What We’re Up Against

Last updated on: December 19, 2022 at 2:16 pm by Ambaa Choate

What We’re Up Against 2022-12-19T14:16:11-05:00 Ambaa Choate

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A friend shared this image of a deleted tweet in a group I’m in on Facebook.

It’s so staggeringly ignorant that I’m at a loss for words (which doesn’t often happen to me). It’s easy for me to forget that many, many people, even people who are connected to India or live in India, see Hinduism as this backwards gross belief system. Which is bizarre.

This is the religion that inspired Emerson and Thoreau, the religion that inspired Martin Luther King Jr., the religion that gave us Gandhi. Far from being backwards and base, it has one of the most scientifically advanced methods of thought in the entire world. It has given us meditation and yoga.

People in the Abrahamic faiths of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam have a hard time comprehending it because it is a radically different way of thinking about divinity. Based on her last name, this woman has a background in Islam.

What people who know little about Hinduism should realize is that it is very similar to its sister religion of Buddhism. It has much more in common with Buddhism than with the Abrahamic faiths. Many seem not to realize that Buddhism was founded by a Hindu. There are a significant number of Hindus who view Buddhism as a branch of Hinduism.

Hinduism can be confusing, strange, and dramatically different from anything you are used to. I’ve written before about how Hinduism should not need to be sanitized for a western audience and I must amend that to say that it should not need to be sanitized for a non-Hindu audience. If you don’t understand Hinduism, then take a step back and observe. Learn and set aside your biases. Don’t go spreading absurd accusations. If you don’t understand it, keep your mouth shut.

The one good thing I can say about this is that it’s eye opening. Hindus are dealing with a lot of prejudice against our faith and it seems like most of the western world doesn’t believe that. They see Hindus being the majority in India and assume that means that they have all the power. But there is frightening misunderstanding of Hinduism all over the world including in India.

Learn more about Hindusim in Patheos’ library.

Read from top Hindu writers on Patheos.

Previous Post

September 4, 2019

Thoughts About Kashmir And Beyond— A Hindu Perspective

Next Post

February 3, 2020 Guest Post: Changes in the spiritual life of a Hindu blogger

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Book Club Hindu Holiday How Am I Being a Hindu This Week? Inside the Life Meet a God Meet a Guru Movie Club Philosophy Corner Resources Scripture Uncategorized Wild Card

Select a Month February 2020 September 2019 May 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was known as the doubter among Jesus' disciples?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Thomas John James Peter