In the Bhagavad Gita, the most revered of Hindu texts, calls for selfless action, as each person is expected to do their duty according to their station.  Implicit in this is the acceptance of the basic caste structure of Indian society, particularly in those ancient times.  The main castes, Varnas, divided people into Brahmins (priests and teachers), Kshatriyas (rulers and warriors), Vaishyas (farmers and merchants) and Shudras (menial labourers).  In the Gita, Krishna representing the godhead, counsels Prince Arjuna to fulfil his Kshatriya duty, which in this particular case, is to continue pursuing a war.

On the other hand, in the vast Hindu sacred texts there are verses promoting equality. 

But some are presented out of context.  In the Gita, Chapter 5 verse 18 “The truly learned, with the eyes of divine knowledge, see with equal vision a Brahmin, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and a dog-eater�.  Some claim this means all animals (or sentient beings, not just humans) are seen as equal.  But in the context of Chapter 5 it really means the wise person is so detached from the world of classifications that these categories become meaningless.  And Chapter 5 emphasizes that we must do our duty and not be attached to the outcomes: there is no implication in the text that we should do things for people and hope for a good outcome.  In fact it is the very opposite: the outcomes are in the hands of God.

In the Christian Bible, there are many verses saying that all people are equal before God, in the sense that God made them all, and all have sinned.  These are not dimensions of equality that we choose to support. Many verses also say God will judge us all impartially, but don't implore us to do the same with each other.  This seems to be the context of e.g. Galatians 3:28: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus�.  This suggests people are equal before God but also allows for differences in the roles God allows.  Women and men are equal, but in the Bible they have different roles, and in the modern Catholic Church women cannot become priests. 

Jesus (like Saint Paul) knows that many people are slaves, but says not a single bad word about slavery.  The Ten Commandments cover lying, stealing, adultery, murder, coveting (lusting after), and even honouring your parents, but doesn’t say ‘Thou shalt not have slaves, for slavery is an abomination before the Lord’.

On the other hand, there are some passages in St Paul’s letters that seem to mandate treating people as equals.  James 2:1-4 “My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favouritism.  Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in.  If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,â€� but say to the poor man, “You stand thereâ€� or “Sit on the floor by my feet,â€�  have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?â€� 

See also Acts 10:28 “. . . God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean�. 

The French writer Jean-Jacques Rousseau writing in the 1750s and 1760s claimed all men are born equal and free.  But he thought ‘virtues’ make them different!

In 1776 the American Thomas Jefferson wrote the famous sentence in the USA’s Declaration of Independence: “All men are created equal�.

The German philosopher Immanuel Kant, writing in the 1780s, argued that we ought to treat all human beings as ‘ends in themselves’ – as free, rational beings equally worthy of dignity and respect, not to be used for someone else’s purposes.

1.5.9.10 Although traditional religions adherents often interpret sacred texts to mean that people should be treated equally, often the actual texts refer to specific dimensions, such as all being created by God(s) or judged equally by God(s). 

             Often other sacred texts reinforce inequality, accepting slavery and caste divisions.  A select few verses from sacred texts support human equality explicitly and clearly.

             In philosophical and political writings the kinds of equality we choose to support are not much addressed in ancient or medieval texts but become more and more common in the modern era.    more (later)