Critical Thinking
Essay by abaughn • May 19, 2013 • Essay • 758 Words (4 Pages) • 1,644 Views
In Apologetics we have learned about other religions. There are many religions that have strong views and principals. It is very important to look at these other religions and have a better understanding of where people are coming from when talking to them about Christianity. For the purpose of this assignment, I will focus on the worldviews of Hinduism and compare it to Christianity.
Part One:
I. The Question of Origin for Hinduism -
Hindus believe the world began by the creator God, Brahma. This god is who brought them into existence. The universe is being continuous with and extended from Being of Brahman(Hinduism: An Overview).
II. The Question of Identity -
All of existence is infused with god, and every living being has a god-soul, called the atman(Hindson & Caner, 2008). Everything is spiritual and sacred in life. Therefore, humans and animals have a similar essence and should be regarded as partners in search of eternal oneness (Weider & Gutierrez, 2011).
III. The Question of Meaning/Purpose -
Life is like a dream. Man must come to the understanding that life and all that seems to be real is in fact an illusion. Once man eliminates all desires that captivate him, then and only then will the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth stop.
IV. The Question of Morality -
The belief is that everything is god and god is everything, morality and ethics are how one should act towards itself (Weider &Gutierrez, 2011). Ethics are cyclical. What one does to another will return to him or her. This is called karma. This concept is known as the law of retribution (Hindson & Caner, 2008).
V. The Question of Destiny -
The actions and choices that are made while still on this earth will impact one's future eternal state. As a Hindu you want to reach Nirvana. The only way that is determined is by one's Karma. The highest one can reach is the Brahman, which is comprised of religious teachers and nobility (Weider &Gutierrez, 2011).
Part Two:
I. The Question of Origin -
While both Christianity and Hinduism believe that a God created them. Christian worldview is very specific on how they believe God created them and the earth that surrounds them. Christians believe that God created the heavens and earth out of nothing. Genesis 1:3 Then God said, "Let there be light." And the light appeared. Christians believe in one God, but Hindu's believe in over 330 million gods (Hindson & Caner, 2008).
II. The Question of Identity -
As Christians our identity comes from God. According to Genesis 1:26 God created mankind in "our
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