Of cults and comparative religion

Can the Hindu and the Jew (Hindus And Jews Call For Change In Blasphemy Laws, October 19) assure us that in the countries in which their two religions are indigenous, the teaching of comparative religion is enforced by the government in both primary and secondary schools?

Besides, do they agree that according to the manner in which the word is banded about nowadays both of their religions are "racist"? For in both one and the other a genuine member has to be born in that religion.

Besides, the Hindu should know that the caste system in Hinduism is of the essence of that faith and not merely a social custom. Hence in spite of the government abolishing the caste system, as far as belief is concerned this is ineffective. Dalits are not allowed to enter Hindu temples nor can they intermarry with the higher castes.

They also find objection to the word "cult" as used in the Maltese Criminal Code of 1933. When interpreting a word in the law one has to take into account what the legislator meant by that word when it was used.

Now according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary the meaning of "cult" is given as follows:

1: Formal religious veneration: worship

2: A system of religious beliefs and ritual; also: its body of adherents

3: A religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also: its body of adherents

4: A system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator (health cults)

5: A great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (as a film or book); especially: Such devotion regarded as a literary or intellectual fad b: The object of such devotion c: A usually small group of people characterised by such devotion.

They should have no objection to the use of numbers 1 or 2 and "unorthodox" in number 3 describes all others in contrast to what the legislator believes about the Catholic faith.

Numbers 4 and 5 were certainly not in the mind of the legislator.

This means, therefore, that "cult" here is not used in any derogatory or depreciative sense but merely as a generic term in distinguishing all others from the Catholic faith.

If the Jew were to reflect a little, he should be aware that the Catholic faith accepts all of the Torah and many liturgical readings are taken from it, therefore, it is not acceptable to speak of the Jewish religion in any derogatory or depreciative sense.

Unfortunately, although both of them come from Nevada, their remarks are not "cool".