Hinduism canot fairly be judged based of what a different faith says is right or wrong.
Christians were involved in a simular system called slavery. I don’t think any system treated people MUCH worse then slavery did. And it took a war to end it, not christianity itself…LOL you would think christians would have been bleesed with atleast enugh wisdom to know that was wrong.
But in some places christians seemingly STILL are racist.
So why judge hinduism?
Its hard to get information because I don’t know even one hindu.
My father is Hindu. And a Brahmin, at that. For 16 years of my life, i had been attending the annual Kali Puja at my aunt’s (‘puja’ means ritualistic worship).After i turned to the Faith,many facts of this religion were laid bare before me for the first time.
The Puja starts late at night and scores of people attend.There is a defined liturgy, a priest, a terrifying idol of the goddess Kali with her bare inky limbs adorned with gold all over, 6 goats,1 buffalo; now-and-then a chicken or two are included. The sacrifices begin at an “auspicious” hour, which is roughly always around 2 in the morning. The bells toll, the goddess’ scythe is brought out and blood squirts out. My brother n i still shudder when we remember those nights.I can’t believe i was part of such arcane proceedings. The nights are ALWAYS moonless.
However, the basic motive is the same, and it reflects a deep understanding of parts of the Truth. The animals’ blood satiate the goddess’ wrath…what is she so enraged about? You guessed it- peoples’ sins, for which blood is to be shed in expiation. Do u see the pattern? A deep consciousness of guilt.
Every morning, a devout Brahmin takes a bath, repeating a chant all the while. It goes somewhat like this: “Cleanse me and the numerous sins that have darkened my atma, thou glorious and all-merciful One!” After this he proceeds with the worship of the Sun. Do u see the pattern again?
My father still tells me that the entire pantheon of gods reflects only one god. They are all metaphors for his innumerable natures.
Granted. But then comes the twist…this eclectic choice of divinity tries to include Jesus into the race, too! Hence, Jesus is “one of the ways”, “one of the truths” and “one of the lives”. A clear inversion of His claim to being “The Way, The Truth and The Life”.
There is no doubt that the ancient sages were vouchsafed many truths, that they did recognise the existence of the Divine.The catechism clearly says in the very first Chapter that man is a religious being, constantly seeking God Who made him.
And about the caste, of course it is exploitative! Though this doesn’t decrease the Hindus’ culpability, the regime of cut-throat parochialism of the Crusades, witch-hunts, burnings at stake,Machiavellian politics in religion,unbelievable corruption, militant jihad, the general decadence of the West…the list is endless on his side. And may i remind ourselves that neither our Scriptures nor our Saints teach any of these.
