Jesus taught that each individual had inherent value – there were loved by God and worthy of love and consideration from other people. The teaching of Jesus, Paul the Apostle and Augustine (322-384 AD) soon after, shifted the focus from people being viewed only as members of families, castes, cities or communities, to being individuals of worth. This became the central plank of western thought and the foundation on which modern democracies were built. The shift to the focus on the individual and hence the foundation of modern western thought is directly attributable to the teachings of Jesus.
“The case for human equality rests on the idea that God created all people in his image, male and female, that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. So a Brahmin, an upper caste Hindu is not closer to God because of this birth. He is as far away from God as an untouchable person.”
Vishal Mangalwadi.