birth of a religion

[henrikhankhagnell]

Hindus beleive that hinduism has always been there. It has alway been existing. but how then did judaism come? what/who gave birth to judaism? how do other religions than hinduism take birth?

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam henrik: Many Hindus would have no idea, although some do. Many of us know very little of other faiths as they simply are irrelevant to us. The question is better posed on a forum such as religiousforums.com perhaps, where a Jewish person may answer you. There aren't many Jews here on a Hindu forum.

In my personal extremely limited understanding, I think other faiths were started by particular individuals, or individuals who worshiped other individuals. The names of many faiths reflect that, I think.

Aum Namasivaya

[sm78]

but how then did judaism come? what/who gave birth to judaism? how do other religions than hinduism take birth?

from the fertile field of human imagination.

[sanjaya]

Hindus beleive that hinduism has always been there. It has alway been existing. but how then did judaism come? what/who gave birth to judaism? how do other religions than hinduism take birth?

I have a hard time believing that Abraham existed historically, and an even harder time believing that God would say the kinds of things to him that he is alleged to have said. So I would differ to sm78's suggestion. I'm guessing that Judaism evolved out of the religions of the middle east. Perhaps the Hebrews in the area figured they could distinguish themselves from others via monotheism. Or maybe they just got the idea from Egypt, where monotheism had already existed at one point. That area has always been very tribal, and the three Abrahamic faiths are very tribal. It's a perfect fit, for better or worse.

[Ramakrishna]

Namaste henrik et al,

Recently I have begun studying the pre-Christian pagan religions, and there is a lot of evidence that they were shaped and influenced by Hinduism. Bryon Morrigan knows a lot about this. So I suppose the earliest non-Hindu religions such as those pagan religions were shaped by Hinduism, and after that it was all up to human imagination and invention as new religions arose.

When it comes to the Abrahamic religions, Judaism pretty much developed from the ancient Israelite polytheistic religion, and of course from there came Christianity and Islam.

Then more recently we have stuff like Mormonism and Scientology. Oh how far some have strayed from Sanatana Dharma

Jai Sri Ram

[Ramakrishna]

Namaste,

On a separate note, it really is remarkable how Christians and all Abrahamics for that matter just throw aside the fact that their god, Yahweh, was just one of many gods worshipped by the ancient Israelites. It's pretty clear that their religion just arose out of this ancient polytheistic religion, when they chose a deity from the pantheon, Yahweh, and chose to make him the "one true god".

I talked to my Catholic friend and their excuse is that when the world was first created, it was established that Yahweh was the one and only god, but in the years following the people strayed and created all those other gods. Then Yahweh revealed himself again to be the one true god....

But I guess it's clear to any rational-minded person that their religion was just completely made up as some people just randomly decided to pick one god out of the polytheist pantheon and make him the one true god and call all the others false.

Jai Sri Ram

[pineblossom]

from the fertile field of human imagination.

Actually it goes back some 70,000 years when people started burying them. For some reason they thought human life deserved something more than being thrown on the B B Q.

[Rationalist]

Actually it goes back some 70,000 years when people started burying them. For some reason they thought human life deserved something more than being thrown on the B B Q.

Since when did a corpse become human life? That explains why you are all necrophiliacs.

Why are you posting on a Hindu forum? Don't you have some corpse worshipping to do?

[Sahasranama]

Actually it goes back some 70,000 years when people started burying them. For some reason they thought human life deserved something more than being thrown on the B B Q.

That just showed their attachment to the physical body, when the jiva has left the body it is just like a old piece of clothing.

[TheOne]

After the Soul(Consiousness) has left the physical body all that remains(as a Catholic Priest once described) is a bag of assorted chemicals.

It's life that makes this body "human" in death it is merely a shell.