NDTV 24X7 in its Mumbai Live on 26/10/2005 at 10.30 p.m. had news and discussion about inculturation. Srinivasan Jain was the anchor. Fr. Anthony Charanghat of Bombay Archdiocese, Fr. Dominic Emmanuel of Delhi Archdiocese and Swami Agnivesh took part in the discussion. Three persons outside a church were interviewed. Two were Christians. They did not want change. Third was a Hindu. He goes to church for novenas. He did not want arati in the church. Anthony and Dominic were in favour of inculturation. Agnivesh was not in favour of inculturation. He said Hinduism of today is a degenerate form of Vedic religion. Arati has no meaning.
Dominic said these are not Hindu customs. These are Indian customs. Tribals are not Hindus.
Culture and religion are different fields. Religion is the field of the clergy. The talk of inculturation keeps coming back and there is nothing new in it. What are local customs? How something anti-Christian can be adapted in the name of inculturation? In Christianity all are equal. There is no caste system. Adaptation of caste system is wrong.
Hindu festivals cannot be celebrated by the church by giving it different meaning. Diwali celebrates return of Rama to Ayodhya.
If the intention is to please Hindus who are opposed to Christians and conversions it is naive. They will never be happy. Sonia Gandhi gave up whatever practice of Christianity she had at the time of marriage. After Rajiv Gandhi’s entry into politics she gave up western ways. Yet her rivals continue to call her a Christians and foreigner and oppose her becoming Prime Minister of India. The same people want double citizenship to foreigners of Indian origin who are predominantly Hindu. RSS branches outside India are known as Hindu Swayamsevak Sanghs.
India imitates West. Bollywood imitates Hollywood. Indian culture is chaging. In which world votaries of inculturation living?
What about Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Zoroastrians, Jews, Bahais and others?
Reading of Indian Anaphora and non-Biblical scriptures during mass was banned in 1975.
Dominic said Pope Benedict XVI spoke of dialogue. Dialogue does not mean imitation. Dialogue is for spreading Christianity.
Let Catholic Church retain its present practices and not imitate Hindus.
Vincent Augustine D'Souza is a blogger, author, novelist and quiz master. His quiz site is 
