Church goes on damage control

The powerful Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) headquartered in New Delhi and the Archbishop's house in Mumbai are both going ahead with clarifications on the issue.

Cardinal Vithayathil's controversial remarks came at a ceremony recently to mark the publication of his biography, Straight from the Heart, in Kochi. Catholic circles point out that the timing of the news reports, during the Lok Sabha elections, has led to concern among the clergy. Cardinal Vithayathil is president of CBCI. (via Church goes on damage control - India - The Times of India).

The Vatican is a Nation

An Indian Cardinal is well within his rights, as an individual, to advice his followers, on political matters . But the representative body of the foreign country, the Vatican, which administers, the Catholic religion in India, cannot interfere in political matters. How welcome would be political fatwas from the association of holy mosques of Middle East be in Europe, Your Holiness?

The Indian Government allows a foreign Government, like the Vatican, to interfere in the political matters of India? What gives the religious representative of the Holy See, the right to advice Indian Christians, on political matters? Would the Indian Government accept if the Association of Ayatollahs, Muftis and Imams were to issue political fatwas to Indian Muslims …! Would the EU accept Association of Ayatollahs, Muftis and Imams giving political advice to 10 million Muslims in Europe? His Holiness would see crimson …

It is this interference in religious practices of Indians that makes the missionaries suspect, in Indian eyes. Now it is political advice also. What further aggravates the Indian is the apparent disinterest by the Indian Government in such meddling by foreign authorities in the lives of Indians! And then to listen to them teaching us about religious tolerance …?

How can any foreign organization, interfere in temporal matters of India.

In India, we must clearly eliminate all ‘foreign authority’ - which is implicit with religious freedom. The same Pope will of course not allow such a freedom to any foreign religious authority, in any Catholic country - to believers in any other religion. You have only to look at Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the last decade.

The saga continues

And what is the Indian Government doing? Siesta Manubhai …

Voting your caste

As Bal Thackeray once said, Indians don't just cast their vote.

As Indians prepare not to cast their vote but “vote their caste”, as Bal Thackeray once said, our sadhus and sanyasis, mahants and maulvis, pundits and preachers must be rubbing their hands in glee.

Folk faith was common in the West too until the Age of Enlightenment and then the new economic order introduced by the Industrial Revolution led to mass education and material advance. That precursor of mental development encouraged the masses to aspire to elitist heights of thought and culture. In contrast, our elite is sinking to the level of the masses. India may lead the world in Information Technology and be able to send a man to the Moon, but the influence that the successors of Dhirendra Brahmachari and Chandra Swamy are increasingly gaining suggests that the intellectual revolution that is the essential key to modernity has passed us by. (via Sunanda K Datta-Ray: Voting your caste).

Advanced West vs ignorant Indians

Now the US votes on the basis of gender (more women voters do vote for democrats), color (more Hispanics and African Americans generally vote Democrats), age (younger voters are traditionally democrats in larger numbers), religion (only one Catholic has become a US President), race (only WASP - White Anglo Saxon Protestants allowed real power).

Now Sunanda Datta K. Ray is a bad case of vacillation - sometimes pathos and sometimes bathos. Some of his columns (Have you eaten?) is memorable for its breadth - and then you see this kind of ignorance.

In US societal divisions are called demographics and is a matter of high academic interest.(click on this link to see an interesting device to gauge demographic effects in US elections). In India, the West uses a pejorative called the caste system. The US system has ensured that the US voter gets more (Republican) or less (Democrats) of the same swill. What choice does the US voter have? The Indian voter has created a choice for himself by voting for a wide range of issues, agendas and parties.

But then the Indian voter is unlettered, ‘uneducated’ and does not speak English - and Sunanda K. Datta Ray is possibly vernacularly challenged!!

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Change in Voting-Age Population (VAP), 2000-2007: Selected Battleground States in 2008

State	Total VAP increase	Hispanic VAP increase	Share of Total VAP Increase
			Selected racial/ethnic groups	Metropolitan areas
Traditionally Republican States
Colorado	15%	32%	Hispanics: 32%	47% in Denver
North Carolina	12%	53%	African Americans: 23% Hispanics: 18%	29% in Raleigh-Durham 25% in Charlotte
Virginia	10%	51%	Hispanics: 21% African Americans: 21% Asian Americans: 15%	47% in Northern Virginia (including exurbs)
Traditionally Democratic States
Pennsylvania	3%	44%	Hispanics: 38% African Americans: 24% Asian Americans: 20%	40% in Philadelphia suburbs
Swing States
Florida	15%	40%	Hispanics: 42% African Americans: 19%	19% in Miami-Fort Lauderdale 16% in Orlando 14% in Tampa-St. Petersburg
Missouri	7%	48%	African Americans: 15% Hispanics: 13%	35% in St. Louis 20% in Kansas City 15% in Springfield
Ohio	3%	34%	African Americans: 26% Hispanics: 18% Asian Americans: 14%	43% in Columbus 34% in Cincinnati

Note: Data for African Americans and Asian Americans are for non-Hispanic members
of these groups who did not identify with another racial group

Sources: Population Reference Bureau, analysis of data from U.S. Census Bureau,
"Annual State Population Estimates with Sex, 6 Race Groups (5 Race Alone Groups
and One Group with Two or more Race Groups) and Hispanic Origin: April 1, 2000
to July 1, 2007," accessed online at www.census.gov/popest/datasets.html on
May 31, 2008; and "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population by Selected Age Groups
and Sex for Counties: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2007,"
accessed online at www.census.gov/popest/counties/asrh/CC-EST2007-agesex.html,
on Aug. 31, 2008.

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Baroda's pearl carpet may go for well over $5m-India-The Times of India

Embellished with an estimated two million natural seed pearls as well as diamonds, the carpet sure has the razzle dazzle to attract buyers. Crafted in 1865, the Pearl Carpet has a tumultuous story behind it. In the early 1860s, Maharaja Khande Rao of Baroda, considered one of the most notable jewellery collectors of the 19th century, had a desire to offer a priceless Pearl Carpet at the shrine of the Prophet in Medina. He wanted it to be just like the Pearl Carpet over Mumtaz Mahal's tomb in Taj Mahal. (via Baroda's pearl carpet may go for well over $5m-India-The Times of India).

Is this true ...

Why would a Hindu ruler spend gad zillions on a carpet for Muslim shrine? Remember, natural pearls from Basra were more or as expensive than diamonds. Cultured pearls that we get today are 'grown' in artificial oyster farms. Back in 1860, what was pearls were salt water pearls that divers recovered from ocean beds - off the Basra coast, in modern day Iraq.

Of course, presumably, this history comes to us from colonial historians, where Hindu orthodoxy is being blamed for this carpet not reaching Medina. But, was it actually the British which discouraged this carpet from going further? After all, they were pursuing their agenda of divide et impera.

In India, the Times of India says that this carpet never reached Medina because Khande Rao's courtiers opposed the idea." But the Qatar Tribune tells us that "the intended gift was clearly never delivered as the Maharaja died before he made the donation and the carpet remained in his family", the press release by the Doha-Sotheby's said.

Dharma vs religion

Historically, India had no religions. Religions are a construct of the Middle East - and given birth to the 3 major religions of the world. Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In India, the belief structure centres around Dharma - धर्म.

The difference between dharma and religion? Major!

For one, religion is about worship - and there are many others differences. Method of worship (how you worship), object of worship (what you worship), frequency of worship (e.g. every Sabbath; five times a day), language of worship (what you say, in which language), etc.

The cornerstones of modern religions from the Desert Bloc are One God, One Book, One Holy Day, One Prophet (Messiah), One Race, One People, One Country, One Authority, One Law, One Currency, One Set of Festival - the root of most problems in the world. From this Oneness, we get the One Currency, One Language logic - a fallacious syllogism. Once you accept One, you will accept all others.

Indian worship practices are infinite. Even non-worship to is acceptable - for instance, the Charvaka school of Indian philosophy was atheistic and did not prescribe worship. Structure and deviation from worship practices are a non-issue in Indian dharmic structure. Dharma has no equivalent in the ‘Desert Bloc’ vocabulary of religions. Dharma is the path of righteousness, defined by a matrix of the contextual, existential, moral, pragmatic, professional, position, etc. Dharma is more than moral and ethics.

The really big difference is the holy books - Judaism, Christianity and Islam have one Holy Book each. No deviations. Indian dharma tradition has thousands which are more than 1000 years old - at last count.

Cuban deepwater block yields two oil & gas leads

ONGC Videsh (OVL), the foreign investment arm of Oil & Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), has found two significant hydrocarbon leads in a Cuban deepwater exploration block where it has a 30% stake. The leads are likely to result into major hydrocarbon discoveries, people close to the development said.

OVL had acquired 30% participating interest in Spanish oil company Repsol-YPF’s Cuban deep water exploration blocks 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 36 in 2005. The other partner of the blocks, StatoilHydro (erstwhile Norsk Hydro) of Norway holds a 30% interest. Repsol is the operator of the blocks. The acquisition had marked OVL’s foray into Cuba’s oil and gas industry. (via OVL’s Cuban deepwater block yields two oil & gas leads-The Economic Times).

Brazil takes the first step

On October 14, 2008, 2ndlook had proposed a BRICS-Caribbean accord for oil exploration in the Caribbean.

Reeling under the curse of history, Western intervention and poverty, the Caribbean islands have been dealt a bad hand. Third World countries are paying through their nose to the OPEC cartel and for a dollar hegemony. Oil can break this vicious cycle.

“I don’t understand why it took so long to sign this agreement,” said Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who presided over a signing ceremony for the deal with Cuban President Raul Castro.

That makes two of us, Mr.President!

Brazil has also taken the first step. ONGC was already in the game. As is Russia. With India, Brazil and Russia working on Cuban oil exploration, it is a promising first step to a prosperous Caribbean.

Next stop, Haiti?

No relief for Kandhamal churches on disputed land

The district administration, after a recent survey, has found that the Divyajyoti pastoral centre at K Nuagaon, where a nun was raped, and 134 other Christian institutions that were destroyed by rioters had been built up on disputed land. The pastoral centre, therefore, might not get the state’s financial aid for reconstruction.

“On the government order, the administration held a survey and found that of the 195 institutions, which were partly or fully desecrated, as many as 135 are on disputed land,” an official disclosed. “Disputed plot means land that belongs to forest or tribals,” he added. (via No relief for Kandhamal churches on disputed land).

In Kandhamal, from 70,000 Christians in 1991, the number increased to 117,950 (by 66%), by 2001. Of these 47950 conversions, only two were done after notifying the district collector, as required by the law.

These conversions went unreported - as these conversions would then disqualify the Panos converts to gain benefits meant for Hindu Scheduled Caste benefits and lose their allotment of reservations in government jobs. The Kandhas, who make up 52% of the population, own less than 10% of the district land. This figure is disputed and rival estimates go to as high as 60% - but exact figures are not available.

Blatant Proselytization

A web dictionary defines proselytization as "To induce someone to convert to one’s own religious faith.” This above quoted article details three interesting aspects of the Kandhamal uproar.

1. There has been a large scale demographic change in this area. Today, Christians in this area exceed 100,000 - and up from 60,000 to more than 100,000 in the last few years.


2. The bigger issue - is the misrepresentation of caste and religious denomination for obtaining undue benefits. Benefits for backward Hindus were being claimed by the Christians while declaring themselves as Backward Hindus.


3. The 3rd is land. Traditional landowners have been dispossessed of their land - and the new converts have become the new ‘rentier’ land owners.

Thus what is being given a communal and religious colour is more a case of dispensing and cornering of benefits. The fourth element that is now coming out is that these Church activities are being carried out on illegally occupied land.

Behind this ...

But, who is funding this proselytizing activity? Recent data from the Government reveals that India receives about US$3 billion of charity to NGOs. The biggest donors are US, Germany, the UK, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada and France.

This US$3 billion is a huge amount of money. Pakistan went to the IMF for less than US$4 billion.

Bank Funding of Christianity in USA - WSJ.com

Some lenders believe more churches than ever have fallen behind on loans or defaulted this year. Some churches, and at least one company that specialized in church lending, have filed for bankruptcy. Church giving is down as much as 15% in some places, pastors and lenders report.

The financial problems are crimping a church building boom that began in the 1990s, when megachurches multiplied, turning many houses of worship into suburban social centers complete with bookstores, gyms and coffee bars. Lenders say mortgage applications are down, while some commercial lenders no longer see churches as a safe investment. (via In Hard Times, Houses of God Turn to Chapter 11 in Book of Bankruptcy - WSJ.com).

This is something that is beyond comprehension (at least mine). The US Govt., the Anglo Saxon bloc, specifically claims, (and the West in general) that it does not 'support' any religion.

By routing money through the Federal Reserve, (through excessive printing by 'Helicopter Ben') to the banks, does maintain the argument of separation between the State and the Church. But then, why cavil when the Saudi Government supports Wahabbist Islam?

Though one thing is clear - I cannot imagine going to an Indian bank for a loan to build a Hindu temple. I can hear hoots of raucous laughter - and screams of merriment. More ominously, I can hear bank managers making phone calls to the nearest mental hospital.

Western leaders turn to Catholicism ... What gives ...?

For centuries the monarch has constitutionally been the supreme governor of Church in England, the main emblems of establishment. Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, suggested that he could see a day when the British monarch is removed as head of the Church of England. It would not be "the end of the world" if the Church of England was "disestablished," he told the 'New Statesman' magazine. (via Labour party mulls ouster of Queen from Church of England).

A trial balloon ...?

Sometime back another trial balloon was floated - when,

Justice Minister Jack Straw said in March that the government was “certainly ready to consider” reviewing the “antiquated” ban on Catholic monarchs.

The Bill of Rights 1688, the Act of Settlement 1700 and the Act of Union 1706 state rules, that the monarch must be a Protestant, and any royal who marries a Catholic is barred from the line of succession. (from’Britain mulls allowing Catholic monarchs: report in Hindustan Times).

Conversion of Western political leaders to Catholicism ...

What was the reason for Tony Blair to convert to Catholicism? Is that ‘dog-whistle’ religiosity with a unified Christian army against the ‘evil forces of Islamic Fundamentalists?’ Jeb Bush, brother of George Bush has already converted to Catholicism - and will George Bush follow?

Daniel Burke writes Washington Post thus,

Bush attends an Episcopal church in Washington and belongs to a Methodist church in Texas, and his political base is solidly evangelical. Yet this Protestant president has surrounded himself with Roman Catholic intellectuals, speechwriters, professors, priests, bishops and politicians. These Catholics — and thus Catholic social teaching — have for the past eight years been shaping Bush’s speeches, policies and legacy to a degree perhaps unprecedented in U.S. history.

The British split from the Roman Church was definitely a political move. The Vatican's refusal to grant Henry VIII's a divorce was itself a political decision.

Is this another political decisions? What is the political logic behind this decision?