“The battle for souls”, a report published in the Guardian, looks at the use of money to promote Christianity in Nepal. Before the fall of the monarchy in 2008, Nepal was the only Hindu country in the world. Hinduism has remained the country’s main religion, but today over 1 million people in the country claim to be Christians. 65% of these Christians are from the lowest Hindu caste, the Dalits, formerly “untouchables”, and still subject to discrimination and abuse.
Over the years churches have begun to spring up between the temples, mosques and buddhist gompas. There are some however, who question the motivations behind Christian conversions… With the majority of converts being Dalits and people from marginalized groups, skeptics believe that the only reason they claim to be Christians is to benefit from the handouts that come from well-funded foreign Christian organisations.
Mahibal Praja, a local pastor, strongly denies these claims. He pastors a small church of 50 people, packed like sardines into the small brick and corrugated building. In a nearby village, Dalit Christians assemble in a relatively smart two story building, constructed with the help of funding from American missionaries. Their pastor explains how Christianity has grown in 10 years, and that most of the Dalits in the village have converted. Treated like dirt by other Hindu castes, the Dalits turned to Christianity where there is no discrimination and they are loved and respected despite their social status.
A local Hindu priest, who acknowledges that Dalits are badly treated by Hindus, still accuses the Dalits of converting purely for what they can gain materially. Foreign ministries provide money for Christians who were ill, as well as aid. He feels Christians are using money to gain souls and Hindus are unable to compete on the same level.
So who’s to believe? Is the growth in Christianity something to rejoice in, or to be wary of? In any situation where discrimination, abuse and poverty are rife, there are bound to be opportunists. But where God’s love, acceptance and forgiveness are manifest, miracles can happen. Thank God for the door that has opened in this country, and for how He is setting the captives free. May His mercy continue to abound!
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth…”
(Matthew 5:3-5)
Source: The Guardian: ‘They use money to promote Christianity’: Nepal’s battle for souls
Louise Carter
