Hinduism is one of the oldest religious systems of the world, with over 732 million followers world wide (728 million are located in Asia). Its largest following is found in India, where nearly 85 percent of the population is classified as Hindu. Hinduism has developed over about 4,000 years and has no single founder or creed. It started around 1500 BC by Aryan invaders (the same people that developed Greek culture) of India where their Vedic Religion intermixed with the existing practices and beliefs of the Indian natives.⁶ A second stage in its development, called Brahminic Hinduism, began in 1000 BC when the religion fell under the control of the brahmins (priests) who used magic rites to influence and control the gods. A third stage opened around 800 BC with the speculative philosophy of the Upanishads (salvation was sought knowledge instead of rites and sacrifice). The Moslems invaded India after the 10th century AD, but Hinduism withstood the religion of Islam but absorbed a few of the Islamic features.⁸ Organization is minimal and hierarchy nonexistent. In its diversity, Hinduism hardly fits most Western definitions of religion; rather, it suggests commitment to or respect for an ideal way of life, known as Dharma.¹

Hinduism has never tried to win converts, but in the twentieth century it began to spread because of the emigration of the Indians around the world.²

Caste System.   The ideal way of life is sometimes referred to in classical sources and by Hindus as the "duties of one's class and station" (varnasramadharma). The term "class" (varna) is one of the words connoting the caste system peculiar to India. These classes or castes are divided into 3,000 subcastes for the numerous trades and occupations. There are four main castes or great castes that the ancient texts suggest: the Brahmins, or priests; the Ksatriyas, or warriors and rulers; the Vaisyas, or merchants and farmers; and the Sudras, or peasants and laborers.⁵ A fifth class, Panchamas, or Untouchables or the outcastes, includes those whose occupations require them to handle unclean objects. They are denied all social rights, even though the Indian constitution of 1950 abolished discrimination against persons of this class, but the class itself remains in existence.⁸ It is speculated that the Untouchables were originally assigned such lowly tasks because of their non-Aryan origins. The classical works on dharma specify distinct duties for different classes, in keeping with the distinct roles each is expected to play in the ideal society.¹

Stages of Life.   The classical works also outline four ideal stages (asrama), or stations of life, each one with its own duties. The first of these is studentship (brahmacarya), this begins with a initiation at 5 to 8 years of age until they are marriage; the second stage is householdership (grihasthya), this is someone marries, raises a family, and takes part in society; the third stage is forest dwelling (vanaprasthya), this takes place after one's children have grown; and the fourth stage is renunciation (samnyasa), and is when one gives up attachment to all worldly things and seeks spiritual liberation. Besides these duties that are derived from an individual's class and station, there are general duties (sanatanadharma) that are also incumbent on all moral beings. These general duties include honesty, courage, service, faith, self-control, purity, and nonviolence.¹

These ideal classes and stations in Hindu life encompass males only.     The position of women in Hinduism has always been ambiguous in that they are, on the one hand, venerated as a symbol of the divine, and on the other hand, treated as inferior beings. Women were traditionally expected to serve their husbands and to have no other independent interests. Recent movements within Hinduism, however, such as the Brahmo Samaj, have succeeded in altering this situation.¹

Aims of Life.     There are four aims of life in Hinduism or the doctrine of the fourfold end of life. This is expressed by four word: dharma-kama-artha-moksa, meaning something like "righteousness-material-prosperity-enjoyments-liberation." Dharma (purusartha) distinguished within Hinduism and it is thought of as superior to two others--kama, or enjoyment of desires, and artha, or material prosperity. These three aims of life constitute the aims of those in the world (pravritti). The fourth aim is liberation (moksa), the aim of those who renounce the world (nivritti), and this is classically viewed as the supreme end of man.⁵

Karma and Rebirth.     A widespread feature of classical Hinduism is the belief in Transmigration of Souls, or samsara, this is the passing of the soul from body to body as determined by the force of one's actions, or karma. The strict karma theory specifies that the peron's type of birth, length of life, and kinds of experiences are determined by one's previous acts. This continuous chain consists of suffering from the results of acts performed by the person or sin in past lives.⁴ This is modified in popular understanding, but it probably has remained a strong influence on most Hindus throughout history. Liberation is release from this cycle of rebirth and is the goal of every Hindu. It is typically to be achieved by working out those karmicresidues (good karma) which have already begun to mature, as well as by following certain practices to ensure that no further residues are produced to cause future rebirths. The practices by which one can achieve this are frequently termed Yoga, and the theory of liberation is the core of Indian philosophy.¹

Usually in Hinduism it is said to have or include six philosophical systems. These systems are called Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, and Yoga. They emphasize yogic practices coupled with an understanding of basic principles of metaphysics and epistemology. The systems called Nyaya, includes an analysis of logic. The systems called Mimamsa identify the performance of ritual (i.e., Vedic sacrifice, or other actions performed in that spirit) as the means to liberation. The many Vedanta systems, taking their inspiration from the Upanishads, often emphasize the understanding of the relationship between the self (Atman) and ultimate reality (Brahman) as the critical aspect of any path to liberation. Philosophies associated with sectarian movements, like the Bhakti cults, frequently localized in a linguistic or cultural area within the subcontinent, emphasize the path of theistic devotion.¹

The two great theistic movements within Hinduism are Vaishnavism, the cult of Vishnu, and Shaivism, the cult of Shiva. However, Hindu belief usually holds that the universe is populated by a multitude of gods. These gods share to some extent the features of the Godhead but are seen as behaving much as humans do and being related to each other as humans are. This view is similar to that of the ancient Greeks. For example, the supreme gods Brahma (orBrahman), Vishnu, and Shiva and some of the other gods are often viewed as activated through their relationships with female deities. These female consorts to the deities are called Shakti.¹ Anata (the Infinite), for example was the serpent-mother who embraced Vishnu and the other gods during their periods of being dead.³ Other well-known gods are said to be relatives of a supreme god, such as Ganesha, the elephant-headed god, a son of Shiva and Parvati. Kali, orDurga, the consort of Shiva, is worshiped widely throughout India in the autumn. Hanuman, the monkey-faced god, is depicted in many shrines, and along with Lakshmi, Vishnu's wife, is among the most important deities associated with Vaishnavism. The sets of gods recognized by different sects are by no means mutually exclusive because there are many rooms in the house of Hinduism. The comman man is encouraged to worship his own favorite deity, while the more educated man knows that this is an accommodation to the average man's need for concreteness.⁵

Hindu worship takes many forms.     One of the least frequent is the congregational form that is familiar in the West. Vedic sacrifices were conducted in any open place that was properly consecrated. A typical Hindu daily worship (puja) includes a stop at several shrines, a visit to a temple, and finally worship at home. A Hindu may be devoted to several gods: the image of one god (that is frequently a family deity) is commonly installed in a small shrine in the home; a second god, which is worshiped at a nearby temple, may be the divinity to which the person's caste is committed; and another may be the god to whom the individual makes obeisance as his Guru (teacher) or his guru's teacher. Because everything is sacred in a Hindu's eyes, almost anything may be considered worthy of devotion; rivers, cowpens, and the retreats of holy men are among the holy places frequented by the devout.¹

Home Worship.     A home worship typically involves the purification of the area through fire, water, and the drawing of symbolic diagrams. Depending on one's social status, the frequency with which a Hindu is expected to perform the rites, and the role performed in them differs. The rites involve offering food, flowers, or incense to the deity, together with appropriate recitations of sacred words or texts. An important ritual is known as sraddha, in which Hindu males symbolically support their father, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers in other worlds by offering water and balls of rice. This ritual dates back to Vedic times. The worshiper requires the services of a priest, teachers of various ranks and types and astrologers on this occasion, and for other life-cycle ceremonies such as birth, initiation, marriage, and death.⁵

Temple Worship.     The priests also carry out temple worship, although the devotee may participate in the reading of certain hymns or prayers, offerings and sacrifices (such as flowers or money), fasting, ceremonial bathing, various bodily gestures and postures, dancing, and special clothing and markings of the body.⁵ The image of a god is believed to be the god, and the cycle of worship in a temple centers on the daily life of the god. They prepare the god for worship by waking him up with bells, purifying him with incense, bathing him, dressing him, and feeding him. The worshiper then comes to the temple to view (darshana) the god and to receive the food (prasada) that the god has touched. As in the cycle of an ordinary person, special days occur in the cycle of the god of the temple, and on these days they have special ceremonies. The following are frequently the times of festivals and may involve elaborate ceremonies: pilgrimages of vast numbers of devotees, processions bearing the god's image throughout the city or countryside, and special music, plays, and dances for the occasion.¹

Sacred Cities and Festivals.     The seven sacred cities of Hinduism are the following: Varanasi (Benares), Hardwar, Ayodhya, Dwarka, Mathura, Kanchipuram (Conjeeveram), and Ujjain. Other important pilgrimage spots include Madurai, Gaya, Prayaga (allahabad), Tirupati, and Puri. Each of these places has one or more temples where they hold annual festivals and celebrations that attracts large numbers of pilgrims.⁸

Certain festival days are celebrated throughout India on a day fixed according to the Hindu lunisolar calendar.     Some of the most prominent among these is Dipavali, the "Festival of Lights," which occurs in October and November. At this time lamps are placed around the house to welcome Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity. Holi, is a spring festival in February or March, and is a day of riotous fun making (sounds like our version of Mardi gras). It frequently involves temporary suspension of caste and social distinctions, and practical jokes are the order of the day. In the fall (September and October) a ten-day period is set aside to honor the Mother Goddess, culminating in Dashara, the tenth day, a day of processions and celebrations. This festival is extremely important in Bengal, where it is known as Durga Puja.¹

When you compare Hinduism and Christianity, you find a wide divergence of belief between the two faiths.

God.     The Hindu's god (Brahman) is a undefinable, a impersonal being completely above all creation and uninvolved with life on earth, and a philosophical absolute. By some Hindus he is seen as a personal, loving God who desires the salvation of all men. Usually, however he is seen the previous way. The God of Christianity teaches that there is a Supreme Being Who is the infinite-personal Creator. He is loving and very interested in the affairs of mankind, which is in contrast to the deity of Hinduism.²

"And call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you and you will honor Me." Psalm 50:15 ⁹

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 ⁹

"For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man, through perhaps for a good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:6-8 ⁹

"Namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Corinthians 5:19-21 ⁹

"Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, and done what is evil in Thy sight, so that Thou art justified when Thou dost speak, and blameless when Thou dost judge." Psalm 51:4 ⁹

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23 ⁹

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9⁹

"He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit." Titus 3:5 ⁹

"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." John 3:36 ⁹

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1 ⁹

"All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being." John 1:3 ⁹

It becomes clear that Hinduism is a "snowball" religion. By this I mean, Hinduism is like a snowball that is being rolled on the ground picking up things as it comes in contact. It is clear they have picked up ideas and thoughts from every culture they have come in contact with over the centuries. Also, as a snowball rolls sometimes pieces brake off contaminating the things around it, just as Hinduism ideas and beliefs have been gladly absorbed by other religions (like the New Age movement). But at its base is a "works" based religion, hoping in the end that they will have done enough to please their god. Sadly enough the only god that they will ever please is the same god who has always taught that you could make it on your own, and that is Satan. The "old lie" and "Liar" still lives on today.

1. Multimedia Encyclopedia, Software Toolworks Version 1, 1992

2. The Spirit of Truth and The Spirit of Error, Pamphlet by Steven Cory, Moody Press, Chicago IL, 1986

3. Biblical Demonology and Satanic Activity in America, Notes by Dr. Mal Couch, Tyndale Theological Seminary and Biblical Institute, Fort Worth TX, publishing date unknown

4. Handbook of Today's Religions, by Josh McDowell and Don Stewart, pages 283 - 295, Here's Life Publishers Inc., San Bernardino CA, 1991

5. Christianity and World Religions, by E. Luther Copeland, pages 27 - 43, Convention Press, Nashville TN, 1963

6. The World Almanac and Book of Facts, Editor Robert Famighetti, pages 727 - 733, World Almanac Books, Mahwah NJ, 1994

7. Christianity A Ready Defence, by Josh McDowell, pages 271-276, Here's Life Publishers Inc., San Bernardino CA, 1991

8. New Standard Encyclopedia, Vol 6, pages H178 - H180, Standard Education Society Inc., Chicago IL, 1968

9. New American Standard Bible, The Lockman Foundation, La Habra CA, 1977