Indian 'Untouchables' convert to Buddhism to protest discrimination.

[Arrian]

Originally posted by Sikander


That kind of reminds me of a story. Back in the 1970s some friends of mine had a restaurant. It had been white-only, but as civil rights lawsuits and such were becoming common my friends decided to serve all customers regardless of race. This went fine for a few years, but then one day they had trouble with a negro customer and decided to unofficially do everything could to discourage negroes from patronizing their business. I mean who could blame them, you try to give the negro a chance and a few years later one of them gives you trouble.

[Elok]

Originally posted by Comrade Tassadar
Why can't you just accept that Hinduism and the caste system are twin oppressions upon the lower classes? Why can't you celebrate their conversion to a more tolerant and loving religion (ie Buddhism)?

5/10. Aneeshm really is a bit too easy of a target for trolls, but this was pretty good all the same.

[LordShiva]

Originally posted by aneeshm
You seriously underestimate the intelligence of the Gujarat government if you think that they're dumb enough to fall into a fallacy which we could point out in two minutes .

OK, then tell me why a law against conversions is a good idea.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Sikander


And kind of like those who say that only whites can be racists usually aren't white (but are racists).

Well at least I admit, and even assert, that you dont have to be a gentile to be an antisemite

[Bosh]

This law is open to rampant abuse . One of my friends runs an agency where they provide nurses to senior citizens . They had no caste prejudices . They did not care about the caste of the nurses they employed . But one day , some nurse falsely accused them of using a caste-based word ( which is a punishable offense ) . That person started creating a fuss outside their house . The police had to be called in to restrain that person . Since that experience , they've stopped employing lower castes . They cannot afford to deal with troublemakers like this , and they have heard horror stories of other people who had to deal with the same things they had to . Is what they did wrong ?

So because of one idiot they instituted a system of illegal discrimination? How very noble of them.

[Geronimo]

If someone wants to "convert" to agnostism do they have to do anything? does it effect how they are "counted"? What if they join some bizzare cult that doesn't fit any of the established categories? Is there some kind of "miscellaneous" or "none of the above" category of religion people register in?

[aneeshm]

Originally posted by Sikander


That kind of reminds me of a story. Back in the 1970s some friends of mine had a restaurant. It had been white-only, but as civil rights lawsuits and such were becoming common my friends decided to serve all customers regardless of race. This went fine for a few years, but then one day they had trouble with a negro customer and decided to unofficially do everything could to discourage negroes from patronizing their business. I mean who could blame them, you try to give the negro a chance and a few years later one of them gives you trouble.

First of all - the example is flawed . We're talking about employees here . And since the very beginning , they did not discriminate ( whereas in your example , there is an implied bias since the start ) .

Secondly - the people I'm talking about cannot afford , both in terms of time and money , to get dragged into a lawsuit which some lower caste looking for quick money drags them into . One bad experience was enough to turn compel them to stop inviting trouble .

Let me put it this way - what would you have done if you were in their position ?

[aneeshm]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison


What?

It's true . Those percentages I posted are roughly correct ( + or - 5 ) . To pander to Muslim voters , the state subsidises their pilgrimage to Mecca and their Madarsas .

[aneeshm]

Originally posted by Bosh

So because of one idiot they instituted a system of illegal discrimination? How very noble of them.

They were compelled , as I said , to do so . That one idiot , if that thing had turned to something more serious , could have cost them years of litigation and even could have got them unfairly jailed ( if a lower caste person says that you used a caste-denoting name for him , you can be jailed - and no corraborating witnesses are needed , just the word of that person is enough to land you behind bars ) !

They're a small business , and can't afford to deal with problems other such idiots might cause . What would you do in their position ? Do the "noble" thing and get jailed for nothing , after suffering through years of litigation , the next time ? Or do the practical thing and just get on with your business and your life ?

[aneeshm]

Originally posted by LordShiva


OK, then tell me why a law against conversions is a good idea.

The law is not against conversion per se , it is meant to prevent or deter conversions achieved through force or fraud .