Swami Vivekanand

 One thing I would tell you, and I do not mean any unkind criticism. You train and educate and clothe and pay men to do what? To come over to my country to curse and abuse all my forefathers, my religion, and everything.

They walk near a temple and say,

“You idolaters, you will go to hell.”

But they dare not do that to the Mohammedans of India; the sword would be out. But the Hindu is too mild; he smiles and passes on, and says,

"Let the fools talk." That is the attitude. And then you who train men to abuse and criticise, if I just touch you with the least bit of criticism, with the kindest of purpose, you shrink and cry, "Don't touch us; we are Americans. We criticise all the people in the world, curse them and abuse them, say anything; but do not touch us; we are sensitive plants." You may do whatever you please; but at the same time I am going to tell you that we are content to live as we are; and in one thing we are better off — we never teach our children to swallow such horrible stuff: "Where every prospect pleases and man alone is vile."

And whenever your ministers criticise us, 

let them remember this:

If all India stands up and takes all the mud that is at the bottom of the Indian Ocean and throws it up against the Western countries,

it will not be doing an infinitesimal part of that which you are doing to us. And what for?

Did we ever send one missionary to convert anybody in the world? We say to you,

"Welcome to your religion,

but allow me to have mine."

With all your brags and boastings, where has your Christianity succeeded without the sword? I know how your forefathers were converted. They had to be converted or killed; that was all. What can you do better than Mohammedanism, with all your bragging?

"We are the only one!" And why?

"Because we can kill others."

The Arabs said that; they bragged.

And where is the Arab now? He is the bedouin. The Romans used to say that, and where are they now? Blessed are the peace-makers; they shall enjoy the earth. Such things tumble down; it is built upon sands; it cannot remain long.

~ Swami Vivekananda

(CW/V8/Notes of Class Talks and Lectures/HINDUS AND CHRISTIANS/A lecture delivered at Detroit on February 21, 1894)