Kohima, November 29 (MTNews): Maintaining that religion is deeper and stronger than force, Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) president K Therie has termed the phrase ‘forced conversion’ coined by RSS and BJP as “farce and shallow.” Stating that he is not convinced by the phrase ‘forced conversion’, Therie added that “faith is an acceptance of one’s inner heart. No one can tear that apart and convert another.”
Making reference to the Bible, Therie said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the three Hebrew men were thrown into a fiery furnace by Nebuchadnezzar II, King of Babylon for refusing to bow down to the king’s image.
The three were preserved from harm and the king sees four men walking in the flames. The king commanded them to come out and they came out from the fiery furnace. The King bowed to the God of Hebrews.”
“There are many miracles retold in the Holy Bible that God has delivered Christian believers and even today, miracles have saved many Christians from their death beds,” Therie added.
Therie went on to say that deportation of Christians holding tourist VISAs and denying VISAs on false allegations of forced conversion cannot succeed in removing the faith.
Citing the reported deportation of 10 Christian tourists from Guwahati, which he said might have “earned praise from BJP top guns at Delhi,” Therie said that “what has amazed us is Christian Chief Ministers of Northeast remaining mum for fear idol worshipers.”
He said religious divide is a reality and anti-conversion laws are deliberately misused. “And now even ‘peaceful association’ and ‘worship services’ are termed as ‘forced conversions’,” he added. He also claimed that arresting Christians on charges of ‘forced conversion’ is also a reality.
“The BJP’s Manifesto has promised to implement UCC (Uniform Civil Code, Citizen Amendment Act). Christians will be persecuted more and more in times to come,” Therie claimed.
“We may not be able stop anti-Christian activities in the mainland, but should Christians vote for BJP and its Alliance and convey the message that we support persecution of Christians, to the mainland and the World?” Therie asked.
