Exchistians who converted to Hinduism

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Jul 20, 2019
Messages
2,622
This thread will suffice:

Are the many paths, many ways and many truths of Hinduism really just Existentialism in a sari?
Try this video, as in actually watch the whole 18 minutes and then think about it for a while:


It's not a direct source but an actually decent youtube video on the subject.

As for Existentialism, I don't need to post 500 words to make it obvious that Existentialism (and it's precursor, philosophical Nihilism) are both atheistic at best (agnostic at less). Existentialism is materialistic and even a bit fatalistic. There is no God or path to tread in Existentialism because, from it's following on from Nihilism, it is the attempt to rebuild a house after knocking it down.
The house that it claimed to knock down was religion but unsurprisingly it came out of the failures of Christianity (hence Nietzsche famous saying "God is dead", meaning the death of the personal deity that watches from the cloud, basically the death of the Christian deity by re-examining the source of meaning). For Nietzsche and those who followed him, they could not find meaning, for Nietzche himself, he pursued a kind of "Active Nihilism" which adheres to the idea of placing a pretend meaning in the face of no-meaning ("Make your own meaning").
The Existentialists placed more emphasis on the human problem of self and suffering in the context of a meaningless world, trying to postulate a way in which this could make sense, as well as what the implications of such things are in this life.

Hinduism is the polar opposite:
* God is God.
* All actions have a result (Karma),
* we reincarnate,
* there is a universal law which governs reality (Dharma) and the way morality is understood,
* we try to reach Heaven (Moksha).
* There is a purpose of life and a aim we are trying to reach (above point),
* there is meaning, there is God.

You couldn't get further away from Existentialism.

The religious expression, epistemology and general worldview of Hinduism is different from Christianity though, yes. Which is exactly why you should study it, honestly and openly without being judgmental or placing your egotistical worldview over your chance to learn a religion which may indeed surprise you a lot if you place understanding over emotions.

Aside from that, your reference to Existentialism reminds me of that thread that I myself made several weeks ago about "the purpose of life in Christianity", which you, nor anyone else tried to answer honestly. I mentioned Nihilism in the OP of that thread because that's exactly how I myself perceive Christianity (well, the majority of it), as well as all the comments I've made about Christianity being entirely a subjective religion (in a negative way though). So perhaps we're at different ends of the stick with this.
 
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Red Sky at Morning

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Mar 15, 2017
Messages
13,933
This thread will suffice:



Try this video, as in actually watch the whole 18 minutes and then think about it for a while:


It's not a direct source but an actually decent youtube video on the subject.

As for Existentialism, I don't need to post 500 words to make it obvious that Existentialism (and it's precursor, philosophical Nihilism) are both atheistic at best (agnostic at less). Existentialism is materialistic and even a bit fatalistic. There is no God or path to tread in Existentialism because, from it's following on from Nihilism, it is the attempt to rebuild a house after knocking it down.
The house that it claimed to knock down was religion but unsurprisingly it came out of the failures of Christianity (hence Nietzsche famous saying "God is dead", meaning the death of the personal deity that watches from the cloud, basically the death of the Christian deity by re-examining the source of meaning). For Nietzsche and those who followed him, they could not find meaning, for Nietzche himself, he pursued a kind of "Active Nihilism" which adheres to the idea of placing a pretend meaning in the face of no-meaning ("Make your own meaning").
The Existentialists placed more emphasis on the human problem of self and suffering in the context of a meaningless world, trying to postulate a way in which this could make sense, as well as what the implications of such things are in this life.

Hinduism is the polar opposite:
* God is God.

* All actions have a result (Karma),

* we reincarnate,

* there is a universal law which governs reality (Dharma) and the way morality is understood,

* we try to reach Heaven (Moksha).

* There is a purpose of life and a aim we are trying to reach (above point),

* there is meaning, there is God.

You couldn't get further away from Existentialism.

The religious expression, epistemology and general worldview of Hinduism is different from Christianity though, yes. Which is exactly why you should study it, honestly and openly without being judgmental or placing your egotistical worldview over your chance to learn a religion which may indeed surprise you a lot if you place understanding over emotions.

Aside from that, your reference to Existentialism reminds me of that thread that I myself made several weeks ago about "the purpose of life in Christianity", which you, nor anyone else tried to answer honestly. I mentioned Nihilism in the OP of that thread because that's exactly how I myself perceive Christianity (well, the majority of it), as well as all the comments I've made about Christianity being entirely a subjective religion (in a negative way though). So perhaps we're at different ends of the stick with this.
I was being tongue in cheek with the Existentialism comments to test what you thought (I do know there are many areas of difference, yet some similarities).

If you had to choose a path, would you find yourself en-route to Hinduism or Islam? Or is it “Both, and”? Serious question.
 
Joined
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Messages
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I was being tongue in cheek with the Existentialism comments to test what you thought (I do know there are many areas of difference, yet some similarities).

If you had to choose a path, would you find yourself en-route to Hinduism or Islam? Or is it “Both, and”? Serious question.
Just interested....

Did you ever read the Mahabharata before reading the Bible and deciding to convert (presumably) to Christianity?

And also, had you ever heard about the Mahabharata back then? or before me mentioning it right now? :)
 

Red Sky at Morning

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Joined
Mar 15, 2017
Messages
13,933
Just interested....

Did you ever read the Mahabharata before reading the Bible and deciding to convert (presumably) to Christianity?

And also, had you ever heard about the Mahabharata back then? or before me mentioning it right now? :)
I “became a Christian”, (though it really meant just surrendering my life to Jesus in faith) after I had listened to this on my first record player. If you meet the Lord, you don’t come away the same.


Over the years, I have found this quote to be true:-

“Aslan" said Lucy "you're bigger".
"That is because you are older, little one" answered he.
"Not because you are?"
"I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”
~ C.S. Lewis, Prince Caspian (Chronicles of Narnia, #2)​
 
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Joined
Jul 20, 2019
Messages
2,622
I “became a Christian”, (though it really meant just surrendering my life to Jesus in faith) after I had listened to this on my first record player. If you meet the Lord, you don’t come away the same.


Over the years, I have found this quote to be true:-

“Aslan" said Lucy "you're bigger".

"That is because you are older, little one" answered he.

"Not because you are?"

"I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”


~ C.S. Lewis, Prince Caspian (Chronicles of Narnia, #2)​
I asked about the Mahabharata......?
 
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