Yeah, those guys were from IITs (Indian institutes of technology), probably quite famous for exporting brainy researchers to American grad schools ;)
Its an open secret that the majority of Harvard or even MIT undergrads would flunk an IIT entrance exam ;)
Is that why you're at Texas A&M ?
My point was that Wilburforce was a Christian, and instrumental in ending slavery under the British Crown.
The comment about the Indian students and the British history exam was in the hope that you had similar knowledge of British history to give credit where it was due.
IIT's entrance exam, is perhaps one of the toughest in the world (comparatively harder than even Tsinghua or Univ of Tokyo, which have similar technology based entrance exams). And no wonder, those kids end up occupying top slots in some of world's most prominent corporations.
Yes, that must be why so many students from India come to study in the US...like Texas A&M. :-)
Racism is ubiquitous and multi-faceted, and most of the times not soliciting any religious/moral approval. Afterall, many black africans themselves indulged in blatant racism, even as a state policy. Like when Idi Amin, the former ruler of Uganda, expelled all people of Indian origin out of the country as they didnt fit into his vision of Uganda.. or what is going on currently in Zimbabwe, against white settlers, even though they have nothing to do with any colonialism of the past.
Good PointTM! Most people decrying racism won't admit this.
There sure is.. afterall, southern baptists even claimed that slavery had a biblical sanction.. some supremacist upper caste Hindus claim a similar religious sanction. Of course, they are in a minority.
There are Biblical mentions of slavery: as when St. Paul adjures those Christians who are slaves to respect their masters. On the other hand, he does say "If you can avail yourself of freedom, do so."
And the Old Testament (Judaic law) forbids Israelites from enslaving fellow Jews--it is reserved (in effect) for those conquered during war, or for foreigners who offer themselves up as slaves because they have no other means of subsistence. And even then, the Jews are admonished to treat the slaves fairly and with respect. NOT exactly the stuff of which classical racism is composed.
It shouldnt be, but in practice, it was imposed over indigenous peoples of latin America, polynesia, etc. through brute force and violence. History is testimony to that.
That's odd--there are contemporary accounts of Muslim violence against Hindus and others, even in India; as opposed to (say) Mother Teresa; and yet you single out Christianity as more worthy of blame. Curiouser and curiouser...
Cheers!
I came to Tamu as its got good research oppurtunities, even though I've to pay in order to do research in this school (on account of being a foreigner).
Yes, some britishers were against slavery, but usually exploited natives and esp africans when it suited their interests.. anyway, its evident they did it more because they thought they found monetary benefits from it, not from/against any religious scruples.
Surely, as for christianity, its current practitioners arent as intolerant as Islamic ones.. so, chill.