Mahatma Gandhi's view on
religious conversion is documented at this url:
http://www.mkgandhi.org/ebks/Gandhiji-on-Religious-Conversion.pdf
In
his letter to Premaben Kantak, 22-4-1932 he wrote (http://www.mkgandhi.org/ebks/Gandhiji-on-Religious-Conversion.pdf):
"Regarding conversion, I
don't mean that it is never justified. But no one should invite another person
to change his or her religion. When, however, a person has changed his religion
under compulsion or in ignorance, there should be no objection to such a person
rectifying his error, that is returning to his original religion, on the contrary, he should be encouraged to do
that. His action is not conversion.
Gandhiji's
views from Bihar notes (8-10-1925) indicate that:
"Christian missionaries
have been doing valuable service for generations, but in my humble opinion,
their work suffers because at the end of it they expect conversion of these
simple people to Christianity ...How very nice it would be if the missionaries
rendered humanitarian service without the ulterior aim of conversion."
Gandhiji
wrote a letter to the Christians of Kerala, which was published in Harijan,
30-1- 1937:
"Why should a Christian
want to convert a Hindu to Christianity and vice versa? Why should he not be
satisfied if Hindu is a good or godly man? If the morals of a man are a matter
of no concern, the form of worship in a particular manner in a church, a mosque
or a temple is an empty formula, it may even be a hindrance to individual or
social growth and insistence on a particular form or repetition of a credo may
be a potent cause of violent quarrels leading to bloodshed and ending in utter
disbelief in religion, i.e., God Himself."
(Young
India: August 8, 1925):
As I wander about through the
length and breath of India I see many Christian Indians almost ashamed of their
birth, certainly of their ancestral religion, and of their ancestral dress. The
aping of Europeans by Anglo-Indians is bad enough, but the aping of them by
Indian converts is a violence done to their country and, shall I say, even to
their new religion.
(Harijan:
March 13,1937)
My fear is that though
Christian friends nowadays do not say or admit it that Hindu religion is
untrue, they must harbour in their breast that Hinduism is an error and that
Christianity, as they believe it, is the only true religion. So far as one can
understand the present (Christian) effort, it is to uproot Hinduism from her
very foundation and replace it by another faith.
(Harijan:
April 3, 1937)
"When the missionary of
another religion goes to them, he goes like a vendor of goods. He has no
special spiritual merit that will distinguish him from those to whom he goes.
He does however possess material goods, which he promises to those who will
come to his fold."
(Harijan:
November 5, 1937)
"Only the other day a
missionary descended on a famine area with money in his pocket,
distributed it among the famine stricken, converted them to his fold, took
charge of their temple and demolished it. This is outrageous."
(Young
India: April 23, 1931)
"I hold that proselytizing
under the cloak of humanitarian work is unhealthy to say the least. It is
most resented by people here. Religion after all is a deeply personal thing. It
touches the heart. Why should I change my religion because a doctor who
professes Christianity as his religion has cured me of some disease, or why should
the doctor expect such a change whilst I am under his influence?"