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BULLETIN OF THE OLSEN ISSUE PARK CHURCH 10.129.10). The revelation of the Bible offers certainty. The Bi- OF CHRIST ble says God created all things from nothing (Genesis 1:1; He- 15.18 Faithful Sayings brews 11:3). seeks escape from the world. Indiffer- May 5, 2013 ence is glorified ( 14.23-26). Christ improves the 2013 world while looking to life beyond (Matthew 5:16; 44-45). For 1.4.6). The gods were cre- the Hindu all suffering is (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad ated after the universe (Rig 4.4.5; 5.11). In Christ suffering can come from chance (Ecclesi- Veda 10.129.6), but the astes 9:11; John 16:33). Services gods createdGood the universe understanding Sunday: 9:30 AM (Rig Veda 10.90.6-14). Hinduism is a false doctrine born out of a material desire to 10:20 AM Man was createdgains (Rig favor, Veda k eepBut lower the classes in their place. It offers no hope and no pur- 6:00 PM 10.129.9-12),way but has of al- the pose,unfaithful only the endless futility of imagined cycle after cycle of Wednesday: 7:00 PM ways existed (Bhagavad hopeless rebirth. In Jesus we see that this life is not all there is to existence. Christ offers eternal life. May we help our Hindu Encountering Hinduism Gita 2.12). Howis hard. can theseProverbs 13:15 Elders: things be true? friends reject error and embrace the truth of the gospel! By Kyle Pope Pat Ledbetter Hinduism in contrast to Jeff Nunn faith in Christ... j Kyle Pope s of 2010 one billion people were identified as adherents of Is a faith of uncertain- Hinduism, with an estimated 2.25 million living in North ly. Perhaps creat- Deacons: AAmerica (Global Religious Landscape, 28). Christians need familiarity with any belief held by so many people in order to help our ed the world, but perhaps Dean Bowers he didn’t (Rig Veda neighbors, co-workers, or classmates come to faith in Christ. 4700 Andrews Ave. Eddie Cook Amarillo TX 79106 Steve Dixon Hinduism and Ancient Religions. Jack Langley 806-352-2809 Compared to our own, the Hindu worldview seems quite Neil Ledbetter Faithful Sayings Issue 15.18 May 5, 2013 www.olsenpark.com strange, but it is actually very similar to pagan Greek and Roman re- Brady McAlister ligions. Hinduism involves many different cults, worshipping differ- Walker McAnear ent gods in different ways. This is a challenge when studying with Lance Purcell . I once studied with a young Hindu and was optimistic when Rusty Scott he quickly accepted everything I told him about Jesus, but soon real- WelcomeWelcome VisitorsVisitors ized he was just adding Christ into his mixture of other gods, not Evangelist: seeing Jesus as the “name above all names” (cf. Ephesians 1:15-23). Kyle Pope We are so glad that you joined us today. The Caste System. Please come again. To understand Hinduism we must start with something that pro- foundly shaped its development. Around 1500 BC it is believed that Let us know if you have any questions. a people known as the , migrated into India. Whether this was a conquest or a natural migration is unclear, but the existence of a Faithful Sayings Issue 15.18 May 5, 2013

lighter skinned class of peo- outcasts). Until recent years intermarriage between these castes hymns, sacrificial texts, and so-called “forest writings” “My sweet lord” is considered ple identified as the “Brah- was strictly forbidden, and contact between some castes was (or ) dealing with renouncing the world and one of these , as was min” caste established a ra- condemned. In 1950 the Indian constitution prohibited “un- meditating in the forest. The texts date from 1000 Buddha. cial factor that underlies all touchability,” but many continue this religious segregation to the BC-200 AD and include The (commentary Hindu belief: the caste sys- present. on the ), The Code of Manu (formal rules of the Hindu Worship. tem. This class structure, caste system, written by priests), and the Hindu worship is largely built into Hindu teaching Karma, Reincarnation, and Liberation. (epic stories of divine incarnations)—the famous Bhaga- individual, not congregation- sets five distinct social and The word karma has come into English to describe the fact vad Gita is a part of the Puranas. These texts are not con- al. Worshippers go to shrines religious classes: 1) Brah- that people often get “what’s coming to them,” but many fail to sidered “inspired” in the Christian sense, but held to be to different gods, or perform mins (the highest class of realize that karma is a Hindu doctrine that sets the religious jus- accounts of those who have “tuned in” (so to speak) to rituals in their home to vari- Aryan priests), 2) Kshatri- tification for the caste system. Why is one person born into the the truths of the universe. ous gods. I used to have a yas (princes and warriors), caste while another is an untouchable?—because kar- Hindu friend that worshipped 3) Vaisyas (merchants and ma has dictated that his behavior in a past life placed him where Hindu Concepts of Deity. Ganesh, a god with the body landowners), 4) Sudras he deserves to be. Hindus believe in a principle known as samsa- The most unusual aspect of Hinduism is their concept of a man and head of an ele- (farmers, laborers, and ser- ra, the idea that all the universe goes through endless cycles of of deity. The Vedas teach there are many gods. The gods phant every Thursday. Other vants), and 5) Untouchables birth, destruction, and renewal. On a personal level this is rein- Mitra and are said to jointly rule the universe. The rituals might include bathing (those who practice so- carnation, the idea that a person can be reborn in his next life as god (like the Greek god Ares, or the Roman god in sacred rivers, or certain called polluting occupa- a human or animal, based on how he has lived in this life. Mars) is a warrior god. In one of the Upanishads there birth, marriage, and death rit- tions, who are considered Should people try to improve their social class? Not really, they are said to be as many as 3306 gods. But the same texts uals. should stay in their place because this is the order of the uni- also teach there is only one god. The Rig Veda claims, verse, or —the moral order of things. Hindus call their “They speak of Indra, Mitra, Varuna, , and the When You Study with own religion Sanatana Dharma—“Eternal Dharma.” The only winged Suparna. The wise call the One Being by many a Hindu... real hope of Hinduism rests in , or “liberation.” This is names” (1.164.46). This “One Being” they call Brahman, Here are a few points you the hope that one day a person can be freed from these endless but we should not confuse this with a biblical concept of might discuss: cycles of rebirth by attaining a higher level of existence. This is the One true God. All living things are considered part of contradict each not salvation in a Christian sense, but more the idea of “becom- Brahman. It is universal consciousness, but not personali- other: Brahman is said to be ing one with the universe.” ty. The Hindu can have no personal relationship with unborn (Chhandogya Upan- Brahman, he can only recognize his relationship to it. ishad 6.2.1-2), but born from Religious Texts. Brahman, they teach, has had many manifestations. There nothingness (Rig Veda These principles are articulated in two categories of Hindu is , (the creator god), (the preserver god), 10.129.1-3). Brahman is said Scriptures. The first called [ruti (meaning “heard”) and the sec- and Siva (the destroyer god). Hindus believe that Vishnu to be imperishable (Briha- ond smriti (meaning “remembered”). The oldest, the [ruti texts has had nine incarnations (or avatars), some of which daranyaka Upanishad date to around 1000 BC and are known as the Vedas. Only those were animals, some human. , worshipped by the 4.5.14), but was once mortal of the top three castes are permitted to read the Vedas. These are sect, and praised in George Harrison’s song (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

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