Punjab, The Current Hot Bed Of Christianity Conversion

BY- JAYA CHOUDHARY

Sikhism has over 25 million followers worldwide. Sikhs are a minority religion on a worldwide scale; nevertheless, they are the predominant religion in Punjab, India, where about 76 percent of the population is Sikh. In 1834, Christianity was introduced to Punjab. The earliest missionaries in the area were John Lowrie and William Reed, who proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ. Its early followers were mostly urban and socially varied, but they were so few that they were unimportant in the larger social mix of Sikhs, Hindus, and Muslims, of which Sikhs were the majority. Until the previous few decades, this was the scenario.

The number of Christians in the Punjab state has risen dramatically in recent years. The Christian community in Punjab is primarily made up of converts, as it is relatively recent. The Hindu community was the source of the bulk of early converts, but apparently, the Sikh community is the new source. Conversions to Christianity are rising on a daily basis in Punjab, where ten percent of the population is now Christian. A fresh wave of widespread conversion to Christianity is underway, with thousands of people allegedly accepting the faith.

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Recently, Pope Gulshan Singh Bishop is shown enthusiastically converting Hindu people to Christianity and then knocking them down to follow Christian practices in an unsettling video that has gone viral on the internet. This is clearly the inculturation of Baptism. In Christianity, inculturation refers to the modification of how Church doctrines are presented to non-Christians in order to entice them to become Christians. It's essentially a lie-based technique for introducing Christianity. Many Christian missionaries dress in saffron robes, live in ashrams, and build churches in the style of Hindu temples. The symbols of Sikhism are deployed in Punjab to mislead and convert rural Sikhs.

In Christianity, inculturation refers to the modification of how Church doctrines are presented to non-Christians in order to entice them to become Christians.Pixabay

So why are Sikhs being lured into these traps? Well, Punjabis are turning to Christianity for a variety of reasons. Few are discussed below. One of the most compelling motivations for conversion is the prospect of obtaining visas to European nations or Canada. Missionaries say that becoming a Christian will make obtaining a visa much easier.

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The second factor is apathy for Dalits and the marginalized on a social and political level. The Sikh Gurus talked of a casteless society in which everyone is treated equally. However, today's community leaders, political, social, and religious authorities have failed to foster such a society. Christian missionaries have taken full advantage of this opportunity by treating the poor and backward with dignity and offering incentives. Many of the impoverished are given money, jobs, and children's education for conversion. Another big reason for conversion is superstition. Some people are gullible enough to believe that pastors can cure ailments like cancer and paralysis. Above this, they are duped into believing that they will go to hell if they follow any other faith.

They persuade uneducated and handicapped individuals to become Christians by convincing them that God will take away their aches and sorrows if they are baptized. It's upsetting to see how people are just abandoning their traditional religion in favor of a new one. This scenario will have far-reaching consequences for India as a country's culture. While religious organizations should work to create a more inclusive society, the government should consider implementing legislation to prevent such drastic consequences in the future before the situation goes out of control.