• Truthseekers seems very different from most ministries. What exactly does Truthseekers do?

• How political is Truthseekers? Is this a political movement?

• Why emphasize the caste system so much? I thought caste discrimination and untouchability were illegal now. Shouldn’t we be focused more on spreading the gospel than trying to change a 3000 year old system?

• Aren’t you simply replacing discrimination against the lower castes with discrimination against Brahmins?

• Is Truthseekers a church, a ministry or a missions organization?

• With all of these different religions represented and with a message geared so much toward lower-caste traditions, doesn’t Truthseekers run the risk of losing the core message of the Truth?

Truthseekers seems very different from most ministries. What exactly does Truthseekers do?

Truthseekers is not exactly a ministry. We are a “movement,” or at least part of a God-initiated movement- that is, this is a movement of whole peoples (caste groups, people groups, etc.) away from caste and toward Truth.

Truthseekers is doing nothing new. All elements of this movement have been practiced at some point in India’s past by passionate and driven individuals. Truthseekers is simply “resurrecting” these elements of India’s past, connecting these elements to the worldview of the Kingdom of God (after all, any paradigm centered on the equality of individuals is in fact a Biblical worldview!), and bringing these things to the people.

• Like Kabir, a 15th century low-caste poet, Truthseekers promotes Christ-following spirituality not bound by religious rites and rituals, but by love. Thus, we follow Jesus and we promote Him, but not necessarily Christianity (at least not the “religion” of Christianity).
• Like Mahatma Phule, Truthseekers develops programs, ideologies and institutions that break down caste barriers and promote equality among traditionally segregated people groups.
• Like Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, Truthseekers uses political pressure and academic research to challenge the injustices of the caste system and to promote a Kingdom view of equality, freedom, and dignity.

By combining these traditions, we are making inroads like never before. To read more about these reformers upon which Truthseekers is modeled, click here.

How political is Truthseekers? Is this a political movement?

Truthseekers is involved in the lives of influential politicians. We believe that through the influence of men and women already in power, the systems that perpetuate caste discrimination can begin to change. However, Truthseekers is not a political movement and is in no way affiliated with a specific political party.

Why emphasize the caste system so much? I thought caste discrimination and untouchability were illegal now. Shouldn’t we be focused more on spreading the gospel than trying to change a 3000 year old system?

It is true that the Indian constitution makes it illegal to discriminate on the basis of caste. However, a simple survey of many rural (and urban) communities will reveal that racism, prejudice and discrimination due to caste are still alive and well, and that nearly all of India still operates under the caste mindset.

The vast majority of lower-caste and Dalit people still deal with inadequate education, few job opportunities, discrimination and hatred from their upper caste neighbors. Millions in India are daily exposed to oppression simply due to the family into which they were born.

Christ gave dignity and value to the poor and the oppressed, even if he didn’t directly challenge those in political or economic power. Hundreds of millions in India today are told they live in abject poverty because god ordains it, and because of their past sins. They are told to remain in their poverty in order to reincarnate into a better life the next time.

The Gospel message shines brightly in the midst of such a dark, dismal lie. How can we not proclaim the Truth that God makes all men equal and He loves rich and poor alike, and that in fact He wants to and does elevate all people to new places of dignity and respect as they seek Him?

We must attack the caste system because it is the foundation upon which the darkness of Hinduism rests. If this is demolished, the light of the Gospel will shine so brightly that this nation will become completely transformed into a Christ centered nation.

Aren’t you simply replacing discrimination against the lower castes with discrimination against Brahmins?

This is a valid concern. Because of our emphasis on the rights of the lower castes and our insistence on the evil of the Brahmanical worldview, it could be construed that Truthseekers is fueling hatred and prejudice against Brahmins as people.

However, this is not the case. Many Brahmins have come to support our cause, and it has long been our practice to love and welcome Brahmins into our movement, even though we disagree strongly with the religion from which they come.

Our vision is to change the hearts and minds of everyone in this country. Lower caste people need to understand that they do have value and are loved by God. Upper caste people (Brahmins and others) need to understand that they are not superior to others simply because of their birth.  We hope and pray that the kingdom of God will transform the hearts and minds of us all.

Is Truthseekers a church, a ministry or a missions organization?

Actually, no. Truthseekers is a movement, not a church or ministry. This is an important distinction. Ministries have fixed boundaries. Movements do not. Ministries rely on a few gifted individuals. Movements rely on many different people, working toward the same goal.

Within this movement one can find Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Brahmins and Dalits aiming for the same thing. Truthseekers has very few employees, but many partners-in-relationship, all working toward the same goal. Farmers, traders and politicians, standing side by side against the injustices of caste. It is a momentum-building movement that is beginning to shake the very foundation of the caste system!

With all of these different religions represented and with a message geared so much toward lower-caste traditions, doesn’t Truthseekers run the risk of losing the core message of the Truth?

Syncretization (compromising the Truth or mixing Truth with other beliefs) is always a risk for highly contextualized work such as this. With ideas flowing in from many traditional sources as well as other major religions, it is not surprising that some might wonder about this.

With that in mind, it is important to understand that Truthseekers is first and foremost rooted in the Word of God (the Bible) and its worldview of the kingdom of God. We believe wholeheartedly that God’s truth shines through the pages of Scripture, and gives us direction and purpose in all that we do.

However, God’s truth is also found in many other places in our world. Of course, this truth never contradicts the truth of the Bible, but we can learn a lot about God simply by observing creation or the beauty of an act done in love.

Similarly, there are reverberations of truth in the reverential disciplines of Islam, the social equality of Buddhism, and even the worshipful words of old Bollywood songs.

Where we find Truth already ingrained in the Indian context, we elevate this truth and use it to point to the Source of All Truth. God has been in India for millennia revealing Himself and bringing the Kingdom worldview to bear. We are simply working with Him in things He is already doing.