HINDUISM - for Understanding & Witness & Understanding
Written in response to someone who requested info about how to witness to Hindu's. Namely, what Hindu "bible" to read.
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Familiarity with the basic outline of Biblical history & then understanding the basic sorts of Hinduism would be MUCH MORE HELPFUL than trying to read Hindu anthologies since the Hindu "holy" book_s_ are rather extensive & encyclopedic.
Vedas.
Upanishads.
Poems, including: Bhagavad Gita. was popularized by street flower
peddlers. (A rather perverse work, actually.) ...
... These books roughly pile up like the Islamic Hadiths. Traditions
have a way of accumulating like that & becoming rather burdensome.
A simple Bible study that both gives an overview of Hinduism & answers
from the Bible. Prayer & meditating on the Biblical passages would
help in applying the significance of the Truth to conversations with
the doctor:
http://www.biblestudylessons.com/cgi-bi
This site gives historical background on Christianity in India that may help understand how to reach the doctor better, understanding the barriers that are present:
http://www.hindubooks.org/sudheer_birod
I would highly recommend works by Stanley Jones who reached out to
Hindus (& others) in India. His biography, "Song of Ascents" has some
excellent material: keep a keen sense of humor & follow the Holy
Spirit's lead.
Books available @
http://www.christianbook.com/
Sharing Your Faith With a Hindu
By: Madasamy Thirumalai
To learn about what Hinduism is:
Responses to 101 Questions on Hinduism
By: John Renard
Hinduism, TM and Hare Krishna
- Zondervan Guide to Cults & Religious Movements Series
By: J. Isamu Yamamoto, James Bjornstad, Kurt Van Gorden
Some other divisions within Hinduism I did not see on the site above:
Different yogas / works / disciplines:
- Intellectual: Brainpower. Meditation. This sort of stuff is popular
in modern "academic" medicine & they even put on shows for people
demonstrating the ability to control brainwaves.
- Rituals & recitations: Elaborated in & enscribed in the the Vedas,
etc.
- Work: Traditionally, according to caste.
- Excercise: Sort of like the Islamic salat at the mosque & the American
workout at a gym or Chinese movements before work.)
Castes (partly job description in traditional society, partly limiting
opportunities for the "underlings" of today):
Priestly, Warrior, Workers, Farmers, Outcastes (Tribal Groups &
Christians have traditionally been put here in India. Ghandi endorsed
this approach when he helped set up "modern" India ... thus, he
actually set the course for contemporary persecution.)
- There are local demons that are worshiped in small shrines. (Tended
by a family member if it is for a family or a priest if it is for the
village.)
- Major events at the junctures of rivers in India. (Millions of
people.)
- Various holidays. (Some of which become orgiastic opportunities to
draw people in using Balaam's methodology.)
- Idolatry is typically a central feature & would need to be addressed,
even with most M.D.'s in the USA. Love of money, for example.
Hinduism is actually more like a nationalistic religion centered in
India, for most folk, though places influenced by India (Nepal,
Pakistan & Bangladesh, and Bali also has some Hindu-type temples.) It
is a very degraded & degrading religion, more so than Islam in some
ways.
The advice Paul gives the Galatians in chapter 6 seems rather relevant:
be careful not to fall into the same sin yourself in seeking to pull
them out. The "Galatians" were from a similar background as Hindus:
pagan idolatry.
Pray, pray, pray. Honest love & patient pursuit of the Great Physician tend to be a solid witness to Hindu doctors. Don't give up. Jesus is Lord. Hinduism will fall.
Also, there are some linguistically & culturally appropriate Christian films that were produced by Indians.
Peace in Christ,
Mert
=====
Familiarity with the basic outline of Biblical history & then understanding the basic sorts of Hinduism would be MUCH MORE HELPFUL than trying to read Hindu anthologies since the Hindu "holy" book_s_ are rather extensive & encyclopedic.
Vedas.
Upanishads.
Poems, including: Bhagavad Gita. was popularized by street flower
peddlers. (A rather perverse work, actually.) ...
... These books roughly pile up like the Islamic Hadiths. Traditions
have a way of accumulating like that & becoming rather burdensome.
A simple Bible study that both gives an overview of Hinduism & answers
from the Bible. Prayer & meditating on the Biblical passages would
help in applying the significance of the Truth to conversations with
the doctor:
http://www.biblestudylessons.com/cgi-bi
This site gives historical background on Christianity in India that may help understand how to reach the doctor better, understanding the barriers that are present:
http://www.hindubooks.org/sudheer_birod
I would highly recommend works by Stanley Jones who reached out to
Hindus (& others) in India. His biography, "Song of Ascents" has some
excellent material: keep a keen sense of humor & follow the Holy
Spirit's lead.
Books available @
http://www.christianbook.com/
Sharing Your Faith With a Hindu
By: Madasamy Thirumalai
To learn about what Hinduism is:
Responses to 101 Questions on Hinduism
By: John Renard
Hinduism, TM and Hare Krishna
- Zondervan Guide to Cults & Religious Movements Series
By: J. Isamu Yamamoto, James Bjornstad, Kurt Van Gorden
Some other divisions within Hinduism I did not see on the site above:
Different yogas / works / disciplines:
- Intellectual: Brainpower. Meditation. This sort of stuff is popular
in modern "academic" medicine & they even put on shows for people
demonstrating the ability to control brainwaves.
- Rituals & recitations: Elaborated in & enscribed in the the Vedas,
etc.
- Work: Traditionally, according to caste.
- Excercise: Sort of like the Islamic salat at the mosque & the American
workout at a gym or Chinese movements before work.)
Castes (partly job description in traditional society, partly limiting
opportunities for the "underlings" of today):
Priestly, Warrior, Workers, Farmers, Outcastes (Tribal Groups &
Christians have traditionally been put here in India. Ghandi endorsed
this approach when he helped set up "modern" India ... thus, he
actually set the course for contemporary persecution.)
- There are local demons that are worshiped in small shrines. (Tended
by a family member if it is for a family or a priest if it is for the
village.)
- Major events at the junctures of rivers in India. (Millions of
people.)
- Various holidays. (Some of which become orgiastic opportunities to
draw people in using Balaam's methodology.)
- Idolatry is typically a central feature & would need to be addressed,
even with most M.D.'s in the USA. Love of money, for example.
Hinduism is actually more like a nationalistic religion centered in
India, for most folk, though places influenced by India (Nepal,
Pakistan & Bangladesh, and Bali also has some Hindu-type temples.) It
is a very degraded & degrading religion, more so than Islam in some
ways.
The advice Paul gives the Galatians in chapter 6 seems rather relevant:
be careful not to fall into the same sin yourself in seeking to pull
them out. The "Galatians" were from a similar background as Hindus:
pagan idolatry.
Pray, pray, pray. Honest love & patient pursuit of the Great Physician tend to be a solid witness to Hindu doctors. Don't give up. Jesus is Lord. Hinduism will fall.
Also, there are some linguistically & culturally appropriate Christian films that were produced by Indians.
Peace in Christ,
Mert
