HINDUISM AND OTHER RELIGIONS

Isn't Your View Critical of Christianity and Islam?

It is aimed at helping Hindus deal with the ongoing Christian and Islamic efforts to convert them, which are still quite extensive and well-funded. Christian and Islamic groups have projected much criticism of Hinduism, much of it unfair. It is only proper that they hear the Hindu point of view, which is based upon a seeking of universal Truth and is of importance for all human beings.

Many Christian and Islamic groups do not recognize Hinduism as a valid religion. While there is some mutual acceptance of Biblical-based religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), there is a reluctance to accept religions outside this field. Most Christians and Muslims condemn Hindu-based Yoga and meditation practices. They do not accept God-realization or Self-realization and consider it to be arrogance or delusion. I myself was raised as a Catholic, so I know this first hand.

There is no Hindu counterpart of this form of religious negativity. The main criticism that Hinduism has levelled against other religions is relative to their dogmatism and exclusivism, their insistence that they alone have the Truth, that only their God is the real God and not God called by another name, as well as their failure to discern universal truths of karma, rebirth and liberation.

As the common Christian and Islamic idea of religion as a belief system - which is very different from the Hindu idea of Dharma - is the predominant idea of religion today, it must be questioned in order to show the Hindu idea of religion. The Hindu view, which is religion linked to a spirituality of Self and God-realization, is the essence of religion in its true sense, which means to unite. It is not a matter of Hinduism being opposed to any religious truth but of its placing spiritual realization above any dogma. This naturally places Hinduism in a different position than traditions which make dogma and authority more important than individual spiritual realization.

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