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ozarkwriter
21 July 2010, 10:54 AM
Hi Hindu friends,

I am new to this forum and am looking for some random answers from you on the question, "How do Hindus view Christians and/or Christianity?"

If I were to describe Hindus, I would have some general comments to make based on the little that I know about them, yet at the same time realizing that there are many exceptions.

I'm looking for 1-5 sentence replies. It doesn't matter to me whether you include exception clauses, or whether you just state generalities.

Thanks for your response!

Eastern Mind
21 July 2010, 01:19 PM
Vannakkam ozark writer: Welcome to these forums. I hope you learn something here.

I'm sure there is a Buddhist forum somewhere where you could post this question. This is a HINDU forum after all. I'm sure Hindus and Buddhists have different takes, and the takes amongst just the people who frequent this place are vast. Many here have already expressed it in this thread.

Aum Namasivaya

Believer
21 July 2010, 03:23 PM
Hi Hindu friends,

I am new to this forum and am looking for some random answers from you on the question, "How do Buddhists view Christians and/or Christianity?"

Did you do a copy and paste and forgot to replace the word Buddhists with Hindus? ;))

sanjaya
21 July 2010, 04:32 PM
I'm confused. The thread's title is different from the question you actually pose in your first post. Do you want to know what Hindus think, or what Buddhists think? I'm a Hindu, not a Buddhist (there is a world of difference), so I'm not sure I'm your target audience.

I try not to form any opinions on "Christians," since this is quite a varied group. As far as Christianity goes, this depends on the flavor of Christianity we're talking about. Generally speaking the various denominations can be broken down into liberal, Catholic (including Orthodox, Oriental, etc.) and evangelical. Liberal Christianity, I think, is so poorly and loosely defined that it basically says a whole lot of nothing. They believe in God, but encourage radical feminism, sex before marriage, and all kinds of other things that most religious people of all other stripes would frown upon. Seems to me like it's religion for people who don't want to put in the effort to actually be religious. Catholic Christianity I view with a bit of suspicion. Their teachings are overall moral and ethical, and they do not try to go around converting Jews or Muslims. But for some reason they view Hindus as targets for proselytizing, so I'm not sure what they're up to. Evangelical Christianity I tend to view much more disfavorably. I think it is immoral, opposed to family values, and encouraging of hypocrisy.

These are generalizations of course (except maybe with the evangelicals), but that's what you asked for, right?

NayaSurya
21 July 2010, 05:29 PM
I am not sure I am fit to use Hindu in the same sentence as "I am" so I will tell you what this follower of Sanatana Dharma thinks.

1. Christianity itself is not the only place to find God, it's not even the first or best.

2. Christianity is often where souls, on the lower rungs of the ladder find themselves to work over past karma.

3. Christians can be loving, peaceful, wonderful...also biggotted and selfrighteous and ridiculously closed minded.

4. Christians have not read the entire book they proclaim is truth, for if they had, many of them would be in the same position as I found myself. Numbers and Leviticus were enough to make the very young child begin a life long quest for answers. I am grateful I was encouraged to read the whole thing.

5. What the followers of Sanatana Dharma think about Christians shouldn't matter to any Christian firmly seated in his own beliefs....or not here to proselytize. As those are the only two reasons I can see someone would come and ask such a question.

Hugs<3

Believer
21 July 2010, 06:41 PM
5. What the followers of Sanatana Dharma think about Christians shouldn't matter to any Christian firmly seated in his own beliefs....or not here to proselytize. As those are the only two reasons I can see someone would come and ask such a question.

Yes Naya, the person was sent here to harvest some lost souls. Unfortunately Hindus are too naive and will start answering all kinds of BS questions thinking this Baptist is really interested in Hinduism.

Ramakrishna
21 July 2010, 09:47 PM
Namaste ozarkwriter,

I am skeptical of your intentions, as the two members above me have said. Nevertheless, I will tell you how I view Christianity.

I largely agree with Sanjaya. I have a very disfavorable view of fundamentalist evangelical Christianity. Their intentions and mindset are off, and I have learned a lot about them from when some of them tried converting me. I view Catholicism much more favorably. Not really the Catholic Church itself, but the beliefs and practices of Catholicism are what I like. There are also some open-minded liberal Christians who believe that Jesus isn't the only way to salvation. I also view them favorably. As a whole, there is very little wrong with the teachings of Christ (if he existed) and true followers of Christ. The only problem is that true followers of Christ are extremely rare. As Mark Twain said, "There has been only one Christian. They caught and crucified him, early."

Jai Sri Krishna

ozarkwriter
27 July 2010, 08:06 AM
I'm sorry about the Buddhist mix up. I've changed the OP. (I was wanting to ask Buddhists the same question and got my text mixed up.)

I find that many people find it difficult to dialogue with Christians because of the evil that has been perpetrated by "Christians" up until the present. I really don't appreciate most of what is being promoted by "Christians" today. I wish that I wasn't identified with them, but I understand why I am.

In this thread I'm simply wanting to learn first hand what makes it hard for Hindu's to carry on conversations with Christians.

Some of you have already answered, so thanks for your comments.