Christians Must Cast Away The Caste System

Cast Away Caste Divisions By Patricia Backora Recently I read material which surprised and even shocked me: The caste system continues to be enforced in India, despite alleged advancements in human rights. That’s not the shocking part, though. You EXPECT sinners to act like sinners. Sinners will always find loopholes in the law, and human rights abuses will go on under the noses of sinful officials who look the other way rather than offend the finer sensibilities of the aristocracy. The real paradox is this: A great many “churches”, especially Roman Catholic Churches, condone the Caste system in India, or at least take a passive view of it. People at the bottom of society’s heap, the Dalits, or so-called Untouchables, find no REAL change in status when they accept “Christianity” through the ministry of churches which raise no voice of opposition to the evil caste system of India. Many Dalit Christians continue to live separate lives, forbidden to associate on equal terms with their “Higher Caste” brothers and sisters. The Hindu caste system is predicated upon the belief in many incarnations (rebirths) of all living things. The lowly worm you see may be a reincarnation of someone’s grandmother who is being punished for past misbehavior in her previous life. That silly monkey doing cartwheels in the zoo could be your great grandpa who pulled mean practical jokes on people and now the Law of Karma (you reap what you sow) has pulled a mean one on him to teach him a lesson. Animals walking down the street could be housing wayward human spirits. That’s why so many Indians are vegetarian. According to the Hindu caste system, Dalits are the lowest form of human life (if they’re considered human at all). They must have sinned terribly in their previous life to be reborn as social lepers condemned to a lifetime of hauling garbage and cleaning out the septic tanks of respectable caste families. According to the doctrine of Karma, Dalits must be paying for sins in some forgotten past life. That poor ragged guy must have been Billy the Kid in a past incarnation, so now he’s making amends by shoveling horse dung at the Gungha Dinn Ranch. That Untouchable man cooking his dinner in a garbage dump just might be the reincarnation of a mean landlord who kicked families out of their apartment in the days of Julius Caesar. No pain, no gain. Spare the rod, spoil your evil ancestor. So it follows that you really do Dalits no favor by being kind to them or lifting them out of their degradation. Dalit girls are routinely attacked by “clean” caste boys without fear of retribution. I guess

the girls’ assailants are proud of themselves for helping their Karma god get his vengeance on defenseless girls who were horse thieves in Arizona 200 years ago. The rationale behind the Karma doctrine is similar to the Catholic doctrine of Purgatory, which is very unscriptural and denies the sufficiency of the sufferings of Christ to atone for sinners! You don’t re-incarnate in Catholicism. You simply go to “HELL LITE” to be barbequed for your sins a few hundred years or so, till God is satisfied that you’ve covered that part of your sin bill the crucified Christ failed to finish paying 2000 years ago. Instead of being jabbed in the backside with a devil’s pitchfork until the year 2500, a Hindu who sows hatred and cruelty expects to reap a rebirth as a cockroach other people step on. I wonder how bad you have to sin to be reborn in the year 2100 as a Dalit sewer technician? Without delving into the complex subdivisions of the Hindu Caste System, here are the main categories: Brahmins-Priestly class-the privileged aristocracy Kshatriyas-Warrior Caste-high positions in military and government Vaisyas-farmers, artisans and merchants Sudras-Unskilled manual laborers-ditch diggers, domestic servants, etc. Untouchables (“unclean” outcasts from society)-work as trash collectors, sewer cleaners, street sweepers, garbage scavengers, etc. Last and definitely least, the Dalits, better known as UNTOUCHABLES! They aren’t even classed as a caste because they’re OUT-CASTES! Dalits serve as a test of love for every professing Christian in India. Fail this test and you’ve made an F in Jesus’ most basic commandment: LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS YOURSELF, even going so far as to love your enemies. The only sin the Dalits have committed to merit the hatred they’ve received is being born into a bigoted environment and being assigned to the bottom of the heap by people more powerful than themselves. In order for YOU to be on top of the heap, there has to be a BOTTOM of the heap, and certain people must take their place there so you don’t have to! I read about a poor little Dalit girl who did all the dirty work for an upper caste family. She accidentally touched a cooking pot. The mistress of the house beat the child to death for “contaminating” their meal. This poor little girl must have been immediately ushered into heaven as an innocent who never reached the age of

accountability. Like the story of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16, the tables will surely be turned in eternity if the little girl’s murderer doesn’t repent. The poor rejected child will be comforted in a place of love while the “high caste” woman who killed her will be rejected by God and consigned to the torments of hell, where ALL murderers have their portion (Rev.21:8). Satan has his counterfeits for every Biblical doctrine. Hinduism teaches “being born again” physically via many incarnations. Jesus teaches resurrection of the SAME person after death, but only a SPIRITUAL rebirth. That is the only rebirth which sets man free from the penalty of sin and brings him into a new relationship with God the Father (John 3:3,7; I Pet.1:23). Hindus teach physical rebirth into yet another sinful human identity. In order for people to be born again spiritually as sons and daughters of God, they must first admit to Christ that they are an unclean sinner in need of His forgiving grace. It is a huge step of humility for a “clean caste” Hindu or any other proud individual to admit to God they are in need of His mercy and washing in the precious Blood of Christ. I remember riding to church with friends as a young girl. When the driver got out of the car to go speak to someone, I sat in the car alone with this elderly woman who shared a prayer request with me: “Pat, please pray the Lord won’t let any n-----s move into my neighborhood. I’m really worried about that.” Being so much younger than her, I didn’t want to rebuke her, I just tried to change the subject. How unwilling so many professing believers are to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes and imagine how horrible it must be to be on the receiving end of racism for a whole lifetime! Within the heart of sinful man is the yearning to be on the top of the pile and to look down on others. Racial or cultural oppression is particularly loathsome to God when people justify it for religious reasons. Here are just a few ways condoning the caste system contradicts God’s Word to Christian believers: 1. The Caste System denies God’s Good News that if ANY MAN (regardless of social position) be in Christ he is a New Creature. Old things have passed away and ALL THINGS have become new (2 Cor.5:17). 2. The Caste System teaches gradual perfection over many incarnations until we reach Nirvana, and those caught up in a bad Karma incarnation must suffer to earn advancement. It denies I John 3:2: Beloved, NOW are we the sons of God.

3. The Caste System denies God’s Word which states that we should NOT call any man common or unclean (Acts 10:28). 4. The Caste System clashes with James chapter 2, which preaches against class divisions in God’s churches. 5. The Caste System violates Proverbs 14:21 which warns that whoever despises (looks down on as inferior) his neighbor sins against God. 6. The Caste System is hostile to the spirit of Christ Who touched even unclean lepers and made them whole (Matt.8:2-4). 7. The Caste System denies that Christ has broken down the dividing wall separating people in order to create one Body unified in Him (Eph.2:14). 8. The Caste System denies that Christian Dalits are clean enough to be the Temple of the Holy Ghost, just like any other Christian believer (I Cor.6:19). 9. The Caste System denies the sufficiency of the blood of Christ to make people clean in the sight of God (Rev.1:5; 7:14). Instead, it emphasizes self-effort and EARNING self-betterment through patient suffering through many miserable incarnations. 10. The Caste System denies the priesthood of ALL believers in Christ (I Pet.2:5,9). Indian Christians who tolerate caste discrimination in their churches and insist only Brahmins can be priests are denying the Word of God and mixing heathen doctrine with church practices. God said “Learn NOT the way of the heathen” (Jere.10:2). 11. The Caste System denies that ALL believers in Christ are made one Spirit with Him (I Cor.6:17). If any believer is joined to Christ as one Spirit, then it follows that whatever you do to that believer you also treat Christ the same way. The Hindu Caste System is an abomination in the sight of God and He will not count any believer as blameless who clings to it or supports it in any way. 12. The Caste System is one of the most sinful manifestations of human pride. God is able to abase those who walk in pride (Dan.4:37). Other Scriptures Which Touch on Untouchable and Caste Issues (comments added).

Matt.8:11: And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. Verse 12: But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.* * *Those who consider themselves spiritually superior now just might be rejected then! Matt.19:30: But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first. Matt.22:9: Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.* * *Jesus didn’t say to invite only upper-crust people. Verse 10: So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.* * *No preferential treatment is given to “good” guests. Matt.23:8:But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. Verse 9:And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Verse 10: Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. Verse 11: But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. Verse 12: And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. Matt.25:40: And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the LEAST of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Mark 9:35: And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all (even the social rejects in the congregation). Luke 14:10: But when thou art bidden (invited to a feast), go and sit down in the lowest room (humblest seat); that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. Verse 11: For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

John 9:1: And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? 3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. John 15:3: Now ye are CLEAN through the word which I have spoken unto you.* * * It is the Word which cleanses, not “suffering a bad incarnation” to make amends for mythical past lives. Acts 15:8-9: And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; Verse 9: And put NO DIFFERENCE between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.* * *The Caste System insists that Christ’s work on the Cross makes no difference and there ARE differences. Caste adherents calls some dirty on the basis of birth into a rejected group of society. Eph.2:13: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.* * *The Caste System denies the power of the blood of Christ to cleanse souls and reconcile former enemies. Col.3:11: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. * * *The Caste System denies this is true of “untouchable” Christians. 2 Cor.8:13: For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: Verse 14: But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:* * * Paul taught EQUALITY of well-being in the body of Christ. I Pet.5:5: Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. I John 3:15: Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment (Heb.9:27).

The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself (Ezek 18:20). And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common (ritually unclean) (Acts 10:15). And hath raised us up together, and made us (ALL Christian believers) sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph.2:6). Listen, my dear brothers: 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? (James 2:5)* * *The world chooses the rich and powerful and exalts them as kings. God chooses the lowly of the earth to represent Him. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited (Rom.12:16). But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty (I Cor.1:27).* * *God isn’t impressed with social rank and fleshly strength or wealth. He delights in choosing empty vessels He can fill with more of Himself. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ (Phil.3:8). * * *You must be willing to THROW AWAY your most cherished false traditions in order to gain Christ. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons (I Cor.10:21).* * *Elements of other religions, including the caste system are not of God and don’t belong in His House. Christians can’t partake of the doctrine of demons and of Christ at the same time! The ground is LEVEL at the foot of the cross. This doesn’t pander to some people’s pride, though. Any Christian who clings to the old ways of Hinduism is contradicting the Word of God and the Gospel taught by the early apostles. He is saying that the body of a

Christian Dalit is NOT the Temple of the Holy Ghost because it is an unclean, untouchable thing. The caste system caters to mankind’s sinful pride. It denies that ALL unsaved men, even unsaved Brahmins, are unclean in the sight of God (Isa.64:6). The REAL God and Creator of all men HATES pride and arrogance (Prov.8:13). Those who take pride in their high caste and despise others lower on the totem pole are an abomination to God and will suffer punishment for their pride (Prov.16:5). Proclaim liberty to the captives (Isa.61:1). PROPHETIC WORD: The Lord of Heaven would ask His prejudiced people: Were not each and every one of you filthy, unwashed BEGGARS when you first came to Me? I could have shut the door on you and left you to wallow like hogs in your sins and uncleannesses. Instead, I washed you in the Fountain of My own precious blood, clothed you in My own spotless white righteousness and made you a New Creature in Christ Jesus. I made you royalty! My very own beloved son and daughter! Why then will ye deny that very same mercy to your brother or sister who appears in humble guise? Why do you plead with Me to overlook YOUR transgressions and see YOU only through the blood of My Son, only to deny that same mercy to the “untouchable” who has repented and received Christ as Savior? Why do you rejoice in YOUR New Beginning in Christ and yet deny that the so-called Dalit has the same right to his/her own New Life in Christ as a blessed son or daughter of God Almighty? This is the basest form of hypocrisy and wickedness! I will withhold the refreshing rain of My tender mercy and wonder-working power from congregations which indulge in the devil craft of caste to afflict their brother or sister in Christ. Do ye now know that it is the grossest WICKEDNESS to turn a blind eye to the murder and rape of the underprivileged among you, and to justify it on the basis of that devil’s doctrine of Karma/reincarnation? Why will ye risk My wrath by breaking the bond of the fellowship of the Spirit of peace? Where is your COMPASSION, O My people? Know ye not that you treat the Spirit of Christ disgracefully when you reject your “lower caste” brother or sister? This applies EQUALLY to so-called aristocrats in Western nations rejecting believers from the “working class” or unemployed poor people. Don’t turn up your nose at that precious one whom I have redeemed and washed in My own precious blood.

How easy, how convenient, to excuse and perpetuate class divisions in your churches “just because it’s always been done that way”. I’m speaking not only to those ensnared in the wicked caste system of India, but to Westernized churches where the rich and privileged turn up their nose at the burger flipper or house cleaner. Many neglected saints go the extra mile to struggle to be accepted in big, rich churches, even joining the prestigious choir or volunteering for extra duties around the “church building”. The pastor is thrilled to enjoy the free landscaping and cleaning offered by the social outcast. The choir director will GRUDGINGLY accept the “trailer trash” singer as a choir member because of the fine voice he hears, knowing it’s hard to find anybody who consistently sings in tune. But after a while, the poor choir member who lives on the other side of town discovers he/she never truly can be part of that affluent church’s rich/upper-middle-class world. No one is eager to socialize or be friends with them. Whenever they must be off sick from the choir or go someplace, they return to find that they weren’t really missed or even needed. And when they sit in the pew they usually sit alone, unless the “church” is already so packed there’s no other seating space left but their pew. This rich privileged church is NOT THEIR WORLD. And that’s just what class division is, WORLDLINESS! Refusal to allow My Love to flow freely to refresh ALL parts of My Body has forced so many sheep back into the world, out of the nominal church system which really is a part of the world. An assembly can get so corrupted by worldliness and rebellion against My Word and My Lordship that I must leave it alone to go its own way and reap the awful fruits of the rebellion, in hopes that some might be saved OUT of that wretched, incorrigible church to return to Me with their whole heart. Corrupted apostate, world-embracing churches are loathsome adulteresses in My sight, not part of My Bride. Rejected, lonely souls who flee such worldly religious clubs go look for acceptance in the world outside the church walls. Religious institutions which continually turn a deaf ear to My Voice which commands love to ALL the saints, that place shall have its candlestick removed from its place at My heavenly altar (Rev.2:4-5). No longer shall I recognize it as a local expression of My Body on earth, and it shall be no more precious in My sight than a local chapter of the rich lady’s Garden Society. How convenient, to fall into line with the way society thinks. In India, some Christians use the excuse that the Caste System is so very deeply entrenched in the fabric of their society that they just

can’t ignore its existence and must pay homage to it. What an easy cop-out from your responsibility to love one another as I have loved you! Many ask themselves: What would the neighbors think if OUR “church” took such a radical step as to oust the Caste System from OUR “church”? Well, what difference is there between a “church” which practices Caste and the rest of Indian society? None whatsoever. In stripping Me and My Word of authority to govern their lives, caste-conscious Christians have reduced Me to being a dead mascot with no voice, a gagged god who can teach them nothing unless they want to hear it. In effect, they’ve refashioned unto themselves a “Christian” god with the attributes (or lack of them) that THEY want. A god who keeps his nose out of their business of following THEIR cherished traditions. A god who wimps out when it’s time to get tough with the caste devil who destroys so many innocent lives. A god who nods and winks at their wickedness. A god who will still save their souls from hell fire without any need on their part to walk in holiness and obedience to the heart of My law of love: Do unto others only what you’d have them do unto you. So what difference is there between their “christian” wimp god and all the smiling idols of India? Tree fungus, like the caste system, can get so deeply entrenched that it’s difficult if not impossible to remove. It sucks the life out of the tree, robbing it of vitality, eventually rotting away its branches and killing it. Deeply entrenched Traditions of Men rob My people of life and love. I railed against the false traditions of the Pharisees which nullified God’s commandments of love. Any wise surgeon won’t respect a cancer’s “right” to remain part of his patient’s body just because it’s been there a long time. He’ll ruthlessly remove it to save the patient from dying. The Caste System is rotten cancer flesh putrefying the healthy tissue of Indian churches, so I must cut it out completely. Any churches worldwide which won’t allow Me to excise the cancer of social class out of their consciousness and custom will soon find that My Spirit has departed from them completely. My Spirit of Love in Christ can never coexist peacefully with snobbery and class divisions in Christian congregations. I often feel upstaged by human “leadership” which calls the shots and insists on teaching their people worldliness. Instead of being the Captain of their Ship, I shall cast such rebellious apostate believers adrift as being mutineers against My authority. Many Indian Christians allow FEAR OF MEN to persuade them to enforce caste in their churches. Christians are already persecuted in India. Therefore, caste is strictly observed in these churches in hopes the persecution will be less severe. Instead of diligently seeking My counsel, weak churches fall into line with the Way of the Heathen. The fear of man brings a snare (Prov. 29:25). I have

promised that those who put their trust in ME shall be safe. Let all those who feel intimidated into doing what is wrong plead with Me to send forth warrior angels to fight on their behalf, and ask Me for the courage to do what is right. For if salt loses its savor, it is good for nothing (Mark 9:50). If you smell and taste just like all others around you, what good are you to My Kingdom? What do you have to offer others except a modified form of adulterous idolatry, in presenting to them a god of your own making, and a bible robbed of its power and authority? Don’t you dare strip “lower-class” and Dalit believers of their New Identity in Christ as being members of My very own flesh and bones. Beat your fellow servants and I shall tear you asunder as HYPOCRITES when I return! Think of cruel King Nebuchadnezzar who boasted of his somebody-ness and how all other kings were worms. Remember how I humbled even this mighty monarch and gave him the mind of a grass-eating beast to teach him humility till he acknowledged that only GOD deserved to be exalted. I didn’t need to reincarnate this fellow as a frog to teach him a lesson! That’s a doctrine of devils, just like the wicked caste system which oppresses the Dalit people. Nebuchadnezzar suffered his chastisement and reformation all in the very same life! I am able to transform people into new creatures and make them clean without physical rebirth. Reincarnation is a lie of SATAN! Satan counterfeits everything I do, in order to deceive baby Christians or older believers who have grown careless. Spiritual rebirth into the family of Christ, through the cleansing of His blood and the power of the Holy Ghost, is all I require. Class-conscious believers DENY the truth of the New Birth in others. Believers who persecute “lower-class” believers and call them unclean strip the Christ in them naked of dignity and honor. They put Christ to an open shame, crucifying Him afresh. I have ripped down the walls dividing My people, and woe unto that man or woman who rebuilds them to pander to their own stinking human pride! A humbling, a mighty humbling falls soon from the Hand of the Lord to spank rebellious children who rub dirt in the faces of their own precious brothers and sisters. Fear Me, saith the Lord and repent of this gross wickedness NOW, if it be found among your people, that ye be spared the rod of chastisement which shall descend upon the proud souls of arrogant semi-believers who are on their way out the door of My House, back into the world from whence they came. Embrace the ways of hell and ye shall not be found fit for heaven on the Day of Judgment. Walk before Me in fear and trembling. Be very afraid if you dare to reject and despise any of My Word to My Latter-Day church regarding loving your neighbor

as yourself. Thus saith the Lord unto His Indian caste-conscious Christians in particular, and unto all snobbish, uppity believers proud of their position in the “natural order of things”.