If hinduismn is a way of life & not a religoin then y in the world is it considered a religion?

Question

just wondering

Answer 1

For a religion at least three things r required.
(1) A Holy Book
(2) Messenger/Prophet
(3) Universality
Hindus worship not God but gods. Basically their whole "religion" revolves along some rulers (like Rawan, Ram etc) who fought against each other for women (like Seeta)money and land. Any creature who helped them was also converted into god (like Monkey). Universality is not there ... Hindus r only in India, although some migrated to some other places.

Answer 2

All religions, in a sense, are a way of life.

Generally, though, it is basically because Hinduism consists of theology, philosophy, and belief systems....like other religions. Though the way in which one practices said religion can vary. Some simply live the "Hindu" way of life, but may in no way believe or care for any aspect of the beliefs and theology and philosophy it also gives.

Thus Hinduism is a way of life and a religion (so noting that there are some, though few, religions that actually do not ascribe a way of life with them).

Answer 3

What is Hinduism? It's a religion. Not quite right. The most obvious misconception about Hinduism is that we tend to see it as a religion, a faith. Hinduism is a way of life, a Dharma. Dharma does not mean religion, it is the law that governs all action. Thus, contrary to popular perception, Hinduism is not a religion. For centuries the world has misinterpreted this, and out of this misinterpretation, has come most of the misconceptions about Hinduism.

Words like Hindu or Hinduism are ananchronisms. They do not exist in the Indian cultural lexicon. People have coined them to suit their needs in different points of history. Nowhere in the scriptures is there any reference to Hinduism.

Hinduism does not have any one founder, and it does not have a Bible or a Koran to which controversies can be referred for resolution. Consequently, it does not require its adherents to accept any one idea. It is thus cultural, not creedal, with a history contemporaneous with the peoples with which it is associated.

Writings we now categorise as Hindu scriptures include not just books relating to spirituality but also secular pursuits like science, medicine and engineering. This is another reason why it defies classification as a religion. Further, it cannot be claimed to be essentially a school of metaphysics. Nor can it be described as 'other worldly'. In fact one can almost identify Hinduism with a civilization that is flourishing even now.

The Aryan Invasion Theory having been completely discredited, it cannot be assumed that Hinduism was the pagan faith of invaders belonging to a race called Aryans. Rather it was the common metafaith of people of various races, including Harappans. The Sanskrit word 'aryan' is a word of honourable address, not the racial reference invented by European scholars and put to perverse use by the Nazis.

Evidence that Hinduism must have existed even circa 10000 B.C. is available: The importance attached to the river Saraswati and the numerous references to it in the Rigveda indicates that the Rigveda was being composed well before 6500 B.C. The first vernal equinox recorded in the Rigveda is that of the star Ashwini, which is now known to have occurred around 10000 B.C. Subhash Kak, a Computer Engineer and a reputed Indologist, 'decoded' the Rigveda and found many advanced astronomical concepts therein. The technological sophistication required to even anticipate such concepts is unlikely to have been acquired by a nomadic people, as the Invasionists would like us to believe. In his book Gods, Sages and Kings, David Frawley provides compelling evidence to substantiate this claim.

Many believe that multiplicity of deities makes Hinduism polytheistic. Such a belief is nothing short of mistaking the wood for the tree. The bewildering diversity of Hindu belief - theistic, atheistic and agnostic - rests on a solid unity. "Ekam sath, Vipraah bahudhaa vadanti", says the Rigveda : The Truth (God, Brahman, etc) is one, scholars call it by various names. What the multipicity of deities does indicate is Hinduism's spiritual hospitality as evidenced by two characteristically Hindu doctrines: The Doctrine of Spiritual Competence (Adhikaara) and The Doctrine of The Chosen Deity (Ishhta Devata). The doctrine of spiritual competence requires that the spiritual practices prescribed to a person should correspond to his or her spiritual competence. The doctrine of the chosen deity gives a person the freedom to choose (or invent) a form of Brahman that satisfies his spiritual cravings and to make it the object of his worship. It is notable that both doctrines are consistent with Hinduism's assertion that the unchanging reality is present in everything, even the transient.

Answer 4

Itis the original, oldest and most profound philosophy of life. The brilliant ancestors of present-day indians explored the Truth behind our existence and gave several philosophies and theories to define the Truth. At the same time, they created a set of rules for "good living" on this earth. The philosophical concepts that Indians gave to mankind are eternal and constitute no religion by themselves. However, the rules for good or "Dharmic" living that they laid down constitute the Hindu religion.

Answer 5

a religion commonly refers to an organization or group of people with a set of beliefs, traditions (or rituals) and some moral code of some sort. It is almost always (but not always) a belief or worship of some super natural powers (gods) or a higher power of some sort. So, i would say that Hinduism is definitely a religion, but also a way of life.

Answer 6

Religions are ways of life, but ways of life may not be religions if one defines a religion as needing a unified godhead (monotheism). Taoism is a way, not a religion. Broadly speaking, a religion answers questions about deities or ways of life. Hinduism has many gods and is polytheistic. It is certainly a religion and a way of life.

Answer 7

There are different kinds and sects of Hinduism, like any other religion. If some live their religion, then it is a way of life. If not, than it is a belief. It depends on the specifics.

Answer 8

Well it is hard to explain. Some call it religion and some call it a way of life. Kind of both really. They live by what they believe and gods included in their belief also.

Answer 9

I don't know but they had a better understand of the universe 3000 yrs ago than Christians do today. They believed the universe to be eight billion years old and expanding and that one day it would contract back down to nothing and the restart the cycle over again.
Tammi Dee

Answer 10

because you arent cool unless you have a religion. All the people have them now adays, they are a common little accessory to modern day life. Only 29.99 on the home shopping channel and you can get your religious symbol and a pretty gold chain to wear for always so people will know where you belong.