A Look at Hindu Worship

"Hinduism was summed up in an Indian High Court ruling in 1995:--The Hindu religion does not claim any one prophet; it does not worship any one god; it does not subscribe to any one dogma; it does not believe in any one philosophic concept; it does not follow any one set of religious rite or performances in far, it does not appear to satisfy the narrow traditional features of any religion or creed. It way broadly be described as a way of life."

Hinduism has a mentality unlike most religions of the world that is "all religions are not only tolerated bu encouraged." This is to mean that however and whoever you worship depends on what is best for you. To a Hindu, it doesn't make much sense to worship a god that is not a god of what you need: for instance, a Hindu who is asking for help with an obstacle in their life would worship Ganish, remover of obstacles, not Shiva, the destroyer of evil.

This being said, They for the most part, worship in very similar ways to one another in the Hindu religion, however: their's is a part of their everyday life, not a go to church on Sundays kind of worship.

This week, at Presbyouth, we will take a look at what it is like to worship as a Hindu would by way of sacrifice. Often, this is done by offering food such as rice or fruits, flowers, or incense to a specific god's statue while chanting. We will be practicing this form of worship, but to a picture of Jesus and chanting a prayer that is tailored to the needs of each student: i.e., the Lord's Prayer, the serenity prayer, a number of different psalms.

Following this time of sacrifice, We will take time to look at the Lord's Supper to compare and contrast it with Hindu worship. In the Hindu religion, we would 'feed' the statue, and in Christianity, we are fed the body and blood of Christ. In Hinduism, worshiper sacrifice, and in Christianity, Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice.

What an interesting concept! What do you think of these similarities and differences in regard to sacrifice?

I'm excited to talk about it on Wednesday!

Blessings from the youth room,

Jada

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