According to Osho, his criticism of America and Christianity is not born of personal hurt; his being is indestructible. He opposes all organized religions and theological fictions that breed fear, greed, and obedience, destroying individuality and freedom. He condemns America for hypocrisy—preaching democracy and free speech while suppressing dissent and dismantling his commune—thus his stance is a principled defense of consciousness, responsibility, and true freedom.
He isn’t lashing out because he’s hurt; he rejects systems that scare people into belief and crush freedom, and he calls out America for saying “freedom” while silencing it.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
Their second question is: as a religious leader, you are above human hurts, but do you criticize america and christianity so much because you feel hurt?
They arrested me without any arrest warrant, and without showing me any reason for arresting me. Just a piece of paper on which there were a few names -- "We have been ordered from above that these people should be immediately arrested." I said, "But you should look at our passports! My name is not on this paper; neither are the names of the six people who are with me on this paper. You are absolutely absurd. Just look at our passports and compare with your names; you are arresting the wrong people." Still, we were arrested. In fact, they had no evidence at all to arrest me. But they did not give me bail for twelve days. They arrested me in North Carolina, and the flight from North Carolina to Oregon, where the commune was located, was only five hours. It took twelve days for me to reach Portland,…
Question: OSHO, ARE YOU ESPECIALLY AGAINST CHRISTIANITY? I said, "But remember, I am going to remain here, otherwise I will call the education minister immediately." And I knew what he was going to do. His clerk was in his room and after five minutes he called me. The principal had phoned the education minister to say, "This order has not reached us by post. Somebody can just arrange a false, bogus order and come. Moreover he is not qualified for this college at all, so what are we to do?" The education minister said, "First accept him, and then we will see where to send him, because I don't know what has happened. I was not aware that something had gone wrong, so we will see." The clerk told me in the evening that the principal had phoned the education minister to confirm my post.
Beloved Osho, the united states government proudly proclaims itself the land of the free and the home of the brave and points to its constitutional protections of fundamental rights. At the same time it twists and breaks its own laws to persecute you who embody freedom and truth. It seems the politicians always tell the biggest lies in the loudest voice. The worst tyrants talk most about peace and freedom. Could you please comment.
On celebration days the population of the commune -- which was only five thousand -- used to rise to twenty thousand. We had every arrangement for twenty thousand people. We created new kinds of tents which can be air-conditioned, which can be centrally heated, which can be used around the year, whether it is hot or cold, or snow is falling. These were our own invention. They could be folded in ten minutes and could be put up again in ten minutes. We were keeping those tents for the fifteen thousand people coming for festivals. The festivals were exactly what festivals should be -- twenty thousand people eating together under one roof, and while people were eating, somebody was playing guitar and somebody was dancing and somebody was playing on the flute. That was my idea always, that people should live as festively as possible. Their lives should be one…
The desire for more arises because we have not been able to create our music to its fulfillment. A man who is fulfilled will not be a politician, will not run after riches, will not be mad after fame. It does not matter to him. He is so fulfilled, so blessed that he can bless the whole world. So my whole effort is to make man a musical harmony. YOU EARN AN UNPRECEDENTED RESPONSE FOR YOUR FRANK AND STRAIGHTFORWARD DARSHAN, WHERE THERE IS NO PLACE FOR HYPOCRISY. I THINK YOU LEFT INDIA BECAUSE OF ORTHODOX THINKING -- HYPOCRISY FORCED YOU TO LEAVE INDIA. BUT IN AMERICA TOO, YOU BECAME THE VICTIM OF THE SAME HYPOCRISY AND DOUBLE STANDARD. That's true. In fact, I found Indian hypocrisy is obvious. It is too old and is almost lying on its deathbed. It is going to die; it is not going to survive.
Osho, you say that religion blossoms only in the East, and that people from Western lands come to India out of a religious quest. Why then did those very countries not welcome you? Why did they treat you with such contempt?
They saw me as an enemy because I did not go after the West’s poor, orphans, or beggars—and there is no shortage of beggars there; in America alone there are thirty million beggars. Those who are busy turning other beggars in the world into Christians do nothing for their own beggars, because they are already Christians. The people I influenced were professors, writers, poets, painters, sculptors, scientists, architects—gifted people. And this was alarming: if the gifted people of the country are being influenced by me, it is a sign of great danger. Because these are the people who set the path for others. Seeing them, others walk those paths. Their footprints will lead others along the same ways. And I did not tell anyone to leave his religion. I did not tell anyone to accept a new religion. I only said: Try to understand—what is religion and what is irreligion.…