Home > Speak Up > Message Board

Do mass conversions justify Karl Marx's view of religion?

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 16:37 IST

A group of 6,000 persons from various remote parts of Thane district were brought back to Hinduism from Christianity at a mass-conversion function in Thane.


Related videos

A spokesperson for the Swami Narendra Maharaj group told reporters that with this, the goal of bringing one lakh people back to Hinduism from Christianity has been completed.

He said various organisations had helped to identify these "hapless people who were forced to convert to Christianity through inducements."

"So far, we had completed the conversion of 94,000 Christians into Hindus and the one lakh number has been achieved in a two-year period," he said. According to the spokesperson, these people were originally in the Hindu community but preferred to convert to Christianity as they found the grass greener on the other side. Now, they are being brought back to Hinduism "on their own".

Isn't religion supposed to be more personal than this? Or does this event justify Karl Marx's comment that religion is the opiate of the masses?

Copyright permission mandatory to republish this article.
For reprint rights click here
Post your comment

Readers' comments:
Yes, indeed, religion is the opiate of masses. This is similar to a patient in coma - and conversion is like shifting a patient, in coma, from one hospital to other - though s/he never realises it.
Monday, November 2, 2009 20:28 IST
Dileep V. Sathe, Pune / MH
Karl Marx was correct in saying that religion is the opiate of the masses. Actually I belong to a particular religion because of my birth and the present tradition. This is purely by chance and same is true for everyone, belonging to any religion. But I am a physics (science) educator by "choice" and hence I am proud of it, as I got by sincere efforts. This philosophy is rarely followed by the people -- and that I hate.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009 19:38 IST
Dileep V. Sathe, Pune / MH
Getting jiggy with it
Almost everyone wore white for designer Hemant Trivedi's birthday party and that included Aishwarya Rai Bachchan who made a special appearance for her old friend and guru.
Adventurous women!
The Cosmopolitan Fun Fearless Female awards saw a galaxy of stars descend on the venue to be awarded in various categories.

Get daily news in your inbox and read it at your convenience.

D