Thesis on "Christianity to Hinduism Dear Hindu Believer"

Thesis 6 pages (1765 words) Sources: 2 Style: MLA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Christianity to Hinduism

Dear Hindu believer, my paper is aimed at giving you an overarching presentation of Christianity, its main sources of inspiration and how we Christians revolve our entire philosophy on the existence, teachings, resurrection and future judgment of Jesus Christ, out God incarnate. We believe that Jesus Christ sacrificed his human being on the cross in order to save mankind.

Christian beliefs are fairly easy to be summarized. First of all, we believe in the Trinity. Jesus Christ is only part of a series of three entities to which we refer as the Trinity. The Trinity comprises the idea according to which God is perceived and includes three different realities: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This is in no way a dissipation of the idea and concept of God, but rather an insurance that God's spirit is diffused to all levels of humanity and that the eternal God is present with mankind at all times. It is also in no way similar to the numerous gods in the Hindu pantheon. Worshipping only one God rather than several is probably a more applied concentration of one's faith.

Second, we believe in Christ's existence, his death and, especially, his resurrection and ascension. This is most important, because it presumes that with this deed, Jesus Christ was able to wipe away the original sin of man (Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden) and open our way for potential salvation. Jesus Christ is thus believed to have been fundamental in the evolution of mankind's existence by giving him the possibility of being saved.

Third, we believe in the holiness of the Church. This is more of an organizational issue, based on the fact that Jesus Christ left a Church to represent him in the world. This is a Church that is supposed to be properly guiding the individual believer in his quest for achieving salvation. At the same time, it is much more than that. It is a social place where one can meet his fellow men. It is also a way by which man does not feel lonely, both in his quest for salvation and in his mortal existence. The holiness of the Church also means its help.

Fourth, we believe that Jesus Christ, now resurrected to Heaven, will also come to Earth for a final judgment day. This is really something that brings hope for the future, hope that all the wrongdoings of this Earth will somehow be turned around in a final judgment day and that all those who did good on this world will be able to enjoy their reward in the form of eternal salvation.

The message of Christianity is generally accepted as being brought by the four gospels, which are the four books of the New Testament. These are the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and are considered as carrying the original message of Jesus Christ on Earth by actually presenting his existence on Earth, his deeds and actions here. This has however been completed during the 1st century AD with the message of some of the others of Jesus's followers, notably St. Paul, who wrote the Corinthians, among other things.

From all four, it seems that the Gospels of Matthew and John are the most reliable, mainly because they were both two of the initial twelve disciples of Jesus Christ and, as such, were eye-witnesses. Mark and Luke are not direct witnesses and, most often, they are only relating what others, notably the Apostle Peter, relate in their stories. This does not necessarily make them a less reliable source, but less of a first hand information about Jesus's life.

The importance of the gospels cannot be undermined in any way. These are the first and only direct reliable sources about the existence of Jesus Christ on Earth. They help not only in getting to learn about the life of the Savior, but also by understanding how he believed his role here to be, his deeds and acts of generosity and miracles throughout his lifetime. We are able to understand his immense kindness, which explains, to some degree, why he was able to sacrifice himself so that mankind could eventually achieve salvation. We also understand why man needs to perpetually improve in his capacity to do good.

Maybe similar to beliefs from Hinduism, salvation is probably cornerstone to the Christian faith and a likely reason for which Christianity appeared: man feels that there is more to existence than this life and desires to achieve salvation in the afterlife. The most formal definition is that salvation is "the general meaning of liberation from straitened circumstances or from other evils, and of a translation into a state of freedom and security."

In Hinduism, this is generally perceived to be equivalent with the final break of the constant repetitive chain of reincarnations, when the individual can finally achieve the peace he desires. As with Christians, Hinduism goes beyond this life, which is seen as only a stepping stone on one's way to salvation. However, the main problem with Hinduism is that it doesn't offer the right mechanisms and instruments by which salvation can be reached. It is always relative in the references it makes to an individual's capacity to be saved, mentioning only that you need to attain the highest spiritual level. This is not how Christians see things - Christianity provides you with the right tools by which salvation can be attained.

It does not matter whether it is the Catholic or the Protestant faith, belief in Jesus Christ is essential. The belief in Jesus Christ starts with the Baptism act, which is also symbolically the act by which the new born individual is brought into the Christian Church as a new member. If you have done wrong after receiving the baptismal rites, you will also need to confess your sins and repent. However, all these have a fundamental common denominator: salvation can be achieved by being good, by doing good things in life and society.

One of the amazing things about salvation as Christianity promotes it is that you do not necessarily have to be a born Christian to be able to attain salvation in the Christian meaning. Indeed, it is sufficient to believe and, even if you are a non-Christian initially, salvation can come. The reason for this is also Jesus Christ, who has made, through his sacrifice, salvation available and ready for all individuals. He has virtually taken the whole of man's former sins upon themselves. Considering this as a basis for a religion, one can easily reach the conclusion that it is a much simpler process to achieve salvation in Christianity than in any other faith, including Hinduism, mainly because part of the work has already been done: salvation has been made a possibility for all mankind by Jesus Christ's sacrifice.

Another great thing about Christianity is that you do not necessarily have to be Christian to actually be liable of achieving salvation. Some have shown that even those who simply follow the moral law of their hearts can achieve salvation according to the Christian teachings. I think that this is an incredibly inclusive statement by which salvation is denied to none who does good.

I think that it is also a way of accepting the current life, until one can actually attain salvation and eternal life. Despite the fact that, as I have mentioned, the purpose of the believer will eventually be that of attaining salvation and going to Heaven, thus living this Earth, this is not done in denial of the current life, as it is in Hinduism, where each life is just perceived as an unfortunate even in the never ending cycle of reincarnations. In Christianity, life itself is blessed and the idea is for the believer to try to make the best of it during his time on Earth, coming as a pre-condition of his capacity to save himself eventually.

Another thing that Christianity truly upholds is the idea of a merciful God. We all know that God is usually the supernatural entity that punishes the believers for their mistakes. It used to be the same with the God of the Old Testament. However, the God of the New Testament and of the Gospels is a God who is merciful and just and, especially, loving. His love for mankind is expressed in different forms, but most of all through his capacity of martyring his own son, Jesus Christ, on the Cross, in order to achieve salvation for man. One can't believe that there is any expression of such love in any other religion.

At the same time, God is just - he will evaluate the actions of an individual during his lifetime and decide, based on this evaluation, whether he is entitled to achieve salvation or not. He will consider anything that can help the individual achieve salvation, from his implication in society and the way he has helped other fellow… READ MORE

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