Caste Segregation in India and the Churches in India
If there is one country where you can see segregation in full swing ,it is in INDIA. When I was a medical student I visited villages as part of a group in our Preventive and social medicine posting. It was there for the first time that I saw segregation. I was not rocked or disturbed by it because I did not understand the depth of sinfulness in it. What did I see ? I saw that the village had two areas the main area of the village was occupied by the high castes and backward caste. The 'colony' as they called it , was outside the village and it was occuiped by the Dalits or Schedule caste , who are also known as the 'Untouchables'. Do you see the segregation here. The Dalits are kept outside the village i.e segregated.
What did disturb me was , segregation in the church ,which you can see today in many villages in India. There is separate place for the dalit and the nondalit within the same church. To avoid this embarrassment , the dalits now have theri own churches. So now there is a Dalit church and a 'Non Dalit' church .
The clearest evidence of practice of caste by Christians is the Matrimonial column of any leading daily in India . CSI Nadar , CSI SC , Catholic Vanniar etc . These are so called Christians who are practising segregation inside the church by marrying within the same caste.
http://www.chennaimatrimony.com/Church-Of-South-India-(CSI)-Matrimonial/Nadar-Matrimonial/
See the list of educated Christians , software professionals , M.Phils etc identifying themselves with caste , which has nothing to do with Christianity or Christ.
If Hindus practice caste it is the back bone of their religion ,it is understandable. Hindu dharma is by definition caste dharma . It is part of their scriptures . It is described and prescribed in the Bhagvad Gita , one of the bibles of hinduism.
THE CASTE SYSTEM
(Brahman, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras)
In the Bhagavad Gita, Ch.4, Verse 13
The Lord says:
"The fourfold caste has been created by Me
according to the differentiation of Guna and Karma;"
In the Bhagavad Gita, Ch.18, verse 40 the
Lord says:
"There is no being on earth, or again in heaven among the
gods, that is liberated from the three qualities born of Nature."
Gita Ch. 18, V.41:
"Of Brahmanas, Kshtriyas and Vaishyas, as also the Sudras,
O Arjuna, the duties are distributed according to the qualities
born of their own nature."
So Caste system has it's origin in the hindu scriptures. It is originated ,supported and sustained by religion.
Though Hindu religion allows caste system , the Indian constituition has abolished untouchability and it is a punishable offense if proved.
The presence of caste system is a great sin in the Indian Church. Segregation and Caste mentality are anti Christian and anti biblical ideas .
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28
What is hindu teaching from the Bhagvad Gita doing in the Christian Church? Why is biblical teaching of equality not established in the Church? Those who call themseslves Christians must understand that ,when they call themselves Christians , they are associating themselves with Christ , and parting ways with the world and it's system.
One of the reasons is that , when the Dalits started becoming Christians , the non dalits stopped becoming Christians. So they had to accomodate caste in order to show head count . The failure of the missinaries to recognise the evil and stand against it has led to this condition today. If they had contended for the true Gospel which liberates rather than enslaves , the Lord would have brought about a big revival in India 200 or 300 years back. But they wanted to do His work by their own way , in their human wisdom to get the result they want ,numbers. Christ was clear when he called men to follow him.
34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn
“‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law —
36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’[c]
37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
Matthew 10
My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?
8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”[a] you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
Favouritism is sin and is biblically law breaking. He does not stop there , James continues .
12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that —and shudder.
20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[d]?
The context of faith without works vs faith expressed through work is favouritism in the church. This passage directly applies to the Dalit/outcaste caste SIN in the Indian Church.
The Church is called
"Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." Proverbs 31:9
But the church is not fulfilling this mandate within it's own boundaries , let alone stand for those who are oppressed outside. As long as sin is not identified as sin and condemned , the call to repentance cannot be sounded. When pathology is considered as normal and left untreated , death will ensue.
THE CASTE STRATIFICATION IN HINDUISM
Casteism is anti-Gospel and anti -Christ .
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Luke 4:19
The Indian Church should repent of it's caste mentality and segregation and completely do away with it. Why should we have anything to do with a Hindu doctrine and teaching? Why shoud we practise it more strictly than the teachings of Christ? It is neither scriptural nor logical . It is a sin , comparable with idolatory ,which is also a Hindu teaching. Why do those who abhor idols still hold on to caste?
Let's start by praying and confessing our complacency and repent and seek God's power available through the Holy Spirit to stand against the caste ideology and be witnesses of the true liberating Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
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