Bhaktisandesam / Hinduism, - World's First Religion

[Guest guest]

Hari-Om

=======

 

Christianity's Similarities with Hinduism

--------

from " Proof of Vedic Culture's Global Existence " by Stephen Knapp

--------------------------------

 

You may find it surprising that much of Christianity originated from

India. Indeed, over the centuries, numerous historians and sages have

pointed out that not only has Hinduism had a predominant influence on

Christianity, but that many of the Christian rites could be directly

borrowed from Hindu (Vedic) India.

French historian Alain Danielou had noticed as early as 1950 that " a

great number of events which surround the birth of Christ - as it is

related in the Gospels - strangely reminded us of Buddha's and

Krishna's legends. " Danielou quotes as examples the structure of the

Christian Church, which resembles that of the Buddhist Chaitya; the

rigorous asceticism of certain early Christian sects, which reminds

one of the asceticism of Jain and Buddhist saints; the veneration of

relics, the usage of holy water, which is an Indian practice, and the

word " Amen, " which comes from the Hindu (Sanskrit) " OM. "

 

Another historian, Belgium's Konraad Elst, also remarks " that many

early Christian saints, such as Hippolytus of Rome, possessed an

intimate knowledge of Brahmanism. " Elst even quotes the famous Saint

Augustine who wrote: " We never cease to look towards India, where

many things are proposed to our admiration. "

 

Unfortunately, remarks American Indianist David Frawley, " from the

second century onwards, Christian leaders decided to break away from

the Hindu influence and show that Christianity only started with the

birth of Christ. " Hence, many later saints began branding Brahmins

as " heretics, " and Saint Gregory set a future trend by publicly

destroying the " pagan " idols of the Hindus.

 

Great Indian sages, such as Sri Aurobindu and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,

the founder of the Art of Living, have often remarked that the

stories recounting how Jesus came to India to be initiated are

probably true. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar notes, for instance, that Jesus

sometimes wore an orange robe, the Hindu symbol of renunciation of

the world, which was not a usual practice in Judaism. " In the same

way, " he continues, " the worshiping of Virgin Mary in Catholicism is

probably borrowed from the Hindu cult of Devi. " Bells too, which

cannot be found today in Synagogues, the surviving form of Judaism,

are used in church-and we all know their importance in Buddhism and

Hinduism for thousands of years, even up to the present day.

 

There are many other similarities between Hinduism and Christianity,

including the use of incense, sacred bread (prasadam), the different

altars around churches (which recall the manifold deities in their

niches inside Hindu temples), reciting prayers on the rosary (Vedic

japamala), the Christian Trinity (the ancient Vedic trinity of

Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva as the creator, maintainer and destroyer

respectively, as well as Lord Krishna as the Supreme Lord, the all-

pervading Brahman as the holy ghost, and Paramatma as the expansion

or son of the Lord), Christian processions, and the use of the sign

of the cross (anganyasa), and so many others.

 

Continued to Page 2 >>

 

Jai Shree Krishna !