Why did Mother Teresa oppose the freedom of religion bill?

Mr. Ramani Tarakad I can assume why you asked me this question; still answering the question.

In 1978 a bill entitled, with shades of Orwellian "doublespeak", "the Freedom of Religion Bill" was proposed in the Indian parliament. Its ostensible aim was to prevent conversions to Christianity by "force, fraud, inducement or allurement." These terms were so loosely applied, however, that Christian worship and usual church activity might well be taken as contraventions of the law.

It provoked a strong reaction from church leaders. .... Mother Teresa ... wrote an open letter to the elderly Prime Minister, Morarji Desai:

The whole letter:

 Dear Mr Desai, and Members of Our Parliament,

 After much prayer and sacrifices, I write to you, asking you to face God in prayer, before you take the step which will destroy the joy and the freedom of our people.

 Our people, as you know better than I — are God-fearing people. In whatever way you approach them, that presence of God — the fear of God, is there. Today all over the country everybody feels insecure because the very life of freedom of conscience is being touched. Religion is not something you and I can touch. Religion is the worship of God — therefore, a matter of conscience. I alone must decide for myself and you for yourself, what we choose. For me the religion I live and use to worship God is the Catholic religion. For me this is my very life, my joy and the greatest gift of God in His love for me. He could have given me no greater gift.

 I love my people very much, more than myself, and so naturally I would wish to give them the joy of possessing this treasure, but it is not mine to give, nor can I force it on anyone. So also no man, no law, no Government has the right to prevent me or force me, or anyone, if I choose to embrace the religion that gives me peace, joy, love.

 I was told that Gandhiji had said, 'If the Christians would live their lives according to the teaching of Jesus Christ, there would be no more Hindus left in India.' You cannot give what you do not have.

 This new move that is being brought before Parliament under the cover of freedom of religion, is false. There is no freedom if a person is not free to choose according to his or her conscience. Our people in Arunachal are so disturbed. All these years our people have lived together in peace. Now religion is used as a deadly weapon to destroy the love they had for each other, just because some are Christians, some Hindus, some Tribal's. Are you not afraid of God?

 You call him ISHWAR, some call him ALLAH, some simply God, but we all have to acknowledge that it is He who made us for greater things: to love and to be loved. Who are we to prevent our people from finding this God who has made them — who loves them — to whom they have to return?

I took the letter from page 157, Mother Teresa: A Complete Authorized Biography written by Kathryn Spink.

But that said was she here to convert all Indians

MOTHER TERESA ON CONVERSION

The Constitutions of the Missionaries of Charity state:

“We shall not impose our Catholic Faith on anyone, but have profound respect for all religions, for it is never lawful for anyone to force others to embrace the Catholic Faith against their conscience.”

This reflects the intention of Mother Teresa herself, and the Missionaries of Charity follow in her footsteps.

"I do convert," she once said to me when she was accused of converting Hindus to Catholicism. "I convert you to become a better Hindu or Muslim or Buddhist or Protestant. When you have found God, it is up to you to do with him what you wish."(Excerpts from Mother Teresa: The Authorized Biography)

She wanted people to come closer to God (however they understood Him) and believed that in this way they would also come closer to each other, love one another, and ultimately create a world that is better for everyone to live in. She felt no need to convert them because this was not her mission.

Mother Teresa believed that conversion is a work of God and that faith is a gift. She respected every person, including atheists or agnostics, and respected the faith they had or even lacked. Here is a short testimony of someone who was closely associated with Mother Teresa for 23 years: “I am a Hindu and I never saw the slightest evidence in all my 23 years of knowing Mother Teresa in the Missionaries of Charity, of converting. …