[Advaita-l] The 'Snake-and-ladder' game - The Spiritual path

[Kalyan]

//Once again an example of why a lack of tradition doesn't free the 
intellect but only makes it dumber.  This canard about the molten lead has 
been recycled by pretend-clever people for over a century now and it does 
not make you look very good to repeat it.

There must surely be some archeological evidence (an ear-shaped lead ingot 
for example) if this ever actually happened.  Surely literature would have 
recorded such a memorable event or atleast the oral traditions of the 
oppressed would have remembered it no?  But those things do not exist 
because regardless of what one line in a book of many lines might say, 
such punishments never actually happened.//
This is probably the dumbest defence of scriptures I ever came across. 
It goes to show that too much faith in tradition makes a man not only dumb but also blind to the sufferings of others.
No archeological evidence needs to be found if the shudra's body is cut into pieces or if his tongue is cut.No evidence needs to be found if lac or lead is poured in the ear, for it goes inside and kills the man. There need not be any literary records if this is the norm, rather than the exception.However, people are ignoring the most important point here. Such statements institutionalize violence against an entire community.Only a highly intentionally blind person will disregard all the atrocities that have been perpetrated on shudras in the name of Hinduism for centuries.Now it is my turn to say - Ishwara, who encourages torture of his own people and sanctions the institutionalization of violence against shudras, is unfit to be worshipped.