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Why is Hinduism even classified as a Religion?


Stradlater

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Let's be straight about it, it's simply a set of many indic cultural beliefs put under a one umbrella term by the lazy British EIC who couldn't be bothered to research more on the subject.

There are no fixed set of beliefs or religious scriptures.

Every region has its own sort of variations in the common cultural practices.

There's no one single authority.

I'm not saying that's a bad thing. In fact it's the best thing ever which shows we aren't tied to a fix no of stone age beliefs like the desert religions. It gives a plenty of scope to evolve which in the philosophy of human evolution makes perfect sense.

 

My only issue with it is calling these practices as a religion. 

We are a Dharma which is very different from your usual religion as understood by the Abrahamics.

 

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8 minutes ago, velu said:

all beliefs are closely related and overlap ..

shiva is the main deity of shaivism and acknowledge the existence  of vishnu..

vishnu is the main deity of vaishnavism and acknowledge the existence  of shiva..

 

and this applies to all the other sects in hindusim as well .. 

In that sense many beliefs of Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism intersect each other as well.

Heck I know Jains who worship hindu idols and Sikhs who visit Vaishnodevi.

Why consider them as a separate religion then?

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2 minutes ago, Stradlater said:

In that sense many beliefs of Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism intersect each other as well.

Heck I know Jains who worship hindu idols and Sikhs who visit Vaishnodevi.

Why consider them as a separate religion then?

 

all are vedic religions :dontknow: 

i consider jainism as subset of Hinduism ..  

Edited by velu
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19 minutes ago, Stradlater said:

I know all indic beliefs are basically rooted in a same philosophy. That's why use of Dharma is more appropriate.

 

dharma or vedic .. again someone like you will create a thread in ICF and question why it is called as dharmic religion instead of hinduism ? :p: 

 

 

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31 minutes ago, velu said:

 

all are vedic religions :dontknow: 

i consider jainism as subset of Hinduism ..  

Jainism is certainly not a subset of Hinduism. Jina dharma does not accept the infallibility of the Vedas and that is essential to all branches of Hinduism.  Neither do the Sikhs, Carvakas, Buddhists etc. 

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11 minutes ago, Nikhil_cric said:

Jainism is certainly not a subset of Hinduism. Jina dharma does not accept the infallibility of the Vedas and that is essential to all branches of Hinduism.  Neither do the Sikhs, Carvakas, Buddhists etc. 

 

infact we study religion in tamil language class ..  under hindiusm tab we study shiva , vishnu , jain , murugan , buddism etc..

the Hinduism i follow is heavily influenced by jainism or they got converted to hinduism gradually ..

western tamilnadu and southern Karnataka have this influence .. google sharavanabelgola

 

 

hindusim is just an  umberla term ..

Edited by velu
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23 minutes ago, Nikhil_cric said:

Jainism is certainly not a subset of Hinduism. Jina dharma does not accept the infallibility of the Vedas and that is essential to all branches of Hinduism.  Neither do the Sikhs, Carvakas, Buddhists etc. 

Many Hindu philosophies do not accept the infallibility of Vedas including Samkhya.

Believing in Supremacy of Vedas is not a pre condition to be a Hindu.

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1 hour ago, Stradlater said:

Many Hindu philosophies do not accept the infallibility of Vedas including Samkhya.

Believing in Supremacy of Vedas is not a pre condition to be a Hindu.

Regardless , I think we can safely draw the line between Jainism, with regards to their ideas of karma, moksha etc, and Hinduism. Far too many differences. They were always considered heterodox even if the practices of Jains and Hindus do resemble each other to some superficial extent. 

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19 minutes ago, Nikhil_cric said:

Regardless , I think we can safely draw the line between Jainism, with regards to their ideas of karma, moksha etc, and Hinduism. Far too many differences. They were always considered heterodox even if the practices of Jains and Hindus do resemble each other to some superficial extent. 

Heterodox doesn't mean out of Sanatana fold. It simply meant rejecting Vedas as superior scriptures.

There are many such schools which are different from mainstream Hinduism in that regard and yet considered part of it in modern times.

How does Tantric Hinduism fits in your regular Hinduism?

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4 hours ago, Stradlater said:

In that sense many beliefs of Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism intersect each other as well.

Heck I know Jains who worship hindu idols and Sikhs who visit Vaishnodevi.

Why consider them as a separate religion then?

You are making ample demonstration of your ignorance in this thread.  Your premise itself is totally flawed, and this post baited me into responding.  Buddhism does not accept hindu dieties as Godhead.  It does share the fundamental belief in re-incarnation and nirvana as a structural basis for faith.  

 

Jainism does not share Hindu Gods either - Orthodox Jains and their temples actually claim that their faith is more ancient than Hindu Gods, and has a completely different nomenclature for the Gods - so that the idols are same, but names are different. In fact, in Jainism, 'Gods' are not to be worshipped, but their idols are present in their temples due to popularity, and if you ever find yourself in one, you would note that each "Hindu" idol has a disclaimer printed below it, that the Idols are not to be prayed to.  

 

If a Hindu says a prayer and bows his head at a Churh, or expresses respect at a dargah, it doesn't make him a Christian or a muslim.  And if a Jain adherent chooses to worship Ganesh, doesn't make him Hindu.  

 

 

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1 minute ago, sandeep said:

You are making ample demonstration of your ignorance in this thread.  Your premise itself is totally flawed, and this post baited me into responding.  Buddhism does not accept hindu dieties as Godhead.  It does share the fundamental belief in re-incarnation and nirvana as a structural basis for faith.  

 

Jainism does not share Hindu Gods either - Orthodox Jains and their temples actually claim that their faith is more ancient than Hindu Gods, and has a completely different nomenclature for the Gods - so that the idols are same, but names are different. In fact, in Jainism, 'Gods' are not to be worshipped, but their idols are present in their temples due to popularity, and if you ever find yourself in one, you would note that each "Hindu" idol has a disclaimer printed below it, that the Idols are not to be prayed to.  

 

If a Hindu says a prayer and bows his head at a Churh, or expresses respect at a dargah, it doesn't make him a Christian or a muslim.  And if a Jain adherent chooses to worship Ganesh, doesn't make him Hindu.  

 

 

Umm many sects in Hinduism such as Bishnois etc do not believe in Hindu deities either and yet are considered as part of Hinduism. 

 

You are basing your argument on the mainstream Hinduism as it evolved after the Gupta period and practiced by the modern Hindus now a days.

 

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