Christian Evangelist Father Johnson Reveals That India Embraces Christianity
Christian Evangelist Father Johnson Reveals That India Embraces Christianity
The world today could have been a much better place for all of us, had we all refrained from trying to prove the superiority of our own religion.
This is an interview of "Father Johnson' after his award by the Government of India for his exemplary work in enlightening the people in the path of the ONLY God. Father Johnson returned to the USA after 10 years of service to uplift the people of India in the name of God. The interview was taken in July 2005 by a journalist in Houston, USA......
Question: Welcome home Father. You have been in India for 10 years, where "our mission' is still going on. Tell me Father, how is India?
Father Johnson: India is a fascinating country, a land of contrasts. Modern India is the largest democracy, the budding economic superpower, with the second-largest pool of scientists and engineers in the world. India is also the only surviving ancient civilization with over one sixth of the world population.
Question: What about Hinduism as a religion?
Father Johnson: Hinduism has a deep philosophical and spiritual heritage that has repeatedly mesmerized the world including western scientists, leaders and philosophers. Despite propaganda to the contrary, Hindus, like us, believes in one Supreme God but they do so in many forms, that helps to develop personalized relations.
What many do not know and I will not elaborate further for obvious reasons, is that there are researchers who think that the teachings of Jesus Christ have something to do with the ancient wisdom of Vedas. The Hindu concepts of "karma', and "reincarnation', which are part of the New Age Movement that we see today, were not unknown to Jesu s.
Question: Then Father, why do we need to convert people in India?
Father Johnson: You see, we in the western world, have the "white man's burden' of civilizing the rest of the world. We also have the need and desire to spread the message of Christ, since we believe that it is the ONLY way to salvation and all other nonbelievers will go to hell. The faith in Christianity is being eroded in Europe and America. That is why our Pope on his visit to India said, "Just as in the first millennium, the Cross was planted on the soil of Europe, and in the second on that of the Americas and Africa, we can pray that in the third Christian millennium a great harvest of faith will be reaped in this vast and vital continent.'
Question: Why do you target India?
India is the right country because Hindu Indians are generally peace-loving tolerant, law abiding people who are truthful and virtuous. India"s devotion to being good rather than being clever comes nearer the heart of a true civilization, said W. J. Grant, in his book, "The spirit of India'. Christians and for that matter, no other religion, says that.
Question: Where does your resource come from?
Father Johnson: There are five major aid-giving countries, viz., USA, Germany, Britain, Italy and the Netherlands. According to the available data, in the last decade alone, foreign aid organizations received more than 2.5 billion dollars. This is only official statistics.
Question: How powerful is Christianity in India?
Father Johnson: Oh, though we are only 2.4% of the population officially, we have a large control over the country because of our economic invasion. You see, the present leader of the main political party-The Congress Party of India is a Roman Catholic Sonia Gandhi with close contact with the Vatican. There are Christian Chief ministers in 5 out of 29 states.
Question: You must have a very organized system?
Father Johnson: Yes, we do. Have you heard about the Joshua Project? It identifies and highlights the people groups of the world that have the least exposure to the Gospel and the least Christian presence and shares this information to encourage pioneer church-planting movements among every ethnic group.
The Seventh Day Adventists owes its Indian success to Canadian evangelist Ron Watts, President for the South Asian Division. When he entered India, in 1997, the Adventist Church had 225,000 members after 103 years of operations. In five years, he took it to 700,000.
The US-based Maranatha Volunteers International provides buildings for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. They are committed to build 750 churches in 2 years in India. The Oregon based, Fjarli family have a goal to build 1000 churches at a rate of 1 per day.
Question: How do you carry out conversion attempts?
Father Johnson: You see the local people are so simple and naïve that they do not have any clue as what out motive or means are. We target mostly the poor, illiterate, tribal people because they are the easiest to convert. We do that by various means - we establish schools, hospitals that overtly or subtly promote our faith, we allure them with money or goods to the needy when they convert, we "stage' miracle cures, we use our influence on the media, we use our experts in propaganda, we promote the influential people and so on.
Question: Is the so called caste system in India an advantage?
Father Johnson: The "Caste-ism in India' is a boon to us. Though Varna or caste was once an essential part of the culture, based on occupation and vocational skills, which kept the civilization going for over 5000 years, caste-ism is a degenerated socio-political system now that has been declared illegal. However it is one big weapon against Hinduism.
We also use opportunities that God gives us. During natural disasters like floods, earthquakes and the recent Tsunami, taking advantage of the need, we were able to convert successfully entire low caste villages in Tamil Nadu to Christianity with the lure of money and aid.
Question: How successful are you in your conversion attempts.
Father Johnson: Oh we are doing a good job. The Northeast Indian states like Assam, Nagaland, and Manipur, have witnessed a surge of nearly 200% in their Christian population in the past 25 years. Their grasp is so strong now that practicing Hinduism is forbidden in some areas. Hindus can no longer do worship or "puja' in the open because of our influence. In another northeast state, Tripura, where there were no Christians at the time of India's independence, 55 years ago, there are now over 120,000 today. Do you face any resistance?
Question: Is there any legal barrier?
Father Johnson: Yes there are some rules and laws that sometimes impair our activities. The Indian Supreme Court had declared that: "The right to propagate religion does not mean the right to convert... Conversion done under allurement, use of force and fraud in which the poverty or ignorance of the individual is taken advantage of, is not only undemocratic but also unconstitutional...Respect for all religions is the foundation of secularism whereas the seeds of conversion lie in religious intolerance.". Anti conversion laws have been passed in various states. But as I said, we have our ways.
Question: How satisfied are you with the progress of the missions?
Father Johnson: It is really satisfying. We find enormous pleasure in converting the Hindu "pagans'. However I wish we could do more. I wish I could say like St Francis Xavier, during the Goa Inquisition in 1560, "When I have finished baptizing the people, I order them to destroy the huts in which they keep their idols; and I have them break the statues of their idols into tiny pieces, since they are now Christians. I could never come to an end describing to you the great consolation which fills my soul when I see idols being destroyed by the hands of those who had been idolaters."
Thank you, Father for your time and honesty. Thank you, my son. God bless you.
Christianity offers nothing that is not already available somewhere in the many forms of Hinduism. Hinduism never rejected the teachings of Jesus. Those who have converted either agreed with a gun pressed at their skulls as in Goa, or because it provided an escape from caste tyranny, as well as a guaranteed professional advancement. Through its Vedic legacy, Hinduism respects all faiths. It clearly states that God is one, but has many forms.