Hinduism

World Religions, Cults, and Worldview

Hinduism
Hinduism is not one religion, but a family of
religions (John Noss, Mans Religion,
Religion, 88)
Hinduism is fluid and changing
There is a wide spectrum of beliefs and practices
Some Hindus are pantheists, polytheists,
monotheists, agnostics, and even atheists

The History of Hinduism

Hinduism began around 1500 B.C.
It began as a polytheistic and ritualistic religion
As the religion became more complex, a priestly
class was created to teach others
The priests were seen as the only mediators for
the people to approach and appease the gods

The History of Hinduism

Around 600 B.C., the people revolted against the priests
The new form of Hinduism that emerged focused on
meditation as opposed to external rituals
Then somewhere around 500 B.C. (between 88-300 B.C.)
the Upanishads were written
This transformed Hinduism(s) from a polytheistic
religion into a pantheistic religion (all is God and God is
all) with a focus on Brahmam the impersonal spirit or
essence of the universe
The Force in Star Wars stems from this pantheistic idea
Monism is the idea that all is One
One (and everything is
made of the same essence)

The History of Hinduism

The concept of God continued to change
The concept of Brahman, the impersonal force
(Nirguna [without attributes] Brahman)
developed into the idea of saguna Brahman
Brahman with attributes around 300300-200 B.C.
After this, sometime in the 1st century A.D., a
version of the religion moved from pantheism
back to polytheism with an emphasis on
devotion to Krishna, the supposed 8th avatar or
incarnation of Lord Vishnu

Hinduism Statistics
There are about 888 million Hindus in the world
today
The majority of them live in India
Others live in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Fiji, Nepal, and
Trinidad
Hinduism is the state religion in Nepal
There are about 1 million Hindus in North America
While Hinduism may not be as popular as
Christianity and Islam, its teachings have been
pervasive in our culture (yoga, movies Star Wars,
Avatar, etc., New Age religions)

Footnote
The red mark on a womans forehead used to
indicate that the woman was engaged or
married
This can be true in some parts of India
In other parts, it is now just a cosmetic
adornment

Hinduism(s)
There are three major strands:
1. The nondualists see Brahman as real and
the world as an illusion
2. The dualists see Brahman and the
universe as two distinct realities
3. The qualified nondualists, believe
Brahman and the universe are real in that the
universe is an extension of Brahman (not
distinct realities) possibly most popular

Hinduism(s)
Three religions have come from Hinduism
1. Jainism an ascetic (self(self-denial) sect, originally
thought of as an heretical offshoot of Hinduism
2. Buddhism originally more of a philosophy
than a religion
3. Sikhism a blend of Hinduism (bhakti
devotion) and Islamic mysticism (Sufism). They
are monotheists and reject the caste system

Beliefs in Hinduism(s)
The Hindu writings say there are over 330 million
gods and goddesses, many with their own set of
beliefs and practices
There are many scriptures the Vedas, the
Upanishads, Ramayana, the Puranas, Bhagavad Gita
(part of Mahabharata, about Krishna, the 8th avatar
of Vishnu), written over a 2000 year period
It is impossible to summarize the diversity that
exists among these Hinduistic religions
There are some common beliefs which unify some
of the strands
These are generalizations

Brahman
Brahman is the ultimate reality, the impersonal
oneness beyond all distinctions
Most Hindus believe that the world is an
extension of Brahman
Note the difference:
- In Christianity, God is a Person distinct from
His creation
- Brahman is a force which is not distinct from
creation

Brahman
The first line of the Bible directly contradicts
Hinduistic teachings:
In the beginning God created the heavens and
the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

Brahman
Romans speaks of those who worship the creation instead
of the Creator due to their sin
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress
the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is
known about God is evident within them; for God made it
evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His
invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly seen, being understood through what
has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For
even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as
God or give thanks, but they became futile in their
speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Brahman
22 Professing

to be wise, they became fools, 23 and

exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in
the form of corruptible man and of birds and fourfour-footed
animals and crawling creatures. 24 Therefore God gave them
over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their
bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 For they
exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and
served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed
forever. Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them over to
degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural
function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way
also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman
and burned in their desire toward one another, men with
men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own
persons the due penalty of their error.

Brahman
28 And

just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any

longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those
things which are not proper, 29 being filled with all
unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy,
murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30 slanderers,
haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil,
disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding,
untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32 and although they
know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such
things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but
also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
Romans 1:181:18-32

Brahman
Many of the Hindu gods are halfhalf-humanhuman-like,
half animal e.g. halfhalf-elephant (head), half
human (body) = Ganesha, deity of wisdom
The gods and goddesses look like humans
Hindus have created gods in their image
The true God is distinct from His creation
SUMMARY: Brahman impersonal force,
pantheism (all is God/it)

Atman or Soul
Not only is the world/universe Brahman but the
soul or true self is also one with Brahman
The soul is believed to be eternal
Hindus believe that they are composed of the
same essence as Brahman
Like a drop of rain in the ocean, they are part of
Brahman
Note the difference: Christians believe people
are created in the image of God, but they are
not part of God

Atman or Soul
26 Then

God said, Let Us make man in Our image,

according to Our likeness; and let them rule over
the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and
over the cattle and over all the earth, and over
every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. 27
God created man in His own image, in the image of
God He created him; male and female He created
them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them,
Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and
subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over
the birds of the sky and over every living thing that
moves on the earth. (Gen. 1)

The Law of Karma

Humanitys primary problem is ignorance
Contrary to Christianity, Hindus do not believe
there is a moral problem but an intellectual
problem as the root of all evils
The problem is that we have forgotten that we
are extended from Brahman and weve
mistakenly attached ourselves to the desires of
our separate selves (The
(The Illustrated Guide to
World Religions,
Religions, 88)

The Law of Karma

Because of our attachment to our desires and
individualistic existence, we have become
subject to the law of karma (which means
action or deeds)
It is like the law of cause and effect, sowing and
reaping
However, the belief is that the good or bad we
did in previous lives will be rewarded/punished
in the next reincarnation

The Law of Karma

It is crucial to remember that this is an
impersonal law
There is no sin against a personal God, no
offense to a god
Karma is a strict law of the universe which
cannot be altered

The Law of Karma

In the Bible, sin is an offense to a personal God, and
disobedience to His Law/Word
As for me, I said, O LORD, be gracious to me; heal
my soul, for I have sinned against You. (Ps. 41:4)
Then David said to Nathan, I have sinned against
the LORD. And Nathan said to David, The LORD
also has taken away your sin; you shall not die.
(2 Samuel 12:13)
Who can take away sins? If not God then the
person must work to overcome the impersonal law
of karma. There is not help from a god

The Law of Karma

1 Be

gracious to me, O God, according to Your

lovingkindness; according to the greatness of Your
compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me
thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from
my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is
ever before me. 4 Against You, You only, I have
sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that
You are justified when You speak and blameless
when You judge. (Psalm 51)

Samsara or Reincarnation
Samsara refers to the revolving wheel of life,
death, and rebirth
It is actually a combination of karma (deeds) and
rebirth
Ones karma from previous lives determines
your state in this life

Samsara or Reincarnation
One can reincarnate as a person, animal or
insect
Few can explain what an insect can do to move
up the ladder in the reincarnation
One can reincarnate into a god or down the
social ladder into a lower caste
The castecaste-system was legally abolished due to
the influence of Christians (however, it is still in
force in the popular culture)

Samsara or Reincarnation
27 And

inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die

once and after this comes judgment, 28 so Christ
also, having been offered once to bear the sins
of many, will appear a second time for salvation
without reference to sin, to those who eagerly
await Him. (Hebrews 9:279:27-28)
Luke 16:19f. the man dies once and cannot
come back to earth
Today you will be with me in paradise
(Luke 23:43)

Samsara or Reincarnation
Shirley MacLaine may look forward to her
coming rebirths, but in the history of India, most
Hindus havent. Life has usually not been too
happy for most Hindus, and most of them know
they may not have what it takes to earn a better
rebirth the next time around. Therefore most
Hindus earnestly seek moksha (Baker Pocket
Guide to World Religions,
Religions, 19)

Moksha, Nirvana, or Liberation

Moksha is Sanskrit for liberation
The chief aim of a Hindus existence is to be
freed from samsara (the law of karma and life,
death, and rebirth)
Hindus do not want to be reborn forever and
ever
They want to get off the wheel, cycle of
reincarnation
Moksha means the person is absorbed into
Brahman, and ceases to truly exist

Moksha, Nirvana, or Liberation

Generally speaking, one enters moksha when
they realize that the individual self is an illusion
and that you are one with Brahman
One has to ask Since all Hindus know this, why
have they not reached moksha yet?
Some say they may know but have not
experienced this knowledge, so there are
various paths to enlightenment in Hinduism

Paths to Moksha
The Way of Knowledge
The Way of Devotion (bhakti)
The Way of Works
The Way of Meditation (yoga, which means
yoke or union with Brahman)
Fast Facts on False Teachings,
Teachings, p. 93f.

Paths to Moksha
The Way of Knowledge
You can escape samsara, the endless cycle of life,
death, and rebirth if you come to know reality in the
right way
The popular school in this path is Advaita Vedanta
made popular by Shankara, a Brahmin (priest) in 800
A.D.
The idea is that everything we see is not ultimately
real or as real as Brahman (its like a dream)
There are levels of reality
Ideas prevalent in The Matrix (There is no spoon)

Paths to Moksha
The Way of Knowledge
This view even believes that ultimately the gods are
not real, nor the world
All is sort of an illusion (maya)
The only thing that is really real is Brahman and it is
everything and everything is it (including you)
Drop in ocean illustration comes from this view
There is no I but its possible that there will be a
degree of existence as we in Brahman
Some say we cease to exist and are absorbed into IT

Paths to Moksha
The Way of Knowledge
By meditation and asceticism we can realize
that everything is Brahman, including our
soul/atman/self
Those who follow this path will normally fast,
meditate in the forest, and abstain from
marriage
This path is not very popular

Paths to Moksha
The Way of Devotion/Bhakti
This is the most popular path to moksha
Bhakti means devotion
The path to liberation from samsara is through
love and surrender to a personal god
Bhaktis believe in a personal god unlike those
who are focused on Brahman and that the self is
real and will exist as a separate entity after
salvation
Since this path is easier, and in some ways relies
on the gods to save them, it is more popular

Paths to Moksha
The Way of Devotion/Bhakti
Vishnu is said to have incarnated 9 times and will
come again in a 10th incarnation
He came as a fish, tortoise, boar, manman-lion, dwarf,
high--caste hero, Rama (another god), Krishna, and
high
Buddha
Illustrated Guide, p. 96 compares Vishnu and Jesus
If someone serves Krishna, an incarnation of
Vishnu, with love and praise, he/she will be
released from samsara and be with Krishna in the
heavens

Paths to Moksha
The Way of Devotion/Bhakti
There are also two kinds of Bhakti (confused
yet?)
The Monkey school says salvation is by grace
and works
The Cat school says salvation is by the grace of
Krishna
However, Krishna waits to see who is good
before conferring salvation
Contrast this with:

Paths to Moksha
6 For

while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ

died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a
righteous man; though perhaps for the good man
someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates
His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been
justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of
God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we
were reconciled to God through the death of His Son,
much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by
His life. 11 And not only this, but we also exult in God
through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have
now received the reconciliation. (Romans 5)

Paths to Moksha
12 I

thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me,

because He considered me faithful, putting me into service,
13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a
persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy
because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; 14 and the grace of our
Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which
are granted in Christ Jesus. 15 It is a trustworthy statement,
deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. 16
Yet for this reason I was shown mercy, so that in me as the
foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect
patience as an example for those who would believe in Him
for eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal,
invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.
Amen. (1 Timothy 1)

Differences
The key to all of the paths of salvation in
Hinduism is that it is an enlightenment from
humanity to God
It is based on ones own efforts
The Biblical way of salvation is from God to
humanity
It is based on Gods grace
8 For by grace you have been saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of
God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one
may boast. (Ephesians 2:82:8-9)

Differences
Of course, another big difference is that in most
forms of Hinduism, the goal of enlightenment is
for the self to lose its separate identity
In Christianity, the focus of salvation in this life
and in eternity is a relationship with God
In addition, a selfself-indulgent Krishna
(had affairs, stole, etc.) forgives at no cost to
himself.
Christ forgave through His death on the Cross

Differences
Christians view the physical universe as Gods
good creation
It is not an illusion or part of God
They value human life and the human body
Salvation is not release from a human body, but
receiving a sinless, resurrected body

Differences
Hinduism

Christianity

Brahman is an impersonal force and is

not distinct from the universe

God is a Triune and loving person who is

completely distinct from His creation

Humans are divine and part of Brahman,

yet have no true worth

Humans are created, distinct from God,

and are in their current state, sinful, yet
still made in the image of God

Wrongdoing is a result of ignorance.

Sin is an intellectual problem

Sin is an offense to a holy God. Sin is a

moral problem

Moksha is absorption into Brahman, the

individual disappears

Eternal life is a human relationship with

God on the New Earth

Salvation is by liberation from ignorance

through selfself-effort

Salvation is by grace through faith in

Christ. It is a gift that cannot be earned.

There are many incarnations of many

different gods, some as animals or as
other gods

Jesus Christ is the oneone-time incarnation

of the true God who came to live and die
in our place

Passages that are Effective

28 Come

to me, all you who are weary and

burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my
yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am
gentle and humble in heart, and you will find
rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my
burden is light. (Matt. 11)

Rather than paying my own debt through

reincarnation, Christ paid the debt in order to
forgive us

Passages that are Effective

Luke 15, the prodigal son.
However, its best for now to skip over the part
about slaughtering the calf
The parable illustrates the ideas of sin,
forgiveness, and a relationship with the Father
Other helpful passages: Romans 3, Ephesians 2,
the Gospel of John, of course

Whats Up with the Cow?

Hindus believe that gods were cowcow-born (early
Hindu writings)
In Mahabharata it says that one who kills a cow
will be reborn in hell and stay there based on
how many hairs are on his body
Cows are associated with the Mother Goddess
who gave the cow to humanity for five products:
milk, butter, curds, dung (fertilizer?), and urine
The cow is a symbol of a mother who provides
for needs and are sacred

Whats Up with the Cow?

Hindus refuse to kill cows
Cows are allowed to roam freely
They are wrongly revered and have become an
idol (Romans 1)

Passages that are Effective

Present your Hindu friend with a New
Testament
Gandhi said, I shall say to the Hindus that your
lives will be incomplete unless you reverently
study the teachings of Jesus.
Explain:
You cannot add Jesus to the list of millions of
gods or avatars.
He is the only true and living God

Witnessing
There are not many paths to God
In Hinduism there may be many paths, and they
respect other religions as equally valid
They believe all religions are paths to Brahman
Yet most religions would reject the concept of
Brahman
If God is personal, and not a force, then knowing
God is about faith, morality, obedience, etc. and
not dissolving into the force

Witnessing
Make sure you define your terms
Born again will mean something entirely
different to a Hindu than what Jesus meant in
John 3
God is not an impersonal force, so explain that
He is a spirit, with a will, intellect, and emotions
He is allall-knowing, loving, compassionate, holy,
good.
He is not like the immoral gods of Hinduism who
steal, sleep around, and so forth

Witnessing
Some Hindus hold to a quasiquasi-Trinitarian view
They believe in the Trimurti or three
manifestations of Brahman who are
manifestations of Ishvara,
Ishvara, a personified form of
Brahman!
1. Brahma (the Creator)
2. Vishnu (the Preserver)
3. Siva (the Destroyer, goddess)
Each of these gods has at least one
spouse/goddess

Witnessing
Stress that one can become a Christian without
rejecting all of their culture
Many Hindus see Christianity as a Western,
materialistic religion (and imperialistic)
Explain that it came from the Middle East and
can be practice without denationalization
E.g. one can remain a vegetarian and be a
Christian

Witnessing
Focus on forgiveness:
Bakht Sing, a convert from Hinduism and an
Indian evangelist, once said, I have never yet
failed to get a hearing if I talk to them about
forgiveness of sin and peace and rest in your
heart.
Forgiveness is not available in their beliefbeliefsystem, or in the law of karma (cant change it)
The lack of forgiveness and their guilt does
bother them

Witnessing
Hindus stress nonviolence
They view the Cross as a violation of this
principle
The key is to explain that Christ willingly died for
us it was not solely an act of violence

Witnessing
I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd
lays down His life for the sheep. - John 10:11
No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it
down on My own initiative. I have authority to
lay it down, and I have authority to take it up
again. This commandment I received from My
Father. - John 10:18

Yoga
See the handouts or search for Elliott Millers
articles at: www.equip.org
Dave Hunts book: Yoga and the Body of Christ
See the Praise Moves website to learn more
about the differences
A mustmust-read
http://www.praisemoves.com/christianalternat
ive.htm

Witnessing
Dr. Mahendra Singhal:
Hindus believe in going to the extremes to
demonstrate their love for someone. A mother, for
example, would go hungry to feed her children. A
father would deprive himself of everything so that his
children could go to school. The image of Jesus Christ
that made the strongest appeal to me was the limit to
which He was willing to go to show His love toward
me, and I did not even know Him at the time. I have
discovered in my witnessing to Hindus that they are
generally moved by the depiction of Jesus on the
cross to validate His love toward us.

The Good News

16 nevertheless

knowing that a man is not justified by the

works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we
have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by
faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the
works of the Law no flesh will be justified. 17 But if, while
seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been
found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be!
18 For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to
be a transgressor. 19 For through the Law I died to the Law, so
that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ;
and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life
which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 21 I do not nullify
the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law,
then Christ died needlessly. Galatians 2:12:1-21