2nd Reading Response

Ch. 5 Question 1
"Religions are fundamentally alike."  Does the material in this chapter support or undermine this idea?

I feel that the idea that all religions are fundamentally alike to be true and supported by this chapter.  The foundation for all religions is the need individuals have to believe in a higher being.  Whether it is just one God or many Gods people are always searching for something to believe in, something that they feel is in control.  Judaism believes in the all mighty Yahweh as the sole god who created Earth and all living things, while in Hinduism they have many Gods.  The same goes for Christianity and their belief in the one God.  In each of these dominant religions their followers believe that their God or Gods are there to help them achieve peace, and guide them to a fulfilled life.  Even though Buddhism didn't originally start out with a God figure Buddha eventually became their God essentially because their people needed something greater then themselves to believe in.  Another thing that was discussed in this chapter was that in each of these religions the key element that they want their believers to practice is Love.  Love of others, love of themselves, and love of the world.  None of the original works for any of the religions discussed in this chapter contain any messages of hate, or the need to harm others.  They are about harmony and being able to coexist with one another and accept everyone for what they are.  Unfortunately as time as gone by these original beliefs have been overshadowed by the negativity that the modern world projects on those that are strong believers in certain religions.

Ch. 6 Question 1
What is the difference between class and caste?

Based on this chapter and how it describes class and caste systems I feel that there is a clear distinction between the two.
 Class is a system that exists in every culture whether it is classical or modern.  Class systems are based on a persons job and how much money they make.  Class systems allow for an individual to move up or down the levels depending on how successful they are in work and education.  If someone for instance is in the Classical Chinese culture, you can be born into a poor family, but they allow for you to still become political officials if you are able to pass the proper examinations. 
Caste systems are not existent in every culture in fact in modern times caste systems have become very limited around the world, the only caste system I am aware that still exists today is the one in place in India in Hindu run countries and cities.  Castes are something that you are born into and it is nearly impossible to move out of your caste system.  The only way to move up from a lower caste is by marriage or in reincarnation.  The trick to the marriage is that you have to find someone who is willing to marry below their caste level which very seldom happens.  With reincarnation you have to live a full life and prove that you are worthy to be reborn into a higher class level. 
As you can see there is a very clear distinction between class and caste, and I am thankful to say that I live in a country where caste systems do not exist.  That being said I can only hope that class systems in American culture will become less extreme, but I won't hold my breathe for that to happen in my lifetime.