Religious conversions - your views

I agree. Religion is a personal issue. As long as you act properly in society,abide by law of the land and work honestly and decently, it matters littte which religion you follow. 

That religion is purely a personal thing is an indisputable fact. I personally feel the noise made on this issue is Much ado about nothing.

But there are some, in all religions, for whom it is a business. They provide funds only if certain number of conversions are carried out to many religious organizations. Such funding comes from foreign based organisations and also some domestic. Thus they are under economic compulsions to effect conversions for their own economic survival. Therefore an anti conversion Bill spelling out allurement concerns is in order.

Religion has become a business long ago.

Converting people from one religion to the other has become an ego issue for politicians and religious gurus...religion is something that binds us a society, it is something which should be used to unite people. But time and again it is used by some to cause disturbance and nothing else. Religion is of course personal and there should not be any force involved in it. 

No doubt that religion plays a very important role in society but more often  it gets politicised and is used for powerplay by not just politicians but by the religious leaders as well...I feel that the very mention of religion shd be taken off from all official documents..We have not just religion but in some cases even the caste and sub caste in some application forms

Well, people may feel that conversion is a religious issue, but I wonder if people are aware that any conversion from Islam to any other religion means  immediate execution in Muslim states? In the subcontinent earlier Afghanistan, Pakistan,  bangladesh were all one nation  but conversion to Islam has seen that almost 50% of this entire region converted to islam. Even in India in case you wish to marry a Muslim girl you must convert to Islam. Myfriends son married a Muslim girl and converted. This is food for thought.

MG Singh wrote:

Well, people may feel that conversion is a religious issue, but I wonder if people are aware that any conversion from Islam to any other religion means  immediate execution in Muslim states? In the subcontinent earlier Afghanistan, Pakistan,  bangladesh were all one nation  but conversion to Islam has seen that almost 50% of this entire region converted to islam. Even in India in case you wish to marry a Muslim girl you must convert to Islam. Myfriends son married a Muslim girl and converted. This is food for thought.

It is food for some serious thought indeed. According to the most common fatwa issued by various mullahs and imams, all true Muslims are supposed to convert as many Hindu girls to Islam as possible. This is now termed as Love Jehad, which many members here would refuse to believe that it exists. But in rural India, it is a very cause concerning issue currently.

I believe that religion is more a matter of community than beliefs. I am a Hindu not because I believe in Hindu scriptures or worship form. Basically, I am Hindu because I was born and brought up in Hindu traditions. This is true about other religions also. Hardly any body chose religion. This is just accident of birth. As regards beliefs, one must apply his mind and accept whatever appears right irrespective of any religious stricture.  If I believe in something contained in Islamic or Christian scriptures, I need not change my religious community.  It is best not to convert and remain in the religion to which one belongs by birth though he may believe and practice anything.

However,  when many feel neglected and humiliated in the religion of birth, it is natural they would formally change their religious community. Dr Ambedkar had advised his disciples to adopt Buddhism because of humiliation in Hindu religion.    

MG Singh wrote:

Well, people may feel that conversion is a religious issue, but I wonder if people are aware that any conversion from Islam to any other religion means  immediate execution in Muslim states? In the subcontinent earlier Afghanistan, Pakistan,  bangladesh were all one nation  but conversion to Islam has seen that almost 50% of this entire region converted to islam. Even in India in case you wish to marry a Muslim girl you must convert to Islam. Myfriends son married a Muslim girl and converted. This is food for thought.

 

It depends entirely on the couple as to how they manage their affairs when they come from different religious backgrounds. One of my relatives got married to a christian boy .They had a registered marriage and a reception after a month the boys family insisted on a church wedding and the girl had no issues about that but when she wanted to have a Satyanarayan pooja at home , her husband refused saying that since they were both now christians ( her having married him in the church) they need not have any such function. This was the beginning of a series of a misunderstanding and after her child was born and he wanted to have a christening ceremony , she walked out and filed for a divorce..

I personally feel that both are to blame for not having discussed the issue thoroughly and also giving too much importance to rituals and practices... 

dear Usha, marriage with a Christian may still work and a girl may get away, but once you embrace Islam and marry, there is no escape as conversion from Islam to another invites the death penality. Even in India there have been cases of killings of people who wanted to reconverrt back to parent religion. One cannot generalise in such  cases as Islam is a totally different religion with a different ethos. There was Christain rule in India in the form of the English, but they built the nation and set up a universal law, while Islamic rulers did exactly the opposte.

Yup ... surely it should be personal choice rather than what other thinks. Whatever person like he/she can follow. 

MG Singh wrote:

dear Usha, marriage with a Christian may still work and a girl may get away, but once you embrace Islam and marry, there is no escape as conversion from Islam to another invites the death penality. Even in India there have been cases of killings of people who wanted to reconverrt back to parent religion. One cannot generalise in such  cases as Islam is a totally different religion with a different ethos. There was Christain rule in India in the form of the English, but they built the nation and set up a universal law, while Islamic rulers did exactly the opposte.

 

I agree that Islam is a hardline religion and to marry a muslim you have to convert ...I feel that ultimately it is a personal choice and if the couple are happy to undertake such a step then there will be no problem since religion ceases to be problem..

usha manohar wrote:

MG Singh wrote:

dear Usha, marriage with a Christian may still work and a girl may get away, but once you embrace Islam and marry, there is no escape as conversion from Islam to another invites the death penality. Even in India there have been cases of killings of people who wanted to reconverrt back to parent religion. One cannot generalise in such  cases as Islam is a totally different religion with a different ethos. There was Christain rule in India in the form of the English, but they built the nation and set up a universal law, while Islamic rulers did exactly the opposte.

 

I agree that Islam is a hardline religion and to marry a muslim you have to convert ...I feel that ultimately it is a personal choice and if the couple are happy to undertake such a step then there will be no problem since religion ceases to be problem..

 

Absolutely Usha. At the end of the day, if the couple are happy to undertake and decide to lead a happy married life nothing stands on their way.

Here are a plenty of examples which stand as a testimony for a successful Hindu -Muslim married life.

 

http://creative.sulekha.com/muslim-husbands-and-hindu-wives_591006_blog

 

 

Religious conversions as per law of land is okay but that should not change entire demography constitutions of a national then it becomes serious issues. 

I don't think religious conversions lead to demographic changes. Will you please explain how religious conversions lead todemographic changes ?

Thank you Usha for your comment, but I have a simple point. Don't you think this is a typical attitude of Hindu 'tolerence' that cost Hindus to become second class citizens in their own land for 900 years ? In this case teher should be no discussion and Hinduisms is Hinduism and no copromise on it.

MG Singh wrote:

Thank you Usha for your comment, but I have a simple point. Don't you think this is a typical attitude of Hindu 'tolerence' that cost Hindus to become second class citizens in their own land for 900 years ? In this case teher should be no discussion and Hinduisms is Hinduism and no copromise on it.

 

Hindus are indeed a very tolerant people and it is because they have been taken advantage of that today we see a drive for self determination by certain Hindu groups and at times they may go a little overboard which is to be expected...But when it comes to individual matters , things would be different since it is a matter between two people and their families and unless there is complete acceptance there will be problems later on in life. we cannot ban or say that inter religious marriages should not take place but there are bound to be problems.

The tolerance of Hindus was taken as a weakness for several centuries . Hindus never showed any difference or partiality towards all those who crossed the borders. Sanatana Dharma taught them, "Atithi Devo Bhava". This  tolerance made the Hosts slaves and the guests became Masters. 

Now, the modern groups thought that Hindus had enough and determined the old glory of India should be brought back. Now, there's no going back.

Nagaland once the Hindu majority now ? Then, Half of Arunnachala Pradesh converted to Christianity, there are many examples, In Odisha, Half of Phulbani converted to Christianity and there are many examples.