Hinduism versus Christianity: Hinduism and Christianity Compared

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Hinduism and Christianity: Hinduism vs Christianity

Hinduism is a continuously evolving religion and is not founded by a particular person or prophet. Central to Christianity are the words of Jesus Christ described by witnesses. 

Organized church or hierarchy

Christianity has an organization called church to control and regulate the activities of Christians. Hinduism does not have a centrally controlled set up. The temples do bring people together and create a sense of belongingness. But they do not have the kind of influence some of the powerful churches like the Vatican or the Church of England have.

Tolerance

Hinduism tolerates Christianity, but Christianity has an uncompromising attitude in matters such as the infallibility of the Bible and allegiance to Jesus Christ. Any form of worship not approved by the Bible is an anathema to the Christian world.

Conversion

Hinduism does not believe in conversion of people. In the Bhagavad gita Lord Krishna preaches not to follow another's dharma however superior it may be for it would hamper ones spiritual progress. Christianity does not think so. Christianity accepts conversion as a way of bringing non believers into the fold of believers and saving them from a certain damnation. 

Judgement Day

Hinduism does not believe in Judgment Day. According to Hinduism man is a victim of his own karma and the laws of dharma judge him continuously. Christianity believes in a final judgment day. 

Both however believe in the eventual destruction of the world.

Worship

Hindus believe in the incarnation of God, but Christians believe in the son of God. Hindus worship many gods and goddesses, but Christians do not. 

Hindus believe in the Mother Goddess. Christian venerate Mary. 

Sin and Karma

Hindus believe in karma and suffering and redemption through ones own actions and surrender to God. Christians believe in sin and redemption through refuge in Christ. 

Heaven and Hell

Christianity believes in one heaven ruled by God and one hell ruled by a devil. Hinduism believes in a gigantic star studded universe consisting of innumerable worlds, heavens and hells, created by one Supreme God and left to the care and control of several gods and goddesses. The dark world is populated by demonic forces who play a negative role according to the divine plan.

Monoteism

Hindus believe in a supreme God Brahman, who is formless, universal, controller of many heavens and many worlds, without a beginning and without an end and with infinite powers and energies whom no one knows definitely. Christian believe in a Supreme Father and Holy ghost. 

Creation of universe

Hinduism believes that the universe was created billions of years ago and that the earth is just one world in a series of thousands of worlds. Christianity believes that the world was created a few thousand years ago and that earth is the center of the universe. 

Physcal, mental and spiritual evolution

Hinduism believes in the physical, mental as well as spiritual evolution of life. Christianity does not. 

Ethics

Hinduism advocates belief in prayers, surrender, egolessness, forgiveness, compassion, unconditional love, harmlessness and inner purity. So does Christianity. 

History

The origins of Hinduism can be traced to remote antiquity. Many stream of thought joined Hinduism as time went by and today Hinduism is a complex religion with some prehistoric traditions that are 6000 or more years old. Christianity began after the migration of Christ's disciples to Rome sometime in the first century AD. They suffered initially from severe persecution by the Romans till the Roman rulers saw light in the preaching of Jesus Christ and embraced Christianity whole heartedly.

Did Jesus Live in India?

According to one very popular theory, Jesus Christ said to have visited India when he was young and went to the Himalayas after visiting the Gangetic valley. He said to have received spiritual initiation in the Himalayas from some siddhas (spiritual adepts) before he returned to Jerusalem at the age of 34 or 32 and made his presence felt through his miraculous healing powers and powerful speeches. It is further said that he did not die on the cross, but escaped from Jerusalem with the help of his followers and traveled back to India and lived in Kashmir where his grave said to exist till today.

While many instances are quoted in support of this theory, the following points makes it difficult to accept this theory.

1. Jesus Christ himself never mentioned anything even remotely about India or Hinduism. None of his disciples ever mentioned any thing about it in the Bible.

2. There is practically very little in common between his teachings and the main tenets of Hinduism except in matters of ethics and moral conduct.

3. It is hard believe that Jesus Christ lived in Kashmir, and being a great personality as he is, would have remained silent. He would have definitely made his presence felt in the region through his teachings. Besides it is hard to accept that he would have gone to Kashmir all alone without any of his trusted followers accompanying him.

It is also a well known fact that after the death of Jesus Christ and long before Europe was Christianized, one of the Apostles of Christ, St. Thomas, traveled to India probably across the Arabian Sea and landed in what is now known as Kerala. He said to have lived there for sometime and converted some to Christianity, whose descendents practice a very ancient form of Christianity till date. St Thomas was however killed by the natives who were probably irked by his activities. 

Christianity and Hinduism confronted each other in a big way during the British Rule in India. The activities of the Christian missionaries and the politics of East India Company led to the Mutiny of 1857, after which the British Government adopted a policy of secularism and kept itself aloof from the politics of religion and conversions. 

The Christian missionaries did a substantial work in the Indian subcontinent in helping the poor and the downtrodden, more for the purpose of conversion rather than philanthropy, except persons like Mother Theresa, but they could not achieve much in terms of conversions. 

Tensions do smolder between the religious communities from time to time, but it is more because of the critical and over zealous nature of prejudiced missionaries and their uncompromising attitude towards Hinduism. which they still consider to be a religion of the heathens. 

Courtesy to www. hinduwebsite.com

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