Connecting with the Divine
The following is an opportunity to look into the major world
faith systems... Hinduism, New Age, Buddhism, Islam, and
Christianity. Included is a brief description of each, their
distinguishing characteristics, and what a person can gain from
each. The author then presents for your consideration the ways
in which Christianity differs from these other world faiths.
(Each of these religions has extremists with differing beliefs.
The description given here focuses on the heart of that
religion.) Hinduism Most Hindus worship a multitude of gods and goddesses, some
300,000 of them. These various gods all converge into a
universal spirit called the Ultimate Reality or Brahman. Brahman
is not a god, but more of a term for ultimate oneness. Hindus see their position in this present life as based on
their actions in a previous life. If their behavior before was
evil, they might experience tremendous hardships in this life. A
Hindu's goal is to become free from the law of karma...to be
free from continuous reincarnations. New Age New Age promotes the development of the person's own power or
divinity. When referring to God, a follower of New Age is not
talking about the transcendent, personal God who created the
universe, but is referring to a higher consciousness within
themselves.. A person in New Age would see themselves as God,
the cosmos, the universe. Everything that the person sees,
hears, feels or imagines is to be considered divine. Highly eclectic, New Age presents itself as a collection of
ancient spiritual traditions. It acknowledges many gods and
goddesses, as in Hinduism. The Earth is viewed as the source of
all spirituality and has its own intelligence, emotions and
deity. But superseding all is self, the originator, controller
and god of all. There is no reality outside of what the person
determines. Buddhism Buddhists do not worship any gods or God. People outside of
Buddhism often think that Buddhists worship the Buddha. However,
Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) never claimed to be divine, and
Buddhists reject the notion of any supernatural power. The
universe operates by natural law. Life is seen as consisting of
pain: pain in birth, sickness, death and continuous sorrow and
despair. Most Buddhists believe a person has hundreds or
thousands of reincarnations, all bringing misery. And it is the
desire for happiness that causes a person's reincarnation.
Therefore, the goal of a Buddhist is to purify one's heart and
to let go of all desires. A person must abandon all sensuous
pleasures, all evil, all joy and all sorrow. Islam Muslims believe there is the one almighty God, named Allah,
who is infinitely superior to and transcendent from humankind.
Allah is viewed as the creator of the universe and the source of
all good and all evil. Everything that happens is Allah's will.
He is a powerful and strict judge, who will be merciful toward
followers depending on the sufficiency of their life's good
works and religious devotion. A follower's relationship with
Allah is as a servant to Allah. Though a Muslim honors several prophets, Muhammad is
considered the last prophet, and his words and lifestyle are
that person's authority. To be a Muslim, one has to follow five
religious duties: I. Repeat a creed about Allah and
Muhammad; II. Recite certain prayers in Arabic
five times a day; III. Give to the needy; IV. One month each year, fast from food,
drink, sex and smoking from sunrise to sunset; V. Make a pilgrimage once in one's
lifetime to worship at a shrine in Mecca. At death—based on one's faithfulness to these duties —a
Muslim hopes to enter Paradise. If not, they will be eternally
punished in hell. Christianity Christians believe in a loving God who has revealed himself
and can be personally known in this life. In Christianity the
person's focus is not on religious rituals or performing good
works, but on enjoying the relationship with God that he
intended and growing to know him better. Faith in Jesus Christ himself, not just in his teachings, is
how the Christian experiences joy and a meaningful life. In his
life on earth, Jesus did not identify himself as a prophet
pointing to God or as a teacher of enlightenment. Rather, Jesus
claimed to be God in human form. He performed miracles, forgave
people of their sin and said that anyone who believed in him
would have eternal life. He made statements like, "I am the
light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in
darkness...."1 Christians regard the Bible as God's written message to
humankind. In addition to its being a historical record of
Jesus' life and miracles, the Bible reveals God's personality,
his love and truth, and how one can have a relationship with
him. Christians confidently turn to a wise and powerful God who
genuinely loves them. They believe God answers prayer and that
life takes on meaning as they live to honor him. Is there a difference? In looking at these major belief systems and their views of
God, we find tremendous diversity:
The world's major religions are each unique. Yet only one
affirms that there is a personal God who wants us to know him.
In Hinduism a person is on their own trying to gain release
from karma. In New Age a person is working at their own
divinity. In Buddhism it is an individual quest at being free
from desire. And in Islam, the individual follows religious laws
for the sake of paradise after death. In Christianity, you see a
personal relationship with a personal God - a relationship that
carries over into the next life. Salvation We all are aware of our faults, our sins. God loves us but
hates our sin, and he has said that the consequence for our sin
is separation from him. But God provided a way for us to be
forgiven and to know him. Jesus, the Son of God in human form,
took our sin on himself by suffering on a cross and dying in our
place. The Bible says, "By this we know what love is: Jesus
Christ laid down his life for us." 2 God is offering us complete forgiveness because of Jesus'
death for us. This means forgiveness for all our sins...past,
present and future. "This is how God showed his love among us:
He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live
through him."3 Christianity does not require a commitment to a method of
self-improvement, meditation, good works or even the Ten
Commandments. Our hope is not in following laws or standards, but in
knowing a Savior who fully accepts us. We don't earn our place
in heaven by religious efforts or good deeds. He has provided
the way for us. Heaven is free. Would you like to be totally forgiven and come to know God's
love for you? It is as simple as praying: "God, please forgive
me and come into my heart right now. Thank you, Jesus, for dying
for my sins. Thank you for coming into my life as you said you
would." (Endnotes) 1John 8:12 21 John 3:16 31 John 4:9 (NIV) Article adapted from www.everystudent.com Photo by Brand X Pictures - Printed in USA - ©2002 |