Religious Freedom: A Commonsense Approach
Some people asked me how much money I received for changing to the Christian faith. I was amazed. I did not know then that people could make money by changing their religion. I told them I did not know about money but did not want to lose what I received. Curious, they asked me about what I had received. I said, "Peace unlimited, joy everlasting, and a promise of life in an immortal body in the coming age." "I could unite with God without any personal effort," I added. They wanted to know how I united with God. I said, "Why would I hesitate when God is so eager to unite with me, overlooking all my past sins?" They needed some more clarity about this matter.
I said, "As a Hindu and an Advaita believer, I looked for a union with God for quite some time. I knew I could summarise the hindrances to union with God into one phrase, "the burden of my past karma." I tried the four paths mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita, culminating in Raja Yoga: meditation. However, eventually, I realized that no matter how much I did, without God's assistance, I would never obtain this union with him. I gave up on my quest because I understood I could not do it alone. How could I know if God wanted me to unite with him in this birth or the next? Besides, Arjuna, who followed Krishna earnestly, also failed to obtain the union in that birth."
"In a crucial passage, Arjuna asked Krishna what would happen to him if he failed to attain the union with God in that birth itself. His answer disappointed me further because instead of promising him help, Krishna told Arjuna that he would get a better birth, perhaps in a Yogi family, next time. I don't believe I could waste this birth, seeking something that I may never attain. Even so, on further probing into the ten incarnations, I understood that they never intended to forgive or lift the past karma burden of people. Instead, their mission was to kill sinners. 'How can sinners be saved after getting killed?'" I reckoned. "Besides, none of the incarnations helped people to eliminate their past karma."
"Eventually, I learned about Jesus Christ from my friends. I realized that the only way for the past karma burden to be released was for God to forgive and overlook it. And that is precisely what Jesus offered. Not only did he forgive people's past bad karmas and give them a clean chit, but he was also willing to come into them and unite with them permanently. Even so, it differed from what I had imagined as an Advaita believer. The union with God would remove my past sins, but it would not eliminate my identity. I would remain a human, not become a drop-in-an-ocean kind of nothingness in God. What a relief! God would forgive my past bad karma and release me from the Karma-rebirth cycle. Moreover, I would have an immortal body and life in the coming age."
After I shared my story, they became more curious. They wanted to know how I changed after receiving Jesus. I said, "My relationship with Jesus grew as I prayed and read the Bible regularly. He taught me how to forgive people their sins as he had forgiven my sins. Jesus helped me to find hope in him. At the time, I suffered from depression quite often. However, after Jesus came into my life, he gave me hope regarding my future security. No matter what happens, God has secured my final destiny. Jesus made me more courageous about facing my future and humble in serving and honoring others. Until then, I disrespected my parents, got drunk a few times, and was addicted to cigarettes. Jesus removed all these addictions and helped me love my parents. He inspired me to live a life of love, generosity, and service.
After hearing all this, they grilled me further, "How many people did you convert to Christianity?" I replied, "None." They were amazed that despite being a pastor cum evangelist for so long, I was such a failure. Then, they met a few people I had baptized. They were curious about whether I had lied to them. I repeated, "I didn't convert anyone. They approached me asking for baptism. And, I gave them a dip, a holy dip, in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." Again, they wanted to know what did I tell them. I said, "I told them what I believe and why I believe. They liked it and wanted to follow suit. They converted themselves. I didn't do a thing. Who can transform people's hearts and lives but God?" ❤️🔥
Let me share a story that underscores religious freedom. Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb forced Kashmiri Pandits to accept Islam. They approached Guru Teg Bahadur. Teg Bahadur told the pundits to tell Aurangzeb they would embrace Islam if Guru Tegh Bahadur converted to Islam. And if he refused, they would refuse. Aurangzeb was angry. He arrested Guruji and beheaded him at Chandni Chowk in Delhi. Hence, Guru Tej Bahadur is renowned for his fight to protect religious freedom. People call him "India's Shield" or "Hind di Chadar." Now, when we hear how Hindus are challenging religious freedom in Kashmir, use common sense. Hindustan has always included people of all faiths, including persecuted Jews, Parsis, and Syrian Christians.
Therefore, let us follow a commonsense approach to religious freedom. All people must be allowed to preach freely. Offer people choices, and let them decide. After all, what's wrong with sharing with someone about what has benefited you? We share how a particular doctor or a treatment helped us recover from illness. Why can't we be free to share our faith in God? Nobody can hide helpful knowledge from others in this age of information. Let people weigh their options, and if they think something benefits them, let them subscribe to it. I feel if there is more religious persecution, it would make people more rebellious, cautious, and alarmed than confident. If you are confident about your faith, why are you afraid of someone who shares with you their faith?
I said, "As a Hindu and an Advaita believer, I looked for a union with God for quite some time. I knew I could summarise the hindrances to union with God into one phrase, "the burden of my past karma." I tried the four paths mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita, culminating in Raja Yoga: meditation. However, eventually, I realized that no matter how much I did, without God's assistance, I would never obtain this union with him. I gave up on my quest because I understood I could not do it alone. How could I know if God wanted me to unite with him in this birth or the next? Besides, Arjuna, who followed Krishna earnestly, also failed to obtain the union in that birth."
"In a crucial passage, Arjuna asked Krishna what would happen to him if he failed to attain the union with God in that birth itself. His answer disappointed me further because instead of promising him help, Krishna told Arjuna that he would get a better birth, perhaps in a Yogi family, next time. I don't believe I could waste this birth, seeking something that I may never attain. Even so, on further probing into the ten incarnations, I understood that they never intended to forgive or lift the past karma burden of people. Instead, their mission was to kill sinners. 'How can sinners be saved after getting killed?'" I reckoned. "Besides, none of the incarnations helped people to eliminate their past karma."
"Eventually, I learned about Jesus Christ from my friends. I realized that the only way for the past karma burden to be released was for God to forgive and overlook it. And that is precisely what Jesus offered. Not only did he forgive people's past bad karmas and give them a clean chit, but he was also willing to come into them and unite with them permanently. Even so, it differed from what I had imagined as an Advaita believer. The union with God would remove my past sins, but it would not eliminate my identity. I would remain a human, not become a drop-in-an-ocean kind of nothingness in God. What a relief! God would forgive my past bad karma and release me from the Karma-rebirth cycle. Moreover, I would have an immortal body and life in the coming age."
After I shared my story, they became more curious. They wanted to know how I changed after receiving Jesus. I said, "My relationship with Jesus grew as I prayed and read the Bible regularly. He taught me how to forgive people their sins as he had forgiven my sins. Jesus helped me to find hope in him. At the time, I suffered from depression quite often. However, after Jesus came into my life, he gave me hope regarding my future security. No matter what happens, God has secured my final destiny. Jesus made me more courageous about facing my future and humble in serving and honoring others. Until then, I disrespected my parents, got drunk a few times, and was addicted to cigarettes. Jesus removed all these addictions and helped me love my parents. He inspired me to live a life of love, generosity, and service.
After hearing all this, they grilled me further, "How many people did you convert to Christianity?" I replied, "None." They were amazed that despite being a pastor cum evangelist for so long, I was such a failure. Then, they met a few people I had baptized. They were curious about whether I had lied to them. I repeated, "I didn't convert anyone. They approached me asking for baptism. And, I gave them a dip, a holy dip, in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." Again, they wanted to know what did I tell them. I said, "I told them what I believe and why I believe. They liked it and wanted to follow suit. They converted themselves. I didn't do a thing. Who can transform people's hearts and lives but God?" ❤️🔥
Let me share a story that underscores religious freedom. Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb forced Kashmiri Pandits to accept Islam. They approached Guru Teg Bahadur. Teg Bahadur told the pundits to tell Aurangzeb they would embrace Islam if Guru Tegh Bahadur converted to Islam. And if he refused, they would refuse. Aurangzeb was angry. He arrested Guruji and beheaded him at Chandni Chowk in Delhi. Hence, Guru Tej Bahadur is renowned for his fight to protect religious freedom. People call him "India's Shield" or "Hind di Chadar." Now, when we hear how Hindus are challenging religious freedom in Kashmir, use common sense. Hindustan has always included people of all faiths, including persecuted Jews, Parsis, and Syrian Christians.
Therefore, let us follow a commonsense approach to religious freedom. All people must be allowed to preach freely. Offer people choices, and let them decide. After all, what's wrong with sharing with someone about what has benefited you? We share how a particular doctor or a treatment helped us recover from illness. Why can't we be free to share our faith in God? Nobody can hide helpful knowledge from others in this age of information. Let people weigh their options, and if they think something benefits them, let them subscribe to it. I feel if there is more religious persecution, it would make people more rebellious, cautious, and alarmed than confident. If you are confident about your faith, why are you afraid of someone who shares with you their faith?
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