------------------------------------------------------------------------ Remembering Aquino Braganca (b. 6 April 1924), who fought for freedom of the former Portuguese colonies in Africa. An online tribute http://aquinobraganca.wordpress.com/ (includes many historical references, some photographs and documents)
------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Sun, 5 Apr 2009 22:36:29 -0400 From: Venantius Pinto <venantius.pi...@gmail.com> Please provide text by Gandhi refuting what two Christians have said--Antonio Menezes and me. Do please provide. I would appreciate knowing what Gandhi said. I am willing to be proved wrong and regard my "What knowledge?" as faulty. Mario responds: Here is what Antonio Menezes derisively wrote, "To the best of my knowledge he did not utter a single word agains the perpetrators of the worst kind of social discrimination. I suppose for a bania to criticize brahmins would be agains his dharmic duty. There you are sub-continental hypocrisy for you." Here is what you said, "Excuse the segway on my part, considering that Porbunder man has made an entry--", and, "I agree with Antonio Menezes' point, "To the best of my knowledge he did not utter a single word against the perpetrators of the worst kind of social discrimination." Perhaps as a lawyer he may have sold it to his colleagues as some essential strategy. To begin with, Antonio, to his credit, did address the subject of racism in the Catholic church before he wandered off into the Hindu community, for no apparent reason. I chose not to excuse the segway by yourself because it continued Antonio's attempt to switch the discussion to Hindus, which deflected attention from the important discussion in this thread. Secondly, perhaps words speak louder than actions for Antonio and yourself, but, for me, actions speak louder than words. Thus, this is what impressed me more than anything Gandhi may have said, "In September 1932, while in jail, Gandhi undertook a “fast unto death” to improve the status of the Hindu Untouchables." This is simply a fact. Though Frederick, too, has published quotes that sound like Gandhi had no problem with the caste system, Gandhi was clearly opposed to the unjust social and economic aspects of the caste system, the brunt of which fell on the Harijans. Venantius wrote: Its is also very interesting to hear you say, "Once again, I see some Christians trying to deflect attention from racism in the Catholic Church, the subject of this thread, to some other person's alleged transgressions - as if two wrongs make a right, even if true." It is stupefying to be accused of deflecting "attention from racism in the Catholic Church." Mario responds: Perhaps you would be less stupefied if you understood that this thread was about racism in the Catholic church, not racism in the Hindu religion or revisionist spin about Gandhi's approach to the caste system. Unlike Antonio, you did not say a word about the topic of the thread. Venantius wrote: Are you for real that you accused me? Have you read what I have written in the past. Mario responds: Though my memory is prodigious, I don't commit to memory every word written on Goanet. Thus, I was responding to what had been written in this thread alone, not what you have written in the past. All I accused you of was changing an important discussion into another issue with no relevence to the primary issue. Thus, I correctly described what you called a segway as a deflection. If you had initiated a thread with the subject, "Mahatma Gandhi was a casteist scoundrel" I would not have been able to make the accusation of deflection. Venantius wrote: And I have the ability to talk directly with the Church and do. But all this is only to help you see things and where people like me stand on certain issues -- since this is a very base accusation. Mario responds: Again, I was responding specifically to what was written in this thread, which, I am forced to remind you again, was about racism in the Catholic Church, not your segway into Hinduism or revisionist spin about "the man from Porbandar". BTW, getting back to the subject, what do you have to say about racism in the Catholic church?