Worship the Creature
FROM THE FIELD
WORSHIPING THE CREATURE RATHER THAN THE CREATOR
If there was ever a place where Paul’s words apply – “exchanging the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man or birds or animals or reptiles”- it is India. Hinduism in India is down through the years sort of like an amorphous cloud that hovers over and then absorbs into its midst. The ancient native village gods were taken into the Hinduism we see today. There are literally hundreds of thousands of gods. And there are Hindus who also even claim Jesus as a god to them personally on a par with the rest of them like Vishnu, Shiva, Krishna, etc. Of course our Lord is the immortal God. There is no other name under heaven among men by which we must be saved.
Today in India because our people believe and teach this truth there is some persecution both open and behind the scenes. Organizations like the RSS and other radical Hindus do what they can to put down Christianity. One major political party even proclaims Hindutva, India for the Hindus. Anti-conversion laws are passed in some states. One part of these is that if one does convert he has to go to the local magistrate and register this. There is nothing new under the sun. As we read through the book of Acts, we see there also the persecution that should be expected in this wicked world against His church. But the gates of hell cannot stand against Him building His church.
In our seeking fellowship with a Lutheran pastor and his people in one area of India, that pastor asked us not to publicize his name and area so that it would not draw down more RSS pressure on him. For our doctrinal discussions with him and his people, I cannot go there because of the persecution that could fall upon him. Instead we have had three of our pastors from the BELC going there for the discussions.
The animal gods are out in force. In one place on the way to one of our meetings there is at least a forty foot high statue of Hanuman, the monkey god. A big festival is held each year with statues of Ganesh being sold and then being taken to the river to be sent down it, or to the ocean to be sent out and sunk. The statues dissolve in the water sort of like papermache or plaster. Ganesh is the elephant god.
Among those resembling mortal man there is: Shiva the destroyer god, Vishnu the creator, Krishna who is portrayed often as a little blue boy playing a flute. I guess though if I had my druthers and wasn’t a Christian I’d pick for my favorite god, Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. And a lot of people look to her for you know what. A little while back up in Odisha State I was eating at a place that had a picture of her on a calendar on a wall. She was riding a tiger. Well, I tell you with Lakshmi you do have a tiger by the tail. She has got eight arms(though some say she has four arms). If any other god or man got fresh with her or made a pass, eight arms would pretty much mean no success if she was not amenable to the overture. And can you imagine if she set her cap for some god or guy; eight arms! She’d be all over him. He wouldn’t have a chance.
It would all be comical, if it were not that Hinduism is one of the world’s religions holding sway with millions and millions of people.
Pray “that the Word of the Lord may speed on and triumph.” 2 Thess. 3:1 In this month of June Pastor Deepak will be having a week of Bible study classes in Odisha State with the pastor and his son who want to join with us in an area of persecution. Pray.