The bigger issue, 'cultural domination'?
JPR:
Speaking of religion and conversion etc, I think what people may be worried about is 'culutral domination', religion being one of the tools to achieve this objective. Once this is achieved it can be an effective tool in exerting foreign policy objectives. There are other means to attain this but religion is the most contentious among the lot, others are more subtle in nature and less threatening.
Now here is the deal, some religions or their sub-sects believe they have the monopoly and real scoop on 'god' and that everybody else is just plain wrong. These folks are hell-bent on converting everybody else to their religion and considers others as 'heathen','barbarians','devil' worshippers', or what not. These folks want everybody else pray like them,think like them, assume names like them,want others to change their 'culture' to suit theirs etc. Well I am not going to name any names but you know who these folks are. Funny, most of these people in question haven't a clue about other religions or their culture, neither are they willing to listen to others' point view or learn more about them. Of course I am talking about certain sects of 'Western Christianity' and their 'Amway-like' tactics. These folks have access to money and they have the will and believe in what they are doing is right, they have this 'service' thing to get'em to where they want to go except may be the Middle East and may be to some extent China. These people have converted half of South Koreans, most of Latin America, been somewhat successful in Japan, and certain pockets of other countries. Muslims used to be very aggressive in the old days in this department as you very well know but now they are more interested in protecting their own territory from 'foreign invasion' than propagating the religion in my opinion. Hindus,Sikhs,Jains,Jews,Bhuddists etc have shown less proclivity in the 'coversion' business.
I personally don't like this, I think the world will be a terrible place to live in if everybody prays the same,dresses alike, thinks alike, is named alike,speaks the same language,agrees with everyone else etc etc. It will certainly be a less colourful place and above all a DULL place. I also don't think any one religion has the monopoly over 'god' which a very abstract concept at best to begin with anyway.
I mean what kind of world would this be if all 'culture' meant to everyone on the face of this world was BIG MAC,'SCHLITZ',MONEY AND SEX. I shudder to even think about it.
So there that is my story and I am sticking to it.<vbg>
PS: As for Brahmins converting to other religion, well I don't know you know this but the Orthodox Christians and/or Syrian Christians ('Syrian' not because they came from Syria but I think it has to do with the language they use or used to use- Syriac a variation of Aramaic- in their liturgy, like Latin for the Roman Catholics) of Kerala claim their forefathers were Brahmins who were converted by St.Thomas in 1st century A.D and they were well regarded by the Maharajas of Kerala. Matter of fact a lot their old Churches were built on land donated by the Maharajas, some of the old churches are next to Hindu Temples, how'bout that eh?
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