THE CHARACTERISTICS OF
CASTE IN CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY
THE CASTE SYSTEM AMONG INDIAN CHRISTIANS IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE ASSIMILATION OF LOCAL HINDU PRACTICES, WHICH HAS CAUSED CASTED DISTINCTIONS TO BE RETAINED AFTER IN DIVERSE WAYS ACROSS THE SUBCONTINENT, OFTEN REFLECTING THEIR OWN STRATIFICATION BY SECT, LOCATION, AND THE CASTES OF THEIR PREDECESSORES. SOCIAL PRACTICES AMONG CERTAIN INDIAN CHRISTIANS PARALLEL MUCH OF THE DISCRIMINATION FACED BY LOWER CASTES IN OTHER RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES, AS WELL AS HAVING FEATURES UNIQUE TO THIS COMMUNITY. CASTE DISTINCTIONS AMONG INDIAN CHRISTIANS ARE BREAKING DOWN AT ABOUT THE SAME RATE AS THOSE AMONG INDIANS BELONGING TO OTHER RELIGIOUS. THERE EXISTS EVIDENCE TO SHOW THAT CHRISTIAN INDIVIDUALS HAVE MOBILITY WITHIN THEIR RESPECTIVE CASTES. BUT, IN SOME CASES, SOCIAL INERTIA CAUSE OLD TRADITIONS AND BIASES AGAINST OTHER CASTES TO REMAIN, CAUSING CASTE SEGREGATION TO PERSIST AMONG INDIAN CHRISTIANS. ABOUT 60-80 % OF INDIAN CHRISTIANS ARE MEMBERS OF THE DALITS OR BACKWARD CLASSES.
THE NASRANI MENORAH, THE SYMBOL OF THE SYRIAN MALABAR NASRANI CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY IN SOUTH INDIA.
CASTE DISCRIMINATION IS STRONGEST AMONG CHRISTIANS IN SOUTH INDIA AND IS WEAK OR EVEN NONEXISTENT AMONG URBAN PROTESTANT CONGREGATIONS IN NORTH INDIA. THIS IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT IN SOUTH INDIA, WHOLE CASTES CONVERTED ENMASSE TO THE RELIGION, LEAVING MEMBERS OF DIFFERENT CASTES TO COMPLETE IN WAYS PARALLEL TO HINDUS OF THE INDIAN CASTE SYSTEM.
THERE ARE SEPERATE, SEAT, SEPARATE COMMUNION CUPS, BURIAL GROUNDS, AND CHURCHES FOR MEMBERS OF THE LOWER CASTES, ESPECIALLY IN THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. CATHOLIC CHURCHES IN INDIA ARE LARGELY CONTROLLED BY UPPER CASTE PRIESTS AND NUNS. PRESENTLY IN INDIA, MORE THAN 70 % OF CATHOLICS ARE DALITS, BUT THE HIGHER CASTE CATHOLICS (30% BY ESTIMATES) CONTROL 90 % OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCHES ADMINISTRATIVE JOBS. OUT OF THE 156 CATHOLIC BISHOPS, ONLY 6 ARE FROM LOWER CASTES. IN ADDICTION, IN ADDITION, DALIT BOYS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE ALTAR BOYS OR LECTORS. ACCORDING TO THE "POOR CHRISTIAN LIBERATION MOVEMENT", A CATHOLIE ORGANIZATION, THEY ARE NEGLECTED BY CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY AND CONVENT SCHOOLS, AND THEY ALLEGE THAT THESE INSTITUTIONS SOLELY CATER TO THE UPPER CASTES. NO DALIT CATHOLICS ARE INVOLVED IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES OF INDIA, EXCEPT FOR A FEW WHO HAVE RECONVERTED BACK TO HINDUISM.
CRITICISM - MANY DALIT CATHOLICS HAVE SPOKEN OUT AGAINST DISCRIMINATION AGAIST THEM BY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. A FAMOUS DALIT ACTIVIST WITH A NOM-DE-PLUME OF BAMA FAUSTINA HAS WRITTEN BOOKS THAT ARE CRITICAL OF THE DISCRIMINATION BY THE RUNS AND PRIESTS IN CHURCHES IN SOUTH INDIA. POPE JOHN PAUL 2 ALSO CRITICIZED THE CASTE DISCRIMINATION IN THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH OF INDIA WHEN ADDRESSING THE BISHOPS OF : MADRAS, MYLAPORE, MADURAI, CUDDALORE, AND PUDUCHERRY IN LATE 2003. HE WENT ON TO SAY, "IT IS THE CHURCH'S OBLIGATION TO WORK UNCEASINGLY TO CHANGE HEARTS, HELPING ALL PEOPLE TO SEE EVERY HUMAN BEING AS A CHILD OF GOD, A BROTHER OR SISTER OF CHRIST, AND THEREFORE A MEMBER OF OUR OWN FAMILY".
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