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Hindu activists damaged property at the Loreto Convent girls’ school on Sunday, after it organised a controversial occult show. They accuse the school of trying to convert students to Christianity.
Loreto Convent has rejected the charge and says the show was organised to help children develop spiritually. The controversy centres on a prayer session held last week, when a visiting spiritual healer claimed Jesus Christ had entered his body to bless those present [source].
While I do not condone the actions of the Hindu activists, what the heck were authorities at Loreto Convent thinking inviting a “spiritual healer” to an educational institution. While they may be a private institution and also probably entitled to their choice of activities in school, religion and education should never mix. Religion, I believe is a private matter and should be confined to the four walls of your home. History has shown us that whenever religion has become organized outside the realm of home, it has always brought trouble; regardless of its original intentions. People claiming that a spirit has entered their body should be institutionalized much less brought forward to “bless school children”.
Imagine the level of outcry if a Hindu school had organized a yagna for spiritual cleansing of their students.
Technorati Tags: religion, education, convent, Lucknow, India, school, spiritual healer, protest
by Patrix | on Monday, September 11th, 2006 at 9:31 pm | 
India, Religion, education . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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September 11th, 2006 at 11:59 pm reply
In case you are not aware, the DAV schools organize yagnas before examinations and the teachers bless their students. They even have weeken pujas where muslims and christians attend.
Btw, there hasnt been any outcry of note, about the conducting of the pujas.
September 12th, 2006 at 1:58 am reply
Please see my page on this subject: http://www.geocities.com/livrant/lucknow-loreto-controversy.html
September 12th, 2006 at 7:01 am reply
Wierd case all around - as Lucio points out - why should a Chistian convent hold a seance ? And why should Hindu activists think that this particular incident is an attempt to convert students. The children spend many hours at these schools for about 10-12 years - enough time to convert them as such, no ?
September 12th, 2006 at 10:43 am reply
Piker, I didn’t know that. Thanks. And of course, pujas and yagnas before exams are equally deplorable. Religion is a personal thing and shouldn’t step outside your home. Now only if the teachers had helped the children with last minute problem-solving instead of “blessing” them, they probably would have fared better in their exams :)
Lucio, Thanks. But email me the link next time.
Bongo, Yup! every convent school faces those charges and I guess many students have graduated with their “religion intact” so I wouldn’t consider that a threat. What pissed me off more was the blatant promotion of a superstition in an educational institute; the fact that it even goes against the beliefs of the Catholic Church, as Lucio pointed out, is simply icing on a ridiculous cake.
September 13th, 2006 at 1:38 am reply
While on the topic of faring better, the DAV I was referring to was the one in Gopalapuram, Chennai. My sister studied there. They have these regular pujas, and guess what, they churn out the top rankers and highest average board exam results in Chennai year in, year out. Last year in commerce alone the lowest overall percentage for a student was 78%! And going to coaching classes was banned. :)
I know it’s beyond the topic, but just though that it was an interesting statistic. Though I dont intend to relate it with the puja (which btw is not forced on the students. The Muslims and Christians come out of their own will)
September 17th, 2006 at 11:16 pm reply
Infact this whole enterprise of “spiritual healing”/faith healing is bunkum.. People doing that should probably be prosecuted on fraud (because thats’ what it is). Its just a money making enterprise.
I guess india needs a more effective medicine/health care regulatory authority.