Hindu version of Feng Shui leads to demolition of church buildings in southern India

 

Hindus, Jan. 9, tore down a church building in southern India because it was built on the west side of a village that they said violated Hindu placement rules and positioning a la feng shui.

Architectural and planning principles Vastu Shastra  , the Indian version  Feng Shui , were to oppose the construction late last year of a church building in Narnepadu village, Muppalla Mandal, Guntur district, in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The meeting was scheduled to take place on January 9.

 

"That morning, the husband of the village president and also a local political leader called the pastor of the church, Koteswary Rao, and asked him to be present at the meeting to discuss the issue, but Rao declined the invitation because he was busy with his tasks for the day. and said he might be available the next day, "the pastor of Narnepadu, Konda Lazarus, told Morning Star News. "This annoyed the leader, who ordered the tribes to tear down the church“.

The church met in a rented shed at the same location in 2017, but Hindu tribal and higher-ups who strongly believed in  Vastu Shastra,  collected more than 100 signatures expressing opposition to Christian worship at the site, Pastor Lazarus said.

"Rao and the Christians have stopped gathering for prayers," he said. "Last year, the Christians of the area bought a piece of land in the same village hoping to build a church and they gather regularly for prayers. They invited Pastor Rao, and since December 2018, the church started functioning again ".

Muppala Mandal Pastors Fellowship of Guntur District encouraged Pastor Rao to serve in Narnepadu village, he said.

"There was no opposition and it was settled peacefully as long as we understand that the villagers are not aware of our rights and really don't understand why Christians gather for prayers," Pastor Lazarus said. "Most of the residents are illiterate and follow the instructions of the village elders: If the elders think the church in the west is bad, it is bad. They don't try to go beyond that. "

 

The church leaders filed a complaint with Muppalla police, who told them that they would file a first information report (FIR) soon, Pastor Lazarus said. A Hindu leader from an area identified only as Devendra, however, asked the pastor not to register a case and settle the matter amicably, he said.

"But we could not see signs of questioning or recognition as a crime among the attackers or the leaders who provoked them," Pastor Lazarus told the Morning Star News. "The discussion did not yield any positive results. Therefore, we hope that the police will book the case and conduct a thorough investigation ".

India leads the way with other Christian countries in issues of persecution of Christians.

An observation comes to my mind. Namely, how is it that few churches in Poland have problems? Because they are lukewarm and do not threaten the world. Polish "protestant" churches are ecumenical and live in the world.