Swami Vivekananda Criticizes Christianity in 1893 World Parliament of Religions

In a post on the blog, Religion in America, doctoral student, Michael J. Altman, discusses a fascinating quote made by Swami Vivekananda, whose 150th birthday was marked a few weeks ago. It was Swami Vivekananda's speech that engaged the audience and introduced Hinduism to the West. But it is his observation on Christianity that is fascinating. It is,as Altman notes, anti-Christian, and probably because of that, hidden from the Parliament papers. However, the Chicago Daily  Tribune picked up the story and published it under the title: "Hindoo Criticises Christianity."

“We who come from the East have sat here on the platform day after day and have been told in a patronizing way that we ought to accept Christianity because Christian nations are the most prosperous. We look about us and we see England, the most prosperous Christian nation in the world with her foot on the neck of 250,000,000 of Asiatics. We look back into history and see that the prosperity of Christian Europe began with Spain. Spain’s prosperity began with the invasion of Mexico. Christianity wins its prosperity by cutting the throats of its fellow men. At such a price the Hindoo will not have prosperity."