okay, for all you jesus ppl out there, hear me out.
from my perspective, hinduism is a nice religion. as well as any other religion. because all relgions are a path to the same goal: supreme happiness. according to you, you think jesus is the right path and condemn others, but really now, didnt jesus want people to be a little open minded?
hindusim believes in brahman. which in essance is God. HInduism believes that God is not male, nor female, has no resembalance to humans, and cannot be described directly, only through 'its not this, its not that'. Brahman, although is the spirit of everything, it exists everwhere, and it is good. this is the hindu god.
hindu also believes in angels called devas, and demons called asuras. they also believe in gods, which are images that symbolize different aspects of brahman, God. So when hindus worship, it is much easier because it is easier to concentrate their good intentions on a specific trait of God.
for example, kali (the consort of shiva) sticks her tongue out and her eyes are red and she wears a garland of skulls (of humans). this symbolizes how she stirs fear in demons and evil. by the skulls it shows the impermance of human materialism.
so people can basically pray to whatever god they want, and in essence they are praying to the GOD. so hinduism is monothiestic and polythiestic to some degree, based on how the individual choses to worship. its not like christianity where everything is communal. sure there are public festivals and holidays, but everthing is internal, and if you need help, you talk. and theres a lot of philosophical discussions and such.
hindus can minus and add whatever they want on hindusim, as long as it coincides with thier main concepts. a couple of monthes ago i was hindu/wiccan. ive known a few hindu/christians.
it all depends on the person and how they feel is the right way THEY think is the path to salvation/eternalhappiness/fuzziness.
hinduism is one of the oldest (probably the oldest) surviving religion today, the reason: it works. it practicies tolerance (which most religion practitioners dont do, they say 'our religion is the best, follow ours! you will go to hell if you dont'.
bull shit. people are soo deranged from gods truth. god wants peace in the world.
historically it hasnt. especially with christians (no offence to YOU, but definitly offense to ur ancestors). european invaders ordered hindus to covert with guns to the heads. it was either death or be christian. hmm...
i imagined myself many times in the shoes (or sandals) of my great grandparents (around that generation, perhaps before) and wonder if i can stand being a martyr for hinduism, or saving my life. what would you do if you saw foreign barbarians invading and killing ur family?
hinduism believes in rebirth. as in, if people dont do well in this life, they get another chance. they can go up, they can go down. if christians dont understand, its no excuse to start comparing and picking and choosing over how christianity is better than hinduism and buddhism or vice versa.
each religion is a different path to the same goal. rebirth gives people chance and once they attain nirvana (or moksha), they are liberated from that cycle. and thus in union with god, supreme bliss. because a human life time is soo short, and gods time...is well, incomparable. if a soul really wants to be with god, it has to work for it. and god will help all those in need.
any more questions? ill be happy to answer them, because i am a hindu, and therefore i know mostly anything on this religion.