Posted: Feb 20, 2013 8:51 am
Jacquitoo wrote:I guess the brahman hindus I know have been more sheepish about that aspect of their culture. The others admittedly, angry, hurt or disillusioned. I still thought Shiva was trying and got a rum deal ... he was not actually pushing the caste tradition. He was just trying to engage on what he thought was common ground. Skeptics might consider patience and respect a bit more. Put downs are just egoistic gratification and in this case possibly laced with cultural intolerance. Change does not happen overnight.
My experience may have to do with the fact that all such Indian atheists I've met have a background in the kshatriya caste, and thus the culture does put them in a relatively good position. Had they been sudras I bet they'd been somewhat more inclined to take a somewhat dim view.
But you know, it's all natural and really justifiable: the sudras are like the feet and legs, the vaisyas are like the bowels, the kshatriya's like the chest and the brahmins are the head of the nation of India. If a piece that really belongs as a bit of the foot tries being the head or chest, how could that work out to the benefit of anyone? Etc.
