Caste In Church
For centuries, caste has dictated almost every aspect of Hindu religious and social life, with each group occupying a specific place in this complex hierarchy. Rural communities, especially, have long been arranged on the basis of castes - the upper and lower castes.
The system bestowed many privileges on the upper castes while sanctioning repression on the lower castes by privileged groups. Often criticised for being unjust and regressive, it remained virtually unchanged for centuries, trapping people into fixed social orders from which it was impossible to escape.
These caste systems found its way into the community of the church which is supposed to do away with the distinctions of communities. Scriptures have exemplified and teach that there is no place for distinctions in the body of Christ – the church. We find in Acts 2 and 1 Corinthians 12 how Christians should live in unity and harmony without discriminating anyone based on race, culture and social standing. Jesus exemplified the perfect unity and spirit of inclusivity in the community through his disciples who came from different backgrounds.
Today, the church has been infiltrated by distinctions and discriminations of one another which have created barriers amongst the church members. This has made the church community difficult to grow. Some few areas in which such barriers exist can be discussed as follows:
1. Social standing: It is unfortunate to see that church favour its members based on social standing, perhaps inadvertently, wherein a person with higher economic and social status is more regarded than those of lower economic and social standing. It is no wonder that James (2:1-4) addressed the issue of favouritism in the community of believers in the early church. This has created distinctions similar to those of caste system in Hinduism.
2. Cultural Barriers: Culture has long history in the human civilization and it is almost impossible to do away with cultural differences. This cultural differences have also infiltrated the church which make the church difficult to gather as one and united. The pride of culture and its promotion have led the church to create barriers between different cultures.
3. Leadership: It is also inevitable that the church has witnessed the exclusions of certain people based on their social and economic status in contrary to the teaching of the Scriptures. The Scriptures set the qualities for which a person should posses to be a leader which does not have anything to do with economic and social standing. Unfortunately, the church have failed to keep the teachings of the Bible in its leadership roles.
4. Relational fragmentation: One of the greatest barriers in the church today is the mentality of caste system leading to relational divisions among members which destroy the essence of the church.
In India, the social stratification that persists among Christians, based upon caste membership at the time of an individual’s own or of an ancestor’s conversion. Indian Christian society is divided into groups geographically and according to denomination, but the overriding factor is one of caste.
In the 19th century, Protestant missionaries arrived in India in large numbers. They insisted on social reform along with religious conversion; the result was that most of their converts were from the lowest social classes.
Caste distinctions among contemporary Indian Christians are breaking down at about the same rate as those among Indians of other faiths. In some instances the old traditions persist, and there are Catholic churches where members of each caste sit apart for worship.
For instance, mass conversions of lower caste Hindus to Christianity and Islam took place in order to escape the discrimination. The main Dalit groups that participated in these conversions were the Chuhras of Punjab, Chamars of North India (Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh), Vankars of Gujarat, Adi Dravida (Paraiyan, Pulaiyar, Valluvar, Koliyar, Pallan) of Tamil Nadu and Pulayas of Kerala.
They believed that “Christianity is a true religion; a desire for protection from oppressors and, if possible, material aid; the desire for education for their children; and the knowledge that those who have become Christians had improved”. Christianity was thought to be egalitarian and could provide mobility away from the caste.
Even after conversion, in some cases, Dalits were discriminated against due to the “residual leftover” practice of caste discrimination from their previous traditions. This is attributed to the predominant Hindu society they lived in. Sometimes the only change seen was their personal religious identity.
According to the reports from Scroll.in published on April 20, 2018, in Kerala, some financially sound Syrian Christian families organise annual family meetings, which are attended by prominent priests. Mor Coorilos wrote on his Facebook page on April 9, 2018: “These people believe that their ancestors were Brahmins converted by St Thomas. They even publish family history books during the get-together. Such baseless upper-caste myths have to be busted. I had attended such events in the past, but not anymore.”
Scholars say that the tendency of some Christians to hark back to their Brahminical lineage indicates that Christianity is not free from the blight of caste. As evidence, they point to the plight of those Dalits who converted to Christianity from Hinduism to escape caste oppression, only to find that things were much the same on the other side.
Caste oppression among Christians in Kerala has led to the formation of many churches meant exclusively for Dalits, said historian Dr Sanal Mohan.
The report said that the practice of caste is prevalent in the formation of parishes (an administrative district headed by a parish priest) and seen in the construction of separate chapels in the same village for Dalits and other caste Christians. Discrimination is also evident in the denial of opportunities for Dalit Christians in the parish administration, as well as in jobs and the priesthood.
Christians' Response:
As disciples and followers of Jesus Christ, who created humankind in his image, who died for all people, resurrected for all, and included all people in his ministry on earth, we need to act in love and inclusiveness for all people irrespective of their social and economic standing. In Christ, we are no longer Jews or Gentiles, circumcised or uncircumcised, no longer free or slave, nor men or women – all are one (Gal 3:28). Jesus himself prayed to the Father that all his followers be one (Jn. 17:21).
The true spirit of believers is reflected in the early church wherein the suffering of one member of the community alert the whole community leading to contributions to the well being of each member (Acts 2). Moreover, Paul writes to believers that the body of Christ – church – should be so intricately connected that the suffering of one member should concern the whole members (1 Cor. 12).
The body of Christ has no place for distinctions and castes. They must be done away with and the pursuit of righteousness, oneness and love should be the priority of all believers.
References:
DISCLAIMER:
This article is just a tip of an iceberg. This was written as part of an educational requirement during a short training course and is published here for educational purpose of some.
Comments
Post a Comment