The Fuss over Conversions

The term conversion is typically used in the context of people changing or forced to change their allegiance from one religion to another. Religion in this context is one of Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and so on. The reason for such conversions is always material.

Some forceful converters consider it their right and duty to convert others by force to their religion because they have dogmatically decided that all other religions are demoniac. Others who share such beliefs try to convert not by force, but by alluring the backward classes by providing material relief. Some try to convert by blaspheming other religions. Other converters want to reconvert those who were forcefully converted in the past. Of course there is a lot of political strategy behind the conversions too.

Some people convert to another religion by choice. In some cases, this is in order to escape the oppression that the current religious system inflicts upon them. Some convert because they find another religion more amenable to their personal world view.

Thus, whether forced or voluntary, no one seems to convert to another religion because of spiritual reasons. No one seems to convert because the other religion provides a higher spiritual goal, a deeper understanding of life, a more scientific and systematic way of life, a richer canon of spiritual literature, a more refined set of spiritual principles, a more powerful explanatory power, and so on.

Real conversion is from materialism to spiritualism. Changing one's religion while still holding fast to the material conception of life is like changing the outer dress; it is superficial and useless. As long as one does not realize that within each body is the spiritual living spark, the soul, which is different from the body, which is eternal and does not die with the body, one's activities will continue to hover on the material plane. Both the converters and the converted need to understand this fundamental spiritual principle. Once the soul is acknowledged, the futility of materialistic conversion will become apparent and the need for uplifting the soul will become self evident.

To uplift the soul means to reestablish its relationship of love and service to God - the Absolute Truth. This is the very essence of religion. Bereft of this essence, a religion becomes lifeless, and converting from one such religion to another is inconsequential. A sincere seeker of any religion will seek spiritual perfection - love for God, and all its concomitant virtues. If the seeker is convinced that the opportunities for spiritual perfection are better in another religion, and if the seeker is courageous enough, the seeker will willingly take up the practices of another religion. But such a decision must not be looked upon as a conversion; it's just a continuation of the seeker's spiritual journey.

Forced conversions do create unnecessary turmoils in society; they are undesirable and should be discouraged. But conversion, either forced or voluntary, if characterized by a disregard for the eternal soul's loving relationship with God, is merely yet another product of materialistic life - mundane and of limited value. Real conversion is from materialism to spiritualism.