When and How Did the Hindu Religion Originate?

Tintin · Jan 26, 2015

How is it that we know the history and founders of four of the five main world religions: (Judaism - Abraham, Buddhism - Buddha, Christianity - Christ Jesus, Islam - Mohammed) but not of Hinduism?

I ask this question, first because I find such things interesting and secondly, because if you know the history of something, you know the identity behind it. If you know the identity behind something, you also know how to argue/discuss the truth or the falsehood from a historical standpoint (discussing it from a spiritual perspective isn't difficult). We know why Judaism is superior to the other three religions, but even it doesn't stake up to the grace and hope found in Christianity. And both Judaism and Christianity can be verified, as they are firmly rooted in human history. There's even evidence for China being a country that worshipped the one true God before paganism took over and in a big way, so that accounts for Buddhism etc. not being the most ancient religion in the East (although you could be forgiven for not knowing that to be true).

For example, how would you witness to Hindus in a manner that they find relevant, if you and they don't know the birthplace of their religion? Of course, the Holy Spirit plays His role by way of revelation in speaking to their spirit to reveal their need for a Saviour.
Still, I would like to know when Hinduism originated and who founded the religion.

Thanks, guys.

Jeff_56 · Jan 26, 2015

yahweh says to not study the ways of heathen/ pagans/ other nations, and to not seek what they seek. just as yahshua says the gentiles worry about food and clothes and a place to stay, but the ekklesia are told by yahshua to not worry nor even give a thought to such things. to do so is to disobey, and to sin.

when someone abides in yahshua, they speak what abba yahweh the creator says to speak, and there can be no other thing to say that is better than what he says to say, nor is speaking of things he doesn't say obedient to him nor pleasing to him.

he doesn't think like men, nor are his ways like man's ways. yahshua says to seek him always, to do as he does, and to speak as he speaks. simple, true, and life giving by his grace.

Tintin · Jan 26, 2015

Jeff_56 said:

God doesn't say to not study their ways, He says not to follow in their footsteps - to believe what they belief and practice what they practice and to worship who they worship. It is beneficial to research such things for the right purposes and with discernment. Think about Daniel and the other young men of God, when they were in Babylon. They learned some seriously dodgy stuff, but they were true to God and He used them mightily to speak to the king and his kingdom. By the way, you're using verses out of context here. Those verses are about the need to put our entire trust in God, not about studying world religions. I'm firmly planted in Christ's foundation, thank you very much.

ChandlerFan · Jan 26, 2015

I would just say first of all that I think the thread question is a brilliant one. Understanding the history of a religion is crucial to understanding its followers and why they follow it and it does give you a basis for why the religion holds certain things in value. I could be completely off on this, but being that Rachel20 and Roh_Chris are from India I would be interested to hear if they have any thoughts to contribute on the topic. I'll maybe try to do a little research myself and see what I come up with.

I also just want to throw out there that these are the types of threads that tend to attract the crazies who tend to be more unhelpful than they are insightful (as has already happened above), so for the purpose of making this a productive thread (which I really hope that it will be because I'm really interested in this stuff) we should probably do our best to ignore the off-topic and generally unhelpful posts that I guarantee will occur again, and instead engage with the people who have helpful insight to offer

Jeff_56 · Jan 26, 2015

Deuteronomy 12 NLT - The LORD's Chosen Place for Worship ...

"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+12...‎
Do not inquire about their gods, saying, 'How do these nations worship their gods
? ...."

Deuteronomy 18:9-14 EXB - Do Not Follow Other Nations - When ...
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy...
Do Not Follow Other Nations - When you enter the land the LORD your God is
giving you, don't learn to do the ·hateful [detestable; abhorrent;...."

Jeremiah 10 - God and Idols - Hear what the LORD says - Bible ...
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+10
God and Idols - Hear what the LORD says to you, people of Israel. This is what
the LORD says: “Do not learn the ways of the nations ...."

hoss2576 · Jan 26, 2015

Isn't it an amalgamation of many historic Indian beliefs and practices? I mean it isn't just one thing with one origin, I don't think.

Tintin · Jan 26, 2015

hoss2576 said:

Hoss, so what you're saying is that there were different Indian 'tribes' in the ancient past, each of which may have had separate beliefs and practices post-tower of Babel, that later fell under the blanket of Vedism that led to Hinduism? That's a start. Thanks.

Ugly · Jan 26, 2015

Tintin said:

How is it that we know the history and founders of four of the five main world religions: (Judaism - Abraham, Buddhism - Buddha, Christianity - Christ Jesus, Islam - Mohammed) but not of Hinduism?

I ask this question, first because I find such things interesting and secondly, because if you know the history of something, you know the identity behind it. If you know the identity behind something, you also know how to argue/discuss the truth or the falsehood from a historical standpoint (discussing it from a spiritual perspective isn't difficult). We know why Judaism is superior to the other three religions, but even it doesn't stake up to the grace and hope found in Christianity. And both Judaism and Christianity can be verified, as they are firmly rooted in human history. There's even evidence for China being a country that worshipped the one true God before paganism took over and in a big way, so that accounts for Buddhism etc. not being the most ancient religion in the East (although you could be forgiven for not knowing that to be true).

For example, how would you witness to Hindus in a manner that they find relevant, if you and they don't know the birthplace of their religion? Of course, the Holy Spirit plays His role by way of revelation in speaking to their spirit to reveal their need for a Saviour.
Still, I would like to know when Hinduism originated and who founded the religion.

Thanks, guys.

Oh, sure. Make a post like this in Singles and look, you bring in the Bible Debate people to singles that cause arguments. =P

Tintin · Jan 26, 2015

Ugly said:

I asked the question here to get away from that nonsense. Ooops.

Ugly · Jan 26, 2015

Tintin said:

You should know sharks follow the scent of blood.
Or there's the India forums =P

kayem77 · Jan 26, 2015

I'm no expert, but from what I've read Hinduism doesn't have a founder. That's because Hinduism has many gods and many traditions, and unlike other religions, there is no set of doctrines or traditions which people follow unanimously. I think it could be considered paganism in its most basic form. The worship of creation is the oldest idolatry of human beings.

I too was interested in knowing more about Hinduism a while ago. So I researched it a little bit. It's always helpful to know where other people come from in their understanding of the spiritual world. And hopefully we can better witness the gospel by understanding them better.

Also, found this ----> Hinduism Origins, Hinduism History, Hinduism Beliefs

Rachel20 · Jan 26, 2015

Hinduism originated around 4000 years ago, around the time of the Indus Valley Civilization and began as a practice or a way of life by the Indo-Aryan people.

The practicers of Hinduism were called "Aryans" to signify "noble people".

The Vedas which are written in Sanskrit deal with these laws, like karma and dharma, and to propagate honesty, mercy , self restraint and purity in society.

Hinduism over a period of years adopted many beliefs and ideas of various religions and ideologies as time progressed being that India has always been a melting pot of sorts.

In my opinion, going against something with an agenda to prove it wrong without having any knowledge is a grand display of stupidity.

Most of the Christians that I have interacted with, have very little knowledge of Hinduism but they have no qualms looking down on people who practice it.

If you have no compassion or understanding, or if your agenda is to solely prove someone wrong, then it's not worth spending time understanding Hinduism.

You should go on to do other things that suit you and where you can succeed in arguments.

I say this looking at history. India though having been exposed to Christianity has not bought it completely. Christians are still a minority here - at 2%.

If you read Gandhi's autobiography, he clearly states how many Western missionaries who came here would look down on Indian traditions and poke fun at the Hindu way of life. They spent a lot of time debating him but could never convince him.

Gandhi is just one example.

Hinduism is an absorptive religion. Jesus can be accepted as one of many gods, but not one true God.

wwjd_kilden · Jan 26, 2015

That's interesting. So it started off as a philosophy without gods and then, uhm, sort of adopted them from other religions?

Rachel20 · Jan 26, 2015

wwjd_kilden said:

Well, from what I can tell.

Hinduism also has a concept of a trinitarian God, that is considered supreme, and then levels of lesser gods and demi gods.

Sometimes each household has a dominant deity.

Hinduism' version of a trinity - or the Supreme God - is Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu (The Preserver) and Shiva (the destroyer)

The rest of Hinduism consists of dozens of mythologies and tales, about these gods and their wives (much like Nordic/Roman gods) and the various avatars in which the gods manifest themselves.

Then there's also demon lore and all that. There's a heavy aura of mysticism around most of it.

The major flaws of Hinduism is the caste system and their reliance on pedantic rituals that drives people to be fleeced by numerous godmen and godwomen, astrologers and what not.

Also their tales of creationism and other stuff, can be hard to stomach..owing to their ridiculousness and the attributes of their gods. In this it comes very close to the paganism in Europe before Christianity.

I think maybe it was brought over from India to there or vice versa. Again, I am not very sure. I do not claim to be an expert on this and I hope that I leave room for accepting errors.

maxwel · Jan 26, 2015

Jeff_56 said:

The context of Deuturonomy 12:30 is about STUDYING OTHER RELIGIONS IN ORDER TO PRACTICE THEM.
All you have to do is read the entire verse.

There is nothing wrong with studying other religions in order to witness intelligently to people.
Deuteronomy 12:30 is not a prohibition against study.
It's a a prohibition against FOLLOWING other religions.
All you have to do is read the entire verse.

The BEGINNING of the verse is about "following" other religions,
and the END of the verse is about "following" other religions.

I'm going to give Jeff_56 the benefit of the doubt,
and just assume that maybe the New Living Translation is unclear,
and Jeff was not trying to intentionally take the passage out of context.

Deuteronomy 12: 30
Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.

The underlined sections at the beginning, and the end, show clearly the context of the entire verse is about FOLLOWING other religions, and DOING LIKE THEY DO. It is NOT about study, or academic pursuits... it's about following other religions.

Rachel20 · Jan 26, 2015

Also, I just want to add, that Tintin, thanks for making such a thread and opening up a topic that is almost never brought up.

My earlier post was in part my opinion on some of the ignorance I've noticed that are displayed by many Christians.

Since the last year, Hinduism and Hindutva has become very aggressive, mostly due to the rise of the BJP.

The only two religions that have resisted Hinduism are Islam and Christianity. Jainism and Buddhism seems to go along unnoticed and is not seen as non-threatening.

Much of the strife in India has been due to animosity of Hindus and Muslims. The partition of India, into India and Pakistan was also due to this polarized sectioning.

Many people lost their lives and families were broken apart as people were separated.

This last year, Hindu right wing fundamentalists launched "Ghar Wapsi" Campaigns, meaning "homecoming" to lure and coerce Christians back into the Hindu fold.

As many of you might know, many Indians have been persecuted for their faith. In 1999, Australian missionary Graham Staines was also murdered along with his sons, burnt to death, by a mob led by Bajrang Dal activists.

His widow Gladys, famously forgave the murderers and she continues to live in India. In 2005, she was awarded the fourth highest civilian award for her work with leprosy patients.

Honestly, not just the Staines, but a lot of people working at the grassroots have been harassed and troubled for their beliefs in God.

There's a lot of black magic, witchcraft and in general hostility towards people of other beliefs. It's very complicated.

As a young child in school, I also felt it deeply. I have found myself to be the only Christian around many times.

If you get a chance, please do pray for the people of India and India in general. Pray that God works in the lives of people and cause a shift in the perception of many.

God bless.

zeroturbulence · Jan 26, 2015

I thought it was started by a guy named Hin whose wife was always saying "Hin! Do this.. and Hin! Do that.."

Tintin · Jan 26, 2015

Thank you, Rachel. Yes, I'll absolutely pray for the people of India and India in general. I have been for sometime now (ever since I first heard about there being future wide-spread violent persecution of ex-Hindus, turned Christians taking place on Christmas Day, 2014).

I'm interested in world religions and how they differ from belief in the one true God (eg. the triune nature of Hinduism's main deities lends credence to the belief that they once believed in the God of the Bible - Father, Son and Spirit, prior to the tower of Babel dispersal and maybe some time after that (4,000 years places the beginning of the Indus Valley Civilization a little before Abraham's time. After the Babel dispersal, Japheth's family groups headed off in the direction of Europe and to East Asia, so it's very likely the Indo/Aryan people came from his bloodline).

I attend a great prayer and worship time with other brothers and sisters in Christ, every Thursday night. Two young Indian women have started attending. They're lovely. One was a Hindu but has been a Christian for some time. The other woman also belonged to the Hindu religion but recently became a Christian. It's all very exciting!

Thanks, guys.

Siberian_Khatru · Jan 26, 2015

Tintin said:

If you like, look into The World's Religions by Houston Smith. It's very well written and has a fair amount of information on several religions, including Hinduism.

Roh_Chris · Jan 26, 2015

Hey Tintin, thanks a lot for bringing up this question. It's a pity that there is not much discussion about Hinduism even among Christians in India. I am a beginner in this research project, so I will share with you what little I know.

Ancient Hinduism did not even start off as a religion per se. It started off as man worshipping the 5 elements of nature - earth, water, fire, wind and sound. Slowly it came to be influenced through folklore and interactions with other religions to form Hinduism as we see it today. Today, Hinduism has 330 million gods and is followed by over a billion people. Rachel20 has explained much about this in detail in her posts.

One alternative explanation for the origin of Hinduism is given by those who claim that some gods in Hinduism originated from Christianity. According to them, when the gospel was brought to India the disciples of St. Thomas created small plays to teach the various Biblical truths. This is a social activity called 'street-play', which is still active in many villages today. The disciples created characters and used street-plays to carry the gospel to the illiterate masses. These street-plays and characters were passed down from generation to generation and formed part of the local folklore. Later, they also became some of the gods in present-day Hinduism. There are many proponents of this theory. In fact, there are some former temple priests who today worship Jesus but only worship Him through reciting the slokas ('sloka' - verse) in the Hindu scripts. I don't know if this is credible or not, but I thought I must share it with you.

My hypothesis is that the ancient languages of Tamil and Sanskrit have some connection with Judaism and subsequently, with Christianity. Whether the connection is significant or not, I don't know but here are some interesting points -

1. There are many Sanskrit words used in the Old Testament. For example, Numbers 21:8 speaks of mentions the word "Nachash" for a serpent. The etymology of this word comes from Sanskrit, which is "Nag", meaning snake/serpent.
2. This is part of my ongoing research, so it is only a hypothesis. But, some of the characters in the Bible have similar names (and probably genealogy/function) with certain characters in Hinduism too. Just as Judaism holds Abraham as the father of their faith, Hindus hold Brahma as the 'Origin, the One from whom everything began' (paraphrased). If you look at the etymology of the word Brahma, it comes from "Brah" meaning, 'to grow or multiply in number'. Brahma is called the 'father of all men and exalted of all gods'. Similarly, there are other characters which can be compared between our Scriptures and Hinduism.
3. Tamil also has had some connection with Israel in the early days. For example, the verse I Kings 10:22 uses the word "Thukkim" for peacock. This is the same word for peacock, as in the Tamil language. Furthermore, some scholars believe that the land of Ophir was in India.

In short, I believe that Hinduism is a religion devoted to the "Unknown God". They follow various practices and customs that are very similar to Judaism (animal sacrifices, smearing of ashes, etc.), but they don't know the intention behind each practice and custom. Perhaps God would raise up a scholar who can prove that Hinduism is indeed a more ritualistic version of Judaism. That would pave the way for many Hindus to come to Christ.

When and How Did the Hindu Religion Originate?

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