In a shocking display of religious insensitivity and intolerance, Ben Zeisloft, a Christian fundamentalist and editor of the US-based conservative magazine, The Sentinel, has shockingly advocated the destruction and subsequent transformation of Hindu temples into Churches. This idea stems from his vision of a Christian 'conquest' of Bharat (India), demonstrating an audacious display of religious superiority.

Ben Zeisloft's Perceptible Hinduphobia Zeisloft, who also writes for the Daily Wire, wears his fundamentalist Christian beliefs proudly. A brief glance at his Twitter profile or his written works clearly illustrates this man's intense devotion to his faith. However, his devoutness masks a harsh reality – a deeply ingrained hostility towards Hinduism and non-Abrahamic religions, which, to him, are inferior.

This loathing is distinctly evident in Zeisloft's controversial tweet, where he explicitly expressed his desire to see Bharat 'conquered' by Christianity, and Hindu temples, known as mandirs, demolished or converted into Churches.

It is disturbing that, just like Islam, Christianity, in Zeisloft's perspective, asserts itself as the superior faith, deeming Dharmic faiths such as Hinduism as 'Satanic'. Regardless of Hinduism and other Dharmic faiths advocating the unity and oneness of humanity, both Christianity and Islam seem to offer nothing more than mere tolerance for Hindus.

The Undercurrent of Christian Fundamentalism and Hinduphobia In the controversial tweet by Zeisloft, two key points emerge – the plan to convert Bharat into a Christian-majority region and the open expression of Christian disdain for Hindu Dharma.

Organizations like the Joshua Project use a myriad of strategies to convert Hindus to Christianity. The alarming rate of these conversions poses a significant threat to janjatis and vanvasis, indigenous tribal communities. Christian missionaries have been known to employ deceptive inculturation tactics, adopting and twisting Hindu symbols to suit their agenda.

This issue gained significant attention when, during a parliamentary session on December 3, 2021, Gomati Sai, a member of Parliament from Raigarh, highlighted rampant conversion activities in her constituency in Chhattisgarh.

She voiced concern that these activities, largely led by Christian Missionaries, posed a risk to the nation's internal security. The Superintendent of Police in Sukma communicated to his team about keeping a watchful eye on Christian missionaries and recent converts for any illegal conversion activities.

This order followed the removal of a church that had encroached on government land in a village in Kondagaon, highlighting the potential for violent conflict due to these conversions. The Superintendent's letter noted the high possibility of future disputes between local tribal communities and newly converted Christians due to the aggressive tactics used by missionaries to entice local tribals towards Christianity.

Venkat Vutukuri, the founder of Daana Dharma, an organization devoted to 'Ghar Vapsi', the reconversion of Christian converts to their original faith, elaborated on the insidious tactics used by evangelists to lure Indian tribal communities towards Christianity. He claimed that these missionaries maligned local priests and desecrated local deities to promote Christianity.

Zeisloft's apparent scorn for Hindu temples and gods is echoed among his missionary peers, who tend to instill a disdain for Hinduism within the minds of their converts.

This indoctrination often leads to destructive acts against Hindu temples and their idols. A shocking instance occurred on October 20, 2022, when a Shiva temple in Assam's Dibrugarh near Chabua Samshan was set on fire. This region had been grappling with a high rate of conversions to Christianity. Local residents suspected that this incident was a result of the radicalization that follows conversion.

In another disturbing incident, an ancient Hindu temple in Gujarat's Tapi was demolished, and a church was built in its place. Hindus were denied the right to offer prayers there.

The church, named Mariam Mata's Temple, stood as a symbol of Christian dominance in a local village in the Songarh taluka. It is worth noting that these incidents are not isolated, and there are countless similar cases where Christian missionaries encouraged converts to desecrate and destroy Hindu idols.

This alarming trend is rooted in the biased perspective of Abrahamic religions towards the practice of idol worship in Hinduism.

As Maria Wirth, a prominent writer, observed, "Hindus think that an idol is just a translation of Pratima or Murti, but this is not the case." She points out the adverse reactions of Muslims and Christians to idol worship due to their early religious indoctrination. For these groups, worshipping idols is viewed as the greatest sin, further deepening the religious chasm.

Even though there is a growing resistance from conscious Hindus against the conversion mafia, the fight to preserve Dharma continues.

The shockingly audacious statement made by Zeisloft serves as a grim reminder of the devastation wrought on Africa's traditional religions by Islam and Christianity.

Hindus must remain alert, nurture Dharma among the younger generations, and stand strong against the conversion mafia as Dharmic warriors.