His Faith, Our Faith

Mahatma Ghandi’s model of non-violent political and social activism offered a new paradigm for world politics, a way for ordinary and oppressed people to join together in convincing powerful nations to change callous ways. Historian Ramachandra Guha questions whether Ghandi’s essential message can be separated from his religious beliefs. He writes in the Hindustan Times, “The distinctiveness of Gandhi’s faith was that it simultaneously rejected the atheism of the intellectuals as well as the proselytising of the missionaries.” Guha suggests that analysis of Ghandi’s many writings shows that the Indian leader supported multiple paths for spirituality and encouraged interfaith dialogue, because every religion includes errors, truths and contradictions. Ghandi opposed evangelical or missionary work, instead urging the faithful to work on improving their religions from the inside. Ghandi was assassinated 60 years ago on January 30, and his comments on religion – that the faithful respect the religions of others and refrain from violence in the name of religion – still resonate today. “Our inmost prayer should be that a Hindu should be a better Hindu, a Muslim a better Muslim and a Christian a better Christian,” Ghandi once said in prayer. “That is the fundamental truth of fellowship.” Members of any faith have a responsibility to sort through the many contradictions and choose the most worthy of goals. – YaleGlobal