Section one – Believing in God.

  • Religious upbringing in a Hindu family and belief in God.
  • Appearance of the world and design of the world for belief in God.
  • How Mandirs may lead to belief in God.
  • Miracles and belief in God.
  • Existence of Evil and Suffering in believing in God.
  • Hindu’s response to evil and suffering.

Religious upbringing and belief in God.

If you were brought up as a Hindu, you would be aware of God from the beginning of your life. There would be a special naming ceremony and a ceremony for your first haircut, both of which will involve prayers to God. Your home would probably have a shrine and you would get to see the daily prayers and offerings made at the shrine. You would be taught to say mantras by your parents, and you may well go to a Hindu Sunday School at your Mandir. Different festivals are celebrated in your Mandir. All of this would lead you to believe in God’s existence.

Numinous.

The feeling you get when you enter a great religious building, even a beautiful place, that there is someone greater that can only be God.

Conversion.

The feeling that there is someone inside you that wants to change your life and be more committed to your religion.  

Miracle.

A belief that a miracle has occurred and that it must be caused by god.

Mystical.

An experience where you feel that you have been in contact with God in a special way.

Prayer.

A belief that your prayers have been answered will lead you to believe in God.

Miracles.

Miracle is an event which seems to break a natural law and for which the only explanation is God. Some religious people think that a miracle is a natural event which must be caused by God, because of the time at which it occurs and religious connection it has.

In Christianity it is believed Jesus was capable of healing the sick and altering the laws of nature. He turned water into wine and walked on water. The greatest miracle of Jesus was rising from the dead. In Hinduism on 21st October 1995, in y temples and homes around the world, Ganesh statues seemed to miraculously drink milk that was offered to them.

Many religions believe that miracles still happen today, for example people suffering from incurable diseases are healed by prayers.

Experience of the world and belief in God.

Many people look at the world, the solar system, the universe and feel that it all appears to be carefully designed. Some people find that the whole experience of life makes them believe that life has a purpose. Birth, marriage, work, death and our feelings make them feel like they can’t be here just by chance. It is in looking for a purpose in life that many people turn to religion and are led to believe in God.

  1. The way DNA is so carefully structured that a tiny human fertilised egg almost invisible to the human eye is the blue print for an adult human being.  

  1. The way in which the cosmic explosion (big bang) which many scientists believe was the start of the universe, was designed as the size and timing of the explosion, the law of gravity and the nature of matter, that a life was bound to form.  

  1. Other people look at the world and see that everything seems to have a cause. If everything has a cause then it is logical to assume that the universe has a cause and that it can only be God.

  1. All this shows us that if there is a design in the universe, there must be a designer and that could only be God.

The problem of Evil and Suffering.

Evil and suffering are linked together because evil is wrong, and most people believe that it is wrong for people to suffer. Evil also causes suffering. For example: if someone attacks you by throwing a glass bottle at you, his evil action will cause you suffering.

Moral evil. - Moral evil are bad actions committed by humans which cause sufferings.

Natural evil – things that cause suffering but have nothing to do with humans is natural evil.

Omnipotent evil – Omnipotent evil is the belief that God is all powerful.

Benevolent – is the belief that God is good and kind.

Omniscient – omniscient is the belief that God knows everything that has happened, happening and what is going to happen.  

Agnosticism – is when someone is unsure of whether God exists or not.

Atheism – is when someone believes that God does not exist.

Why evil and suffering cause problems for religious believers.

  • If god is good; he must get rid of suffering.

  • If god is all knowing; he must have known what suffering would result from creating the world.

  • If god is all-powerful; he must be able to get rid of suffering.

Hindus response to evil and suffering

Hindus believe that suffering is an essential part of sansara. People are born in suffering and die in suffering.

Hindus follow the law of karma: Whatever we do in this life will be paid back for in the same way when they are re-born. So they believe humans are the main reason for existence in evil and suffering in the world.

The majority of Hindus feel that it is their dharma (duty) to help those who suffer. Gandhi refused to accept that the outcasts were suffering because of their dharma. He called them harijans (children of god) and tried to relieve their suffering as a way of improving his own karma.

Christian’s response to evil and suffering

  • Christians believe that god knows the answer to evil and suffering, so prayers always help them.

  • Christians believe evil and suffering are the faults of humans, not god.

  • Christians think that evil and suffering is a preparation for heaven.

  • Christians think that evil and suffering is there for a reason, which only god understands.

Sansara

Sansara is the cycle of rebirth and suggests the continuity of our existence beyond death. Soul passes from one body to another, which is known as re-incarnation, this continues until we attain moksha (salvation).

Karma

Karma is the law of cause and effect on personal terms. We have to bear the consequences of all our actions, if not immediately than in later life.

Dharma

Dharma is the religion of right conduct, righteous living which sustains society and civilization. Sanatan dharma means eternal, ever lasting and universal truth.

Belief in god through symbols

Hindus make wide use of symbols and images to lead them to god. Every religion has symbols; some do it knowingly while other religions do it unknowingly. The cross is the symbol for Christians and the crescent or the Kaaba is the symbol for Muslims.  

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Aum - The Aum is the sound produced when attending god, realization through deep meditation. The sound is naturally made therefore the most fitting symbol for representing god.

Lotus - The lotus is a symbol of purity. Though the lotus grows in muddy waters it still emerges pure and beautiful. The lotus flower is also symbolic of detachment-never holds water because of silk type surface.

Swastika - The swastika symbol denotes auspiciousness, in Sanskrit it means well being. The four arms of the swastika are there to draw luck from all four corners of the world. ...

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