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The caste system is the biggest black mark on the face of Hinduism. While the whole of Hinduism is struggling to eradicate it, I think this website is quietly harboring caste feelings.

Check some of the answers to these questions.

Note that some of these posts were written by users who have a lot of recognition on Hinduism.SE.

  • I think something has to be done about the caste-system tag. While I'm definitely not for banning it altogether, it would be great if there were stricter definitions of what can be asked and what can't. Also, there should be moderation such that answers that are clearly against the modern Hindu values (posts that promote caste discrimination/prejudice, i.e.) should be removed.

What do you think?

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    "the whole of Hinduism is struggling to eradicate it" ?? where did you get this idea.. the problem with hinduism currently is because we don't follow the caste system properly. if you put your hands inside mud, will you complain that dirty hands are the biggest black mark on the body so they must be cut off ?
    – mar
    Feb 18, 2019 at 17:03
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    Great idea coming from a youngster like you. We have even the president of VHP in India declaring: "The Vishva Hindu Parishad totally rejects the Manu Smriti as it has no place in a civilized & cultured society." and yet this site thrives on caste-system.
    – Say No To Censorship
    Feb 18, 2019 at 18:30
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    modern critics of caste-system are advocating cutting of the head to cure a headache. very childish and ultimately incorrect idea. all signs of kali yuga. you think it is progress, but it is progress on a downward slope. it's very easy to slide down, fighting against it is hard.
    – mar
    Feb 18, 2019 at 22:32
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    Please be clear - The caste system tag is already fine. It is to be used when the question is about four fold caste system. If the topic of the question is to be reduced and limited, then there is no need to mention the tag because it is about scope of the site.
    – Sarvabhouma
    Feb 19, 2019 at 1:20
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    If u want to eradicate caste system from the posts here then u hv to stop the practice of quoting from scriptures altogether .. because the very fundamental of Hinduism is the Varna-Asrama thing .. we can not discuss anything scriptural in Hinduism without discussing caste and orders (at least in most cases) .. Even in one of the answers u hv quoted, I am not giving my personal opinion but quoting from a scripture .. So if u hv problems with that answer u hv problems with Manu Smriti ..
    – Rickross
    Feb 19, 2019 at 6:52
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    All of you commenters, I acknowledge your views. All I'm saying is that there are some people on this site, including very reputed ones, who are misusing the caste-system tag in a very casteist manner. There are people asking whether it is OK to commit a murder in the second link I have posted. Do you think this kind of behavior should be allowed on a site like this? I am not calling for a ban on caste posts (rather casteist ones). Honest questions about the caste system should be welcomed, but I believe posts that are promoting caste discrimination have no place on a site like Hinduism.SE.
    – Aravind Suresh Thakidayil
    Feb 19, 2019 at 8:56
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    @Rickross I thought I should address you in person. I am not against any of those scriptures but I do believe that personal freedom should be respected in a religion like Hinduism. The question itself should've been voted as off-topic.
    – Aravind Suresh Thakidayil
    Feb 19, 2019 at 8:59
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    @user5011 If you think a post (question or answer) is objectionable for spreading caste-related hatred, then you can report it (by flagging) but there is nothing that needs to be done with tag 'caste-system'
    – Rickross
    Feb 19, 2019 at 9:46
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    @Rickross While reporting works, don't you think it is easier to prevent such posts from being created in the first place?
    – Aravind Suresh Thakidayil
    Feb 20, 2019 at 16:41
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    @ram It's the 21st century. Caste is no longer an occupational specification but a mere residue left behind from what it was: a hereditary system of privileges based on birth and occupation. The analogy about Brahmins on the frontier is senseless. Are you telling me that Brahmins should not join the army? That Shudras should do nothing but serve the other three varnas? I am an intercaste child myself. I know firsthand what the caste system does to people and it is not good, if you're not aware. Such caste feelings will deteriorate the quality of this site.
    – Aravind Suresh Thakidayil
    Feb 20, 2019 at 16:41
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    @AravindSuresh, nope, it's not a residue. it still, thankfully exists today. the reason birth and occupation do not match currently, is 2 reasons - 1. those people who were supposed to follow their birth-varna did not want to, and ended up taking jobs that were outside their true potential (para-dharma), 2. inter-caste marriages and resulting progeny that were confused by their natural genetic tendencies as to which occupation to follow - the brahmin would want to research new weapons while the kshatirya would want to wield said weapons. confused as to which to do, they'd do neither properly.
    – mar
    Feb 20, 2019 at 22:57
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    @AravindSuresh, brahmins can join the army, but not as a fighter, as a RAW intelligence agent. we all have to play to our strengths, both for personal benefit/glory and for societal benefit. If a person of sachin tendulkar's caliber in cricket decided he would try his hand at table-tennis, he neither brings glory to himself nor his country. until recently, a person's caliber/interests/occupation and the family they were born in matched exactly, because God gives us birth in a family most suited to develop our innate traits and vasanas that resulted from previous birth(s).
    – mar
    Feb 20, 2019 at 22:59
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    This site is not here to promote "modern Hindu values". There are plenty of traditional Hindus, myself included, who still believe in the birth-based caste system, so it is completely allowed to post questions and answers that are based on the birth-based caste system.
    – Keshav Srinivasan Mod
    Feb 20, 2019 at 23:26
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    Why shd we prevent someone from asking Qs? That is not right.. Let them ask, after seeing the Q the community will then decide if it is within the scope of the site or not .. This is 21st century alright but this site is on Hinduism and Hinduism is derived from Hindu scriptures which are very ancient .. As I hv already said, only way of stopping caste-system related discussions from being posted here will be a complete ban on the practice of quoting from scriptures ..@AravindSuresh
    – Rickross
    Feb 21, 2019 at 6:18
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    @AravindSuresh, that is not my logic, you're making up your own logic. if you can quote from shastras, anyone can answer. it just so happens that brahmanas are more well-versed in shastras than other varnas because that's what they study as part of their occupation.
    – mar
    Feb 21, 2019 at 15:21

2 Answers 2

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The caste system is the biggest black mark on the face of Hinduism.

No, it's other way round. The society which is oblivion to the significance of class system that is the very substrata of dharma is the biggest 'black mark' on the dharma. You have been being brought up in an environment (of Marxist/Leftists) which is ample to make one conditioned in leftist way.

You have to assimilate the fact that not all are equals. Some are more compassionate, intelligent, composed, peaceful some are not. Having known this fact, isn't it better to keep the ones who are compassionate, honest, intelligent etc in higher position in the society & keep the one who lacks good qualities to serve who are noble ones?

While the whole of Hinduism is struggling to eradicate it, I think this website is quietly harboring caste feelings.

This looks like a fallacy of appealing to the masses. Propriety doesn't necessarily define the dharma. scriptures define the dharma. Masses can't influence dharma out of your own whimsies but dharma, as defined in scriptures, should influence masses. So, this site is just quoting scriptures, not saying anything without scriptural basis.

Also, there should be moderation such that answers that are clearly against the modern Hindu values (posts that promote caste discrimination/prejudice, i.e.) should be removed.

There is nothing like 'modern hindu values' it's just in the air without any scriptural basis so how the moderation on it can arise? Also, we are neither Marxist nor socialists to be interested in so called 'social upliftment'.

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    Thank you. I do come from a place that is a hotbed of Marxists, but I have left that behind. The other answer has really opened my eyes to this topic.
    – Aravind Suresh Thakidayil
    Apr 12, 2019 at 15:19
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The caste system is the biggest black mark on the face of Hinduism. While the whole of Hinduism is struggling to eradicate it, I think this website is quietly harboring caste feelings.

First, there are multiple words. Caste (Kula), Jati (race) and Varna (literally complexion). It is Varna which scriptures talk and it is Varnasrama dharma which is often translated as Caste System. Varnasrama Dharma is part and parcel of Sanatana Dharma and many Scriptures mention about Varnasrama Dharma. It should be understood that it is present in nature and not just exclusive to Humans or Indians or Hindus.

Krishna says in BG 4.13 "cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ- This 4 divisions of human society was created by me" and thus it is not man-made. Varnasrama Dharma is present in शिल (Sila)-rocks , Soils and even Grahas (Planets). It also depends on how people understand Varnas. Rishis discovered this divisions in nature and they just expounded their discoveries in Scriptures. We can't blame Rishis or Scriptures if Modern Hindus can't understand properly Varnasrama Dharma or fail to apply it to Modern Society.

I think something has to be done about the caste-system tag. While I'm definitely not for banning it altogether, it would be great if there were stricter definitions of what can be asked and what can't. Also, there should be moderation such that answers that are clearly against the modern Hindu values (posts that promote caste discrimination/prejudice, i.e.) should be removed.

We can't narrow down questions on any topic, not just Varna Dharma or Caste system. Posts which look they promote Caste discrimination may not discriminate in reality if one understands properly four Varnas in nature. Again, different Hindus believe in different interpretations of Varna Dharma. If we have to restrict questions on Varna Dharma, then it is like restricting questions from scriptures or restricting quotations from Scriptures.

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  • So, there is a system of Varnas, but not of Jatis or Kulas: there is a segregation of people based on intellect and the work they do but not by their birth. Correct?
    – Aravind Suresh Thakidayil
    Feb 26, 2019 at 16:35
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    @AravindSuresh Irrespective of whatever varna they are born, they are provided ample spiritual opportunities. But Satva Guna must be developed in order to succeed in any work including Sadhana. More Satva Guna makes consciousness in indriyas attentive and helps in good intellect. We all have mixture of 3 Gunas. It is based on different proportions on which this Varna Dharma is based. Read Chapter 14, 17 and 18 Bhagavad Gita for proper understanding of three Gunas. Now, Sastras say varna is determined by birth and also can be changed in this life. This is debated and you can read various Q&A
    – The Destroyer Mod
    Feb 26, 2019 at 16:45

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