How is Hinduism different from the other two major world religions?

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Hinduism is different from the other two major world religions (Christianity and Islam) in that there is no single omnipotent paternal deity that governs people’s actions. Hinduism is pantheistic, that is, it states that there is one super being and it is present in all material things and living beings. Hinduism does not have a single founder, a specific theological system, a single system of morality, or religious organization. There are many manifestations of the Creator, the Brahman, which take the form of many gods and goddesses. The Hindu believe that because all reality is a unity, worshipping different gods will in the end connect them to Brahman, because he is one. Out of this principle of unity stems the concept of accountability of one’s actions in this earthly life. The rise in popularity of Hinduism in the last half of the last century is attributed to this very principle, because it can be compared with the Earth’s ecosystem of interdependencies of different biological levels of organisms. The followers of Hinduism are motivated to behave according their religion’s moral code not because of the fear of successive punishment. Rather, they know that everything in this world functions according to the cause-and-effect principle and one’s actions today will lead to the inevitable consequences after the incarnation.

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The notions of Karma, reincarnation, and Varna work together to create the revolving system of life and death (Robinson). According to Hindu tradition the earthly life of  “ordinary” people (pravritti) is a meaningless (samsara). Earthly life of the pravitti can have four goals: righteousness in their religious life (dharma); material prosperity (artha); and indulgence of the senses: sensual, sexual, and mental  enjoyment (kama). These goals of the pravitti are looked down upon by the Hindu tradition. The ultimate goal of the person is to achieve a state of liberation from the burden of earthly needs and desires (moksha). Moksha can ...

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