Introducing a Hindu to Catholicism

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mets

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Hi folks,

I have a friend who is a Brahman Hindu but is somewhat interested in Catholicism, and I’m looking for some tips/pointers/advice on how I can slowly introduce him to our faith without scaring him off. I don’t know a thing about Hinduism, except that the cow is holy, so I guess I’m lucky it’s a Friday in Lent 😛

Mets
 
Try learning more about Hinduism; it would be the fair thing to do. Just get a feel from where your friend is coming from. Sensitivity to anybody’s faith before trying to convert them is the kind thing to do. 🙂

Then, simply answer any questions your friend has about Catholicism. Answer them honestly and truthfully.

Things’ll take care of themselves if your friend is really interested. 😃

Ironically Yours, Blade and Blood
 
mets said:
Hi folks,

I have a friend who is a Brahman Hindu but is somewhat interested in Catholicism, and I’m looking for some tips/pointers/advice on how I can slowly introduce him to our faith without scaring him off. I don’t know a thing about Hinduism, except that the cow is holy, so I guess I’m lucky it’s a Friday in Lent 😛

Mets
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I’m not sure I have any advice tailored to your situation. You could give him a copy of the beginner’s edition of the catechism, I suppose.

My impression of Hinduism is that it favors syncretism and multiple gods. Some of Ghandi’s seemingly paradoxical statements about how all religions are correct come to mind. So in some respect that might make your task easier. He will not dismiss Jesus out of hand, but he may not be interested in shucking all of his prior religious commitments to follow Christ. He may not understand why that’s necessary.

(On an unrelated note, Let’s Go Mets!).
 
I had 2 Hindu lady friends at my last job who very interested in Christianity. They did not understand why there are so many different denonminations and recognized one god over the rest. They both firmly believed in reincarnation (rebirth). One was shocked when I told her that Jesus rose from the dead. She did not understand, and thought it was the craziest thing she ever heard! Our conversations worked out very well as an exchange of ideas and not so much as evangelization on my part.
 
In the name of Allah , Most Gracious, Most Merciful

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mets said:
I don’t know a thing about Hinduism
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both the Hindus & Christans believe in Trinity. So , I guess , it’s easy for Christians to talk
to Hindus as they share a common view about God–3 in 1 God.

U may ask your friend to explain thier Trinity to You ; then u may talk about similarities between these 2 Trinity concepts. Best of luck 🙂
 
Muslim_Woman said:
In the name of Allah , Most Gracious, Most Merciful

http://theislampath.com/smf/Smileys/default/salam.gif

both the Hindus & Christans believe in Trinity. So , I guess , it’s easy for Christians to talk
to Hindus as they share a common view about God–3 in 1 God.

U may ask your friend to explain thier Trinity to You ; then u may talk about similarities between these 2 Trinity concepts. Best of luck 🙂
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Your understanding of the Trinity is warped…thanx to Mohammad and your stubborn refusal to accept what Christians know as true. You’ve been around CAF long enough to know better.
 
imasinner said:
Your understanding of the Trinity is warped…thanx to Mohammad and your stubborn refusal to accept what Christians know as true. You’ve been around CAF long enough to know better.
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Not cool. And yes, Hindus do have a Trinity God, depending on what “kind” of Hindu you are. Hinduism is a very flexible religion. 🙂

Ironicall Yours. ❤️
 
Blade_and_Blood said:
Not cool. And yes, Hindus do have a Trinity God, depending on what “kind” of Hindu you are. Hinduism is a very flexible religion. 🙂

Ironicall Yours. ❤️
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I thought Hindus believed in 3 gods or something like that,not 3 persons in 1 God.
 
Benjamin8o8 said:
I thought Hindus believed in 3 gods or something like that,not 3 persons in 1 God.
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Hindus vary on what they believe about the divine. Some believe in the Trimurti, which is what he was referring to. This is actually more like a triad than a Trinity. Some believe in one God (varying from monotheism to henotheism to pantheism), some believe in millions of gods and goddesses. So, it depends on what “sect” of Hinduism the person belongs to.
 
LDSGuy said:
Hindus vary on what they believe about the divine. Some believe in the Trimurti, which is what he was referring to. This is actually more like a triad than a Trinity. Some believe in one God (varying from monotheism to henotheism to pantheism), some believe in millions of gods and goddesses. So, it depends on what “sect” of Hinduism the person belongs to.
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I see, but my question to you is: Is there a sect of Hinuism that declare a god who has 3 destinctive persons like us Christians do? meaning: 3 persons = 1 god.
 
Benjamin8o8 said:
I see, but my question to you is: Is there a sect of Hinuism that declare a god who has 3 destinctive persons like us Christians do? meaning: 3 persons = 1 god.
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Not too sure. Hindus may interpret the Trimurthi to mean different things. And some Hindus will say that all the various gods and goddesses are really just facets of one God. This is especially the case in sects like Vaishnavism, that see Vishnu as the supreme God, who has incarnated at multiple times and who may be the ultimate reality from which the other gods and goddesses are just expressions from.

Actually now that I think of it, it might be easier for the OP to compare Catholicism to Vaishnaivism, especially since they believe in a savior type person (another incarnation of Vishnu) that will come to save the world.
 
mets said:
Hi folks,

I have a friend who is a Brahman Hindu but is somewhat interested in Catholicism, and I’m looking for some tips/pointers/advice on how I can slowly introduce him to our faith without scaring him off. I don’t know a thing about Hinduism, except that the cow is holy, so I guess I’m lucky it’s a Friday in Lent 😛

Mets
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Hmm… I would ask him if hinduism answers the most basic questions of a child, Who am I, what is the purpose of life?, where am I going? Ask him why he thinks there is so much pain in the world (i.e children starving to death). How does his faith answer these questions and how satisfying that answers are. Then slowly, introduce to him/her how Christ answers these questions.

And if he ever says, “ah… that is all nice on paper but” say to him well “how does it sound on wood?” (Peter Kreeft).
 
CSUNGerrie said:
Hmm… I would ask him if hinduism answers the most basic questions of a child, Who am I, what is the purpose of life?, where am I going? Ask him why he thinks there is so much pain in the world (i.e children starving to death). How does his faith answer these questions and how satisfying that answers are. Then slowly, introduce to him/her how Christ answers these questions.
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How do you know Hinduism doesn’t have answers to questions like that? How do you know Hinduism’s answers are self-evidently inferior to Christianity’s? You seem to be assuming a lot.
 
tomarin said:
How do you know Hinduism doesn’t have answers to questions like that? How do you know Hinduism’s answers are self-evidently inferior to Christianity’s? You seem to be assuming a lot.
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The truth is superior to a clouded truth. The cross answers all of those questions.
 
Benjamin8o8 said:
I see, but my question to you is: Is there a sect of Hinuism that declare a god who has 3 destinctive persons like us Christians do? meaning: 3 persons = 1 god.
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The problem here is that Christianity uses categories from Greek philosophy in trying to explain God (categories like “person”, “substance”, etc.) Hindus have their own philosophies that predate those of the Greeks, so their categories of Divinity will not necessarily exactly correspond to Greek-Christian categories.

Having said that, it is true that many Hindus believe that the One True Divinity may manifest in separate Persons (whether One, Two, Three, Four, etc.).
 
In the name of Allah , Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Salaam/peace
imasinner said:
Your understanding of the Trinity is warped…
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hey , I just wanted to help a Christian 🙂

Like Christians , Hindus also believe that God can come in to this world as human . Most probably they also believe human form of God can die . At least , they have 3 in 1 God concept. So , it’s easy for a Christian to communicate with a Hindu about Trinity .
 
Muslim_Woman said:
Like Christians , Hindus also believe that God can come in to this world as human.
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Not all Hindus believe that, but many, perhaps most. (Of course, it all depends on how you define “God”. “God” is a Germanic word, not Sanskrit, or Arabic even.:D)
 
In the name of Allah , Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Salaam/peace
SedesDomi said:
… it all depends on how you define “God”. "
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Ummm what about deity ? Hindus believe Lord Rama , Lord Krishna came in to this world as human form .

Many Hindus are trying to create Rambhumi ( land of Lord Ram) in India. They destroyed century old Babri mosque by claiming that Lord Rama was born there etc . So , if not all , surely many or most Hindus do believe that God can come in to this world as human.
 
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