| Hinduism and Christianity are different in their specific | | | | entrance in Christian churches as well, to bless oneself |
| beliefs, but their fundamentals are essentially the same. | | | | with the love of God and be cleansed before entering |
| That is, the stories, teachings and means to their goals | | | | or leaving the Church. In Hinduism, cleansing plays an |
| may radically differ, but the goals themselves, such as | | | | even more prominent role in everyday life. |
| concepts of afterlife, heaven, and human goodness, | | | | Worshippers cleanse themselves in communal baths |
| are alike. Spiritual perfection is found in Hinduism's | | | | before entering temples to pray, and all Hindus bath |
| moksha and Christianity's Heaven. Hinduism teaches | | | | several times every day to be certain they are always |
| Karma and Christianity holds Jesus Christ's teachings | | | | clean for respect of oneself and of Gods. The most |
| of goodness as means whereby humans can | | | | prominent example of Hindu cleansing, however, is the |
| measure right and wrong conduct. Hinduism and | | | | Ganges river, a "great river of the plains of northern |
| Christianity edify cleanings of the soul, both with great | | | | India [...] From time immemorial it has been the holy river |
| focus on water. Hinduism believes in the role of its | | | | of the Hindus" (Britannica). Hindu myth holds that the |
| many Gods in everyday life. It has three primary Gods, | | | | river was poured down from heaven, and is now a |
| which some Hindus believe act as one in Brahman. | | | | sacred body, which holds the power to wash away |
| "Most Hindus [...] hold that all gods and goddesses are | | | | sins. Therefore in both religions, cleansing plays a |
| the Ultimate Reality or Absolute Reality [...] called | | | | central role, in the interest of purifying the body mind |
| Brahman" (Clemmons). Christianity also believes in the | | | | and soul, in order to find God as such and in oneself. |
| role of God in everyday life, and similarly, has only one | | | | Hinduism's concept of Gods as a force in everyday |
| God, composed of three figures: Father, Son, and Holy | | | | life has been so influential throughout its history that |
| Spirit, to which all are referred, "God." It is for these | | | | even many non-Hindus have come to greatly respect |
| reasons to be elaborated herein, that Christianity and | | | | and admire the Gods, even though they do not |
| Hinduism, despite superficial variation, are the same at | | | | worship them. Statues and paintings of many Hindu |
| their cores. | | | | Gods, even outside of India, are dearly regarded |
| Hinduism is one of the world's oldest religions at | | | | symbols of peace and harmony for their cities, merely |
| approximately 3 500 years old, beginning | | | | in their own existence. Hindu Gods are all represented |
| approximately 1 500 BCE. Its origins trace back to the | | | | in human form, save for Brahman, which has no form. |
| Indus Valley region (Jayaram). "Hinduism derived richly | | | | Furthermore, many Hindu Gods have come to Earth |
| from the Indus People, the Vedic People, from | | | | themselves. Such are known as avatars: "An avatar is |
| Dravidian cultures, from folk religions and also from the | | | | the incarnation of a god or goddess who has |
| foreign traditions of Mesopotamia, Greece, Arabia, | | | | descended from the heavenly world to rid the world of |
| China and central Russia" (Jayaram). Its highest | | | | evil" (Clemmons). The role of Gods in Hinduism as |
| concentration is in India, and the majority of the | | | | facets of everyday life has grown to such extent that |
| population of India is Hindu. Followers of Hinduism, | | | | Gods seem almost to be considered companions and |
| however, exist worldwide, numbering an approximate | | | | friends. Many families choose a specific God, which |
| total of 800 million. Furthermore, Hindu philosophy and | | | | composes many of their beliefs and desires, and pray |
| literature have become worldly influential even to those | | | | to that God from their home. Christianity's belief of |
| who do not follow the religion (White). Such is the | | | | Gods is no less prevalent, though possibly far more |
| wisdom behind them. Hindu scriptures do not come | | | | subtle. Christians believe in an omniscient God that |
| from a single book; Hinduism rather has many sacred | | | | permeates everyone and everything, every thought |
| writings, all of which have in some way contributed to | | | | and emotion of the world, as a friend, as a guide, and |
| its doctrines. The Vedas, the Puranas, the Ramayana, | | | | as a parent - to love and to guide, to hold and console, |
| the Mahabharata and the Manu Smriti are the most | | | | and to raise those who have fallen in life that they |
| important (White). | | | | may live and love again. This was exemplified with |
| Christianity, known as such, began approximately 2 | | | | Jesus' descent to Earth, to be with the men and |
| 000 years ago after the death of Jesus Christ, who | | | | women of sin that God created, to teach them and to |
| taught about human values of Goodness, God's | | | | show them how to love. Every Christian mass closes |
| unconditional love for all humans, and His perpetual will | | | | with a reminder that God lives within everyone and |
| to forgive all repenting sinners from their wrongdoings. | | | | this, in subtle truth, is the most primal Christian doctrine. |
| Christianity has become the largest of world religions | | | | Religions are complex bodies of contradiction, |
| with over 2 billion followers. Furthermore, of all religions, | | | | disagreement and often fallacy, bringing about hatred |
| Christianity spans the greatest geographic area | | | | and indignant pride. Such is the result of the faiths and |
| (Britannica). Christianity has many denominations, | | | | dogmas, with elusive stories to convey a specific point |
| sprouting from numerous discrepancies in the opinions | | | | and elucidate a specific goal to its followers, resulting in |
| and biblical interpretations of its followers. Christian | | | | casting out and ignoring those who are not official |
| doctrines are derived almost in totality from | | | | integrated, e.g. by baptism, and those who do not |
| interpretations of the bible, which was written by | | | | follow or believe in the mere stories, regardless of their |
| followers of Jesus throughout a period following his | | | | belief in the ends they serve to convey. |
| death, during the formation of the Church. Still today, | | | | What is overlooked by all persons of all religions is that |
| many separations within the church exist, but its | | | | in ignorance and closed-mindedness, the doctrines |
| fundamentals about right and wrong, good and evil, and | | | | have been lost in obsessions and preoccupations with |
| necessary human love for God and each other stand | | | | the stories that serve to convey them. Hinduism and |
| steadfast. | | | | Christianity, two religions so distant in times and places, |
| Both Hinduism and Christianity have central beliefs in | | | | and means of understanding the world, are yet |
| Heaven. "In Hinduism there are many and varied | | | | identical in their teachings at their core. All religions |
| concepts of heaven. Worshippers of Vishnu, the | | | | teach the same thing. "All religions," in Mahatma |
| Preserver, for example, believe that they will go to a | | | | Ghandi's most brilliant words, "are true." |
| heaven in which there is no suffering, fear, or death | | | | The greatest argument against all religions is their |
| and that they will be able to live in the glory of Vishnu's | | | | hypocritical arrogance. They proclaim God to be |
| eternal light" (Britannica). Christianity's view of heaven is | | | | all-powerful and all-knowing. But they then assume the |
| more uniform among its believers. It holds that heaven | | | | very role they state that only God can play. The |
| is a place of peace and salvation in which to dwell | | | | humans in charge of the Catholic faith (i.e. pope and |
| eternally with Jesus, the Son, God, the Father, and the | | | | clergy) for instance, imply to know sinner from saint, |
| Holy Spirit. | | | | and almost decide who goes to heaven, and whom to |
| The core belief of Hinduism is that humans and all living | | | | hell. They condemn persons for their sins, and give |
| beings contain souls, which must achieve spiritual | | | | penances therefor. And they do not let non-believers |
| perfection. When it is achieved, the soul permanently | | | | of the religion into the church, even for sacraments of |
| enters a higher level of existence, called moksha. This | | | | marriage, despite that all people are children of God, |
| entry is the purpose of living. Reincarnation is the | | | | and all are supposedly equal. Perhaps some are just |
| rebirth of a soul into a new Earthly existence. It takes | | | | more equal than others. |
| place redundantly over extraordinary numbers of | | | | My prejudices and disdains were overwhelming to all |
| years, until moksha is achieved (White). The concept | | | | religions, including, at times, my own. My contempt lives |
| of perfection, though elucidated differently in Hinduism, | | | | on, but now in different and enlightened form. It no |
| is similar to Christianity's beliefs that a human soul goes | | | | longer is based upon perceived inadequacies of |
| to heaven after achieving subjective perfection; not | | | | religions I did not even fathom, nor upon apparent |
| true perfection, as implied in Hinduism, because such | | | | shortcomings in finding purpose or love or God. Such, |
| was only possible by the Christian saviour, Jesus | | | | all religions attempt and in such, all succeed. My |
| Christ. The cyclic death and rebirth process in | | | | prejudice and far deeper contempt now are toward all |
| Christianity is a metaphoric rather than an actual one. In | | | | persons who compose the religions as such. Most, |
| Hinduism, a soul is actually dead and then reborn. | | | | despite the immensely demanding concept of |
| Whereas, in Christianity, the soul, within the same | | | | open-mindedness of the religion, fail in all regards to |
| physical Earthly body goes through a series of deaths | | | | think outside the bounds of their own religion to search |
| and births, so to speak, within the lifespan of that one | | | | for a truth more objective than that merely |
| body only. The birth and death in Christianity are | | | | appropriated by their predecessors. |
| caused by sin and repentance. In sinning, the soul is | | | | It is in the ignorance of the existence of a higher truth |
| wounded, and a part of it dies. In repenting one's sins, | | | | than one's own that all wars are waged, that all lives |
| that dead part of the soul is reborn even stronger than | | | | are lost, and that all evil prevails. |
| before. Hence, the process of achieving perfection in | | | | I am a Catholic. I participate in Catholic community, go |
| both Hinduism and Christianity is through failure and | | | | to Catholic church, and respect Catholic ideals and |
| death, and resultant rebirth, in order to try again to | | | | doctrines. But Catholicism is my means, not my end. |
| achieve sufficient perfection for Heaven or moksha. | | | | My truth is not one learned, or read in books; it is one |
| In Hinduism, "the law of karma states that every action | | | | discovered and found in life. Religion, aforementioned |
| influences how the soul will be born in the next | | | | as such, is comprised in my belief not of contradicting, |
| reincarnation. If a person lives a good life, the soul will | | | | but complementing religions. Religion is one, and eternal. |
| be born into a higher state, perhaps into the body of a | | | | It is a body of knowledge, from Buddhism to Islam, |
| brahmin. If a person leads an evil life, the soul will be | | | | from Judaism to Sikhism, from Christianity to Hinduism, |
| born into a lower state, perhaps into the body of a | | | | in which all virtues and all truths are born. To seek |
| worm" (White). The conclusion, therefore, is that virtue | | | | therefore the truth of only one religion is to ignore that |
| yields reward, and evil yields penalty. This is true in | | | | of all others and thereby disregard the complete and |
| Christianity as well, although endorsement of | | | | actual truth. |
| punishment throughout the years, especially after | | | | In religion, pluralism is the only term that designates |
| Vatican II, has somewhat ceased. In Christianity, doers | | | | unity. All religions differ, but all are the same. And in their |
| of good find reward in heaven, while doers of evil do | | | | abundant presence, they compose, as a whole, the |
| not. In both Christianity and Hinduism, blissful ends | | | | only thing that can truly be considered a religion. That is, |
| promote living for the glory of God, and doing what is, | | | | the totality of human existence: all thought and love, |
| by human and divine standards, morally right. | | | | and hopes and desires, all perceptions of afterlife and |
| Furthermore, both religions promote similar standards | | | | governance of the present, all fears and hatred bound |
| of what such righteousness is, focusing of communal | | | | as one with love and trust and death. It is in this |
| values, loving one's neighbours, and in trust, obeying | | | | perpetual conflict and undying war that alongside past |
| when asked to obey, as with parents, respected | | | | and future and chaotic present, we so slowly ebb our |
| peers, and God. | | | | lives. And lest we go in vain, let knowledge rein and |
| The root of the motives for rituals of cleansing one's | | | | pride fast perish; to believe in all, and believe in One. |
| soul, in both Christianity and Hinduism, is purification | | | | Works Cited |
| from sin and evil, in preparation for the love of God. In | | | | Britannica 2002 Deluxe Edition CDROM. |
| both religions, water is almost always used. In | | | | Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Christianity. 1994 - |
| Christianity, there are many examples of cleansing. | | | | 2002. |
| Baptism is a Christian sacrament involving the use of | | | | Clemmons, Nancy SNJM. Exploring the Religions of our |
| water, which is either sprinkled on the head of the | | | | World. Ed. Michael Amodei. United Stated of America: |
| recipient, or into which he or she is fully or partially | | | | Ave Maria Press, Inc., 1999. |
| submerged (Britannica). There is holy water at every | | | | |