IMPHAL, Feb 29: The chancellor of Archdiocese of Imphal, Fr TS Dominic has riposted that the closing down of four mission schools by Maoist Communist Party, Manipur on alleged “conversion of educational institutes into medium of propagation of religious activities” is unreasonable as the Catholic schools in the state have been imparting quality education to the students without any influence of religion.
He further maintained that the Catholic schools have not forced any student to become a Catholic through its educational institutions in Manipur. Forced conversion is not only against the spirit of democratic secularism but also against the nature and spirit of the Catholic Church.
No allurement in the form of admission to the school or monetary help is being used to convert any student or person, he noted.
Are the students in school compeled to attend Christian prayers and is it mandatory to address Principal as Father? If yes, then it does mean the school is promoting their religion in subtle way.
It is never compulsory for anyone attending a Christian school to participate in Christian prayers. I am afraid Roman Catholics are a bit snobbish if you are not a member in good standing then one of the two public liturgies of the Church are barred to you. As for titles well you know what principals are like, usually they will accept a more respectful alternative like guru-ji. Had you ever been to a Roman Catholic school you would know that there are many forms of address for a RC Principal in common usage among students often with pjorative sexual undertones, it may indeed be a subtle way of promoting religious views. However Sahil-ji I think you are missing the wood for the trees. The Roman Catholic Church promotes its religion everywhere by setting up schools where a very high standard of education is offered, thus Roman Catholics vie with one another to prove how Catholic they are, and the rest of the world begins to admire the way that Church offers social services. There is nothing subtle about it. It has led to Hindus like Sri Sri Ravishankar copying the method. In Buddhism the whole of the Engaged Buddhism theology began because of the interaction with Christian Applied Social Theology The world may be mara but if you want to keep people sanatana dhamma you have to start offering people something selflessly. And anyone with any real faith understands schools hospitals social justice do not attack sanatana dhamma they realize it. Aurobindo defined dhamma as that which a man holds to and that which holds all together and sanatana means of the Old Country. I am sorry did you mean it should be made illegal to promote your religion in a subtle way can’t quite catch your banter. As for me, if I threaten the Archbishop with sodomy (which is a reserved sin he is not allowed to forgive me for that one – I have to go to a special court in Rome if you are interested) if I did, no doubt his Chancellor would respond with a riposte or something on line. But because I have merely asked for his assistance without the threat of violence and again offered to dispose of my mother’s inheritance on a random act of beauty. Not a sausage. In fact you are the only respondent Sahil-ji oops did I just promote sanatana dhamma there in the manner of my addressing you in a subtle way. I do hope so. Jai Sharmila Jai Ho
Well done that Roman Catholic. I will add. First I was not aware the Roman Catholic Church had a presence in Manipur. I had assumed the only missionary visas given for the past 60 years were to American Fundamentalist apocalyptic preachers from the deep South who created among others Mr Muivah and Nagaland for Christ. Very nice of them to offer but as we Roman Catholics argue why would the man who has everything want Nagaland. I mean where would he put it for starters. But back to the serious story. I forgot you people think you have to frown and be pompous to be serious. First all the top real Maoists Trotskites Stalinists Leninists Atheist Intellectuals were educated in Roman Catholic Mission schools. We have a tradition of teaching people to think, argue. And the Church loves the poor yes. Hmm. These people as you well know Father Dominic are racketeers. They want money. The simpler riposte is “Nuts”.
Now for the open letter part of this. I am the Roman Catholic fiance of Irom Sharmila Chanu and out of my love for her I have been trying to invest my mother’s inheritance in some kind of peace ashram. Having had no luck with the local gangsters, well Father I did not know at the time that they are pretty much all gangsters here, they just take different names, insurgents, police, politicians maybe even priests who knows. As I was saying before I interrupted myself, I would like as a start to refurbish the Malom Shelter. It’s a small bus stop Father what’s it gonna cost. And they will blow it up first chance. These are Manipuris I do not lust after result.
Three stages Father, after consulting with the local Malom community, and the families of the martyrs. Stain glass windows to be added. We Roman Catholics specialize in that so do something beautiful. I thought autumnal colours would in the evening sunlight but ask them. The back right of the shelter needs some work repairing the window sill but otherwise the structure is sound. Second simple tiles for the floor, a mosaic design. A master craftsman could complete in a week my guess. Plain tiles would take him an hour. Again commission a design let the locals vote. Perhaps a three coiled, I know it’s not a snake father looks like an Ouroboros but with three circles not two. You can google the correct term Sanamahi follows the via negativa and cannot be expressed yes.
And then two large wood doors Teak if possible. I envisaged 12 panels. Two would form the Manipuri Dragon Lions yeah yeah if I go for Meitei Mayek some bod corrects anyway and these are provisional let the people decide I am merely paying the money. That leaves ten panels to represent the ten martyrs. The doors would be large but no larger than the Iscon has. Oh yeah I know they hand grenaded that because at first Iscon would not pay the racketeers. My answer to them all now today and tomorrow remains, “Nuts”. But once this prototype is done and she is free. I figure a peace ashram should teach a forum for the rhetoric of war, usual Japanese texts the Gita and anything else they want to bring.
There is nothing frightening about a few greedy lazy cowards running about threatening priests and mothers with children. Gives the soldiers cause to go a-raping. Nothing changes. You men of violence keep the violence because you are too ignorant and lazy to live life. What would be dangerous is to teach you children how to think. And in terms of intelligence all the men of violence are children. Come to our peace ashram and learn how to think you slimy cowardly verminous twerps. Well father you talk peace your way. Sharmila has hers and I have mine. Once it is built and running I don’t want or need the support of priests unless someone wants a sacrament. The laity will have it covered from then on.
I look forward to hearing from you soon and to audience with my the Archbishop of the local Church at his convenience on a related personal pastoral matter.