Hinduism: Polytheistic or Monotheistic? Regarded as the 3rd largest religion in the world, originating back to 2750-1750 BCE, Hinduism is a very unique religion practiced mostly by India (80 Percent). When asking the question whether this religion is polytheistic or monotheistic, it can be said that Hinduism can really be considered both of these terms due to different aspects. Hinduism is polytheistic, meaning that this religion worships many different gods all containing different elements, but Hinduism also is monotheistic, as its origins come from one sacred book, the Bhagavad Gita. Hinduism worshipers believe in many different gods, and worshipers participate in different pujas (rituals) to these gods.
The reason Hinduism is so varied is due to the variety of texts and scriptures that makeup the Hindu belief system. Many of these beliefs were not originally written down, rather much like Buddhism; they were simply passed down generation to generation. The Rig Vedas, is known as the most important of the Hindu scriptures due to the account of the origin of the universe. (Molloy 2013) Although the Vedas are the primary scriptures, there are others including Agama, Tantra, etc. The Brahmans gave details about religious practices, ceremonies and rituals.
Judaism & Hinduism The first religion to be discussed is Hinduism. Being the 3rd largest religion by population, and over 1 billion followers, the practice is not only a religion but a way of life. Mainly practiced in India and Nepal, it is considered as a blend of culture and ideology. Hinduism is the oldest religion and is often denoted as Sanᾱtana Dharma Knott (1998). The Vedas, the sacred text, can also be referred as the Shruti.
Hinduism is a “conglomeration of religious, philosophical, and cultural ideas and practices,” (About Religion, 2015). Thus, Hinduism has various sects, lacking unification of systems and beliefs. For this discussion, a broad context of the faith’s answers to the worldview questions will be addressed. First of all, Brahman is the ultimate reality, and it began to exist from non-existence, an unconscious emanation from the divine; Brahman is the cause of all physical and moral realms in the universe and although many gods exist in Hinduism, they all are below the one true deity above all else, (CAFNepal, 2011). Hinduism is varied in its beliefs regarding the characteristics of Brahman; some hold that Brahman is omnipotent and omniscient with no characteristics, while others hold that Brahman is a loving deity that cares for mankind and exhibits positive characteristics.
While Hinduism and Buddhism have many similarities, they have major differences as well. Although they do have some similar terms and practices (samsara, karma, meditation), the rest of the two ideologies deviate from one another. One of the biggest differences in my opinion is that Hindus (like myself) are pantheists, whereas Buddhists are atheists. Hindus believe that everything is God, but Buddhists don’t believe in any God. Since Hindus believe everything is God, the soul, atman, is also God.
Ever since the ancient and medieval eras of philosophy there have been debates amongst philosophers and theologians concerning the existence of, and attributes that should be ascribed to, the existence of God. In majority of religions around the world, this knowledge of ‘God’ exists; a being perceived as the supreme one, the creator of all. Now the term ‘God’, does not refer to any particular religious’ deities but a term that can cover everything from a perfect omnipotent being to something that can be considered quite ordinary (Dvorsky, 2016). Of the numerous philosophical arguments that have formed, the most well-known range from Plato, Aristotle and Aquinas’s similar cosmological argument which claims that there must be a reason for this
In some ways, the two beliefs are comparable, being established largely on the teachings of a single man; for instance Buddha in Buddhism and Christ in Christianity. Although, there are numerous differences between Christianity and Buddhism, their understanding of the world and the life after death, that make each religion
The same goes for what is housed in the two said buildings. The temple is said to have various sacred objects one of which is the Yata no Kagami, which is a sacred mirror that is housed in the Grand Shrine of Ise. It lacks eye witness, but so does most of the sacred objects that is said to be housed in the shrines of Ise. Where the Mosque does not have any
Shaivism is one of the major traditions in Hinduism that refers to Shiva as the Supreme Being or its theoretical concept of Brahman. The followers of Shaivism are called "Shaivites". Shaivism Hinduism in the classical and modern periods displays two powerful male deities, Shiva and Vishnu, in addition to multiple forms of Devī, the goddess. Shiva is the most important and revered God of Hinduism. Shiva is also known as Mahesh, is seen in many forms.
Hinduism is more open minded as it embraces other beliefs and teaches that all religions have one goal, regardless of the path in life you may take. As for Christianity the belief is there is only one God. But what brings these two religions together is that even though they portray very different people from completely different races, in different periods and in various religions, it all comes down to the same knowledge that is based on revelation. In both Hinduism and