Ok why do people think that Hindus are polytheists?

Question

Hindus believe in many MANIFESTATIONS of God, not many different Gods. In the same way that Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit are one but also a Trinity. The atman is the God that Hindus worship, and it has different forms such as Vishnu, Ganeshi etc. (sorry if I can't spell their names)

Answer 1

I know that, but people don't investigate things. Usually they just believe what they are told. Someone starts a rumor and before you know it, people think it's a fact.

Answer 2

I think it's because Christians only have 1 visible representation of God (Jesus), and the rest are more visually abstract. When people see all the different manifestations of the Hindu god, they think that you are worshipping multiple gods. Also, it has a lot to do with what people have been told, but I would think that the origin of such thinking is what I just mentioned.

You're very right, though. If you hadn't already said the things that you did in your additional information, I would have said them myself. If Hinduism is polytheistic, so is Christianity, but Christianity isn't polytheistic, so neither is Hinduism. They share the same concepts for describing each god, though Hinduism divides it up a bit more.

Answer 3

They believe in one god. My wife's granny talks about God, all the other gods are import are only part of the great god head.

I don't think you can simple summerize all of Hinduism in simple statement.

As far as the comment about Hindu's don't investigate, it is more completed. In America we are raised to be individuals to make choices, but in India caste means a lot. So what your religion is important, but it is different feeling.

All the gods have their own temples, but the deeper feeling they are all one.

You have to invest some time doing a lot of reading on the different text.

Answer 4

I do not believe Hindus are polytheists. I am a polytheist. A POLYtheist would be a person who believes in multiple gods and/or goddesses each with their own distinct personality and trait. They are separate and distinct entities and are by no means part of a larger entity any more than you are part of my left leg. This would include Asatru, of course (my faith). (Poly=many)

A PANtheist is someone who believes in multiple aspects or manifestations of a single divine being. This would be Hinduism, most forms of Christianity and most forms of Wicca. (Pan=all)

A MONOtheist is someone who believes in only one God or Goddess, who does not have any manifestations. This would be very few sects of Christianity (Jehovah's Witnesses come to mind) and Muslims. (mono=one)

See? Easy!

~Morg~

Answer 5

Well....you are wrong. Believe me, Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu are three different and separate gods. To declare that as the same as the Christian Trinity is so far out there I cannot get a radar fix on it.

Answer 6

It's because Hinduism is divided into Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Purva Mimamsa and Vedanta.

Answer 7

A manifestation of God is still a diety.

And there are 3 (more than one) main Gods:

Brahma(n)-Creator
Shiva-Destroyer
Vishnu-Preserver

Oh.. Ganesh is the son of Shiva..he's the little dude with the elephant head

Answer 8

interesting, that makes sense though
wicca (some branches) is like that also, and people often think wiccans are polytheists as well

Answer 9

Uneducated people will make assumptions about things they know nothing about. Happens all the time.

Answer 10

no friggen idea, in answer 2 ur question.

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