Justice BK Somasekhar Enquiry Commission into the incidents of attacks on certain places of worship in Dakshina Kannada and other districts of Karnataka in the month of September 2008. Certain Hindus, Praveen Reddy and Others, submitted a questionnaire before the Honorable Commission seeking answers from the Christians for their theological and legal questions pertaining to the Christian faith. This was brought to the attention of SAN recently and has been informed that the Honorable Commission granted extension of time to answer those. Though not the original recipients, Jerry Thomas and G Bibu answered those questions and submitted their answers, both soft copy and hard copy, before the Honorable Commission. They have also submitted a questionnaire for these Hindu friends to answer.
The Memorialists:
Is not the Bible unscientific and irrational which propagates that earth is the centre of the Universe and sun revolves round the earth thereby violating the principle of scientific temper enshrined in our Constitution.
The Respondents:
The instance cited in the questionnaire of the earth being the centre of the universe, need not mean that the earth is the astronomical centre of the universe. It could mean instead, that the earth is the pivotal centre of the universe.
As to the sun revolving round the earth, modern science has clarified that the sun also revolves and is not static, and that it takes 25 days for the sun to complete one rotation.
Hence there are no texts in the Bible which are unscientific, and as such, the question of violation of the scientific temper of our Constitution does not arise.
The Memorialists:
Please clarify who are Pagans and Heathens? Do they exist even today? If they exist who are they and where do they live? Are Hindus on par with Pagans and Heathens? Are the verses applicable to Pagans and Heathens applicable to Hindus also? If Pagans and Heathens are only history then can’t the verses with reference to Pagans and Heathens be deleted? Isn’t there scope for misinterpretation of Verses pertaining to Pagans and Heathens and applied to Hindus?
The Respondents:
Pagan: According to the Cambridge Dictionary, Pagan means a person “belonging to a religion which worships many gods, especially one which existed before the main world religions.” Or “relating to religious beliefs that do not belong to any of the main religions of the world.”
According to Oxford Dictionary, Pagan is “a person not subscribing to any of the main religions of the world.”
Heathen: According to the Cambridge Dictionary, Heathen refers to “(of people or their way of life, activities and ideas) having no religion, or belonging to a religion that is not Christianity, Judaism or Islam.”
According to the Oxford Dictionary, Heathen refers to a person who does not belong to a widely held religion as regarded by those that do. Or “a person regarding as lacking culture or moral principles.” Or “a gentile”. Or “Having no religion.”
Having seen that there are different meanings for both pagan and heathen, we would recommend the Memorialists to carefully read the Holy Bible in context so that they would only apply the meaning the Holy Bible speaks about.
We think the sub questions within this question can be answered as soon as one accepts the dictionary meaning and reads the Bible in its context.
Respondents Questionnaire:
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 9.23.16 – “The Pracetās [the sons of Pracetā] occupied the northern side of India, which was devoid of Vedic civilization (Mlecchadeśa), and became kings there. Yayāti's second son was Turvasu. The son of Turvasu was Vahni; the son of Vahni, Bharga; the son of Bharga, Bhānumān.”
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.40.22 – “Obeisances to Your form as the faultless Lord Buddha, who will bewilder the Daityas and Dānavas, and to Lord Kalki, the annihilator of the meat-eaters (Mleccha) posing as kings”.
Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Ādi 17.192– “Then all the meat-eaters (Mleccha), hearing that there would be unrestricted congregational chanting in the city, came to submit a petition.”
Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 16.171- “After calming down, the Muslim secretary offered his respects and informed the representative of the Orissa government, "The Muslim (Mleccha) governor has sent me here.:
(A) Please clarify who are Mlecchas?
(B) Do they exist even today?
(C) If they exist who are they and where do they live?
(D) Are Christians, Muslims, and Dalits on par with Mlecchas?
(E) Are the verses applicable to Mlecchas applicable to Christians also?
(F) Isn’t there scope for misinterpretation of Verses pertaining to Mlecchas being applied to Christians?
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