The special feature of the Hindu religion is that there is no sanction in the sastras for proselytism But other religions believe in conversion. some people are genuinely worried over the gradual depletion of the Hindu fold by conversion to other religions and ask whether we should not also do propaganda our religion and adopt the method of congregational worship prevailing in other religions. This view led to the founding of the brahma samaj, the arya samaj and the Hindu mahasabha. But their hold on the public has weakened after the passing away of the founders of these movements.
If there is no suffering in this world, there can obviously be no scope for religious propaganda‘ or for conversion. A passenger getting down from a train is besieged by drivers of a variety of conveyances, each claiming merit for his and trying to get the “fare” for himself. The object of all of them is to take the traveler to his destination. Similarly missionaries of each religion try to get at the suffering man and tell him that by embracing the particular religion, he will go to heaven.
Christianity has spread in the world through the enthusiasm of the evangelist missionary, who sincerely feels that his is the last and truest word in religion. To save the heathen soul, he uses the unlimited monetary resources behind him, feeling that there is nothing wrong in offering inducements like jobs, medical relief and education, in order to get converts, whose souls, he sincerely believes, will thereby be saved. According to historians, Islam forged ahead with the help of the sword. The Muslim religious leaders obviously felt honestly that even threat can be employed to rescue the unbeliever.