Global corporates
Dr Hilda Raja - 26, Ramanathan Street,
Mahalingapuram Chennai-600 034
http://www.organiser.org/31dec2000/forum.html#g
Francois Gautier's “Christ and the North-East” (NIE,
20-11-2000) was a frank expose and should cause concern to all right-thinking
Indians. Three areas calls for introspection: 1. “Exclusivity has crept into
the purity of early Christianity.” This is a singular characteristic of that
religion. Right from childhood every Christian is made to believe that she/he
belongs to a religion which alone possess ‘the only true god’—which
automatically means that others possess demi-gods, false gods or no gods. A run
of this thinking activates them to ‘save’ others. It is difficult to erase
this arrogation of a monopolistic ownership of god. The concomitants of
this—fundamentalism and intolerance. 2. “Christianity is dwindling in the
West.” This augments the need for the Church to target the Third World
countries and India becomes a soft target with its gullible people and political
parties which will go to any lengths, even compromise the country's integrity
for their own political gains. It is small wonder that in Arunachal Pradesh from
a mere 1710 in 1961 the number of Christians have swelled to 115,000 with 700
churches.
The minority status has aided the churches to acquire
enormous land. Neither the Marxists nor the ‘secular forces’ are bothered
about the fact that the Christian churches lumped together becomes the biggest
landowner in India—all this for the love of Christ. Which country will allow
this land-grab? Why and how can a 2.32 per cent justify the ownership of such
vast extents of land? Its service wing is only a diversion to sanctify the
unaccountability and immunity to this acquisition. If the Hindu temple and its
lands come under Government control why should the Church lands not be
controlled and regulated? 3. When political parties are agitated over the impact
of globalisation they overlook the fact that the churches are global corporates.
Take the example of the Roman Catholic Church with its headquarters at Rome: its
enormous wealth (second to the Lutheran Church) is invested in various
profit-oriented sectors including arms and ammunition. Its leader is not only a
spiritual head but also a political head of a state.
With its economic, political and social powers the
Roman Catholic Church becomes one of the biggest transcontinental corporate
wrapped with a sheen of spirituality/religiosity. This to claim immunity and
unaccountability. Can anyone recognise Christ and his message within this power
baggage? Followers must try to emulate their leader. Christ had no place to lay
his head. His stand for justice was uncompromising and hence earned his
isolation and his death. Here political parties vie with one another to ally
with churches, abet its activities, gaze with awe at its wealth and power. Can
one identify any Christ-like characteristics in the churches which only misuse
and abuse his name and message for their own power and glory, to extend its
colonial ambitions in the Third World? To be honest one needs to be outside the
churches to realise what Christ stood for and to experience his message of love
and peace.
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