Proselytization and Religious Freedom

“You are committing violence through conversion”.

Freedom to practice and preach one’s religion is fine. What is the responsibility associated with the freedom on the part of religious preachers? If that responsibility were followed, we would still have the indigenous cultures of Egypt and South America. All the indigenous traditions that were responsible for such colossal structures like the pyramids, which are not only in Egypt but also in Mexico, are no longer in existence. When I visited Egypt a few years ago, I asked the Egyptologist who was with me, if I could see the people belonging to the cultural tradition that made the pyramids, the Egyptologist replied that there was not a single person to be found. The culture was totally wiped out. The ancient Greek culture, the South American culture, and other indigenous cultures are all gone. All over the world, the indigenous traditions not given to expansionism through conversion programs are slowly disappearing.

The non-aggressive traditions are pitted against aggressive traditions, which have in their theologies certain mandates. In the name of religion, they are mandated to do what they are doing. In all conferences I have attended, I am asked to help with the committee that drafts resolutions. I always have asked for the term “mutual respect among all religions” to be included as one of the resolutions, but always this mutual respect clause is struck down, and is replaced by “freedom of religion.” The freedom of religion is understood by some as the freedom to preach and convert with an evangelistic program. They feel they are mandated to convert, and they think they are saving souls. According to them, I am to be saved. I do not need to be saved. The situation is similar to the story of the person who went to a pond and started to pull out all the fishes from the pond and throw them on the grass. A passerby was shocked and exclaimed: “Hey, what are you doing?” The man replied, “I am trying to save these fishes from drowning.” Like this person, one can have the right to believe anything one wants. You are committing violence through conversion. It is not a market share, or a propaganda war.

Swami Dayananda Saraswati