To me first encounter with Jesus was when I was maybe 7-8 years old. I remember receiving booklets on Jesus, in the early 1990s, from Christian missionaries in my village. I also remember, as a child waiting for 25th December, Christmas and when winter holidays in schools will start. National TV used to telecast some Christian programs especially for children and I recall watching those sitting in bed, under the warm blanket.

So, I came to know the gospel of Jesus while I was very young and since then I have considered Jesus as one of the greatest religious leaders. Almost more than 20 years later, still, there is something about the man that attracted me once again to read parts of the Bible, especially the Gospel of John and the Gospel of Mark.

While I am aware of the book ‘God as Political Philosopher: Buddha’s Challenge to Brahminism’ written by Prof Kancha Ilaiah, I haven’t read it. While reading parts of the Bible, I came to understand that Jesus challenged Brahminism with his work despite living thousands of miles away from India. His teachings are as rebellious as to challenge Brahminical hegemony.

There are Dalits who say, Jesus was a ‘Dalit’ or ‘woman’ (metaphorically) so no wonder he was rebellious! One might find it interesting also that word ‘dal’ in Hebrew also means ‘weak’, ‘poor’, or ‘helpless’.

I am agnostic but I believe if there was/is any God, he/she would be from discriminated communities, he/she can’t be from oppressive communities. Oppression is not an attribute of God, love is. Further, Jesus’s teachings and approach suggest the same, challenging unnecessary practices and rules.

His teachings have influenced many prominent Dalit-Bahujan ideals. Some even say that Jotiba Phule had converted to Christianity (though there is no such proof). Jotiba Phule had protested against the British government’s decision of removing Bible education from the schools. Under the pressure from Brahminical forces, the British government had removed Bible teachings from the school curriculum and Jotiba Phule wrote about it in his famous book ‘Slavery’. Phule believed that Bible’s teachings in schools had become the source of human equality. Phule also called Jesus as ‘Baliraja’, who came to establish a system of justice.

No one can deny that caste practices from Brahmanism haven’t influenced other religions in India. Caste system and practices have infiltrated to all the religions in India so these should definitely be tackled. Brahminism has infected all religions with caste virus. Despite originating outside of India and religious scriptures not prescribing caste discrimination, people who follow Islam and Christianity in India follow the caste system.

Read – [Impact of Hindu Caste Divisions on Other Religions] and [Why Christianity Failed in India]

Hindutva forces are trying hard to portray Jesus as one of ‘Tamil saint’ to one of their 33 crores Gods to Christianity as one of the sects of Brahmanism. The reality is far from these claims, a cursory look at the life of Jesus would be enough to debunk such claims. While acknowledging the caste practices in Christianity, the idea of writing this article is to look into the teachings of Jesus and how Jesus’s teachings challenged Brahminism. [Read – Brahmanism – Everything You Need To Know About Brahmanism]

God as a Father

When Jesus said God as a father, he eradicated the distinction that Brahmins had created with writing religious scriptures saying Brahmins, Kashtriyas, Vasiyas and Shudras are born from the different body parts of God. (Purusha Sukta 10:90 of Rig Veda, says in verse 12, “The Brahman was his mouth, of both his arms, was the Rājanya made. His thighs became the Vaiśya, from his feet the Śūdra was produced.” Even Bhagavad Gita preaches the same ideas and justifies the caste system.) Jesus puts everyone in the equal place when he said God is a father of everyone. Everyone is children of God and no one is given preference.

The caste system is the backbone of Hinduism/Brahminism but Jesus’s teachings destroy any such system that puts some group of people above others.

No middleman is required to know God – for Brahmins, it was/is all about if you want to know God, come through us and Brahmins will act as a middleman if you want to know God. Brahmins have projected and justified themselves as ‘living gods’ on earth and have misguided and exploited so-called lower castes. Jesus rejected such ideas and said if anyone believes, one can know God. There is no need for any middlemen to know God.

“And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.” [Matthew 23:9]

‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself’

When Brahmins in India were busy devising plans and writing books on how to keep untouchables out of the villages, Jesus was preaching ‘love your neighbour’.

When Jesus was asked what would he consider the most important commandment, he replied,

“‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:31)

In Luke 10: 25-37 reiterates a similar idea when Jesus is asked to explain who is my neighbour, he said, your neighbour is one who is suffering and who needs help. Go out and help others. With such commands, Jesus sets a challenge to Brahminism whose foundation is discrimination and thrives on inequality.

Brahmins have built caste colonies and neighbours are decided based on caste. Even today, one can find many villages in India having separate paths for different caste groups and even walls erected to keep so-called lower castes from accessing certain areas of villages.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” [John 13:34]

Jesus challenged to love others. There is no love, forget any kind of association among different castes groups in India. Dr. Ambedkar also noted the same that solidarity among Indians is based on castes, solidarity is there but only for their own caste groups.

Jesus touched the untouchables of society and healed them. He was busy touching lives. Jesus washes feet of his disciples (John 13:1 -17) which shows he didn’t keep the distinction between upper or lower class but he believed in serving. He died for working among the outcasts, rejecting the unjust social system and standing for what is right. We can’t expect anything similar from Brahmins ever.

Equality Matters

While in India Brahmins were busy writing books after books to suppress and oppress women, Jesus thousands of miles away was accepting women as followers and didn’t discriminate between men or women. Despite the norms of the world he lived in, which were against women society, he measured both men and women by the same standard – qualities of character and not based on birth or sexual differences. Jesus had many women followers. Jesus regularly addressed women directly while in public. This was unusual for a man of his time to do (John 4:27).

Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?” [John 4:27]

The disciples were amazed to see Jesus talking with the Samaritan woman at the well of Sychar (John 4:7-26). He also spoke freely with the woman taken in adultery (John 8:1–11). One can find many other similar examples in the life of Jesus where he not only teaches women but also accepts them in his fellowship. He acknowledges that everyone should have equal opportunities, an equal chance of salvation and blessings from God.

While on the other hand, Brahminism has put thousands of restriction on women and never let women society learn from religious teachings, considering women are impure and ‘born out of the womb of sin’ (Bhagavad Gita 9:32 )

Jesus rejects the idea that some people are more sinner than others and said, all are equally sinner in the eyes of God and need God’s grace, love, and forgiveness to be saved. It is important to note here that Brahminism preaches that some people are born in so-called lower castes because of the sins of previous lives.

It is a remarkable attribute of the teachings of Jesus is that people who had been left out by the society were included by Jesus. He accepted people without any distinction – criminals, unclean, and outcasts (Samaritans, Gentiles, sick, lepers etc) all were accepted by him with equal love.

Jesus’ Focus on People, Brahmins’ Focus on Money

Brahminism preaches certain rules and practices that should be maintained at any cost for the society to work otherwise there would be havoc in the society.

Caste practices have been solidified by religious scriptures of Brahminism. Brahminism put emphasis on keeping rules intact such as rules of the caste system. Brahminism has developed and nurtured practices which benefit them.

Jesus challenged religious leaders of his time and their teachings with his actions. Jesus rebelled against the religion that put more focus on the rules rather than on people. One can find passages in the Bible where Jesus healed people on the Sabbath, day of rest for Judaism and the seventh day of the week.

It was prohibited to work on the Sabbath through religious teachings of Jews but Jesus challenged the practices and went ahead and worked on healing people.

In Mark 2:27, exposing the hypocrisy of religious leaders, Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”

Similar words have been echoed by Dr Ambedkar when he said, ‘religion is for man and not man for religion.’

Another account of healing by Jesus on Sabbath is in Mark 3: 1-6, challenging the useless practices of his time.

Pharisees, the religious class of his day, accused him of hanging out with destitute and dirty people and even labelled him as a ‘friend of sinners’.

Jesus didn’t mind such allegations and rather challenged the rules which were not for the people, no one in Brahminism has ever done that. No one in Brahminism has ever cared to work for destitute.

While Jesus ate and dwelled among prostitutes to poor to needy, rejecting the idea of purity and impurity, Brahminism’s practices or rules prohibit that. One can’t find a single so-called leader from Brahmins who has defied the rules of purity and impurity by eating, living and working for the so-called lower castes.

Brahmins closed doors to untouchables and in a way gave birth to the whole caste system as noted by Dr Ambedkar – “some closed the door, others found it closed against them”, in Mark 2:17, Jesus says, “It is not healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

No Brahmin religious leader has ever come close to such preachings, forget about to find anyone approaching and living with disadvantaged. The whole motive of Brahmins has always been how to maintain their hegemony over others, no matter if they have to devise foolish practices and write a few more religious crap.

On the other hand, Luke 4:18 notes

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.”

Jesus’ Anger Against Injustice

Communities which have suffered injustice in the hands of so-called rulers know how angry they are for the treatment they get. Dalits are angry at the caste system. The whole Brahminical system is devised just to benefit a few castes. There is hardly any change of heart from the Brahminical system from the last thousands of years.

Jesus became angry when he saw injustice.

Mark 3:4-5 notes,

Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.

He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.

When Jesus saw that religious leaders in Jerusalem temple had started making money by selling tickets of heaven, he became angry, overturned the tables and literally chased them out.

Matthew 21: 12-13 notes,

Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”

Jesus spoke against the monopoly of the priestly class in religious matters. He attacked the money business in the name of God. On the other hand, in the history of Brahminism, Brahmins have been making billions of rupees in the name of God. Brahmins are sitting in temples and begging for money for ages. God for Brahmins has become a good business. An illiterate son of Brahmin can become a priest of any temple he likes but an educated son of Dalit can’t. This monopoly of Brahmins on temples hasn’t been challenged by any religious leader.

Jesus – The Traditions Breaker

Jesus defied the traditions of his time.

Matthew 15: 1-2 notes,

Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”

Jesus replies in Matthew 15: 6-9

…you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:

“‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’”

Jesus breaks the social norms and traditions by eating and drinking food offered by ‘sinners’ and ‘outcasts’. He doesn’t ban anyone from access to God. On the other hand, Brahmins have written books after books to keep caste practices and traditions intact – traditions such as only Brahmin can become a priest, Brahmin caste is pure and Dalits are prohibited to access many temples. They have devised the whole Brahminical system to maintain the caste practices from not allowing untouchables to read and ban on mingling with them.

Brahmins still don’t eat at Dalits’ places (of course unless there are elections coming and then Brahmins will hoard to eat at Dalits’ places but even then they take care that food and water are brought from some good restaurants), separate cup and plates are kept in Brahmins’ homes to serve so-called lower castes, and there are separate canteens to serve different caste groups. Jesus, on the other hand, advised his followers to invite destitute while dining.

“But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” [Luke 14:13-14]

Final Words

Jesus’s idea of religion is totally different from the Brahmins’ idea of religion. As one can see from the above discussion that Jesus rejects the idea of purity-impurity, for him religion is taking care of those who need help, accepting outcasts of the society, standing with the oppressed, and he preaches love. Such ideas of equality are missing from the Brahminical religious books. It is no wonder that Hindutva forces try to suppress the ideology of Jesus and Christianity.

I wonder whether Jesus would have met the same end – nailed on the cross – had he been born in Brahminical India? I believe so. What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

Author – Pardeep Attri