Christian conversions: My take on Abraham's post

Your article on “History of conversions to Christianity in Kerala-an overview” makes an interesting reading .After all, we all Indians are made of the same stock, and, not withstanding our affiliations to different religions , our attitude towards life is dependent on the manner in which we are brought up , the environment in which we are living. We are born with religious distinctions and castes, we grow with them and die with them, a journey from cradle; to grave , whose route is determined by our caste affiliations.
It is a paradox that we as a caste group stand up to “defend” our entity even when there is a perceived notion of slight on our religion and threat from the other entity, but when it comes to ourselves, within our fold, we stand by notions of high and low and end up in adhering to a sense of aloofness among ourselves.
I hold the view( my article in my blog “mere conversion will not improve lot of Dalits )that with mere conversion there will be no automatic change in the attitude of those in the “upper class” towards those who are being treated as untouchables by a cruel society.
Just as Hindus are classified as one religious entity, Christians are also constituted in a similar fashion. But in reality there are divisions and subdivisions, with sects and sub-sects clinging to their moorings. I can make out from your article a similar hierarchical distinctions in Christianity.
If Lord Krishna had said that it was “gunas” which determine the “Varna” of an individual, classifying as Brahamana, Ksthriya, Vysya and Sudra.We end up as narrow caste groups based on illogical principles of hierarchy , high and low , We deceive ourselves when we conveniently indulge in selective approaches towards the Teachings of the Lord , glossing over the fact that a Sudra by dint of his varna can become a Brahmin and a Brahmin can fall down to a status of sudra. Haridasas( the serv ants of God), right from the 15 the century have in their message embedded in their compositions been conveying this quintessence of Bhagavad Geeta. But the caste distinctions are deep rooted and what was conceived as one aimed at to ensure social justice, reservations among the Hindus between layers and layers, have made even students at primary stage conscious of their”caste”identity.
It is true in respect of Christians . I remember a senior Catholic priest, who was also a principal of an educational institution , telling me that he was a Brahmin Convert from Mangalore and was proud of hisr background .Okay. He added that even in his converted stage he would not like his catholic Christians to have any matrimonial alliances with Dalit- Christians .
As one hailing from Bellary which had formed part of the British Governed Madras Province( many districts of the present day Andhra Pradesh , some portions of existing Karnataka, and Travancore-Cochin, besides the entire Tamilnadu were part of Madras), where the conversion by Christians to their community fold went on unchecked.It had not evoked strong and even violent protests as we find today, even where there are conversions on t heir volition, I remember some Christian teachers in my primary school speaking lowly and calling Krishna by names, and extolling Jesus. As an young boy of 8 years , I had developed a sense of total disregard, and even contempt towards Jesus. As I matured and exposed to liberal thinking and as true devout Hindu I mocked at myself and deeply resented myself for my thinking vis a vis Jesus at primary stage, which was borne out of a campaign of deriding Hindu gods.Who is devout Hindu ? Our Philosopher= Statesman Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan answers.A devout Hindu bows before a church and a mosque with the same sense of reverence as he does before a temple.
Recently some people approached me to buy some Christian literature. I showed them the Christian literature I have in my shelf. I offered tea to them and shared my personal feelings saying that I see Jesus in Krishna and Krishna in Jesus. But they protested saying how that could be. There is only one Jesus. I felt that there was no use in speaking with such bigots.
I some times feel thinking as to why the Christians went on their evangelical mission , the purpose it served, when the Christian world, as it was, large and big enough, A Dalit Christian remains as a Dalit, whether he is in Hindu-fold or Christian fold .The need of the our , therefore, is that one should look inwardly and live upto the ideals of humanism.
I must thank you for your comments on my blog and the article thereof, an article which is illuminating and educative> I keep on reading your articles.