India: Market Capitalism Eroding Caste System

[Beet]

Hinduism is one of the most regressive major religions in existence. Compared to it, even Islam has redeeming features because in Islam, all the faithful are theoretically equal spiritually. But for the untouchables, even if the shadow of an untouchable falls on a brahmin, the brahmin must wash himself afterwards or they are considered polluted.

[Beet]

Hinduism is one of the most regressive major religions in existence. Compared to it, even Islam has redeeming features because in Islam, all the faithful are theoretically equal spiritually. But for the untouchables, even if the shadow of an untouchable falls on a brahmin, the brahmin must wash himself afterwards or they are considered polluted.

Beet, please stop posting.

Which major religion has a more regressive message than the idea that one's station in life as one was born is the deserved fate of one's action in past life, cannot be altered for all life, and must be fatalistically accepted, as part of a rigid social order?

[Beet]

Hinduism is one of the most regressive major religions in existence. Compared to it, even Islam has redeeming features because in Islam, all the faithful are theoretically equal spiritually. But for the untouchables, even if the shadow of an untouchable falls on a brahmin, the brahmin must wash himself afterwards or they are considered polluted.

Beet, please stop posting.

Which major religion has a more regressive message than the idea that one's station in life as one was born is the deserved fate of one's action in past life, cannot be altered for all life, and must be fatalistically accepted, as part of a rigid social order?

None, as the caste system wasn't an integral part of Hinduism (whatever "Hinduism" is) until the middle of the 19th Century (indeed, if it is an integral part of it now..) - where it was in part a creation of British census officials modifying and often manufacturing contemporary social groups. Essentialism about Religion is dumb.

I think you're reading more 'essentialism' into my original post than intended. In order to communicate certain ideas, it is often necessary to express them in broad, general terms, but that does not mean not to allow certain caveats or footnotes. The British certainly helped solidify the caste system, but they did not create it. Hinduism is diverse, but it can certainly be spoken of as a single religion. And the caste system and Hinduism are certainly connected.

[Beet]

I see what you mean, but as "broad, sweeping, ridiculous statements", comparative statements are actually one of the most conservative type of statement. It doesn't actually say anything absolute, only in a relative sense. After all, one of the relatively few number of major world religions must be the most regressive. If I say Timmy is shorter than Jack, am I actually saying anything about Timmy's height? Not really. There's no comparison to statements like "Catholics are lazy and always drunk, Presbyterians are money-obsessed killjoys, Blacks are stupid... ", all of which are not only absolute statements, but characterize millions of individuals in an absolute way. Besides that, I won't comment further on this.