Is Manu Smriti just about Bramhin Previlage?

Question

An Anti Hindu from this website 1 lists problems with Manu Smriti

• Brahmins teach that God created them from his mouth to glorify them and created some other castes from his feet to let them serve the Brahmins Laws of Manu Chapter 1
• Brahmins urge simple people to donate and offer generous gifts to the Brahmins claiming that people will get hundred-thousand-fold rewards – Laws of Manu Chapter 7
• An offering to Brahmins saves from misfortune and from great guilt. – Laws of Manu Chapter 3
• Brahmin sanctifies any company (which he may enter), seven ancestors and seven descendants, and he alone deserves (to possess) this whole earth – Laws of Manu Chapter 1
• Chapter 7 teaches that Kings should honor Brahmins, should be lenient towards Brahmins, and should consult them in important decisions and should always obey them
• Hindu priests teach that money given to Brahmins is declared to be an imperishable treasure for kings
• Chapter 8 teaches that Brahmins are the masters of everything and authorizes Brahmins to decide in justice and law matters
• Chapter 9 provides exceptional inheritance rights to Brahmins
• Chapter 11 entitles Brahmins to take the law into their own hands and settle the disputes without referring to law and justice system of other castes
• Brahmin is the image of God and is the master of all castes – Laws of Manu Chapter 2 and 10 Is all this true ? Are there any valid refutations to his points??

Answer 1

I would try to write a refutation of this article point by point in best way I can

Brahmins teach that God created them from his mouth to glorify them and created some other castes from his feet to let them serve the Brahmins Laws of Manu Chapter 1

Reply : Purusha Sukta is Symbolic and taking literal meaning will be foolish. It can be read here 1

Brahmins urge simple people to donate and offer generous gifts to the Brahmins

Gifts are given to a Bramhana surely but he had also to donate them and lead an occupation earning minimum wealth.

1. Except during a time of adversity, a Brahmhana ought to sustain himself by following a livelihood that causes little or no harm to creatures. He should gather wealth just sufficient for his subsistence through irreproachable activities that are specific to him, without fatiguing his body. (Manu 4.2–4.3)
2. He must never follow a worldly occupation for the sake of livelihood, but subsist by means of a pure, upright and honest livelihood proper to a Brahmin. One who seeks happiness should become supremely content and self controlled, for happiness is rooted in contentment and its opposite is the root of unhappiness. (Manu 4.11–4.12)
3. If the twice-born person,who is without austerities and does not study the Veda, seeks for gifts, he sinks along with him into water; just like one who sinks along with the stone-raft(Manu 4.190)

An offering to Brahmins saves from misfortune and from great guilt. – Laws of Manu Chapter 3

Hardly- Only Dharma saves one ultimately in life.

• Morality (Justice) is the only friend who follows one even after death; everything else perishes along with the body (Manu 8.17)

Brahmin sanctifies any company (which he may enter), seven ancestors and seven descendants, and he alone deserves (to possess) this whole earth – Laws of Manu Chapter 1

Bramhin means one who knows Brahman. Obviously its symbolic when it says he deserves whole Earth.

Chapter 7 teaches that Kings should honor Brahmins, should be lenient towards Brahmins, and should consult them in important decisions and should always obey them

Yes Indeed because they know Dharma very well.

Hindu priests teach that money given to Brahmins is declared to be an imperishable treasure for kings

Earning money from Priest profession is condemned by Shastras : The following five types of Brahmanas are considered to be outcastes : Those who call out the names of accuser, defendant and witnesses in court, who worship gods in temple by taking salary, who make a living by using astrology, who do the functions of a priest of villages and who travel over ‘seas’(MB Shanti 76,Shl 1–6)

Chapter 9 provides exceptional inheritance rights to Brahmins

It even lays most strict rules for them which can be read here : 2