Dear London Swaminathan,
From one angle you are broad minded indeed. But from an other angle you are diametrically opposite.
It is futile indeed to discuss whether Jesus is a Brahmin or not. Poor Brahmins!!! Brahmins are desperately seeking someone to give their caste a value. It is Jesus today. It may be Mohammed tomorrow and Buddha, Mahavira etc in forthcoming days. True, no one will ever reach a consensus on this until the Brahmin's search for someone to add value ceases.
You also need to understand, following Jesus is not about drinking wine and eating meat. I read in the Bible, where Paul the Apostle of Jesus exhorts like this "The Kindgdom of heaven is not in eating and drinking but in Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost". Merely because the Europeans eat meat and drink wine, you cannot jump to the conclusion that Jesus taught His disciples so. Brahmins don't perform Sandhyavandhanam nowadays. Especially for Brahmin youth (barring a miniscule) who were born during the 70s and after, their only aim is to go to America, earn wealth even if it involves compromising on so-called brahmin values and virtues. Does that mean the 3 Acharyas, Sankara, Madhwa and Ramanuja, commanded and taught their disciples to throw away in the air all virtues and values!!!! The problem with many of us is, whatever the westerners practice, we conclude it is representative of Jesus. Sadly it is not true. Please learn to separate Jesus from Christianity, a religion founded by the Europeans to suit their comforts dragging the name of Jesus.
I am an Iyer. Mandated by family values, tradition, custom and culture, I had to learn Sanskrit, Vedas, Bagwad Gita etc. Does that forbid me from reading the other scriptures. I have read the Bible as diligently as I have the Gita. I listen to Sermons by Evangelists as enthusiastically as I listened to Chinmayananda. Yet I am a Vegetarian more by choice than by birth. What one eats is decided on discretion than on descent.
Trust some saner counsel would prevail prior to committing some hasty remarks.
Shared in Phileo (brotherly love)
Iyer