- Hindu teachings on marriage and divorce: they believe that sex is a gift from god, but they think it should only happen in marriage. They do not allow living together outside of marriage.
- Hindu marriage ceremonies: lots of preparation, family would have helped looking for a partner, families arrange a priest meeting between the two couples, if the couple are good they consult a priest to look at their horoscopes to see if they are alright (arranged marriage, but Hindus call it assisted marriage).
- Ceremony is considered as one of the Sankars, which begins a new stage of life, ceremony can take place in a hall or temple, a decorated Mandap or canopy is erected under which the ceremony will take place and there are many symbolic aspects to the ceremony. Offerings to Ganesh are made, as he is the remover of obstacles.
- A Havan (fire) is lit, offerings are made (ghee, wheat, rice, pulses) is sprinkled in the fire, couples agree, bride and groom are tied together, they circle the fire, bride places foot on stone to show hey loyalty and obedience, 7 steps are taken around the for (food, strength, wealth, happiness, children, unity and long wedded life). During the ceremony, commitments to dharma (duty), arth (money) and kama (enjoyment) will be made.
- Hindus attitudes to relationships between sexes and sex outside marriage: student must exercise his chastity until end of studies (brahmacharya), begin relationship between 2 extended families, marriage in Hinduism is sametery, begins in a householder stage, love is expected it to grow but sex should only happen within marriage.
- Adultery is going against religion, it damages lives and both the parties down, and trust in the marriage is broken because it ends family security.
- Hinduism believes marriage is a religious duty, scriptures and society approves sex within marriage, promise of faithfulness is made, religious leader can help and give advice, community can offer marriage guidance, older more experienced couple can help in any problems, family can help with advice and prayers can be offered for the couple.
- Do Hindus allow divorce: it is allowed but does not often happen, partner’s area cruel to others and arranges marriages have family pressures to keep husband and wife together.
- Hindu teachings on family life: parents should provide their children with shelter, food, water, monet etc. parents should have a shrine in the home, parents should teach their children about Hinduism, tell children to do daily puja and make sure their children go to temple, the boys should have a sacred thread ceremony, children should obey their parents and children should look after their parents.
- why family life is important: it was created buy god to keep society together, only way god wants children to be bought up, place where children learn about Hinduism, being a householder and bringing up a family is one of the staged of life and most Hindus worship happens in the home.
- many temples run evening classes or Sunday school to teach children the basics of Hinduism, parents are expected to bring their children to the temple for worship or social gatherings and many temples have a family advice centre to help with any problems.
- Homosexuality: sexual attraction to the same sex.
- Heterosexual: sexual attraction to opposite sex.
Bisexual: sexual attraction to either sex.
- Homophobic: fear or hatred of homosexual.
- Homophile: loving the same sex.
- Homosexuality was against the law until 1967, when it became legal for men over 21; this was reduced to 18 in 1994.
- it is not possible to marry someone of the same sex in the UK, and it is difficult for a homosexual couple to adopt children. Some people attack homosexuals for being different, the Nazis put them in concentration camps.
- Most Hindus think homosexuality is wrong.
- The law of Manu approves of heterosexual sex, all Hindus have to pass though the householder stage, but homosexual cannot be a householder and homosexuality stops people from fulfilling their duty and so will sop them from getting moksha.
- Some Hindus think that homosexuality is good and can be a way to god.
- There is a special cast of men who dress like women to serve Parvati, they are known as Hijra (transvestites).
- There are other ways to getting moksha and fulfilling your duties, there are carving of homosexuals on temples and homosexuals find it easier to concentrate on god.
- all Hindus believe that everyone has an immortal soul and after death the soul will either be reborn into another body, which is known as reincarnations, or it will achieve moksha (salvation). Instead of being reborn you may go to nirvana (heaven).
- Reasons to believe in life after death: it is the teachings of the Upanishads, Vedas and gita, it the teachings of the gurus and swami and it makes sense of life.
- Hindus and moksha: doing duty through stages of life (4 ashrams), devotion to god and meditation (yoga).
- moksha means not to be reborn on this earth and to stay in gods kingdom forever.
- Christians have two basic concepts about life after death: resurrection and immortality of the sold.
- Resurrection: a time in the future on judgement day the dead will be brought back to life (raised and will be given an immortal body).
- Immortality of the soul: believe that humans have a body and a soul, which survives death, and after death goes to a spiritual place where god is.
- Some people believe that god will raise everyone from death ab =d their judgement will be given. Those who pass the judgement will go to heaven those who fail will go to hell.
- Sanctity of life: Hindus believe that all life is sacred because all souls are immortal. The souls of all living creatures are one and the same as the eternal Brahman; therefore to take life is to hurt Brahman. To respect all life is to respect god.
- Abortion: the termination of a foetus.
- Infanticide: killing a baby after birth.
- Abortion on demand: women being allowed abortion on demand without any questions asked.
- Many religions and antiabortion groups such as life believe that life begins as soon as the male sperm and female ovum combine. Some people believe that life begins as the baby begins to move in the womb and some believe that a foetus becomes a human being when god implants the soul and life becomes sacred.
- in abortion the mothers life is at risk, the risk is injury to physical or mental health. There is substantial risk that the baby might be seriously handicapped.
- Some Hindus totally oppose to abortion in any from and others use the theme of Ghandi and ahimsa. Hindus believe that abortion is only allowed if the mother’s life is threatened and by doing that abortion you are killing a soul.
- do not have an abortion and do not keep the company of such women who have. Do not keep the company of women who encourage or assist in abortion. This is what lord swaminarayan writ in the shikshapatri.
- Euthanasia: the action of inducing a quite and easy death.
- Suicide: where a person knows they have a very painful terminal disease and commit suicide to give them a quite and easy death.
- Assisted suicide: where a person has such a painful terminal disease that they cant obtain the means for suicide, so they ask someone to kill them.
- Voluntary euthanasia: where a person has a terminal disease and they ask someone else to kill them.
- non-voluntary euthanasia: where a person is kept alive because they are regarded as having a life worse than death, but cant make decisions for themselves.
- Not striving to keep alive: idea used in medicine that if someone is suffering in a terminal illness everything is possible should be done to cure them. After this they should be given painkillers but if they have a heart attack you don’t need to go through the process.
- double effect: if you give a patient drugs to relieve pain knowing that they will kill them over a period of time, this is ok as you are trying to relieve their pain and not kill them. In the UK euthanasia is prohibited.
- An important Hindu belief is that of ahimsa (non-violence). This includes violence against ones self and that would seem to rule out euthanasia. It is the soul that survives death and the soul cannot be harmed by anything that happens in life. It’s not harmful to speed up the soul’s entry onto the next life, in which an old person refuses to eat and drink as they await death.
- Contraception: any natural or artificial means that people use to prevent conception after sexual intercourse.
- Birth control: any method used to limit the number of babies born either to a couple or within a population.
- Family planning: the deliberate limiting of spacing of births, allowing a couple to choose when to have children.
- The main methods of contraception are3 condom, pills and sterilization.
- The condom is a highly effective contraceptive, protection against sexually transmitted disease.
- over 3 million women in the UK and 50 million worldwide use the contraceptive pill, it can cause side effects, but 99% it is effective.
- In a women the fallopian tubes are cut and in a man tubes that carry the sperm are cut. This operation makes the person infertile.
- Many Hindu holy books all advise husbands to have at least one son so he can perform the necessary funeral rights on the death of their parents. Many Hindus think that contraception is a bad karma. Modern day Hindus think it is good and Hindu religious leaders have supported the Indian government in its campaign to use birth control.
- Hindus believe: children should be a joy not a burden, humans have free will so they should use their intelligence and technology to improve their life, contraception is different from abortion and does not involve violence and the soul doesn’t enter the body after conception and so soul’s cannot be effected by contraception.
- Females are supposed to be more caring towards their family and males are supposed to be forceful and successful at whatever they choose to follow.
- Women are likely to do most of the housework (it is changing in modern world). Parents are likely to lay down different rules for boys and girls, women are more likely to be victims of domestic violence then men, after a divorce women are more likely to get custody of the kids and in politics there are fewer women then men in the parliament.
- treating men and women in the workplace or elsewhere on and absolutely equal basis is important.
- Sexism is bias against one sex or the other meaning that is the sexes is treated unfairly.
- In Hinduism women are considered all important; due to women can only guarantee procreation.
- Modern Hindus sees men and women as equal partners both in religion and in home life.
- Hindus often feel that they still need to protect the women in their family.
- Girls in the family are usually kept under very strict supervision.
- Women are likely to give up work after the home and bring up the children.
- Women earn 75% of what men earn; women are lower paid and less likely to obtain promotion.
- Single mothers are poorer than anybody in the UK.
- Discrimination: putting prejudice into practise, treating people unfairly because of their race, religion, gender or class.
- Multi ethnic society- a society in which people from different racial background live together.
- Racial harmony: a society in which people for different racial and ethnic background, live happily and peacefully.
- Prejudice: dislike people of a specific race or religion.
- Racism: belief that one race is better then another and acting as if it is true.
- Due to the mixture of different cultures, UK is often describes as multi ethnic, multi racial or multi faith society. UK has a long tradition of personal and religious freedom.
- Main immigration to the UK happened after WWII, due to shortages of labour in key industries and occupations. The problem of racism occurred as many people settled into the inner city areas. In 1976 law against racism was passed.
- Law against discrimination: not to discriminate against anyone because of his or her race, colour, religion, nationality or ethnic background, not to use abusive language and publishing unnecessary things which will stir racial hatred.
- The law did not stop racial hatred, prejudice and discrimination. In 1976 the commission for racial equality was established. Function:
- To fight against all racial discrimination, show people the importance of giving everyone a fair chance in life and to monitor the way in which the law is working.
- Hindus see the world as one interconnected in which many different races and colour intermingle.
- Marriage between different casts are uncommon Hindus are opposed to racism and discrimination, every soul is divine and everyone should be treated fairly and Hindus do not wish to seek converts.
-BAPS also known as swaminrayan Hindu Mission in the UK has grown worldwide with over 511 temples, 8100 centres, 2710 adult centres, 1320 youth forums and 4070 children forums.
- it is involved in 160 humanitarian services in local and international progress for social, moral educational, ecological, health, cultural and spiritual care with 4500 youth and 685 saints to help.
- Aims of BAPS: preserve culture and tradition and create community unity, promote inter-religious understanding and provide centres of enlightment and mobilise young people towards morality,
-Swaminrayan temple ahs attracted 3.5+ visitors and 3500 schools, annual sponsored walk sees over 410000 people, largest gujarati learning Sunday school in Europe, holds projects and seminars and management classes, hosts parental guidance seminars, weekly assemblies, started Akshar IT centres, metropolitan police used the temple as a launch pad and annual careers open day held at temple provides careers advice to 1200+ students.
- Pujya Pramukh Swami Maharaj is the 5th spiritual successor of Lord Swaminrayan and present leader of BAPS. He leads an austere life of lifetime celibacy with out personal wealth and comfort. Hid humanity, wisdom and simplicity have touched all. His love for god rises beyond all borders of nation religion and race.
- UK is more of a multi faith community than any other faith community in the European Union, and religions within it show strength and vigour.
- Prior to WWII there used to be a few people who followed a religion other than Christianity in the UK.
- People from west and east largely Christian came into the UK in 1960 and in 1970 people from Indian, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Hong Kong followed. Later people from Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.
- This led to the growth of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs in the UK.
- Hinduism does not have a problem in accepting that everyone has the right to worship freely. The god they believe is one and is found through the teachings of different religious figures and gurus. Reasons for prejudice:
- Pride and selfishness: thinking of only your self or self interest, failing to consider the needs for others due to jealousy of other people.
- Fear: being uncertain of the implication or others, being afraid of what might happen in you help or talk to other races.
- Anger: reacting after some event or unpleasant experiences, previously with a particular group of people or a person.
- Ignorance: not wanting to know the facts.
- Parental or peer pressure: accepting the views and attitudes of others without finding the facts.
- Mahatma Ghandi leader of Hindus community who believes strongly in non-violence and preached non-violence into all race, believed that to achieve any results you should d be non-violent.