a comparison of hinduism and christianity

a comparison of hinduism and christianity插图

Ancient practices which appear similar
A comparison between Christianity and Hinduism revealsancient practices which appear similar. In all ancient religions,Hinduism included,we find reparation for sins being done through sacrifices to an enraged God. In Hinduism and Judaism,this sacrifice is an animal sacrifice.

Why Christianity and Hinduism are so much similar?

Both Christianity and Hinduism subscribe to the belief that God (or a part of God) resides within each of us. Christianity describes the phenomenon as the Holy Spirit. The Hindus describe, arguably, the same phenomenon as the Atma. In both religions there is a spiritual link between the indwelling Holy Spirit or Atma and God.

What are the differences between Hinduism and Christianity?

What is the difference between Christianity and Hinduism?Hinduism believes that everything in the world is a part of the Almighty. …Hinduism accepts several ways for salvation,whereas the Bible is the only way to attain salvation according to Christianity.Christianity believes only in the Jesus,whereas Hinduism believes in the existence of several Gods and Goddesses.More items…

Which is real, Hinduism or Christianity?

Hinduism is a continuously evolving religion, not founded by a particular person or prophet and shaped by the collective wisdom of enlightened masters, incarnations and revelations of God accumulated over several millenniums. It is regarded as an eternal religion (sanatana dharma) by its followers. Christianity is founded by Jesus Christ.

How does Christianity is different from Hinduism?

Christianity says that the evil is not created by the God. ? Hinduism accepts several ways for salvation, whereas the Bible is the only way to attain salvation according to Christianity. ? Christianity believes only in the Jesus, whereas Hinduism believes in the existence of several Gods and Goddesses. ? Hinduism is an evolving religion …

What do conservative Christians wear?

Conservative Christians dress modestly; women may wear long skirts or dresses; men may wear dress clothes that do not show the chest, legs, and arms. More moderate or liberal Christians generally reject such clothing restrictions.

What are the names of the Indian subcontinent?

Indian Subcontinent, beginning with the Vedic civilization circa 3000 BC. Names of God . God, Gud, Gott, Deo, Dios. Jehovah, YHWH, Eli Elohim, (depending on language Christians are of every language and culture around the world) Brahman and many other names in other languages. Branches.

What are the goddesses of Hinduism?

Mainly women are considered equal to men and there are many Goddesses in Hinduism. Christmas (celebration of the birth of Jesus), Good Friday (death of Jesus), Sunday (day of rest), Easter (resurrection of Jesus), Lent (Catholicism), saints’ feast days. Diwali, Holi, Ram Navami, Hanuman Jayanti, Ganesh Chaturthi, etc.

What is Christianity?

Christianity broadly consists of individuals who believe in the deity Jesus Christ. Its followers, called Christians, often believe Christ is "the Son" of the Holy Trinity and walked the earth as the incarnate form of God ("the Father"). Devotion to the various gods & goddesses of Hinduism. Day of worship.

What is the goal of religion?

Goal of religion. To love God and obey his commandments while creating a relationship with Jesus Christ and spreading the Gospel so that others may also be saved. To break the cycle of birth, death and reincarnation, and attain salvation.

What is the meaning of the word "salvation"?

Means of Salvation. Through Christ’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection. Reaching enlightenment by the Path of Knowledge, the Path of devotion, or the Path of Good Deeds. Belief of God. One God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Trinity. Many gods, but realize that they all come from Atman. Clergy.

What is the meaning of yagna?

Meditation, yoga, contemplation, yagna (communal worship), offerings in the temple. Use of statues and pictures. In Catholic & Orthodox Churches. Common. Life after death. Eternity in Heaven or Hell, in some cases temporal Purgatory. A constant cycle of reincarnation until enlightenment is reached.

What is the sacrifice of God in Hinduism?

In Hinduism and Judaism, this sacrifice is an animal sacrifice. Both theologies preach a divine commandment of righteousness, and failure to comply requires a penalty.

What is the difference between Hinduism and Christianity?

The first difference between Hinduism and Christianity is that Hinduism embraces Christianity as a valid religion whereas the Bible does not. Hinduism is a religion that advocates tolerance. It teaches that all religions are different paths leading to one goal; all religions are different means to one end. Hinduism is not exclusive and accepts all …

Is Hinduism a religion?

ANSWER: Hinduism is a religion with many beliefs and practices, so offering a comparison of Christianity and Hinduism is challenging. It would be doing Hinduism an injustice to reduce its theology and philosophies to a scope that would be required to truly offer a comparison with Christianity. However, there are some tenets to Hinduism …

Is Hinduism exclusive to Christianity?

Hinduism is not exclusive and accepts all religions as valid. Christianity, however, teaches that Christ is the only way to God. John 14:6 says, "Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’". Philosophically, it is impossible for religions with mutually-exclusive doctrines …

Was Christ right or wrong?

Either Christ was wrong or He was right when He claimed to be the only path to God. It is simple arithmetic, not spiritual elitism. A comparison between Christianity and Hinduism reveals ancient practices which appear similar. In all ancient religions, Hinduism included, we find reparation for sins being done through sacrifices to an enraged God.

What is the summit of Hinduism?

The summit of Hinduism is the mystical experience , called mukti, or moksha: "liberation" from the illusion of finitude, realization that tat tvam asi, "thou art That (Brahman].". At the center of your being is not individual ego but Atman, universal self which is identical with Brahman, the All.

What is the level of truth in Hinduism?

In Hinduism there are many levels of truth: polytheism, sacred cows and reincarnation for the masses; monotheism (or monism) for the mystics, who declare the individual soul one with Brahman (God) and beyond reincarnation ("Brahman is the only reincarnator"). Truth is relative to the level of experience.

What is the difference between Eastern and Western religions?

In the East, human experience validates the Scriptures; in the West, Scripture judges experience. Eastern religions are esoteric, understandable only from within by the few who share the experience. Western religions are exoteric, public, democratic, open to all . In Hinduism there are many levels of truth: polytheism, …

What is Christianity yoga?

Christianity is a form of bhakti yoga (yoga for emotional types and lovers). There is also jnana yoga (yoga for intellectuals), raja yoga (yoga for experimenters), karma yoga (yoga for workers, practical people) and hatha yoga (the physical preliminary to the other four).

What is the ultimate Hindu ideal?

Eastern religions are not dramatic. The ultimate Hindu ideal is not sanctity but mysticism. Sanctity is fundamentally a matter of the will: willing God’s will, loving God and neighbor. Mysticism is fundamentally a matter of intellect, intuition, consciousness.

What are the two essential points of Christianity?

Thus the two essential points of Christianity — sin and salvation — are both missing in the East. If there is no sin, no salvation is needed, only enlightenment. We need not be born again; rather, we must merely wake up to our innate divinity. If I am part of God. I can never really be alienated from God by sin.

Is Brahman an ego?

Atman is not ego and Brahman is not God the Father. Hinduism identifies not the immanent human self with the transcendent divine self but the transcendent human self with the immanent divine self. It is not Christianity. But neither is it idiocy.

How many deities do Hindus believe in?

While Hindus believe in three central deities (among the 330 million), this is far from the Christian understanding of the Trinity. Hopfe writes, Brahman, who is ultimate reality, is at the core of Hindu thought. He is one and undivided. Yet postclassical Hinduism sees him in terms of three forms or functions.

What is Brahman’s soul?

In other words, Brahman is the whole external world, as well as the whole inner being— the self, or soul—of an individual…. That innermost and unseen force, or self, of a human… is called Atman. And Atman is Brahman.”.

How does salvation occur in Hinduism?

Salvation occurs in Hindu thinking when we realize that we are not separate from Brahman. Hinduism offers three paths to this enlightenment including (1) karma marga —the way of action and ritual, (2) jnana marga —the way of knowledge and meditation, and (3) bhakti marga —the way of devotion. Of course, as we have argued elsewhere ( see chapters 1 …

What is the afterlife?

The Afterlife. Grace and eternal life; we will experience other persons in heaven, including friends, family, and God himself. Karmic law and reincarnation; finally rejoining the impersonal deity, Brahman; this has been compared to a pinch of salt being added to a glass of water.

Why did women’s religious role decline?

A major reason for this was the lowering of the marriage age from fifteen or sixteen to ten and even five.

What are the three functions of Brahman?

These three, called the Trimurti, are creation, preservation, and destruction. Each of these three functions of Brahman is expressed by a god from the classical literature: Brahma, the creator; Vishnu, the preserver; and Shiva, the destroyer.

Why do widows have to be burned alive?

Traditionally, a widow was expected to accompany the corpse of her husband to the funeral pyre and be burned alive by his side ( sati) on the assumption that a woman who outlived her husband had caused his death by her evil karma. [31]

How did Hinduism and Christianity differ?

In any case however, Hinduism and Christianity differed in the belief of an organized social class.

Why are the Hebrew Scriptures important to Christianity?

The Hebrew Scriptures of Judaism is significant in Christianity because Christian roots begin with the Jewish teachings. Hindu teachings also recognize Krishna, a Vishnu incarnate that spread his word to all humans.

How did Hinduism spread?

Both kingdoms spread Hinduism through political means such as building temples with authorities and land administrators that directly worked with guilds and invested in commercial and economic ventures. Similarly during the middle ages, Western Europe was run by Christian authorities and patriarchs called the Papacy. Pope Gregory I, also known as Gregory the Great, emphasized the importance of sacraments, which are a central belief in Christianity; this served as a major political influence of the spread of Christianity on Western Europe.

How did the Gupta Dynasty spread Hinduism?

The Gupta Dynasty spread Hinduism by making it the official religion of India, and zealously encouraged the practice of Hinduism to the people of India. Eventually, Hindu kingdoms began to independently rule Southern India under loosely administered states; Hinduism brought a sense of stability to Southern India by escaping from Islamic invasions, …

How did Christianity impact Hinduism?

The impact of Christianity and Hinduism differed socially because while Hinduism further emphasized the recognition of social classes, Christianity worked to cast aside social distinction within society.

What does the Upanishads believe about reincarnation?

The Upanishads explain the belief of reincarnation as well as karma and moksha. The Upanishads thoroughly explained how to live a pure and virtuous life, and how to be permanently liberated from the painful cycle of reincarnation, known as moksha.

How did the popes influence the development of Christianity?

The popes acted independently and devoted much of their efforts to strengthen and construct a large Christian cultural zone which lay a foundation for a prosperous society , similar to that of the Hindu regional states. During Medieval Europe for example, no single regime controlled Italy, but rather, a series of ecclesiastical city-states competed for power. Like Hindu temples in Southern India, missionaries and monasteries were also implemented to spread Christianity to Europe on a more local level. Hinduism in India and Christianity in Western Europe was very similar in governing, politically speaking.

What is the morality of Christianity?

Christian morality functions on the basis of faith. Like Hindus, Christians honor their connection to the divine by means of actions, but they do not see actions as a pathway to bliss; this is the role of faith. In other words, Christians live morally laudable lives because. Christianity Vs. Islam Vs.

Is Christianity a religion?

Christianity vs. Islam vs. Hinduism Comparing and Contrasting Christianity with Islam and Hinduism Christianity, Hinduism and Islam are among the five most practiced religions in the world. Christianity, with its top position, shares common grounds with both Hinduism and Islam. However, there are several differences that make Christianity a unique religion in comparison with Hinduism and Islam. Christianity and Islam Similarities Christianity and Islam are Abrahamic religions and monotheistic in nature. Abrahamic religions are the

Why are actions and morality important?

Actions and morality are considered of secondary importance to the initial act of faith that functions as the basis for these (Miller, 2009). Christian morality functions on the basis of faith. Like Hindus, Christians honor their connection to the divine by means of actions, but they do not see actions as a pathway to bliss; this is the role of faith. In other words, Christians live morally laudable lives because

What is the difference between Hinduism and Christianity?

This is unlike Christianity where there is a single higher being that created, maintains life and will ultimately judge man in accordance to his deeds. Moreover, Hinduism points out that whatever that contains life is a personification of Brahman hence, dictate the inner self (Jones 85).

What is the teaching of Hinduism?

One of the most significant teachings of the Hinduism is reincarnation which elaborates on origin as well as fate of humankind. This concept awards meaning to .life since it explains that man has existed in other lives and on death, he or she will come back to live on earth as another being or a creature depending on his previous actions.

Why is reincarnation important?

Reincarnation elaborates on not only why people live but also on the reason for their distinction and diversity such as being impoverished, disabled, and wealthy. This is attributed to prior life which is dictated by Karma in the current existence. As a result, reincarnation establishes the meaning of reward or punishment in the present life as having dependent on previous deeds (Hufner 7).

Why are different religions studied?

Different religions are studied with a motive of understanding people from other parts of the world. Since some individuals are characterized by religious fanaticism, it is crucial to appreciate their beliefs in order to try to understand them.

What are Hindu songs used for?

Hindu songs express strong emotions such as divine love and different melodies are used for meditation as individuals pursue self recognition (Beck I19). Besides, Hindus have scriptural writings recognized as revealed and others as remembered. The scriptures are keen on religious practices to be followed. The most supreme gods are Upanishads and Vedas. Similarly, Christians have the Bible which forms the scriptural base for most of their teachings.

Is Christianity a monotheistic religion?

Western religions are mostly monotheism and are separate from the western religions which are generally distinguished as polytheist. generally, western religions such as Christianity are based on the believe of a supreme being or one deity while western religious such as Hinduism common in India are animistic i.e. they belief that inanimate things such as nature, the universe and nonliving matter are conscious just like the belief of the Native Americans.