The Complexities of Hinduism

787 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Note on the importance of Jesus Christ

The religion of Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world. The many aspects of Hinduism present a complex religion. However complex and intellectual this religion seems, the over whelming branches and diversities of Hinduism pose problems for the Hindu worldview. The history, nature of the world, practical outcomes, and superiority of Christianity display the challenges that Hinduism presents. From Hinduism’s pantheon of gods to its dysfunctional caste system, this religion has wreaked havoc upon its followers spiritually and physically.
The historical background of Hinduism is shrouded in mist just like their ultimate reality. Having no concrete founder, Hinduism’s origins seem to “emerge from the jungle.” Hinduism is the only religion that cannot provide sufficient evidence of its birth (Apologetics Press). Unlike Christianity, the Hindu’s do not posses one creation myth. Starting with the tale of Indra, “the maker of all,” the creation myths slowly morph into the fantastic tale of Brahma, the four-mouthed god that sprang from a lotus flower (Apologetics Press).Many facets of Hinduism coincide with Christian elements. In the early stages of Hinduism, monotheism was presented as the first creation myth. Even as God allowed Noah and his family to live, Manu was the Hindu survivor after a terrible flood swept over the earth. But when you mix mysterious origins and an inconsistent ultimate reality, the result is Hinduism (Apologetics Press).
The nature of the world for Hindus is full of separation, pessimism, and spiritual chaos. The quality of individuals is decided by the one Supreme Lord. Social classes were also predestined by the supreme Lord (Chang 183). Embracing certain aspects of other religions, Hinduism has b...

... middle of paper ...

...followers, but its complexities contradict, its outcomes do not benefit, and its view of the natural world is full of pessimism. As a pagan culture, Hindus must be reached by the redeeming message of the gospel. Even if the religion poses problems for the Hindu culture, God has called Christians to spread the gospel to other cultures. In the war of evangelism, Christians must preach the simple message of the gospel to contradict the complicated message of Hinduism.

Works Cited

Chang, Lit-Sen. Asia’s Religions: Christianity’s Momentous Encounter with Paganism.
Vancouver: Horizon Ministries Canada, 1999. Print.
V, Jayaram. HinduWebsite. 2013. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.
Bass, Alden. An Investigation of Hindu Scripture. Montgomery: Apologetics Press, 2004. Print.
Bass, Alden. Apologetics Press. 2004. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.
A Tribute to Hinduism. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.

Show More
Related

  • Hinduism: The Question Of Morality And Origin Of Hinduism

    553 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Question of Origin: Hinduism believes everything has been in existence and is a part of numerous gods. In (Foundation of Indian Psychology Vol.2 Pg.116) the text Hinduism is a treasury of spiritual laws discovered by different people in different times of life. Over the centuries the Hindus beliefs are not literally interpreted by the scriptures and there ethics are derived from them.

    Read More

  • Hinduism and Christianity

    1059 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hinduism and Christianity are two religions that have been around for thousands of years. Both of these religions have developed many philosophies on different aspects that can be compared to show their similarities and differences. The Hindu and Christian religion agree on many things. Based on humanity, our society follows some of the rules also because of the religion and laws. From the holy literature, there have been many different concepts that have been pledged but they all are supposed to lead you to the same effects such as a happy, healthy life, contribution to the world around us humans, and some kind of freedom after death. Some of the main subjects that can be reflected upon after learning of the history and fundamentals of these religions are the paths to enlightenment and/or salvation, the style of treating women through religions aspects, and the afterlife. This paper will give an analytic comparison of these two religions relating to the topics.

    Read More

  • How To Visit The Hindu Mandir?

    724 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hinduism is made of many different religions and does not have one origin or single founder. The religion of Hinduism is very old, “300-100 B.C.E.--- The first trace of temple worship. Hindu people worship at the shrine, where Hindus make offerings to a murti. A murti is a statue of a god or goddess” (McMillan). In addition, other religions are based off Hinduism, “5000-10000 B.C.---Hinduism can be traced back to 5000-10000 B.C. Hinduism is a very old religion, many religions are based off of Hinduism, like Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism” (McMillan).

    Read More

  • The Seven Dimensions Of Religion

    913 Words  | 2 Pages

    I will now examine what it means to be religious with a critical enquiry into Buddhism, Hinduism and

    Read More

  • The Traditional Hindu Caste System

    1334 Words  | 3 Pages

    The traditional Hindu caste system remains one of the most controversial and debatable topics in the study of Hindu culture. The Hindu caste system describes the system of social stratification and social restrictions in which social classes are defined by specific hereditary groups. This caste system impacts much of Hindu history, society and culture to a level unknown anywhere else. However, the most apparent problem with this system is that under its strict rigidity, the lower castes were prevented from endeavoring to climb higher, and as such, economic progress was limited. It’s my assertion that a rigid system of structural inequality maintained through strict enforcement and social exclusion, is incompatible with a religion which claims to promote inclusion, peace and unity.

    Read More

  • Comparing the Religions of Christianity and Hinduism

    2515 Words  | 6 Pages

    Hinduism and Christianity are two religions that have been around for thousands of years. These religions have developed philosophies on certain subjects that can be compared in order to show their similarities and differences. Some of the main subjects that can be reflected upon are the paths to enlightenment or salvation, the religions' treatment of women, and the concept of the afterlife. This paper will give an analytic comparison of these religions through the discussion of these topics.

    Read More

  • Death And Death In Hinduism

    1481 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hinduism is unlike many other religions in that it does not have a single founder or text, but is more like an umbrella in ways of life. In death and life for the Hindu, “The ultimate goal of the soul is liberation from the wheel of rebirth, through reabsorption into our identity with the Oversoul (Brahma)-- the essence of the universe, immaterial, uncreated, limitless, and timeless” (Leming & Dickinson, 2011, p. 134).

    Read More

  • World Renunciation in Indian Religious Traditions

    2216 Words  | 5 Pages

    World renunciation is a major theme in Indian civilization, seen by the fact that all major Indic Religions deal with it in one way or another. The ancient Vedic texts laid out a cosmic and social hierarchy – a conception of ‘the world’ – and taught people how to act in accordance with their varna in a way that kept the world in harmony and kept the gods appeased. In the 6th century BCE, world renunciation emerged as a component of religious teachings that would become the heterodox traditions, the two most long-lasting of which are Buddhism and Jainism. Hinduism, which coalesced about a millennium later, included concepts of world-renunciation in the Varnashrama Dharma and other texts, but its best known treatise on world-renunciation is the Bhagavad-Gita. Within the umbrella of Hinduism, the Saiva and Vaisnava sectarian traditions provide distinct ideas of world renunciation, through modeling Siva’s asceticism or through acting in devotion to Krsna and Rama.

    Read More

  • Hinduism, Tolerance, and Individuality

    1686 Words  | 4 Pages

    Hinduism is often viewed as a particularly tolerant religion. The lack of a single omniscient God, absence of a prophet, and the open worship of what may look like many Gods may tell a tale of open worship, individuality within religion, and a peaceful, tolerant way of life. Without further examining what Hinduism entails, this may seem like the perfect religion. When the impression of superiority is looked at with a little skepticism, the pretty picture is marred by the deep scratches of discrimination, sexism, and elitism.

    Read More

  • Hindu Religious Traditions

    919 Words  | 2 Pages

    Most people in the world derive their religious beliefs and traditions from their parents and peer influences. From a religious point of view, “There are many definitions for the term ‘religion’ in common usage. [Broadly defined], in order to include the greatest number of belief systems: ‘Religion is any specific system of belief about deity, often involving rituals, a code of ethics, and a philosophy of life’” (Robinson, 1996). However, in examining Hinduism, it is difficult to label the practices as a religion. This paper will expound upon the Hindu traditions, taking into account the characteristics of sacred elements, their meaning, and significance.

    Read More

  • A comparison of Marriage Practices Between American and Indian Culture

    947 Words  | 2 Pages

    This book helps greatly in a true understanding of the Hindu social psychology and institutions. It is a comprehensive, systematic and integrated exposition of a very difficult subject.

    Read More

  • A Reflection upon Creation: Hinduism and Buddhism

    1129 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hinduism has been a religion for a long time, the Buddha was a Hindu before seeing how terrible the world was, he then found the religion Buddhism. Since the creator of Buddhism was Hinduism as a child, it is only expected for the two religions to be similar. While the two religions are similar they are also quite different as seen by their creation stories. The creation stories are these religions way of explaining how the world started. With most religions the creation story gives the most basic beliefs of the religion as this is where their religion supposedly starts its life. The two stories this paper focuses on is no different, and since they technically have the same origin, it can be obvious as to how they would be similar. However, in the case of the idea of social order and moral decline, they can be different too.

    Read More

  • Liberation Thought and Bhakti-yoga

    1089 Words  | 3 Pages

    Fort, Andrew O, and Patricia Y Mumme. Living Liberation in Hindu Thought. Albany, NY: State Univerasity of New York Press, 1996.

    Read More

  • Religion: The Essentials Of Religion In The World

    1943 Words  | 4 Pages

    To understand the importance a sacred worship, beliefs rituals, customs, etc. we have to look at history and culture. It is impossible to engulf the history of religion in this paper, however I am purposeful to include similarities and differences in the way religion is practiced and lived. How religion and sacred rituals impact our world and culture today. To better understand the essentials of religion, I find it necessary to define religion by highlighting key rituals, practices, traditions, and beliefs of the Buddhist and Islamic faith in conjunction with my own.

    Read More

  • Hindu Mythology

    1002 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hindu mythology has been around for ages; it is the world’s oldest surviving religion. Hinduism was formed through diverse traditions in the year 2,000 B.C.E. There is no single person that gets the credit of developing Hindu Mythology because one person did not create it. Hinduism was originated in India, where it is the most practiced now. Hinduism has over a billion followers and about two-thirds of those people are in India. There are many temples open to worship gods and goddesses. “The needs of the gods would be met by the worshipers who have to prepare themselves through purification rites to draw near to their god” (Organ,193) Hinduism is not only the oldest religion but one of the biggest, with Islam then Christianity being above it.

    Read More

More about The Complexities of Hinduism

Open Document