Pros And Disadvantages Of Hinduism

I. Introduction

“Hinduism is not just a faith. It is the union of reason and intuition that can not be defined but is only to be experienced. Evil and error are not ultimate. There is no Hell, for that means there is a place where God is not, and there are sins which exceed his love.” (Radhakrishnan, n.d) This is a quote from Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a former president of India, who is illustraiting that Hinudism is more than just a religion. Hinduism is a collective term applied to many philosophical and religious traditions native to India (Flood, 2009). It has been the source of inspiration for many religions such as Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism. It is one of the oldest surviving religions in the world and has also been classified as the third largest religion, with over 1 billion followers (Hinduism Facts, n.a.). Although this can be said, there is a great deal of controversy on the matter. Although the beliefs and practices of Hinduism have been around for centuries, Hinduism can also be considered one of the youngest religions because it was only in the 19th century when many indigenous Indian theology were to be collectively named (by outsiders) ‘Hinduism’. For many, Hinduism is a way of life, not a religion. It is a cultural entity. Hinduism is much more than just a religion; it is a complex socio-cultural religious body, which reflects the complex, vast, diverse, and rich Indian culture (Violatti, 2013).

II. History

The exact beginning of Hinduism is