Hinduism is a type of religion with different Goddesses and Gods. It is believed that three gods control the world; that is, Lord Brahma – who is believed to be the creator, Lord Vishnu – who is believed to be the preserver and Lord Shiva – who is believed to be the destroyer (Flood & Flood, 1996). The three lords control the world are goddesses and have consorts. Despite the different gods, Hindus do not worship all of them. Some worship only one of the three gods in the form of idols. Most of the believers of Hinduism originate from Nepal and India. Also, there is a significant number of believers from the rest of the world. In total, over 900 million people in the world believe in Hinduism. Unlike most religions, it has no set of teachings that have been agreed upon, with no specific founder and scripture to guide the believers. Therefore, this paper is purposed to investigate Hinduism focusing on: the Trimurti, Caste system, and the differences from Christianity.
Trimurti means three forms, and in Hinduism, it refers to the three gods; god Vishnu, god Shiva and god Brahma. The Trimurti has, however, collapsed these three gods to form a single form with three different faces to represent each of the gods. Each of the three gods is in charge of one aspect in Hinduism; Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is the preserver while Shiva is the destroyer. It is what they are known for, although they serve other roles that have been omitted from the doctrine. In India most believers worship god Shiva and Vishnu, Brahma is not highly worshipped, he lost a good number of followers with claims of telling lies which made people stop trusting him (Flood & Flood, 1996).
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The history of Hinduism dates back to 500 BCE. About 500 BCE to 500 CE, god Brahma was one of the major gods before Shiva and Vishnu overtook him. Brahma's birth was from a golden egg. He then created all the things on earth and the earth itself (Mc Daniel, 2017). Within the first millennium century, all the Trimurti considered all the three forms as the manifested supreme deity. However, by the seventh century, Brahma, the creator, had lost his claim. Although he is still figured in the sculpture and texts, he has lost his power and no single sect that worships him exclusively like gods Vishnu and Shiva (Mc Daniel, 2017). Brahma appears in most temples that only worship Vishnu or Shiva and is depicted to have four faces, which symbolizes four-square capacity. It is clearly expressed in Vedas (collection of hymns and poems), yugas (ages), varnas (social classes), ashramas (the four life stages), and directions.
On the other hand, Shiva is depicted as a supreme god and is highly worshiped in many temples. She appears in different forms to show his power over many things. His greatness and mastery are in medicine, poison, ascetic, and fertility (Mc Daniel, 2017).
Brahma's story explains the nature of the caste system in Hinduism. The caste system means the hereditary system of social structures, especially in South Asia, where the Hindu religion is prevalent. According to Rigveda, an ancient text, the caste system in India is based on Brahma’s manifestation of different groups (Stevenson, 1954). Different parts of Brahma gave life to different people, which brought about the division. The teachers and priests were from the mouth. Worriers, and rulers from the arms. Traders and merchants from the thighs and peasants and workers from the feet of Brahma. Based on the biological explanation, the caste system is explained on the notion of inheritance. Different living things inherit a different set of qualities such as intelligence and wisdom, passion and pride, and another less fortunate set of traits that put them on a low social status. These sets of features inherited are the critical determinants of occupation, social status, and one’s lifestyle. The caste system in South Asia came about when the Aryans originating from the central part of Asia attached South Asia and sought control for the local populations. When the Aryans took control over South Asia, they divided the society and defined critical roles for each societal group that is followed up to date (Stevenson, 1954). The 20 th -century scholars have, however, differed from the Aryans theory. There is no single determinant of the Caste System in South Asia.
Hinduism is characterized by many practices and beliefs, which makes it difficult to compare to Christianity. Some of the few tenets that are common across all Hindus in the universe are as follows. Hinduism embraces Christianity ways; however, Christianity does not recognize Hinduism as a religion. In Hinduism, there is tolerance for all faiths. They believe that although different religions follow different paths, they all lead to the same goal, which is worshiping the Supreme Being.
On the other hand, Christians believe that Jesus is the only way to god the creator of the universe (Clooney, 2010). Comparison carried out of the ancient times reveals some similarities between Hinduism and Christianity. Both theologies believe in righteousness. All believers should adhere to failure to which they are subjected to a penalty. In ancient times, the only way to seek forgiveness from the Supreme Being after going against the commandments was through the sacrifice of an animal (Clooney, 2010). Both religions believe in divine commandment and the perfect righteousness of the believers. Therefore, believers are held accountable for their actions. The only difference between the two religions regarding holy commandment is that Christians believe that the price of their sin was paid when Jesus Christ died on the cross, so they no longer have to offer sacrifices. On the other hand, Hindus still believe in offering sacrifice as a penalty for their sins.
Despite the differences, Christians can engage followers of Hinduism in a light way. Hindus require a lot of sensitivity when engaging them. For good engagement, one needs to have a proper understanding of them. The knowledge should cover all the essential aspects of Hinduism; that is, their life stages and the characteristics of each step, the festivals, diet, and worship, beliefs and way of knowledge, the method of devotion (Clooney, 2010). It is also essential to question the individual because Hindu opinions are not standard to everyone. Their beliefs and practices differ across religions. It could be attributed to the fact that they believe in different gods. In the History of Hinduism, there are many Hindus who have converted to Christians across and the caste. They are open-minded people and embrace other religions. Hindus have high values for their traditions and community. Although they embrace other religions, they view them as different communities. And just like Christians who believe and worship one God and know the only way to god is through Jesus Christ, Hindus too can choose to worship one god which one can assimilate to Christianity. That can be the starting point to engage them, share with them about Jesus Christ, and eventually have them choose to devote their lives to Christ.
In conclusion, Hinduism is a dynamic religion with different believes and practices. They have a system that guides them and define their different social structures whose origin is yet to be determined. Also, they have various forms of gods that they worship, with the most important one being Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma. Despite their different differences and beliefs, they embrace other religions and have some similarities with Christians that can be used to lure them to Christianity.
References
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Stevenson, H. N. C. (1954). Status evaluation in the Hindu caste system. The Journal of the
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