Let's Not Criticize the Indian Caste System

[Johny Joe Hold]

I've heard that in India there is an ethnic group called "The Untouchables." They, and maybe some others, are low caste people. Those in the higher casts do not share a meal nor worry about the welfare or feelings of inferior casts.

There is no reason we True Christians™ should get involved in this Hindu thing. Hinduism is a fake religion and we should leave those who follow it to their foolishness.

The trouble is there have been Christians who want to weigh in on the caste system. In 1833 a Christian preacher called for and end to it. He should have kept his nose out of that issue.

Why would we who are experts in sin want to treat the likes of homers as equals. The Bible tells us they are sinners. We need to tell homers about there sin, not invite them to our homes for dinner. Best we ignore the preacher of 1833 and mind our own business.

https://www.christianpost.com/church-ministries/this-week-in-christian-history-magna-carta-archbishop-dies.html?page=1

[Dr. Anthony J. Toole]

Re: Let's Not Criticize the Indian Caste System

It's irritating hearing some people talk about equality and lack of certain people in statusful jobs. Those people need to face reality.

[Dennis Lukes]

Re: Let's Not Criticize the Indian Caste System

America has its own Untouchables.






GET A JOB!

[Dr. Anthony J. Toole]

Re: Let's Not Criticize the Indian Caste System

GET A JOB!

Quite, Mr. Lukes. Look at them sitting on their asses all day scamming the hard working people.

[Harsha Shah]

Re: Let's Not Criticize the Indian Caste System

Yes, Mr. Mayor, it is Harsha Shah here. I have been writing in a very lazy manner lately but I have been reading the posts every now and then, yes. I am hoping that my prolonged absence has not been offending you, yes. I am hoping that I am not offending you but I am thinking that you should not be fearing being offending to Indians if you are criticising their caste system. Yes, I am now a strong independent Scotswoman and the caste system is not keeping me being oppressed, yes. As a deconverting Jainist I am looking at it from the outside now, and I am thinking that it is worth criticising, yes it is. Originally the Jainists were not participating in the caste system but in practise they were. We are of course doing ahimsa, so we could not be kṣatriya and in practise my family was among the brahmins but we were always giving to charity when our family was still living in India and my grandparents were not afraid of touching the dalit but avoided all Hindu company equally, yes. Yes, it is totally O-kay as you are saying in America, to criticise the caste system and you should not be feeling offensive for doing so, Mr. Mayor, yes, no you should not. The caste system is horrible, oppressive and like a deconstructed elephant with all its parts scattered around, not able to live and breathe or love, yes.

[MitzaLizalor]

Re: Let's Not Criticize the Indian Caste System

As a deconverting Jainist I am looking at it from the outside now

Hallelujah!

brahmins

Jains have brahmins? Who knew! But my main question is, Why did Gandhi go on hunger strike?

[Joanna Lytton-Vasey]

Re: Let's Not Criticize the Indian Caste System

Jains have brahmins? Who knew!

It sounds as though Mz Shah has stretched the definition of Brahmin more than somewhat. Most thinking people would place Scotch primary school teachers among the Shudra caste, given that their job mostly involves menial tasks such as herding and cleaning up after unwashed slum children.

But my main question is, Why did Gandhi go on hunger strike?

I don't know, Sister. Is this a riddle, like Why did the chicken cross the road?

[MitzaLizalor]

Re: Let's Not Criticize the Indian Caste System

It sounds as though Mz Shah has stretched the definition of Brahmin more than somewhat. Most thinking people would place Scotch primary school teachers among the Shudra caste, given that their job mostly involves menial tasks such as herding and cleaning up after unwashed slum children.

It depends where she is. I'm less familiar with Inverness than with Dingwall and Wester Ross where some very high educational standards had prevailed. Scotland's best haggis. Peat water brewing superb tea. Baths so soothing. Turnips, served with everything: then again haggis is the best thing that ever happened to turnips. Scottish black pudding and highland beef. Mutton pies. But literacy above all. North of Loch Ness they gauge themselves by that standard; obviously if they'd relapsed into opium culture there'd be less of them to uphold Harsha Shah's ideal and yet I'm encouraged by her doubt. Doubt entices reflection and examination follows. Even lowlanders can reason (in moments of lucidity) endorsed by God here:

Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

The hunger strike from what I've gleaned was to exclude certain social strata (more likely a single stratum) from the franchise.

Big dumb.

REALLY big dumb.

They were taken into Britain and educated, elsewhere too, and look what's happening now.

[Johny Joe Hold]

Re: Let's Not Criticize the Indian Caste System

Jesus said in Matthew 16:11 the poor will always be with us. He has never told me I, personally, must fraternize with them.

It seems to me the Hindus have read the Bible and picked up on what Jesus said. Like me, they don't want to be around poor people. Who can blame them for inventing the Caste system?

[MitzaLizalor]

Re: Let's Not Criticize the Indian Caste System

The disciples were employers; they owned their own boats. Perhaps the proto-Indo-European culture is more recent than often suggested?