Understanding_of_Differing_Religious_Beliefs_About_the_Nature_and_Purpose_of_Life.

Beliefs about the nature and purpose of life differ between Christianity and Hinduism. Hinduism teaches that life in an endless cycle of reincarnation so Hindus have great emphasis on how their actions and duties affect this process. However Christianity says that we only have one life on this earth so it is important that we show our commitment to God before we die. Fundamentally Christians believe that we were divinely created in the image of God, ‘Imageo Dei’. We were not a product of chance but part of an ingenious creation. “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness’ (Genesis 1:26). This doesn’t mean we have to be a mirror image of God instead it’s our nature that must reflect him and therefore we have a responsibility to love and worship him. Humans are then aware of being created in the image of God and being part of God’s creation so are therefore able to interact with the rest of God’s creation eg. the world and animals. Humans are different to all other creatures because they were created with the ability to reason and so they make rational decisions which make them completely unique compared to animals. This gift of reasoning was tested by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. God insisted that they were forbidden to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge. However after careful consideration, Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the fruit from the tree. It is from this that we are all born with original sin. Literal Christians believe that God has pre-destined our life where as non-literalists believe that he gave us the gift of freewill so we have some ability to choose our own actions and must accept the consequences of those. We are also different to animals as we were born with a soul and created in the image of God. Unlike our physical body with is finite and will perish after death, our soul is immortal, spiritual and regarded as the source of individuality that we contain. Our soul begins existence at conception/birth and at death and after judgement it spends an eternity in Heaven or Hell. In Catholicism, not all souls are good enough to go straight to heaven, neither are they truly wicked enough to go to hell. So your soul stays in purgatory after death to be purified for heaven. An implication of being created in the image of God is that humans have the duty to love and care for the rest of God’s creation which includes other humans, animals and the world. This is known as stewardship. God gave us life and therefore we must be grateful for this privilege and appreciative of giving us this planet to live on. We must show respect to animals as they too are part of God’s creation. “Then God said, Let us make man in our image…let them rule over the earth and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”( Genesis 1:26.) Christians believe in the sanctity of life, this is the belief that life has been given as a precious gift from God and is of great value. We must be grateful for it by protecting, preserving and promoting it. Christians believe that all human life is sacred because God is the giver of life and therefore decides when a life should begin and end, “For everything there is a time to be born, and a time to die” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-4). It is not acceptable to take away a life that God has created. Christians are therefore pro-life and against euthanasia as it goes against the Ten Commandments: ‘Though shall not kill’. The Ten Commandments are there to preserve human life and are used by Christians to help them live their daily lives. Even wedding vows have symbolism of promising to look after one another, “ ‘til death do us part.’ ” Christians’ primary goal is to become one with God and achieve eternal life in heaven. In order to do this they must lead their life in the best way possible by showing commitment to their faith and looking out for one another. They can do this through many processes such as prayer, repentance, discipline, study and evangelism. A purpose of Christian life is to develop a personal relationship with God. Prayer is the primary means of communication with God and is the basis for our relationship with him. Some people may argue that we shouldn’t need to pray if God already knows everything about us so he should be able to either put it right or give us what we are asking him for. However, sometimes we may ask God for something that isn’t quite right or may be a selfish request. In this instance, God will provide guidance through prayer. Repentance is important because we were born with original sin and with freewill. Therefore we may find ourselves in situations where we have done something wrong or realized that we are showing an attitude or approach to a situation that is not in line with what God expects of us. One of the major goals for Christians is to weaken the hold of sin over us. For Protestants, repentance is often done in private reflection and prayer. However, Catholics repent through the sacrament of penance(reconciliation). This provides a structured environment where a priest helps to review actions. In order for God to answer your prayers you must be seen asking for forgiveness not only from God but from others you have done wrong to. After death, God will judge you by the way you have responded to the needs of others and the way you have shown discipline to your faith so repenting is an important purpose to fulfil. Baptism is deemed as one of the most important purposes that a Christian can fulfil. Most Christians are baptised at a young age either as a baby or child. Being baptised cleanses away sins (or original sin for babies) and symbolises salvation, commemorates Christ’s death and resurrection, fulfils Jesus’ command to baptise and publicly expresses ones faith. By getting Confirmed you are also showing a commitment to God. Responding to the needs of others can be shown through evangelism. Jesus commanded his disciples to spread his message to the entire world. Evangelism can be practised in many ways such as through family and friends or by sending out missionaries. Evangelists hope to save non-believers by sharing their faith with them or they will provide support in war-torn countries where they may have problems such as a famine. They believe that by helping others, they are responding to the teachings of Jesus. St Thomas Aquinas supports the above ideas. He developed ‘Natural Law’. These are rules set out by God for man to live by. He suggested that we have five main purposes in life(five primary precepts): the preservation of life, order society, worship God, education and reproduction. He stated that if we fulfilled all of these then we would be destined for eternity in heaven with God. However, as we were born with a rational mind and free will, sometimes we may be tempted to steer away from completing these precepts. Aquinas then said that humans may get attracted to ‘apparent goods’. These are things that will result in an immediate desire but will lead the person away from the ultimate purpose of existence – a relationship with God. Pursuing apparent goods is deemed as sinning. The primary precepts to preserve life and to order society can be linked with the ideas of sanctity of life and stewardship. In order to have an eternal relationship with God, it is human beings purpose to preserve life. We must care for one another by not harming others, protecting those who are vulnerable such as children and the elderly and not supporting acts of euthanasia such as abortion and suicide/assisted suicide. We were all made equal and are all part of God’s creation so we must show respect for one another and obey God’s rules, “Thou shall not kill”(10 commandments) and “Thou shall love thy neighbour as thyself”(Romans 13:9). By ordering society, we are making sure that the world can remain a safe and pleasant environment for everyone to live in and also look after the world on behalf of its creator, God. Worshiping God is the most important purpose in life. If you didn’t worship God then you wouldn’t be a Christian and therefore wouldn’t go to heaven but instead hell. Christians can worship God through prayer. By following the rules of your religion you are showing God your commitment to him which also strengthens your belief. Christians hope that in turn, God will reward them with an eternal life in paradise, the Kingdom of God. A distinct part of human nature is to reproduce. It is a natural process of life and for some is the main purpose in life whether you are religious or not. Aquinas stated that without reproduction, you are not fulfilling God’s requirements and therefore deemed as a bad person. God created two humans, one of each sex so that they could produce children. He ordered them to have children, “be fruitful and multiply”(genesis 1:28). God had predestined that man and woman would have children in order to carry on the human race which is essential. Another necessity of life is to be educated. In order to fulfil God’s purpose, you must be educated in the Bible. By attending church services, Bible meetings and through personal reading you can achieve this. Having the knowledge of the Bible can provide you with everything you need to lead a successful and fulfilled life. The final purpose in life is to prepare for an afterlife, heaven. Christians can do this though a range of different things. First of all they can seek guidance from the Bible and from the teachings of Jesus. They will find comfort that there is hope for an afterlife and that God has promised an eternal life free of pain, hurt and grief and instead it will be a paradise of freedom and peacefulness. “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth…And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain” (Revelation 21:1-5). Another way of preparing for an afterlife is by living an honest and truthful life as you know you will go to heaven. Or people find comfort in talking about death with their family and friends as they find it comforting to share their concerns and fears with others who can provide reassurance. It is often said that Hinduism is a way of life rather than a religion. Like Christianity, Hindus also believe that life was created by a supreme being, Brahma. However, Brahman has several forms. This is known as the tri murti. There’s Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer. Brahma creates it, Vishnu preserves it for Shiva then to destroy it and Brahma will then create another one. They believe that this isn’t the first universe and won’t be the last. They believe that there is a time when the universe takes form and a time when it dissolves back into nothing. They call this time the days and nights of Brahma. Hindus also believe that Brahman is present in everyone and everything, even animals and nature. This is in the form of a soul, they call it the atman. This is similar to the Christian idea of a soul who also believe that humans have a soul however Christians only believe that humans have a soul and not animals. Through its scriptures, Hinduism strongly enforces its beliefs about the sacredness of all forms of life. This is due to the belief that Brahman exists in every element of the universe. This can be compared to Christianity which too believes that all life is sacred and given as a gift from God. Hindus believe that every living thing and inanimate matter is an expression of God and that all living beings are different forms of God. So they should respect all beings: rich or poor, high or low born, animal or human. It is part of their nature to preserve life as their actions in this life may affect the next. Hindus also practise the principle of non-violence, ahimsa. It is one of the basic and most important moral principles for all Hindus. This view is also applied towards their attitudes on war and peace. They must avoid harming others through thoughts, words or deeds otherwise it will affect their karma. Dharma is a central concept in understanding Hinduism as a way of life and it is linked to the law of Karma. Nothing happens by accident but has been caused by some action in the present or past. Everyone must consider the consequences of their actions as it has an impact on the situations that they might find themselves in as a result of their choices. Therefore Hindus must follow the laws and duties of dharma. These are the moral principles that will ensure a stable and healthy society to live in. Unlike Christianity, a Hindus identity is determined by the caste(varna) they are born into. So as well as maintaining the principles of dharma, there are also particular responsibilities and duties which are related to caste. The idea of being born into a social group which can never change and is hereditary is something which people in the West such as Christians find very difficult to accept. There are four main social groups. Brahmins which is the priestly class, they are responsible for passing on the teachings of Hinduism and setting a good example. Kshatryas which is the warriors, they are the administrators and military forces in society. They have the responsibility of ruling society and making decisions about the welfare of the people. Vaishas which is the merchant class and the business people in society. They are responsible for providing material goods and wealth to society. Shudras which refers to the servant class, they have the responsibility for doing the physical and manual work such as craft workers or servants. A person’s misfortune of being reborn into a lower caste system is a reflection of their actions in a previous life, karma. As well as having to follow the caste system, there’s also four stages in life, ashramas. The first stage is Brahmacharyi which is the student stage. This stage beings with the initiation rite of the sacred thread (upanayana) which is only performed if you belong to the first three castes and if you are a boy. These days the student will attend a local primary or secondary school where they will focus on regard for others and study of Hindu rules and rituals. The next stage is the Grihasta, householder stage. Householders are expected to give to charity, care for aged parents, provide a settled household and offer hospitality to guests. Due to the fact that no religious ritual can be performed by a man without his wife and no man or woman’s life is seen to be complete without marriage, it is therefore very important for a man to find a wife in order to fulfil his purpose in life. This idea can be compared to St Thomas Aquinas’ natural law. One of the five primary precepts was to reproduce. Since sex before marriage is forbidden in Hinduism and Christianity, you must be married in order to have children. Therefore in both religions, to get married and find a life partner is a fundamental purpose of your life. Vanaprastha is the retirement stage. Once the first son of the first son is born, it is certain that the family will continue and so the head of the house will hand over his responsibilities to his eldest son. Those people in this stage are seen as wise elders. During this stage the person will retire from daily work and instead concentrate on meditation, study of the scriptures and devote time to quietness. Sannyasin is the renunciation stage. Not many Hindus enter this stage but it is seen as a very holy and spiritual way of life. The person will give up all worldly ties and possessions so they may not have a fixed home but travel around on pilgrimage. They devote their life to the spiritual goal of moksha so will dedicate their time to prayer, study of scriptures and meditation. Unlike Hinduism, Christians don’t have to follow stages of life, instead they have the freedom to make choices on how their life pans out. In Hinduism there are four aims in life. Dharma is where you practice the right conduct of your religious and social duties. Arta means to earn money in an honest way and provide for your family and society. Kama is to enjoy the pleasures of life. And moksha is to aim for the final ultimate goal of release from the cycle of rebirth in order to become one with Brahman. Unlike Christians who believe in an afterlife straight after death, Hindus believe in reincarnation. Samsara refers to the cycle of reincarnation. It means ‘wandering’ so it represents the wandering that a soul does from body to body in this life time and a next. Hindus believe that the whole universe demonstrates the idea of birth, death and rebirth and this idea is applied to all living beings. The soul in humans is continually born in as many as 8,400,000 times until the atman escapes the cycle of samsara. The only way the atman can do this is by perfecting and purifying their mind and knowledge each time they are reborn. The atman will then reach its final goal of moksha. Christians may see this idea of getting another chance to enjoy life as an attractive event however Hindus see it as a curse as the reason they keep getting reborn is because of karma. Death is not to be feared. The mourning period only lasts for ten days as the deceased is believed to be passing into another life and therefore the soul is getting closer to its final destination, moksha. The Catholic idea of purgatory can be linked with the idea of reincarnation. Purgatory is where the soul remains while it is in between heaven and hell so reincarnation is almost like a stage that the soul goes through in order to for Brahama to decide whether the person has redeemed themselves in order to achieve eternal life/moksha. For those who decide to make moksha their goal, they need to find a way to make the material world seem less important and focus on the spiritual path they are on. They can do this in forms of yoga. Karma yoga is the path of unselfish action. The person must be able to complete their duties (dharma) without expected rewards and they must use their talents to fulfil their potential in life. In conclusion, Christianity promotes that everyone should be treated equal as children of God compared to Hinduism who have the caste system which divides people up according to their status which brings many disadvantages to them. God forgives our sins and punishes the bad whereas Hindus do not forgive sinners and there karma then effects the rest of their life and further lives regardless whether they are sorry for their actions or not. Ultimately Hinduism doesn’t regard any other religion to be invalid. Instead they believe that all religions are different paths leading to one goal, to become one with God. However Christians teach that the only way to God is through Christ. “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" ( John 14:6 )