Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji, the Peethadhipathi of Avadhuta Datta Peetham, Mysore, Karnataka, gave a very powerful speech on Dharma, Conversions and Christianity. The speech was delivered in Telugu language on February 17, in Eluru, Andhra Pradesh. We request all Telugu speaking people to watch and listen to Sri Swamiji’s speech in Telugu to grasp the essence and anguish of his speech as he explains the deceptive practices of Christians to lure the Dalits and others into their religion. Eluru, Andhra Pradesh  February 24, 2014: Of all the systems of religion that ever were invented, there is no more derogatory to the Almighty, more unedifying to man, more repugnant to reason, and more contradictory to itself than this thing called Christianity. Too absurd for belief, too impossible to convince, and too inconsistent for practice, t renders the heart torpid or produces only atheists or fanatics. 

                                       Speech delivered on February 17, 2014 in Eluru, Andhra Pradesh

Please help the poor. Give to the needy. Because our wealthy and influential persons were looking down upon and insulting the downtrodden, our situation today has become so bad. It happened in the past, yes, but now, those who are converting people to other religions are using the past bad experiences to influence the minds of gullible people. Today, such atrocities of untouchability are not occurring. If we help our needy and destitute, and if we help our own community, those who are trying to convert to other religions will not gain an upper hand. It is unfair to quote old grievances to manipulate people.

You cannot claim yourself to be a Christian, being a convert, because you are still afraid, you wear tilak, go to temples, and wear flowers. You are very afraid in your heart. You are poking yourselves in your eyes. Hindu dharma says that all humans are the same. You must honour and follow Hindu dharma. You must adhere to your own religion. People are acting as they please. A convert is never a pure Christian. His heart will never change. The converts call us and our Gods as ghosts.

You cannot change your ancestry. Do not simply lament that conversions are occurring. Do something to stop it. It is not foreigners who are building temples here. It is our own converts who are doing this. The British and the Islamic rulers divided us and ruled successfully. They simply created internal quarrels amongst us. They are people who chop off the hands of the sculptors who carved beautiful sculptures for them. We are worshiping such people. You give excuses and never visit temples. They insist on your visiting their congregations regularly. You follow that. Do they get you visas? Why should they not render help, without selfishly converting people to their religions? I have travelled in Christian countries a lot. Pure Christians are pure souls. The people who resort to conversions here are extremely selfish, and mean-minded. Like animals people marry and keep having children. They are manipulating our intelligence and our strength to serve their own ends. They have robbed us. Now they have introduced chanting namaha and puja in their religions. Is this in the Bible? Now they say, Mary Mataya namaha. Yes, I agree, Christ is an Avadhuta, but only 2000 years ago. Do you even know our ancient history? How old and enduring our beliefs are and how priceless our traditions are? Do you know how the land mass was, before it got split into bits as we see it today? Gondaawana means Jambu Dweepa of ancient times. Rama rules such a kingdom. That landmass we remember in our puja Sankalpa. You must recognize the greatness of our history.

In 1976 on Saraswati Puja day during the Navaratri celebrations, while Swamiji was abroad, Bhaktimala magazine was inaugurated. Every one of you MUST subscribe to this magazine. All speeches of Swamiji are recorded. The audio is preserved. My tongue is sharp as a sword. I use it very carefully. Every word I speak will come true. I scold out of love. I came here out of love. Do not misuse my love. I am trying to protect. I may vanish. I cannot say. I come here making such great effort only out of my love for you. I can easily go to America and get the funds needed for completing my projects. The Indian devotees who are there are ready to give up their lives for me.

Please preserve and protect our dharma. Teach your children. We will become the minority if we do not take action. Then we will have to fight for reservations for seats in educational institutions and for jobs. We can worship our own God. God is one. Why should we go to another God to offer worship? Some only say, I offer worship to Sadguru. It is okay to respect others and to offer them hospitality. But do not destroy yourselves in the process.