being forced to convert to christianity for one day's food.?

Question

Especially the tribal People in east india. They are having cultural programmes in various cities to earn money so that they can prevent their culture from getting extinct. What will you say about that?

Proof?- it's been happening for years. Already half of their root's been washed up. I have a friend from manipur whose grandpa was converted for that. Her father was lucky enough to be adopted by a good family.

Answer 1

Yes. I knew that. It's terrible to do that to people. Feed them, and worry about their soul later.

http://in.news.yahoo.com/050116/139/2j1rp.html

http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/05/anticonversion_law_proposed_in.php

http://www.burningcross.net/crusades/christian-missionary-atrocities.html

Answer 2

Non-believers seem to delight in raking up the past to 'prove' the present like the post below:- "Yeah much of early missionary work was done in the Americas during the 1500s and 1600s where missionaries would come to the New World to try to convert the "savages" and if they failed to convert, the Europeans just killed them off, which is usually what happened." Many hundreds of years have passed since the above example so why assume that this still happens. All missionary organizations go, primarily, to spread the good news (gospel) of Jesus Christ so that those who come to know Him will go to dwell with Him when this life is over. However, we all know that it is much easier to sit and listen and give attention to someone if we are not hungry or in pain. I know this simply from attending church on a Sunday. If my back aches all I can think of is my backache. If I'm hungry I'm sneakily looking at the clock on the wall hoping it's almost time to go and have dinner. How much worse this must be for those in great pain and great hunger. Missionaries feed the body and try to heal the body (or at least allegiate pain) as well as preaching the gospel (to feed the soul). It is not necessarily the same people who do it all. There are missionary doctors and nurses and people who prepare food but who also speak to the people about Jesus. A friend of mine worked as a missionary some years ago and her main job was teaching women to cook and to sew so that they could look after their families better. Her evangelising was done in a conversational way as she worked. I have never known there to be an strings attached to the food, medicine or teaching of missionaries. I know of none who would say "If you won't listen you won't get the help" Why do so many non-believers wish to perpetuate the myth that this is what missionaries do? You try to ruin the names of people who work for good.

Answer 3

At least, this way they do get something to eat. And they get accepted in a community without caste.

What is the alternative? That not even their shadow can fall on the path of the high caste? A virtual slave in the land of their birth!! Sorry, worst than a slave; at least, slaves had work and food.

And you need to get down from your high horses : pantheism or polytheism can easily accommodate Christianity - just add Jesus as another god !

Now tell us about laws that are being enacted in various states (in India) making it illegal to convert to Christianity. Is it that the upper castes want to keep the lower casts and the Untouchables in continuous bondage, with no hope for a better life in this world nor for the one to come?

Answer 4

Yes it is very true and I do not need a link to believe this..It is happening in our country still.

These people are working under many guises..including NGO and other health organizations..

Poor have always been an easy target for such things.They are easy to exploit and especially when the stomach is empty
It is also happening in India, where the division of hindus, into many casts with social barricades, has created many controversial gaps.Here the lower casts are being targetted.

Answer 5

Sure I am sure some people are misguided in the mission field and want to produce so that they can get more money to do more things for the people. However not all missionaries are like this. My church sponsors missionaries in Latin America, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Mongolia, Myanmar, Bangladesh and India. They go to teach the people how to farm, build better housing, take better care of themselves, our missionaries provide medial assistance and send teachers to help educate the people. They do not have to convert to Christianity for any of this help, we do it free of charge because above all we want to help these people. That is Christ's message, to help those in need, to bring light to the darkness and to set the captives free. It is too bad that some people do not understand that because that is the true way to show Christ to the world. While they do all they can to help, all the government does is persecute them, beatings, imprisonment, theft of their property and death threats, but still they go because they love those people so much.

Oh, and hat are you doing to alleviate the hunger in India. Until you do anything at all, do not complain ho other people to it. Unless you are doing something you do not care about the people, you just care about trying to bring Christianity down. If Christians were not there who would be? The answers is nobody and the people would not have any food.

Answer 6

Greetings!

Sad, but true.

The programs are world-wide, and are a time-tested manner of conversion. The Priests of Ancient Egypt used this method, and now, as then, the food is provided by donors, taxes, tithes, not from the revenue of the Church.

What to do if you are starving, and the government is not going to help your Tribe because they covet your property, or they are trying to change the ethno-graphic of the area, as in Darfur?

Native Tribes in America have been subjected to this method, as have the poor in cities.

Cultural Faires and events might be the best answer, as they educate and entertain-My own culture was almost destroyed by actions of Church and government, but we are tenacious and provide our own Hospitality to the poor(one does not need to convert)-so we survive.

/!\

Answer 7

I can believe this. When I was a christian, we had a report from one of our missionaries in Africa saying that a Mennonite missionary group was working in tandem with them and would provide 3 meals a day to any villager who went to church in the morning and evening. One of the laity asked why they didn't show them how to farm properly so they could feed themselves and the missionaries could work on other projects. The answer...because if they feed themselves they won't attend church and they will fall back into the ignorance of their prior beliefs. Wouldn't suprise me that this philosophy is still around.

Answer 8

WOW!!! After reading that, I'd be ashamed to call myself a Christian. And I am ashamed as a Christian. That is just heinous, malicious, wicked, and begs of God's wrath.

Christians are called upon to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth. But that is just to teach, not convert. It's clearly stated that only God can draw people to him, not man. It's also clearly stated that we help the orphans, widows, prisoners, the forgotten, the poor. If Christians, as well as non-Christians, would just read the Bible in it's entirety, then the message of Jesus Christ would be better understood. John 3:16-17 says, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him."

If you read the Bible, Mark is a nice short one to start with if you desire, Jesus Christ came and helped those in need. Helped the beggars, those ill for years, prostitues, friends. Both for the poor, or even Roman generals. If ever when Jesus verbally attacked anyone, it was the high priests, Pharisees, Sadducees, those who misused the scriptures to their own benefit. Interesting, if Jesus were here today, he would probably do the same thing he did back then.

So I recommend for non-believers, it's not wise to look at general Christians to look for a sign whether to believe or not... sad to say. But you must look at Jesus Christ himself and his words and life. Then you can make an educated decision for yourself.

Thank you for the links Justysd. I'm going to share it with my brothers and sisters in Christ, shake our heads, hang our heads low in shame, then while in that position, pray on how the wonderful name of our Lord Jesus Christ can be restored to it's glory once again. Despite wrongful Christians, Jesus Christ is still good. Always was, always is, always will be.

Sorry this is long. I've been on 4 missions to Argentina(2), Thailand, Paraguay. You can't just feed and give to the poor villages. They become dependent on it. It does more harm than good, although the intentions are good. So, through the message of Jesus Christ of his love and hope, we hope that the power of God will encourage them to stand on their own feet, and pursue a more abundant lifestyle, instead of waiting for others to feed and clothe them. After they are provided for, it's up to them to believe in Jesus or not. That's out of our hands. All we can do is pray for the better.

Answer 9

you say converted like it's some horrible thing. Listen, if I needed food I might just say whatever they wanted me to say. I might even jump through hoops.

Now, do you think it really means something to them? or do you think they're just glad they get a day's food?

Answer 10

It happens at Homeless Missions all the time. Seems a bit disrespectful to me. It is based on the belief that one persons values are more important than anothers.

Answer 11

What will you say about that? I think you are talking about what you do not understand. 3 years ago, three missionary were burned alive in their SUV, while sleeping by the people you describe. There are laws in many of these places against speaking of the true God, It would be my guess, you are speaking of the tribal leaders who are Muslim, demanding conversion before food.