Unlike the Muslims and the Hindus, the majority of the Christian characters in the novel do not abide by many of the beliefs and actions they would be expected to. For example, the Christian Bible states “love thy neighbour as thyself” - clearly something which most of the British do not do, not only with regards to the Indians, which is very evident throughout the entire novel, but also, in some cases, with regards to people of their own race, which is best illustrated by Mrs Turton’s remarks that Fielding and Adela are not “pukka”.
To many of the British, patriotism is more important than religion, as summed up by Ronny’s response to his mother’s references to Christianity:
“…but the conversation had become unreal since Christianity had entered it. Ronny approved of religion as long as it endorsed the National Anthem, but he objected when it attempted to influence his life.”
Mrs Moore’s views, however, completely contrast with those of her son, as we see when the narrator tells us:
“Mrs Moore felt that she had made a mistake in mentioning God, but she found Him increasingly difficult to avoid as she grew older, and He had been in her thoughts since she entered India, though oddly enough He satisfied her less.”
Another notable difference between the Muslim and Hindu culture and that of the British is that unlike the Muslims and Hindus, the British are, in general, unable to accept the existence of the spiritual. This is exemplified by the narrator’s description of each culture’s different responses to poetry:
“They listened delighted, for they took the public view of poetry, not the private which obtains in England. It never bored them to hear words, words: they breathed them with the cool night air, never stopping to analyse…”
Mrs Moore does, however, undoubtedly have some spiritual elements to her character, observed by a small number of characters, such as Aziz, who calls her “an Oriental”, and indicated by her remembering to take off her shoes at the Mosque, even though she is not herself a Muslim. Yet she is not so spiritual as the Indians themselves; they are immune to the effects of the Marabar Caves, whereas she suffers a tremendous experience.
However, conflicts are not only evident between the Indian Muslims and Hindus and the British Christians: there is also conflict within Indian society, as we see when Aziz says:
“Do you know what Deccani Brahmans say? That England conquered India from them - from them, mind, and not from the Moguls. Is not that like their cheek? They have even bribed it to appear in textbooks, for they are so subtle and immensely rich.” Although this quotation shows a humorous side to the situation, it is undeniable that many conflicts arise out of the varying religions in India, and not simply out of two varying races. Thus in conclusion, Aziz’s exclamation at the end of the novel that “India shall be a nation!” shall never be a reality whilst different religion exist, as recognised by Fielding who, through the narrator’s use of free indirect speech says, “India a nation! What an apotheosis!”