If you were trying to convert a Hindu, how would you do it?
If you say "God is merciful" a Hindu might be confused. Their version of God has reincarnation. You have as long as needed to get it right and become one with God. Our "version" of God gives you one chance and that's that.
If you say "Your God is bloodthirsty and lustful" a Hindu might be confused again. In the Old Testament, God required animal sacrifice. Ancient Hindu practices did as well, but nowadays in Hindu worship it is mostly grain and fruits. Our God commanded Israel to slaughter entire nations, to show no mercy, killing all women and children. The Old Testament shows drastic differences compared to our modern Christian beliefs.
If you say "The caste system is evil and smothering!" they would also look at you perplexed. Our Western mind is so set on the individual. Orthodoxy itself teaches that the freedom and liberation we Westerners so love on is really or love of our bondage to sin and death. This is a hard concept to grasp, just as the caste system is hard to grasp to our American mindset... the caste system holds all together, keeps the common good of the culture, etc.
A Hindu might also be confused about our opposition to many current scientific beliefs. Hinduism means the eternal religion. According to Hindus, it always has and always will exist. Hindus teach that there are many worlds, many universes before this, and many after this. Recently, science has discovered what Hindus have always known. This is just one universe. MANY billions or trillions of years from now, our own universe will be gone and a new one will eventually come. There have been universes before this. This is all in the ancient Hindu texts, which also describes civilizations already ancient by Ice Age times! Their Scriptures speak of times when the Earth was very frigid and icy... something again scientists have discovered.
Also, in the Hindu Scriptures, someone is given a vision of the future or some such and sees the sun expanding HUGE and the Earth becoming barren ash. This is what really happens after billions of years of a star's existence! Science just discovered this! But Hindus have always known it!
I could go on and on on that particular subject.
A Hindu might also be confused in regards to the many miracles found in all religions across the world. In Hinduism it is easy to explain... God works in all ways... all paths lead to Him/Her.
Admittedly, I have been reading up on Hinduism, and these are sort of my own questions and whatnot.
Love,
Justin
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Yes, all cultures and religions can have miracles. When i was in Greece i experienced a phenomenon that has nothing to do with religion. Theres a mountain called 'Levithra' near the town of Platamona. A short section of the road leading up to the top of the mountain defys physics, if you place a bottle on the ground it will begin to roll up the hill! A tourist put his car in neutral and instead of it rolling down the hill it slowly began creeping uphill. One person even kicked his bottle of water down the road and sure enough, it stopped and reversed course!
When spreading the Gospel you must understand the culture and find the similarities. As Christ said, 'you search the scriptures for in it you think you have life, but it is that which speaks of me'. He meant all scripture not just the OT.
If you were trying to convert a Hindu, how would you do it?
If you say "God is merciful" a Hindu might be confused. Their version of God has reincarnation. You have as long as needed to get it right and become one with God. Our "version" of God gives you one chance and that's that.
If you say "Your God is bloodthirsty and lustful" a Hindu might be confused again. In the Old Testament, God required animal sacrifice. Ancient Hindu practices did as well, but nowadays in Hindu worship it is mostly grain and fruits. Our God commanded Israel to slaughter entire nations, to show no mercy, killing all women and children. The Old Testament shows drastic differences compared to our modern Christian beliefs.
If you say "The caste system is evil and smothering!" they would also look at you perplexed. Our Western mind is so set on the individual. Orthodoxy itself teaches that the freedom and liberation we Westerners so love on is really or love of our bondage to sin and death. This is a hard concept to grasp, just as the caste system is hard to grasp to our American mindset... the caste system holds all together, keeps the common good of the culture, etc.
A Hindu might also be confused about our opposition to many current scientific beliefs. Hinduism means the eternal religion. According to Hindus, it always has and always will exist. Hindus teach that there are many worlds, many universes before this, and many after this. Recently, science has discovered what Hindus have always known. This is just one universe. MANY billions or trillions of years from now, our own universe will be gone and a new one will eventually come. There have been universes before this. This is all in the ancient Hindu texts, which also describes civilizations already ancient by Ice Age times! Their Scriptures speak of times when the Earth was very frigid and icy... something again scientists have discovered.
Also, in the Hindu Scriptures, someone is given a vision of the future or some such and sees the sun expanding HUGE and the Earth becoming barren ash. This is what really happens after billions of years of a star's existence! Science just discovered this! But Hindus have always known it!
I could go on and on on that particular subject.
A Hindu might also be confused in regards to the many miracles found in all religions across the world. In Hinduism it is easy to explain... God works in all ways... all paths lead to Him/Her.
Admittedly, I have been reading up on Hinduism, and these are sort of my own questions and whatnot.
Love,
Justin
Voistinu Voskrese!
First I'd like to comment on the "numerous universes" and that it's just a hypothesis, there is no firm proof of that. I'd rather say it's a speculation, unless I'm missing an important discovery. Everything started with a Big Bang, and the Universe is expanding. It will forever expand and will not be destroyed but will just cool off eventually when all stars will lose their light. Actually, multiple universe hypothesis does not go well with Creation, since God created the world at some set point. Multiple universes does not necessarily give you a set starting point, but you can speculate that the process is eternal.
And to comment on your question, in my view is you have to stress on the moral aspects of Orthodox beliefs. As someone wise said: "the soul in its nature is Christian". Tell them that the center of our beliefs is love, charity, kindness, self-sacrifice, humility, generocity, forgiveness, joy and peace, and they should feel the truth in their souls. Orthodoxy is spiritual, and so the only way to persuade someone is by spiritual means. Take them to the church, and they should feel the grace that fills the soul during the service, esp the Saturday Vespers service.
After extensive debate, I came to the conclusion that the only way for people to convert is through the grace of the Lord that works on us when we attend services, read the Saints' lives and counsels, and pray.
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If you say "Your God is bloodthirsty and lustful" a Hindu might be confused again. In the Old Testament, God required animal sacrifice. Ancient Hindu practices did as well, but nowadays in Hindu worship it is mostly grain and fruits. Our God commanded Israel to slaughter entire nations, to show no mercy, killing all women and children. The Old Testament shows drastic differences compared to our modern Christian beliefs.
God created everything. If he wants something destroyed, it's his to destroy. Trying to attach immorality to God is like trying to attach the guilt of murder to my pest control man who sprays the ants on our sidewalk.
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Theotokion:Wonderful and speedy helper of all men, help me, O Mother of God,
unworthy as I am, for my sinful soul hath desired this.
How is it that the caste system works for the good of the culture? And how does the caste system explain a world outside of India. If we are all born into a caste based on our past life, what caste am I? What caste are you? The system of course was created before there was contact with the outside world, so they only had to explain their own group, not the rest of the world, but how does it make sense in light of today? Are only Indians reincarnated?
__________________ Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and it annoys the pig.
first to Justin: are you trying to convert a Hindu? or are you just curious?
Are only Indians reincarnated?
i think there are other religions that believe in reincarnation. in the case of Hinduism, the cycle of reincarnations does end eventually, so they do beleive in some sort of heaven i guess.
i used to believe that whatever you believe would happen to you after you die, for example, Christians would go to Heaven, and Hindus would be reincarnated. then i found out that Mormons believe that they become gods after they die.
A pretty typical response by a Hindu when you get done is that they will tell you they accept Jesus. The major problem is they will accept every other religion too.
The idea that it is impossible to worship God and other gods is a most difficult thing for a Hindu to comprehend. They tend to see all religions as various revelations of the same truth.
No other name than Jesus is a huge leap for them.
And if I may comment, I haven't a clue how you can convince them of that truth and then expose them to icons.
Marv
__________________ Eze 36:25-27 ESV (25) I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. (26) And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. (27) And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
Heb 10:22 ESV let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
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