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alright according to hinduism there are millions of gods

of course you can interpret this in another way as well

just because they worship real people as gods does not mean it's true of course

I believe the thousands of faces of vishnu (the hero) and shiva (the devil) are just ideas like everyone being a part of god

I've actually read that shiva and vishnu call to a higher force than brahma (the god aspect), they answer to the wishes of the universe

and the universe is just the god the islam and christianity believe in

so in a sense hinduism is like most other religions except for taking the idea of humans being gods too far, that's just wrong I think

but now the question is, does the universe have a masterplan or is it just a bunch of wishes of humans we try to answer to

I mean everyone has their hopes and dreams, if that's god, then why should we take those bibles so seriously?

they're just mystical story telling, like fairytales

or did all those things actually happen, and do we just not wish evidence for them?

don't listen too much to me though, I'm recovering from psychosis

I mean one of them must be right and the rest are probably wrong. Since so many people buy into Christianity, I'd assume that's the right religion.. Who knows, though.

yes, but what if god changed its mind just because we wish so

what if he will only provide technology now and no actual blessings because it's frightening to some of us (zeusophobia)

Originally posted by overlord
...I've actually read that shiva and vishnu call to a higher force than brahma (the god aspect), they answer to the wishes of the universe

and the universe is just the god the islam and christianity believe in...

The universe is NOT the god of the Christianity and Islam. The god of the bible created the universe, therefore, this god cannot be the universe. Also, Hinduism is much older the Christianity or Islam.

that's why I support hindiusm

and say that those gods are just angels of god

Sounds like you "support" something you don't understand.

Originally posted by King Kandy
Sounds like you "support" something you don't understand.

Well, he has to support something.

I think Hinduism is as BS as any other religion, but at least it's a good deal more interesting to me.

Originally posted by Siraben Mai
I mean one of them must be right and the rest are probably wrong. Since so many people buy into Christianity, I'd assume that's the right religion.. Who knows, though.

If your standard is popularity then Christianity wouldn't be the winner.

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
If your standard is popularity then Christianity wouldn't be the winner.

Yes it would, iirc. Islam is only more adhered to than Catholicism, a subset of Christianity. And if Western census makers were as nuanced about cataloging the various sects of Islam like they are for Christianity, it's likely Catholicism would be back on top.

are we forgetting where the mass number of the world population comes from?

if we go by global population the Chinese would seriously outnumber most of the other world religions from judeo/Christian beliefs and others..

i would think countries like india and japan and china and every other asian country would out number the christian religion..

shinto
Buddhism
Hinduism

etc etc .. i could be wrong but i doubt it.

Originally posted by Digi
Yes it would, iirc. Islam is only more adhered to than Catholicism, a subset of Christianity. And if Western census makers were as nuanced about cataloging the various sects of Islam like they are for Christianity, it's likely Catholicism would be back on top.

You seem to be right.
http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html

Originally posted by Wild Shadow
are we forgetting where the mass number of the world population comes from?

if we go by global population the Chinese would seriously outnumber most of the other world religions from judeo/Christian beliefs and others..

i would think countries like india and japan and china and every other asian country would out number the christian religion..

shinto
Buddhism
Hinduism

etc etc .. i could be wrong but i doubt it.

According to what I've heard "a Japanese man is born Shinto, lives atheist and gets married Christian".

those numbers are wrong anyone can make a chart and have it say anything they want.. statistically the number reaching in the 6 billion mark in china alone. the fact that the most ppl in china have a state religion would already outnumber the christian judeo religion in all its form.

ur chart actually took all monotheistic none specific religion or structured system and beliefs and claimed them as their own, massive fail of epic religious proportion which again paints the religion propaganda of the judeo christian religious community in a negative light.... angel_not

Originally posted by Wild Shadow
those numbers are wrong anyone can make a chart and have it say anything they want.. statistically the number reaching in the 6 billion mark in china alone. the fact that the most ppl in china have a state religion would already outnumber the christian judeo religion in all its form.

China has no where near 6 billion people.

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
China has no where near 6 billion people.

give or take a billion or two.

Originally posted by Wild Shadow
give or take a billion or two.

It's about 1.7 billion people split between three major faiths, they don't really try to enforce state atheism any longer.

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
It's about 1.7 billion people split between three major faiths, they don't really try to enforce state atheism any longer.

yup, i am aware of that. but, if we are going to accept shinto as a religion then state and national religion and traditions should be counted the same as well......

also that joke about the Japanese man my cultural religious professor told us that.

aside from that the static chart thing has bn used dozens of times in our courses and it was smacked down everytime... but i/we knew what it was trying to claim and if we viewed from the charts point of view it is right but ignoring various cultures, tradition and global population it massively fails...

Originally posted by Wild Shadow
yup, i am aware of that. but, if we are going to accept shinto as a religion then state and national religion and traditions should be counted the same as well......

If you took every person who identified as Shinto and cloned them once you would still have fewer people than live in New York City. I wouldn't worry about the combined numbers of the various minor religious traditions unseating any of the big ones.

I'm not sure where you're going with the state religion thing.

Originally posted by Wild Shadow
aside from that the static chart thing has bn used dozens of times in our courses and it was smacked down everytime...

What's the basis for that? I some how doubt that they missed a religion of more than a billion people.

state religion should count as a cultural, tradition and be viewed the same as shinto which in itself is also a cultural/tradition national religion.

go china and its forced state communits religious views!! u number one!!

Originally posted by Wild Shadow
state religion should count as a cultural, tradition and be viewed the same as shinto which in itself is also a cultural/tradition national religion.

go china and its forced state communits religious views!! u number one!!

But if people don't follow the state religion and in China they don't then that's totally irrelevant. What you're proposing seems like says that everyone in the US speaks English because that's the national language.

but if you did a state consensus in china the numbers and poles would be more accurate then the ones used to make the pie chart.

Shiva is not the Devil. He is the Destroyer. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. Brahma is the creator, Vishnu perserver and Shiva destroyer.
This is all the ''same God'' but with different avatars, of which, each has a different function. Like a 'Hindu Trinity'. It is 3, but they're all really single deity.

Some areas of Hinduism believe in many Gods, but others, as I said believe in single God with many many many avatars.

Originally posted by Wild Shadow
but if you did a state consensus in china the numbers and poles would be more accurate then the ones used to make the pie chart.
Not really since the Chinese government is well known to change data on that sort of thing at will...

Originally posted by King Kandy
Not really since the Chinese government is well known to change data on that sort of thing at will... they wouldnt have to, i am sure the ppl would know what to mark and it still wouldnt be as bad as other statistic studies and polls...

Anyhow, back to topic... Christianity is the most popular religion (but that is certainly NOT the same thing as saying most people on earth practice it), and using that to claim it's true would be one of the more retarded arguments i've heard over the years.

Originally posted by lil bitchiness
Shiva is not the Devil. He is the Destroyer. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. Brahma is the creator, Vishnu perserver and Shiva destroyer.
This is all the ''same God'' but with different avatars, of which, each has a different function. Like a 'Hindu Trinity'. It is 3, but they're all really single deity.

Some areas of Hinduism believe in many Gods, but others, as I said believe in single God with many many many avatars. then that's what I believe

Originally posted by lil bitchiness
Shiva is not the Devil. He is the Destroyer. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. Brahma is the creator, Vishnu perserver and Shiva destroyer.
This is all the ''same God'' but with different avatars, of which, each has a different function. Like a 'Hindu Trinity'. It is 3, but they're all really single deity.

Some areas of Hinduism believe in many Gods, but others, as I said believe in single God with many many many avatars. IIRC, an avatar is a human incarnation of a god on Earth, not an alternate god form. Jesus and Buddha, eg, are considered avatars.
Originally posted by overlord
then that's what I believe You could be an avatar and not realize it (or maybe you do, overlord).

Originally posted by Mindship
IIRC, an avatar is a human incarnation of a god on Earth, not an alternate god form. Jesus and Buddha, eg, are considered avatars.
You could be an avatar and not realize it (or maybe you do, overlord).

I thought an avatar was a well crafted, stupid retelling of an old story, movie that made over 2 billion $.

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
I thought an avatar was a well crafted, stupid retelling of an old story, movie that made over 2 billion $. That's Avatar. Subtitled: How To Bag a Feral 10-foot Smurphette in a Black Light Forest.

Originally posted by Mindship
That's Avatar. Subtitled: How To Bag a Feral 10-foot Smurphette in a Black Light Forest.

...and I loved the movie...

Originally posted by lil bitchiness
Shiva is not the Devil. He is the Destroyer. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. Brahma is the creator, Vishnu perserver and Shiva destroyer.
This is all the ''same God'' but with different avatars, of which, each has a different function. Like a 'Hindu Trinity'. It is 3, but they're all really single deity.

Some areas of Hinduism believe in many Gods, but others, as I said believe in single God with many many many avatars.

agreed

many people worship the different gods but do not realise that they are essentially the same,

i'll use this analogy
just as a man is a son, a father, a husband, a doctor/engineer etc, all these different names all belong to this one person much like how there is many gods in hindusim

Originally posted by overlord
alright according to hinduism there are millions of gods

of course you can interpret this in another way as well



According to most modern Hindus, there's only One God and all those paintings of colorful four-armed creatures are actually incarnations or "attributes" of God. Its similar to the 99 names of God in Islam; each names evokes a different characteristic, without implying multiple gods.

It's pretty much the same thing as the "trinity" concept in christianity.

Being hindu myself there are several things that even many hindus themselves dont understand.

1. There is only one or supreme bring or whatever
2. Jesus and Buddha are considered as other incarnations of god ( with Buddha actually being the most recent one)
3. This whole avatar thing is somewhat right. In hinduism it is said that the gods do not possess the emotions of humans, so in order to feel and experience everything from love to hate they take human form. In human form they are also subjected to the weaknesses and strengths of humans. So while not perfect, they experience as perfect as an existence as a human is capable as. Mind you I am a Sanatanist so my beliefs will be different from other sects.

But really what are we discussing in this thread?

According to me !! I mean one of them must be right and The rest are probably wrong. Since, So, many people buy into Christianity, I would assume that's the right religion.. Who knows, though. I think Hinduism is as Best as any other religion but at least. It's a good deal more interesting to me. I would think countries like ! India and japan and china and every other Asian country would watch out number of the christian religion..
Shinto
Buddhism
Hinduism etc etc ..