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| Sunday, 31 October 2004 |
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Politics of conversion: A personal reflection Continued from 10-10-2004 by Rev. Dr. Shanta Premawardhana, Associate General Secretary, National Council of Churches, USA 3. Conversions occur within religious traditions Religious traditions are not monolithic, and within each tradition there are a variety of perspectives that run the gamut from fundamentalism to liberalisms. Within the Christian tradition there are at least four identifiable groupings: fundamentalists, evangelicals, charismatic and moderate to liberal Christians. It is not unusual to find adherents who 'convert' from one religious perspective to another within the same tradition. While we can readily identify churches that are fundamentalist, evangelical or charismatic as distinct from each other and from the established (Anglican, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian or Catholic) churches, it is also possible to easily identify those Christians who are fundamentalists, evangelicals or charismatic within the mainline churches. We need to pay particular attention to the word fundamentalism, since it is often found expressed in misleading ways on the lips of Sri Lankan TV and radio commentators. This designation arose in the early 20th century in the United States as a way of referring to those who attempted to be true to the Christian scripture at a time when they perceived it to be under threat from 'liberals' who began to apply new forms of critical tools to Christian scripture. Theirs was the noble idea of wanting to make sure that the 'fundamentals' of the faith were preserved. Faithful Muslims use the term to designate those who sincerely seek to follow their faith. Buddhist scholars have also used the word to describe Theravada Buddhism, particularly the Sri Lankan variety. Indeed, Sri Lankan Buddhists have often felt that the mantle of preserving the purity of Buddhism is a special privilege and duty bestowed on them by the Lord Buddha himself. Today, the word is politicised. In the United States, Christian fundamentalists from the bulk of a formidable political lobby, called the Religious Right, aligned with the Republican Party. When applied to Muslims, as in Muslim Fundamentalists, it refers to terrorist organisations. Other extremist or violent groups, who may resort to violence, are often termed fundamentalist by the media. When speaking of those groups of Christians who have come from abroad to propagate Christianity in Sri Lanka in recent years, it is not accurate to lump them all together as fundamentalists. Some are charismatic and evangelicals of different sorts. Unlike fundamentalists many of them are more open to alternative ways of biblical interpretation. Charismatic are those who have a more 'ecstatic' form of religious worship that include practices such as speaking in tongues and healings and Evangelicals are those who give priority to the mandate to evangelize and understand salvation primarily in individualistic terms. It is safe to say that almost always Charismatic are Evangelicals, but not all Evangelicals are Charismatic. During my regular visits to Sri Lanka, I have made it a priority to travel to many villages where such evangelistic work occurs. My observation is not that these missionaries are intentionally engaging in unethical practices, but that they are caught in a dilemma that because of their economic advantage and their western approach to life, they are unable to resolve. For instance, along with the mandate to evangelise, Christians are under scriptural mandate to love their neighbour. When the new missionaries meet poor villagers and hear of their need, they may give them material help. The recipients in turn may decide to continue the relationships and participate in their church, and thus be converted. 4. Conversions Occur Because of a Complex of Factors This is true for those who were born in Christian families in the U.S. and Europe who convert to Buddhism, as for those who were born in Buddhist families in Sri Lanka who convert to Christianity. This is also true for Theravada Buddhists who convert to the practice of Zen and mainline Protestants who convert to a charismatic form of their faith. Spiritual enlightenment is often cited as the main motivation for such a change, and it is likely to be so. However, careful observation reveals that family influences, new relationships, personal grievances, economic prospects, social positions or the belief that the new way of life will yield a greater sense of well-being, play crucial roles in motivating persons to convert. The rise of evangelical church groups beholden to western values and theologies has with it the charge that recent evangelistic efforts signal the rise of a new colonialism. The church in Sri Lanka must take this charge seriously. It is a charge that comes in the context of the relatively new phenomenon of globalisation which critics charge, with some validity, is a new colonialism. The difficulty with most western missionary enterprises is that few of them would try to understand and incorporate into their theological world-view the work that Sri Lankan theologians have done to indigenise the gospel. And that makes them susceptible to the charge that they are nothing but purveyors of western values. Not only would you get an American accent when you are saved, you might also develop a taste for Coca Cola ! Thus the question is serious: Are the present day missionaries coming to pave the way for an economy of globalization ? 5. Conclusions These observations lead me to the following conclusions. I suggest that Buddhist leaders need to have an internal conversation about openly declaring their mandate for the propagation of the Buddha Sasana and the value of conversion to Buddhism. At the same time, it will also be valuable for them to consider the roots of their anxiety about the threat that is posed to Buddhism by the so-called unethical conversions. Such a conversation, I hope, will yield a stronger commitment to making the Buddha dhamma so relevant and meaningful to the masses that whatever enticement foreign missionaries are able to bring, the Buddhist masses will stand strongly committed to their faith. These suggestions, I hope, will address at least some of the concerns that have led to the Anti-Conversion Bill that is now before the Parliament. If the Bill becomes law, in the short term, Christians will bear the brunt of its brutality. Concluded |
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