(Crossposted from the other blog 'cause I didn't see that it had posted here.)
Holy shit indeed! ;)
I have to agree though. Any religion that states that your social status is because of your own actions whether past or present, or that anything bad that happens to you is really your own fault, even if it is attempting to be reconstructionists still smacks of political control - ie, this tenent exists because this religion was put in place by the state to keep it's people in line and keep them from rebelling or trying to rise above their "status" because "Your status is god-given, and thus to attempt to rise above it is blasphemy." Even if this isn't the intent of the CURRENT religion, the current religion should still think twice before keeping something that is so clearly a method of political control and has nothing to do with personal growth or spirituality.
If it were to be modified, on the other hand, to something that promotes personal responsibility and still allows for a person to rise above the circumstances of their birth (using one's own mistakes, for example, as stepping stones rather than stumbling blocks), that would be far more productive.
I'm neither Hindu nor Vedanta, but this would be a glaring reason as to WHY I'm not Hindu or Vedanta, and so I think the complaint is still a valid one. We can't always say "If you don't like this religion then don't participate in it." At some point it still has to be fair to make a point.
no subject
Holy shit indeed! ;)
I have to agree though. Any religion that states that your social status is because of your own actions whether past or present, or that anything bad that happens to you is really your own fault, even if it is attempting to be reconstructionists still smacks of political control - ie, this tenent exists because this religion was put in place by the state to keep it's people in line and keep them from rebelling or trying to rise above their "status" because "Your status is god-given, and thus to attempt to rise above it is blasphemy." Even if this isn't the intent of the CURRENT religion, the current religion should still think twice before keeping something that is so clearly a method of political control and has nothing to do with personal growth or spirituality.
If it were to be modified, on the other hand, to something that promotes personal responsibility and still allows for a person to rise above the circumstances of their birth (using one's own mistakes, for example, as stepping stones rather than stumbling blocks), that would be far more productive.
I'm neither Hindu nor Vedanta, but this would be a glaring reason as to WHY I'm not Hindu or Vedanta, and so I think the complaint is still a valid one. We can't always say "If you don't like this religion then don't participate in it." At some point it still has to be fair to make a point.