Punjab is undergoing a facelift.
Not the surgical type but a religious type in which a peculiar version of Christianity is spreading fast enough to give Punjab a new face altogether.
The land of five rivers is about to get the 4th largest church in the world. It is being constructed in Jalandhar, Punjab – the hub of missionaries – at a cost of Rs 2,000 Crore. The capital city of the Sikhs – Amritsar – is home to 700 churches. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) – the primary panthik organization of the Sikhs has gotten a rival in the form of SCPC – Shiromani Church Parbandhak Committee. The land of the Sikh Gurus has become a haven for churches – 8,000 of the 12,000 villages of Punjab have a church that was built in the last ten years. Sikh terminology has found itself new parameters. The congregation in the church is called a “satsang”, the church is referred to as a “gurdwara”, the food served therein is the “langgar” and Lord Jesus is revered as “satguru Jesus” or “vaheguru Jesus.”
None of these have anything to do with the spread of traditional Christianity in Punjab. The Catholic faith has existed in Punjab from the colonial days. St. Mary’s Cathedral in Jalandhar, Punjab, India, is the seat of the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jalandhar. It was constructed by Vicariate Apostolic Rev. Fr. John Mc Donnel in 1847. No one has, or should have any concerns or reservations with the growth of Catholicism or any of the other denominations of the largest religion in the world.
The kind of “Christianity” that is spreading in Punjab is best described as the scourge of “faith healing.” And it is the business model for people who are anything but faithful to the religion under whose label they operate. Punjab is the new home for the purveyors of “miraculous and faith healing” that have led to people being duped into losing their live savings and health; and cheated into converting out of their religions. People, especially children, have died or faced serious medical complications as a result of following the advice of these conmen “faith healers.” Conversions out of their religions at the behest and lure of these conmen have caused familial and social disruptions that threaten the peace and harmony of Punjab.
Despite the fraudulent nature of these groups, the menace is growing rapidly. These “faith healers” have acquired and developed sprawling spaces where thousands gather in periodical special prayer meetings in places such as Ludhiana and Kapurthla. These groups have churned out thousands of videos of “sermons” and “faith healing” that include the testimonies of those “cured” by miracle or prayer of their “pastors” in efforts to increase their flock and build their personal coffers.
Karminder Singh
- Asia Samachar, 7 June 2022
https://asiasamachar.com/2022/06/07/for-god-so-loved-punjab/