Hindu Catholic Dialogue Commemorative Brochure 20150523

Author(s): United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Publisher: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

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Are there common misconceptions about this religion that need to be addressed? Are there any other aspects of the religion that need to be highlighted? The most common misconception is that the caste system comes from the scriptures and forms a central part of Hindu religious practice. In the scriptures, the division of society into four groups was no more than a recognition of the variety of functions in society: education (the Brahmins), maintaining order and security (the Kshatriyas), producing wealth (the Vaishyas), and performing labor (the Shudras). The social division into numerous communities was quite different from this four-fold division, but over time, the two concepts were conflated into a hereditary, hierarchical and oppressive social system consisting of numerous castes and outcastes that reformers have long fought to eliminate. In India, the law prohibits discrimination by caste and has put in place extensive affirmative action programs. But much remains to be done to eliminate the practice of discrimination. Caste is a non-issue among Hindus in the USA.
Also, it is common these days to refer to the Abrahamic religions as the three great monotheistic religions of the world.” This is factually incorrect, reflecting a basic misunderstanding of Hindu philosophy. It conveys a sense of superiority over other religions that is misleading and perpetuates misunderstanding.
Finally, many believe that Hinduism is fatalistic in its adherence to the doctrine of karma. This doctrine is nothing more than the insistence that every action has a consequence; that all our actions will bear their corresponding fruit in this or subsequent lives, and that the only way to assure good outcomes in the future is to do good acts in the present, and pray for divine forgiveness of past misdeeds.
By Dr. D.C. Rao dcraox@gmail.com
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HINDU - CATHOLIC DIALOGUE