[James C. Bennett]

Buddhism is deep into karma as well, and that doesn’t seem to have retarded East Asia, or for that matter, as you yourself mentioned in your previous comment, post-Vedic India. South America is largely comprised of Brazil, and the wider region includes Mexico - both being the principle constituents, and doing miserably, if not just as well, as India, in spite of what the earlier commenter referred to as a “faith” advantage. Argentina has had, like many other Catholic-majority nations before it, its share of dictatorships. It’s the Protestant work ethic that separates the experience of the Anglosphere (and this was alluded to by Singapore’s modern architect) and Northern Europe.

I do not think it’s fair to put this accusation over to Hinduism. The Curse of Ham, for example, was used for centuries to defend slavery. Modern India’s most successful entrepreneurs and politicians aren’t really from the privileged classes. In fact, quite the opposite.

That aside, I am hoping you’d reply to #35 and the link in my previous comment. I am particularly interested in knowing how you would defend against the arguments.

Thanks in advance!

[Cronos]

I already replied to #35 and pointed out the difference between Samuel and the Bhagavad Gita -- the Gita is meant to be and is taken as a philosophical tract indicating the path to be followed. This is analogous to the Sermon on the Mount. Samuel in that verse is largely historical. This is different.

Buddhism hampered East Asia -- China too stagnated under the Ming and was overtaken by the Jurchen (Manchu), and they too stagnated. China also -- you must remember is a mixture of Buddhist and Confucian philosophies and both emphasise staticness. China lagged behind from the 15th century to the 19th as the Mandarin "caste" became entrenched.

South America is largely composed of Brazil and Brazil is largely composed of the Amazon, with it's diverse cultures and religions. As I pointed out, Chile and Argentina are pretty large too -- check them out on a map. Both are also pretty diverse religiously among the ethnic groups (Mexico in the Chiapas and Tabasco and Brazil in Amazonia).

The Protestant work-ethic is a myth -- or else how do you explain Belgium and France? What made the difference was that Northern Europe benefitted from a mixture of the Industrial Revolution, contact with the Atlantic and focus on nationalism rather than a wider expanse.

You keep neglecting my point which is that Hinduism with it's idea of karma and devotion to the inner-self leads to contentedness and spirituality as the positives and to stagnation and a dirty "outside" as negatives. Hindu philosophy would say "forget about the cleanliness of the streets, focus on yourself and your house and mind and soul", it has it's +s and -s.

[Cronos]

The curse of Ham was used from the 16th to th 18th centuries only -- prior to that, the Muslim world had slaves from Europe and India. Slavery of blacks by Europeans is comparatively recent.

What accusation are you saying I'm making?

[Cronos]

I never said that 1 Sam is a war-record — I said, and I repeat “that is not a philosophical injunct, rather a historical statement of what happened.” —> this differs substantially from the Gita which is a philosophical tract. I granted you that it could be read as an allegory against evil. Completely different from Samuel which is not read as a philosophical tract.