Hinduism "Santana Deharma"

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"Hinduism is also known as "Sanatana Dharma" to Hindus" (Balasubramaniam, 1997, Hinduism, The World's Oldest Religion, ÃÂ¶ 1). According to Fisher (2005), Hinduism is many Indian religious ways that have been categorized together as if they are a single tradition. Some question whether Hinduism is a religion, or a culture; Hinduism is considered a religion and a way of life. Balasubramaniam (1997) states that Hinduism does not have a founder, a church, and it does not have a starting point in history. Hinduism is known as one of the oldest religions/cultures in history.

Though Hinduism may seem far removed from our everyday experience, it is becoming increasingly important that we as Christians understand this mysterious religion from India. This is so, if for no other reason than that Hinduism claims 1/6 of the world's population, with over 750 million followers worldwide. But it is also important because its influence is being felt more in our own country.

(Road, 1994, Hinduism, ÃÂ¶ 1)

Description of Hinduism

There is a popular misconception in the Hinduism religion, and that is that Hindu's are polytheistic (believes in multiple Gods). The truth, according to Balasubramaniam (1997), is that Hindu's are, in fact, monotheistic (believes in one God). The 'Vedas' are the primary scriptures of Sanatana Dharma. The Vedas is not a book like a Bible; the majority of the Vedas is memorized and passed by word of mouth from generation to generation. The 'Bhagavad Gita' is considered the Bible of the Hindus (Balasubramaniam, 1997).

"Hinduism is not a dogmatic or exclusive religion to be sure, and can accommodate many beliefs, but does have its particular orientation, its way of Dharma. Though it is not simply a religion its religious element cannot be ignored" (Frawley, 2003, Awaken Bharata, ÃÂ¶ 3).

Cultural and Societal...