By: George Vergese
georgver@vsnl.com
June 07, 2004

There is gross error in the following lines, in the Indiacause mail of 11th May, 2004 :
Concentration camp for Iraqis / Video shows US man....

Quote
"About the brutality explained in both these news items:

"This is inevitably the result of the teachings in both these religions: Islam and Christianity........ Since the respective "Savior" takes care of their "sins", what difference does it make if they kill or disrespect the "infidels"? The "infidels" will go to the "Hell" anyway, because they only have the passport to the "heaven""
Unquote

I am not speaking on behalf of Islam, as I am not competent to do so.

I speak only about Christianity.

To start with, as it is, I was surprised to read the news item in the papers this morning (13th May, 04) that the US commission on International Religion Freedom has alleged that the BJP`s assent to power has helped foster a climate in which extremists believe that violence against religious minorities could not be punished.... and the commission has suggested that India be included in the list of "countries of particular concern". Whether there is truth in this statement by the US commission, could to be hotly debated between the religious factions in India, but for US to touch on this? Who are they, what right do they have to touch on the internal affairs of India.

Coming at this time - is this not a cover that they are putting up, to camouflage the misdeeds of some of their own soldiers in Iraq - "trying to remove the speck of dust in the brother`s eye, with a plank in one`s own eye".

That US soldiers took to extreme vulgarism and cruelty, for reasons best known to them - be it vengeance or sadistic pleasure - has nothing to do with the Christian religion. These soldiers, though from a country where Christianity is accepted as the major religion, may not have even seen the inside of a church or even heard what Jesus Christ preached or even know for what He was crucified. Before Christ came, it was eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But for the Christian, it is turning the other cheek also to the person slapping him on the right cheek. So the behaviour of these soldiers is not Christian, and has nothing to do with Christianity.

Second, there are no "infidels" in Christianity, so there is no question of them going (only) to Hell. All are born sinners, and Christianity teaches that through the death of Christ on the cross, one can be saved, only through repentance for one’s sins.

There is no ready path to Heaven, even for the so called believing Christian.

George Vergese