Thoughts of a Doubting Christian ✓

Thoughts on Hinduism

Hinduism is actually a collection of traditions, one of the oldest surviving ancient religions to date. The Hindu scriptures and texts include the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Ramayana. Contrary to popular belief, Hinduism is not truly polytheistic; Brahman (aka "the Divine" or "God") can be found throughout the Universe and is the cause of Creation, while the rest of the gods are really forms of the same overarching force, Brahman.

Hindus believe in an eternal soul that cycles through reincarnation due to cause and effect from previous lives (karma). Hence, righteous behavior is essential. The eventual goal is to ascend samsara (the cycle of life, death, and reincarnation) to moksha, liberation from suffering. The different gods that "make up" the greater whole of Brahman are represented in murtis, sacred images of the divine.

Hindus tend to be more accepting of other religions than most other faiths, as they believe that every religion has the potential to hold truth. As the world's third largest religion behind Christianity and Islam, this is a faith that is widespread but also widely misunderstood.

However, like all religions, Hinduism has its flaws, most notably, the caste system. The caste system separates people into strictly divided social hierarchies, which are basically impossible to cross and trap millions of people in poverty, malnutrition, and dangerous jobs. Even though the system was officially abolished in India in the 1900s, the negative effects exist to this day. Hinduism, like most religions, also has a sexism problem and an animal rights problem.

Practiced in a traditional, ancient way, I can't get behind Hinduism, but the accepting, laidback Hindus that I know in real life even things out to leave me neutral.