Do hindus believe in the same christian god?

[mystic12]

Hello all I am from a christian father and hindu mother and came here to ask your opinions on some questions I have please. First, do hindus pray to the same god as christians? I am being told "no".

[Vinayaka]

Originally Posted by mystic12

Hello all I am from a christian father and hindu mother and came here to ask your opinions on some questions I have please. First, do hindus pray to the same god as christians? I am being told "no".

Answers will vary. Some people will say yes, and others will say no. There is no final authority on such matters. I personally go with 'no' based on nothing more than my observations of how God is described by the two faiths. If it is the same god, certainly we're seeing if from very differing POVs.

Even within the two faiths there is large variance.

[mystic12]

Yes i think that's accurate, I was hoping there would be a definitive answer but it seems there isn't and this is all subject to "opinion". According to the christian bible the answer is very clear that hindus don't pray to their same god but I am trying to find out from hindus from their standpoint if they believe otherwise.

[Shekinah]

To say we believe is admitting we do not know. Know or continue the search but do not believe anything. Neither Christian nor Hindu have any idea about the true nature of what they call God. Neither do they understand the physics of other-worldly communication they call prayer. Humans are inherently destined to only a finite understanding of the world around us.
"We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity and it was not meant that we should voyage far."

[Vinayaka]

I believe some people do know the true nature of God. Certainly in Hinduism it's a core belief that souls who have realised God through nirvikalpa samadhi do. I personally don't, but I don't believe in projecting what I do or do not know onto others either.

[themyth]

As Vinayaka said "Answers will vary." However, the essence of being a Hindu is to respect all religions. Hinduism itself is not just isn't one religion. Even among Hindus there are varying beliefs.

[Vinayaka]

That's very true, themyth. We Hindus (at least the vast majority) do respect all religions. That respect, of course doesn't mean we agree philosophically. It's more a widely held belief that differing POVs are a natural outcome of life on this planet, and all should be, at the very least tolerated.

For me personally, there is a limit though. It's over that line for me if that said religion or sect within a religion is promoting violence against humanity. But I think we're getting off topic here.

[guthrio]

Originally Posted by mystic12

Hello all I am from a christian father and hindu mother and came here to ask your opinions on some questions I have please. First, do hindus pray to the same god as christians? I am being told "no".

Mystic12,

"I and my Father are One"...is just as true of You, as it is of all your Brothers and Sisters, wherever they are on the Earth, however they appear, whatever they call themselves or you."

Please consider this in light of the 1st reference below, which states, among other things, that:

"Truth is not based on the name under which you categorize your beliefs (Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, or whatever). THAT is the part you won't hear from those who've sought to keep access to the Truth about ourselves limited to ONLY a self-approved “credo” of beliefs espoused in some religion's scripture, filled with sanctioned interpretations about it. Our Creator did not create human beings as Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, or any religious faiths we associate with these or any other names (whether I've named them here or not!). These names, believed and acted upon as if relevant, only serve to hide the FACT that the Creator made ALL OF US of His Spirit and as His Image."

I believe you'll find the following advice from Swami Lahiri Mahasaya, particularly helpful, with emphasis on the very last sentence (my bold), as excerpted from the 3rd reference below:

"Prepare yourself for the coming astral journey of death
by riding daily in a balloon of divine perception.
Through delusion you are perceiving yourself as a bundle
of flesh and bones...
Meditate unceasingly, that you quickly behold yourself as the Infinite Essence"
~Lahiri Mahasaya, the Guru of Yogananda's Guru

This is why it is in beholding Who we, and each other, actually are, that your question about "Who is praying to which God?" answers itself, doesn't it??

We, and the Infinite Essence, are One!

Behold...

Hope this, and the references, below helps....

Reference: http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/sh...72&postcount=8

Reference: http://www.thechristmind.org/iamthat.htm

Reference: http://www.azquotes.com/quote/618320

[Pleroma]

Originally Posted by mystic12

Hello all I am from a christian father and hindu mother and came here to ask your opinions on some questions I have please. First, do hindus pray to the same god as christians? I am being told "no".

We worship Indra, Mitra, Soma, Agni, Varuna, Aruna, Surya, Pushan, Bhaga, Adithya, Yama, Gayatri, Aditi, Ashvins, Usha etc etc.

Hindus are polytheists which goes against the Christian conception of God. Hinduism believes in Emanationism where as Christianity believes in Creationism so in no way the Christian God is same as the Hindu Supreme God.

In Christianity Sun Worship is treated as Devil Worship and according to Hindus Jehovah is a lesser being and he is one of the angels and not the Supreme God of the Cosmos.

If you want a common ground for discussing Hinduism and Christianity then you need to look into Gnostic Christianity but Catholicism and Protestantism are entirely incompatible with Hinduism. Just the mention of their names incites hatred inside the hearts of the Hindus. We both are arch enemies of one another.

[Shivani Devi]

Namaste

As with a lot of religions, you have the 'conservatives' and the 'liberals' in Hinduism.

For example, I have seen quite a few photos of Jesus, Mary and Crucifix on the altars of some practicing Hindus.

This means that even though they have their own belief and faith, they are also welcoming of the beliefs and faiths of others, even though they are Hindu.

If you go to the other extreme, you'll get some Hindus who dislike any 'outside influence' to their pure religion whatsoever.

Most fall somewhere between the two.

In my personal opinion? God is God, no matter what 'name' you want to attach to it. I attach the name 'Shiva' because that's where my heart and soul is drawn to, but I also do believe that Shiva, Jehovah, Allah etc are all the same thing in the end.

That is, an attributed expression (saguna) form of an all-pervading formless (nirguna) super-consciousness.

That's what I believe anyway.

Aum Namah Shivaya