I Have a Dream speech by Martin Luther King Jr.

Delivered on August 28, 1963, during the March on Washington, it is frequently ranked as the defining political speech of the 20th century. 

12 Rulers Who Converted Their Empires

History is full of powerful rulers who altered the trajectory of their nations by converting to a new faith. When a monarch converted, their subjects—either through top-down edicts, social pressure, or military enforcement—usually followed.

1. Pharaoh Akhenaten (14th Century BC): abolished Egypt's traditional polytheism to enforce the worship of a single sun god, Aten.

2. Ashoka converted India to Buddhism in 250 BC.

3. Constantine converted the Roman Empire to Christianity in 312 AD.

4. Vladimir the Great converted Russia to Orthodox Christianity in 988 AD.

5. Tiridates III converted Armenia to Christianity in the 4th Century.

6. King Ezana of Axum converted Ethiopia from Paganism to Christianity in the 4th Century.

7. Khan Bulan converted Khazaria from Shamanism to Judaism in the 9th Century.

8. King Boris I converted Bulgaria from Slavik Paganism to Christianity in the 9th century.

9. Olaf Tryggvason of Norway and Harald Bluetooth of Denmark converted from Norse paganism to Christianity around the late 10th century.

10. Ghazan Khan converted Persia from Shamanism to Islam in the 13th century.

11. Shah Ismail I converted Iran from Sunni Islam to Shia Islam in the 16th Century.

12. Henry VIII converted England from Catholicism to Anglicanism in 1534.

In the ancient pagan and shamanistic world religious life seems to have been organic and bottom up. But as soon as you have centralized government, religions are top-down. An emperor or king changes religion and has his whole nation do the same. This means people basically just do what they are told. This is true for Egyptian religion, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Judaism. Even many pagan religions were enforced from above with religious rules and edicts such as mandatory participation in animal sacrifices in Greece and Rome. These were government mandated practices. So out modern idea that “the people” come up with their own morality does not conform with reality. They do and think what they are instructed to do and think.

This makes me feel that people will have to have Baba’s teaching ‘taught’ to them by a mandate one day. And rules like being a vegetarian and not torturing being laws. Here is a quote by Baba to this effect about vegetarianism. 

“I have abstained from fish, eggs and meat not for my benefit but to create and impress upon humanity an example which later, when I speak, will become an established law.” (source)

Meher Baba on the Caste System – as absurd as it is tyrannous

Meher Baba strongly condemned the caste system, ritualism, and the religious authority of the Brahmin priest class, viewing them as severe barriers to genuine spiritual progress. Because he emphasized the internal awakening of love over external traditions, he actively disrupted caste restrictions within his ashrams and openly criticized institutionalized priesthoods.

His views on the Brahmin priest caste and the broader caste system can be broken down into three major areas:

1. Rejection of the Caste System

Meher Baba explicitly rejected the concept of caste, calling it both absurd and oppressive. When a few of his adult Brahmin followers expressed distress over his instruction for Brahmin boys and lower-caste ("Untouchable") boys to sit together at his school, Baba rebuked them sternly, stating:

"I have put on this body with a view to destroying the whole fabric of the [caste system], and destroy it I will, despite the opposition of the bigoted Brahmins. The caste system is as absurd as it is tyrannous. It has nothing to do with religion in the true sense of the word."  

Source p. 36

To actively break down these barriers, he required his high-caste Hindu disciples (mandali) to do tasks traditionally reserved for lower castes, such as cleaning latrines and drawing water from the same wells as the Mahars, a practice completely forbidden by orthodox traditions at the time.

2. Criticism of the Priesthood and "Hired Prayers"

Baba did not limit his criticisms to Hindu priests; he criticized professional religious figures across all major traditions—including Christian priests, Zoroastrian dasturs, and Muslim mullas. He viewed the priest class as an impediment to societal and spiritual freedom, explaining that mechanical rituals and hired prayers hold no spiritual weight:

• On Mechanical Rituals: He once noted that the world is filled with "useless babbling" performed in the name of prayer. He stated that for ages, priests have been muttering hired prayers for payment without gaining the slightest spiritual advantage, because the practices lack sincerity.
• On Selfishness: He described the rituals and ceremonies enforced by priests as the "dry husk of the corn," arguing that out of selfishness, priests across all religions create and propagate rigid customs that ultimately cripple true religion.
• On Political/Social Influence: In a discussion about societal independence, he went so far as to forcefully emphasize: "The priest class proves to be an impediment in everything. If you gain independence, do this first: arrest all the purohits, dastoors and mullas... deal with them firmly." 

3. Dealing with Individuals Compassionately

Despite his fierce opposition to the institution of the priesthood and the structure of the caste system, Meher Baba interacted with individual Brahmins with deep patience. He acknowledged that social conditioning runs deep, noting that when dealing with people from different backgrounds—whether a Brahmin or an Untouchable—he adjusted his approach to meet their specific temperaments, slowly helping them rise above their prejudices.

Ultimately, Meher Baba maintained that God does not look at caste or creed, but only at the purity, love, and selflessness within a person's heart.