Christianity versus Hinduism - both polytheistic?

Question

I think that Christianity might be polytheistic, even though most people probably might not admit it.

Both religions believe in different faces of one, true, ultimate power (for those who don't believe this about Hinduism and pretend to be above Hindu cosmology, I beg you to cite your sources). The trinity is thought to be something we mere wee humans cannot understand, but to trust that these are three faces of one force - as are pretty much all the Gods in the Hindu theology. The figures compliment each other, sometimes conflict, but are aultimately harmonious to the difficulties in the human experience.

I never understood why Christianity claimed to be monotheistic. At best, it (along with Hinduism) are Henotheistic, as opposed to strict polytheism.

Can someone explain this to me with a well thought out answer (no angry one-word answers, please), to explain the beliefs, for I've studied theology for years - just a critical explanation of Christianity as mono/poly/heno theism.

Answer 1

Yes! Finally after months someone makes sense! Original christianity (not bible version) was polytheistic. Jesus taught Gods! His father in heaven is supreme god (like Brahma), then there's son of god (cosmic christ), then there's the goddess Sophia, and the creator god (Ialdaboath), and many more gods. There is mention of 35 aeons (these are very high god/goddess pairs). This is what Jesus taught and even the NT gives away Jesus' polytheism. The orthodox christians wanted "one god" so they invented "the mystery of the holy trinity". Jesus was a Pagan polytheist, and there are extra-biblical scriptures which clearly state this.

Answer 2

In theory, Christianity could be henotheistic, but in practice it's not. Henotheism requires devotion to one god, but acceptance of the existance of other gods. This may have been what early Judaism was like. In fact, the 10 Commandments state 'you shall have no other gods before me.' Does that imply that there ARE other gods? It depends on your interpretation. Practically, however, very few Christians believe that God is simply first among many. The Trinity is worshiped each part equally, and so it must either be mono- or polytheistic.

Unfortunately, it's not easy to simply label Christianity one or the other. If you say it's monotheistic, you have to explain there being three persons. If you say it's polytheistic, you have to explain them being one God. I think it's monotheistic because each part of the Trinity is considered part of God, but no single part is God in his entirety. If one part were somehow missing, then God would lopsided, not whole, not really God. If Christianity were polytheistic, then the absence of one of the three persons would not be very problematic. There would be something missing, but it wouldn't affect the the composition as a whole; it shouldn't affect the others. For this reason, I think Hinduism is more polytheistic - though, as you say, a good case for monotheism could also be made. I've run out of time, though, so I'll come back later.

Answer 3

This is a good question. However, Christianity is monotheistic. The Trinity is difficult to understand, but going back to John 1:1 - In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, the Word was God. He is saying that Jesus was there at the beginning (God as creator of all) and that God took on human form. Jesus said that if you have seen Him you have seen the Father, further adding to John's writing and that of the many prophets of the Old Testament (original Jewish writings) that predicted the Messiah. This is the part of Christianity that really bothers Islam because they feel it is degrading for God to become human. For Christians, it just shows how much God loves us all that He would take a much lower form in order to provide a guaranteed way to Heaven for those who believe what Jesus Christ taught and that He was the Son of God and at the same time, the Son of Man and God incarnate.

As for the Holy Spirit, Jesus told the apostles that He had to leave so that the Comforter could come. If they were multiple entities, why would Jesus have to leave first?

For me, Hinduism and other polytheistic beliefs with multiple gods would have me worried that I was praying to the wrong god for the particular help I need. I have found that whenever I ask Christ/God for help it is always there. It does not matter if it is lost keys or lost souls - God is faithful when I approach Him through the spirit of Christ because Jesus covers my sin nature that is so repulsive to a Holy and perfect God. Jesus because He was human understands the difficulties we experience and has mercy and the grace to cover our sins in front of God. We borrow His Holiness when we belong to Him.

I hope this comes across as you requested - well thought out.

In the Love of Christ, Mike

Answer 4

Of course they are both polytheistic, but I don’t think that this is the real question you are trying to get answered. It seems as though you don’t believe in God. Have you stopped to think is it really God that you don’t believe in or is it the Idea of God that you were taught is a child that you find unbelievable. I also thought that I did not believe in God but on closer observation I realized that it was the crazy idea of God that I had been given as a child that I found so unbelievable. A judgmental unconditionally loving God was more of a conflict than my small mind could handle. I found help in a book called course in miracles. It doesn’t believe in the silly God you were taught about as a child either. Love and blessings. Don

Answer 5

I am unfamiliar with the detailed beliefs of Hinduism, but very familiar with the Bible, so I'll tell you what I know.

There is one Godhead with three parts--the trinity. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Three parts to one God. In reading the Bible, I get the idea that God the Father is the leader, the judge, the ultimate ruler. God the Son is the one who came to earth and died for us. And God the Holy Spirit is the comforter sent to Christians after Christ's death. One God, three "functions" if you will.

Answer 6

You are quite right. Although Christianity claims that there is only one God, this God is suddenly in three persons.
And all the Saints the Catholic Church worships are nothing but minor deities and demi-gods. Vert much like Hinduism, but much less inspired.

Answer 7

Thanks for the question!

Jesus grew up and was spiritually formed in a tradition that was very serious about its belief in one God. It was (and is) the defining characteristic of Judaism and everything--including its idea of community and its ethics--depends on it. The Judaism Jesus learned in the Temple and in the synagogue defined itself over against the polytheistic religions that surrounded it.

The Jesus of history was certainly a monotheist. Whether he believed that God was a triune being and that he (Jesus) was both human and divine is a matter of faith, or personal religious conviction. Some historians think that the sayings of Jesus in which he identifies himself with divinity (esp. in John's Gospel) are later traditions added by the community as its theological understanding evolved along with its scripture. The New Testament was not written all at once but is a collection of traditions and letters produced by the first generation of Jesus' followers.

Jewish and Unitarian critics of trinitarian Christianity accuse it, of course, as being tri-theistic. Mormons cut this Gordian knot very neatly by believing that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three gods--and that's just the beginning of the Mormon pantheon. (There's also a "Heavenly Mother" and eventually every faithful Mormon gets to be a god. So no logical problems with a "three-in-one" for them.)

Anyway, the doctrine of the Trinity evolved through the lens of classical philosophy (in which it was possible to separate "persons" from "being") and so is difficult to translate into our culture. But orthodox Christianity does attempt to affirm both the belief that in Jesus God became a human being and entered human history, and the monotheism it inherited from Judaism--which is critical for its ethical stance in the world: "I am the Lord, your God: You shall have no other gods besides me." It's that affirmation of the singularity of God that has made it possible for Christians through the centuries to stand up against other forces that claimed worship and obedience: it was, for example, the entire foundation of the Confessing Church's resistance in Germany to the Nazi Party's neo-pagan religion of race, blood and soil, or Hitler's divinization by the Party as Germany's "savior." Moreover, some of the more radical "German Christian" supporters of Nazi ideology were definitely moving in the direction of a polytheism which could combine the worship of Hitler with the worship of Jesus. It was the "no other god beside me" that, at least for the Confessing Church, made resistance to Nazi ideology possible.

At the same time, by affirming that there are three persons within the one being of God, the church has tried to say that (in the words of the apostle John) "God is love." In other words, God is within God's own being a relationship of three persons bound together by love and whose love pours out into the creation and reconciliation of humanity.

That is a matter of faith. But I could not imagine a Christianity in which the church did not affirm that the Creator is One God: this was the faith that empowered the first martyrs to endure the fear of torture and death because they would not worship the Emperor and were therefore "enemies of the state," and has inspired Christian resistance to tyranny ever since. I do respect other religions, of course, but this happens to be what I believe and gives meaning in my life.

Answer 8

Hinduism is the oldest of the seven dominant religions. Buddhism, Confucius, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam are the other six. Hinduism is an Eastern Religion, while Christianity is a Western Religion. This paper will focus on apparent differences that I see between Christianity and Hinduism. Several aspects of belief reflect material differences between Christianity and Hinduism. By no means am I implying that one religion is better than another.

The first difference between the religions is in the nature of what is considered divine, and therefore worthy of worship. Christianity claims to have a belief in one God, although that God is seen as a Trinity: the father (God), the son (Jesus) and the Holy Ghost. While Christianity claims the religion is monotheistic and not polytheistic, the Old Testament seems to contain some evidence of polytheism, with the god Baal mentioned. Hinduism on the other hand, is and claims to be polytheistic. Their Gods are Brahma (Creator), Vishnu, a friendly form of Krishna (a preserver God, too), and Shiva, an evil God (a destructor.) While Christianity would never claim God or any part of the trinity to be tyrannical and evil, he (the Christian god) gives everlasting punishment for non-believers.

The next distinction between Christianity and Hinduism are the beliefs of what happens once we die. While both believe in salvation or freedom of the soul, Hindus believe this is achieved through rebirth. While most of us here in the west would say, “you only live once,” such a saying would be viewed as odd over in India. If you mess up in this life, the Hindus believe you get another chance. You might be reborn to a lower form of life, but at least your punishment is not eternal. Christianity is a little different. A Christian may think that since one messed up in this life, their soul will burn forever in a lake of fire. This may explain why the Hindu God(s) are more tolerant than the Christian God.

In Christianity, the word of God comes from only one source-the Holy Bible. In here God has a strict code of morals and basic life for humans to follow, just as the Hindu Gods in the Hindu scriptures do. However, the Hindus rely on many sources they rely upon for their faith: Vedas, Puranas, Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Bhagavad-Gita, and the Manu Smirti.

Another area of difference between the two religions is the treatment of animals. Hinduism frowns upon the killing or abusing of animals, while Christianity sees such treatment as appropriate, at times. In Hinduism on the other hand, an animal could be the soul of one of your deceased family members of friends. In contrast with Christianity, god says that it is all right for humans to do what we want with animals. The biblical God allows animal sacrifices, or at least, never seems to condemn it. For example, there is the story of the prophet Elijah and his servant Elisha: “He returned from following him, took the yoke of oxen, and slaughtered them; using the equipment from the oxen, he boiled their flesh, and gave it to the people, and they ate.” (I Kings 19:21). In Kings 1:19, Adonijah, son of Haggith killed animals. “He has sacrificed oxen, fatted cattle, and sheep in abundance.” Animals in the west are seen as totally disposable.

Our Philosophy and Religion book states on page 92, “Several extremely popular gods, such as Ganesha and Hanuman, have animal features and gods such as Shiva and Vishnu are regularly portrayed in the company of their animal companions.” As well, they believe that all pre-human beings, such as animals, will eventually become humans themselves, as we are all reborn, according to Hindus.

One last difference I would like to point out between Hinduism and Christianity is the tolerance towards the views of other religions. It somewhat relates to the issue of eternal punishment in the West, versus many chances to correct yourself, as in the East. A Catholic for example, would only be a good Catholic by following the tenants of the Catholic Church. A Protestant would only be a good Protestant by following the tenants of the denomination he belonged to. Any deviation would be seen as bad or sinful. So, if I, as a Christian wanted to include some Hindu practices into my religion, I would be frowned upon by other members of my faith. On the other hand, if I were a Hindu, my Hindu religion would gladly allow me to be a Catholic or Protestant as well. While I think both religions want us to take the attention off oneself and onto something higher, I would have to say Hinduism seems to be a little more open minded with the fact that it tolerates different religious beliefs.

However, despite such differences, there are some similarities. Both religions think that we should take the focus of the self, and on to something higher. Christianity and Hinduism want to mold humans into being honest, ethical, hard working, and compassionate people. As mentioned earlier, the differences pointed out are not meant to imply that one religion is superior or inferior to the other. Mark Twain once said about the East, “In the matters of the spirit we are the paupers, and they the millionaires.” Maybe Twain is right. With that being the case, I feel that the west can learn from the east, just as the East can learn from the West.

Answer 9

Yes.
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Answer 10

Yup!