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Hinduism_ A Christian Heresy

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<strong>Hinduism</strong>: What Really Happened in India – M. M. Ninan 243<br />

taught them that if they partook of the mixture, composed<br />

of the five products of the cow (pancha Gomulyam), they<br />

would find it specific for all kinds of sickness, secure long<br />

life for themselves. Eight families were perverted by him,<br />

and these so far increased to form at length a community of<br />

ninety-six houses whose number has denounced the<br />

worship of true God.”<br />

Many conjecture that this was Manichaen the Gnostic Prince of Persia.<br />

However we notice that the tradition says they were converted back to<br />

<strong>Hinduism</strong>. It is quite possible that he was a Manichaen disciple of Mani<br />

from Persia who visited South India. It is not difficult to see what had<br />

been happening in India.<br />

During the time of Thomas there never had been a unified religion all<br />

though India as it had always been. Thomas was able to build <strong>Christian</strong><br />

churches all though India in the midst of the local religions. The church,<br />

thus established, worshipped Isa in culturally acceptable mode. Bhajans<br />

and pujas and prasadams were part of the church. They simply represent<br />

the Indian way of worship and Holy Communion. Bhajans can be<br />

explained only in terms of a personal loving God as Isa. The very name<br />

Isa (from Yesu) came to mean God all through India.<br />

However unlike Malankara, these churches were isolated from the<br />

Universal fellowship. Malankara churches had always been in touch with<br />

the rest of the Catholic churches in Antioch, Alexandria and Rome. They<br />

had their representation in the councils when the church faced the<br />

onslaught of heresies. As any historian would know, Gnosticism was the<br />

prime heretic force within the <strong>Christian</strong> Church everywhere. I have often<br />

wondered what would have happened if Gnosticism took over the early<br />

Church. The fact is that in India it did. The fact is that Indian churches<br />

became Gnostic, while the Catholic Churches survived it. <strong>Hinduism</strong> is<br />

thus the visible result of the success of the Gnosticism within<br />

<strong>Christian</strong>ity. Thus by the third century, Malankara Churches remained<br />

within the Universal Historical Church while the rest of the Indian<br />

Churches went Gnostic and became Hindu. This evidently it did not<br />

happen without a fight. The Cavery incidence is only an indication of it.

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