Viewpoints: Why Dialogue With Hindus?

The Christians of India like the Christians all over the world are a minority amidst the nations or peoples other than Christians. Christians in India have the unique privilege of living with a very God conscious people -- the Hindus. One cannot help but admire the simple piety of the millions who recently went for a holy dip to Varanasi. The faith, the sincerity and the utter devotion of the devotees are often beyond the understanding of those who believe that a true devotee should express his faith differently, the way Jesus said, God is a spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. Symbolic rituals to such devotees are unnecessary and superfluous. Yet a close and in-depth study of Hinduism and Christianity however soon reveals that Christianity is in no way alien to Indian philosophy but a fulfilment or a simpler revelation of sublime Hindu thought and ideals