In a recently resurfaced video, US-based Christian pastor Chris Hodges has made startling claims regarding conversions in India, asserting that his organization successfully converted over 100,000 Hindus in just one week. Pastor Hodges, who leads the Church of the Highlands, also suggested that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government had made conversion efforts more challenging in northern India.

These controversial statements have added fuel to the ongoing debate surrounding alleged persecution of Christians in India. Christian organizations have long voiced their concerns about religious freedom in the country, while the United States, through various human rights reports, has often criticized and admonished India on minority rights issues. India, on the other hand, has consistently denied these allegations and responded in kind.

The revelation of Pastor Hodges' ten-month-old YouTube video has brought further attention to the issue. In his nearly 39-minute sermon, he proclaimed India as the primary destination for conversions and claimed that his associated missionaries had achieved remarkable success despite the efforts of the RSS and Prime Minister Modi. He even attributed their achievements to the use of "miracles."

As the lead pastor of the Church of the Highlands, Pastor Chris Hodges holds significant influence within his congregation and beyond. The Church of the Highlands describes itself as a life-giving church with multiple locations across Alabama and West Georgia. Pastor Hodges is renowned for his role as a co-founder of the Association of Related Churches (ARC), an organization responsible for launching numerous churches throughout the United States. He has also founded Grow, a platform that offers training and resources to pastors and churches, aiding them in overcoming barriers and reaching their growth potential. Additionally, he serves as the founder and Chancellor of Highlands College, a ministry training school that equips and sends students into full-time ministry careers.

While Pastor Hodges' claims have sparked controversy, they also raise pressing questions. How credible are his assertions regarding the mass conversions of Hindus? What evidence supports his claims of miraculous occurrences facilitating these conversions? Furthermore, how do these statements impact the ongoing dialogue between Christian organizations, the Indian government, and the international community regarding religious freedom in India? As the narrative surrounding conversions and religious rights in India continues to evolve, these questions warrant further exploration and analysis.

The nefarious conversion agenda

In a video titled 'Signs of the Times' uploaded by the Church of the Highlands, Pastor Chris Hodges referred to the Hindu population in India as "lost people" and highlighted northern India as a region with a high concentration of unengaged and unreached individuals. He also lamented the changes he perceived in India over the past decade, attributing them to the National Democratic Alliance led by the Bharatiya Janata Party. Notably, the government has taken action against organizations, including Christian groups, for violating the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) of 2010.

Missionary organizations, often supported by foreign entities, have been accused of disguising their true objectives and operating under the guise of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) focused on social welfare. Pastor Hodges expressed frustration over these developments, claiming that the Indian government, led by Prime Minister Modi, aims to make India 100% Hindu. However, he failed to provide any evidence to support these allegations.

The pastor also mentioned the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) and accused the organization of persecuting Christians. He urged prayers for Christians in India and worldwide, claiming they face severe persecution and even lose their lives on a daily basis. However, he did not offer any substantiation for these claims.

According to Pastor Hodges, missionaries in northern India organized themselves into outreach teams and embarked on evangelism efforts. They claimed to have witnessed miraculous occurrences, such as healing the sick and delivering people from demonic possession. The pastor suggested that these supernatural events were instrumental in converting individuals to Christianity. He described a scenario where a woman's deliverance led to 150 families immediately converting to Christianity.

The pastor concluded his sermon by enthusiastically announcing that a staggering 112,124 Hindus had supposedly converted to Christianity in just one week. He urged his audience to celebrate this achievement and praise God together.

However, there are several pressing questions that arise from these claims. Can these conversion statistics be independently verified? What evidence supports the allegations of manipulative tactics, such as exploiting superstitions and orchestrating situations involving demon possession? How do these claims align with the experiences and perspectives of the Indian population, including Hindus and Christians? It is crucial to critically examine these assertions and seek a more comprehensive understanding of the situation before drawing any definitive conclusions.

Controversial Christian Tactics Exploiting Vulnerability

While phrases like "Arararara" and "Mera Yeshu Yeshu" may seem amusing and make for humorous memes, they serve as powerful tools in the conversion process, targeting the vulnerable minds of Hindus and enticing them away from their own religious beliefs and towards Christianity.

One widely circulated video featured Pushpa Diwadkar, a woman who claimed to have been bedridden for years due to kidney failure. In the video, the pastor led a chant of "Ohhhhhh Shakararararar Rararara" along with his followers on stage. As the voices grew louder, Pushpa suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed. A follower then placed her hand on Pushpa's stomach, and after a while, she miraculously rose and began walking peacefully to thunderous applause.

This is just one instance among many others where supposed miracles are displayed in large-scale gatherings. These events, where the mute suddenly speak and the lame miraculously walk, are not genuine acts of divine intervention but rather tactics employed by conversion-focused groups. They exploit every opportunity to convert unsuspecting Hindus by using every trick in the book.

Christian organizations have strategically utilized various methods over the past few decades to convert naive Hindus. These include constructing churches, organizing extensive evangelistic camps, conducting public prayers, and hosting healing events for the sick. While social media platforms often ridicule these events for their perceived foolishness, they have become significant platforms for attracting non-Christians into their faith. As a result, these evangelists have successfully captivated Hindus from diverse backgrounds, including heartland communities, remote jungles, rural areas, and metropolitan centers, all without facing any consequences.

Despite the Modi government's efforts to control and monitor these organizations, they continue to operate with remarkable impunity. Their mission of conversion persists, largely unaffected by attempts to rein them in. This unfortunate reality highlights the need to examine the effectiveness of the measures implemented by the government and raises questions about how to strike a balance between religious freedom and the prevention of coercive or manipulative tactics employed in conversion campaigns.

The pressing question that arises is: How can the Indian government ensure the protection of vulnerable individuals while respecting the principles of religious freedom and promoting harmony among diverse religious communities? Additionally, what role can society play in fostering dialogue and understanding between different faiths, creating an environment where individuals are empowered to make informed choices about their religious beliefs?