[lbo-talk] Religious joke

[Lance Murdoch]

Something many people don't realize is that the Hindu religion teaches if
one follows Hindu spiritual laws, such as the ones protecting the highest
caste, the Brahmin, they will have good karma and be born into a higher
caste "in the next life".  If one does not obey these rules, one is born
into a lower caste, and if one is on the low end of the scale already, one
can be reborn as a cow.  Thus reincarnation is a method to keep people in
their place by making them obey the rules, such as don't touch or harm a
Brahmin, or they will suffer in their next life.  It even tells people why
they have their lowly status - because they were "bad" in a past life.  
If they obey all the rules, they will move up in caste in the next life -
social advancement, unnecessary during life since it happens in death.  
The concept of reincarnation and karma is, of course, very tied into
maintaing the class (caste) system.

-- Lance

On Thu, 4 Sep 2003, joanna bujes wrote:


> My favorite mystic telling a joke:
> 
> " The other day I saw a cartoon in a magazine, " he recounted to the 
> audience. "It's in New York City, at a busy intersection in Times 
> Square. There are two dogs sitting by the curbside, watching the people 
> hurrying by, always busy and in a rush. And one dog says to the other, 
> 'you know, reincarnation gives me the creeps.' "
> __________________
> Joanna