Christianity Today
tells us of new evidence for why the British should have stayed in India: the Hindu
government wants to make it illegal for Untouchables to convert to Christianity:
In September the BJP-controlled National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
Tribes introduced the rule without seeking approval from the Indian Parliament. The rule
is modeled after similar legislation in Tamil Nadu, Orissa, and Gujarat states. It will
become law when officially published.
The rule requires that anyone wishing to change religion receive written permission from
a local official.
...
Meanwhile, India's Supreme Court on September 1 ruled that there is "no fundamental
right to convert" someone from one religion to another. The court said the government
may restrict conversions.
India's ruling right-wing Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is about to introduce a
national law that will effectively prevent religious conversions among the Dalits.
Increasing numbers of India's 250 million Dalits, formerly known as untouchables, have
been converting to Buddhism and Christianity.
This reminds me of the people in Bloomington who say they are for freedom of speech,
but that doesn't include people whose political beliefs are "offensive". It is also
similar, if less extreme, to the situation in many Moslem countries, where a person is
free to practice Christianity if he is born a Christian, but is punished by death if he
was born Moslem and converted.
[ permalink, http://php.indiana.edu/~erasmuse/w/03.10.17a.htm ]
To return to Eric Rasmusen's weblog, click http://php.indiana.edu/~erasmuse/w/0.rasmusen.htm.