The God Vishnu looks after all his followers on earth and has even come down in great forms such as Rama when we are in the need of his help or if he needs to teach us a lesson.
Christians believe that when we die, if we have committed more bad sins than good, we go to hell but if we have done more good, we go to heaven. Christian beliefs are very similar to what Hindu’s believe. They believe that the universe was created by God and it took him the period of six days to do it, and the seventh day was of rest whereas we believe that the universe was also created by God but was made while the sound Aum was made.
Islamic people believe that Allah judge every person according to his deeds when they die, on the ‘last day’ all the dead will be resurrected and rewarded with heaven or punished with hell.
Basically, most religions have very similar beliefs in how God rewards us and how he created the universe.
This is what most people believe. But it is not the only things that God does for us, God gives people happiness when they are upset or if they don’t have anybody to turn and go to God for help. God helps us out in our mind.
As stated, the whole universe was created by an ordinary man, it was created by God. So this would mean that God has many powers and is therefore considered as a divine power. He motivates many people when they are worried or nervous, within there heart. Every faith and religion believes in this, in most ways, all religions link up and in the end, we all believe in the same God, no matter what religion you are, it is just that you may do different rituals or prayers but it is still towards the same God in the end.
The best way to adore God is with our love.
God is everywhere; he is within our soul and all around us. He is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient. In Hinduism, this is known as Nirguna Brahma, showing God is immanent and beyond space and time. He has no shape or form.
Hindus also believe in Sarguna Brahma, God with a form, it is made to visualise on God when praying. It is hard for people to grasp the idea of Nirguna Brahma and this in ways help people understand the real meaning of God. It is when you would see an image of God right in front of you as people would depict God to look like.
I think we do have to believe in festivals because of many miracles and auspicious days. It is to celebrate things that God has done for us and in a way, to thank him for it.
Some festivals are based on the cultural ground, to remember who you are and to keep up traditions throughout many generations. Some festivals are based on God fighting evil and ending victorious. Some festivals are to remark the birthdays of the incarnations of Gods such as Rama, Krishna, etc.
Diwali
Diwali is the time when Rama returned home from fourteen years in exile with Sita and Laxman in which when he killed a devil called Ravana. Rama is one of Vishnu’s incarnations on this planet. Vishnu could have easily killed him without having to come to Earth, but he came to teach people values and been spread wisdom to people. Diwali is known as the festival of light, because when he returned, all his followers in his kingdom had lit diva’s to commemorate this joyous moment and people have doing that for many years on this time and now, fireworks as well.
Janmashthami
This day commemorates the birth of Krishna, one of Vishnu’s incarnations on this planet. He purpose to come on Earth was to kill Kansa. Vishnu came down for the same reason as he did for Rama, to teach people values and spread wisdom amongst people. He had killed many devils even as a child, mainly devils sent by Kansa to kill Krishna.
Christmas
This commemorates the Birth of Jesus in Christianity. Christians believe that Jesus was the messenger sent by God to spread the word about God. He was born two thousand and two years ago, that is how the national calendar was created. He has performed many miracles. Once he was put in a cave with a huge boulder in front of it and left to die, but survived, this became to be known as Easter. Eventually, the Romans had killed him by hanging him on a cross.
Eid
It is celebrated by Muslims. It falls after Ramadan (the days of fast) see next title. It is the New Year for Muslims according to their Arabic calendar.
Christianity
It is believed to be the largest religion in the world. It had all started from the time when Jesus was born; once he grew older he had told many stories and things to believe in to people and had made many miracles. These people then went around spreading the word about what they had learnt.
They consider Sunday to be the day of rest, when people would go to church in the morning and try and relax for the rest of the day. They believe this because they believe it took God six days to make the universe and he rested on the last day. When you go in a church, you would see a big cross and Jesus hung on it. That cross is their holy symbol.
Sikhism
The Punjab region of Northern India is the home to Sikhism, a religion found in the 15th century. The word Sikh means ‘disciple’ and the founder was a man named Guru Nanak. Guru Nanak has had nine successors. They believe in the Hindu God Vishnu and practice Muslim mystics. Nanak taught that there is one God who created the universe. His theory was to forget all conveniences and to meditate for moksha in Gods Kingdom. He died in 1539 and his next successor took over. All the men’s second names are Singh (lion) and all the women’s are Kaur (lioness). They do not touch alcohol, tobacco and drugs and to devote themselves to prayer. All men never cut their hair or beards, creating the need to wear turbans. The have a comb to hold their hair in place. They carry a dagger. They have a steel bracelet and a pair of breaches that do not go below the knee.
Islam’s
Islam’s teach that there is one God, the creator and the sustainer of the universe. They believe that mankind is regarded as the crown of creation, where God creates order among the people. Yet they still see humans as weak and prone to disbelief of God. Humanity’s main weakness is pride. To get past this, God has sent prophets to communicate to his followers.
The life of a Muslim is to ‘enjoin good and forbid evil’ and to be ‘brothers to each other’. They are expected to achieve economical justice and spread the message to the rest of the world.
The Islamic religion recognises two types of prayer. One is the personal, devotional, and spontaneous type, not bound by rituals. The other is ritual, prayers with specific words and positions that has to be done five times a day; at dawn, midday, midafternoon, sunset and before going to bed. Before praying, you have to wash your hands, feet and face. A person called the muezzin calls all the people for prayers and chants on a platform at a mosque. They would then line up in rows and pray. During the prayers, they have to do three different postures including standing, kneeling and prostrate. When the posture of the person is changed, ‘God is great’ is recited by him.
They believe that God has no image and do not have any statue to pray to.
Every Muslim is expected to make a pilgrimage called a hajj, which takes place every year. They have to take it at least once in there life. It takes place in the last moth of the Arabic calendar. Thousands of Muslims gather in the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia to visit the holy shrine of the Kaaba in the Great Mosque. They believe that it was sent by Abraham, considered by Islam, Judaism and Christianity to be a prophet of the faith. It is done to rectify the time when Mohammad made a pilgrimage from Mecca to Medina in 622.
In the second chapter of the Koran, it says that fasting is what you have to do because it had been done by people before you. They have to fast for a whole month, from dawn to dusk. The fast breaks when the Arabic new year begins.
