Comparative Religion - Essay Example

Comparative Religion I. Introduction The purpose of this paper is to describe which religion seems to resonate as the “truth” to me by analyzing the following seven religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity. First, six religions will be examined that do not resonate as the “truth” for me. Three negative aspects and at least one positive aspect of each religion will be named and explained. Secondly, Christianity which seems the closest to the “truth” for me will be evaluated and five positive aspects and one negative aspect will be stated. In addition, it will be outlined how I am going to deal with the aspect I did not like. Finally, a conclusion will be provided in which I will explain how this class helped me in the search for the “truth”. II. Hinduism Hinduism is the main religion in India and other countries on South Asian Subcontinent, especially India and Nepal. It has no single founder or creator, several holy writings and more than one god. Therefore, many people often refer to Hinduism as a way of life, instead of calling it a religion. Furthermore, Hindus have a common system of values, such as duty, virtue, and morality, known as Dharma. Hinduism is a very old religion and for many people it is the religion closest to the “truth”. The most appealing aspect for me is that Hinduism is a rather animal friendly religion, for instance, many Hindus are vegetarian. Treating animals well is important to me and therefore, I believe this to be a positive aspect. However, there are three aspects that I do not like. First, Hinduism includes the concept of Varna (class), which divides society into four groups: teachers and priests, warriors and nobles, farmers, merchants, and businessman, and servants and workers. The division of classes served as a model for the social order. I believe it is a negative aspect, because people are born into a certain class and have almost not change of escaping it. It can be argued that Varna was partly responsible for the caste system in India. Secondly, Hindus believe that life is a continuous series of birth, death and rebirth, which is regulated by Karma. Although that might be an attractive aspect for some people, it is not for me, because it sounds restless and wearing. Thirdly, cremation is obligatory for most Hindus, when they pass away. Although that might be a minor aspect for many, this is a major negative aspect for me, because I would prefer to be buried. When people are buried in a graveyard, it gives friends and family a place to go to and I believe that is important. III. Buddhism Buddhism is a very old religion or way of life, which can also predominantly be found on the Indian subcontinent. It is a very spiritual religion, which focuses on spiritual development and insight into the nature of life. Furthermore, Buddhists do not worship one God or many Gods; instead they follow the teachings of Buddha. Buddhism is a very peaceful religion, since non-violence is the centre of Buddhist thinking and acting. The peaceful character is a major positive characteristic for me. Religion has been misused for many wars and acts of violence, but it is difficult to justify any wars or acts of violence with such a peaceful religion as Buddhism. Nevertheless, Buddhism is not the closest religion to the “truth” for me, due to these aspects. First, Buddhists do not believe in the existence of a God. Although this might not be a negative aspect for many, it is a difficult aspect for me, because I like to believe in the existence of a higher power, so the absence of such a higher power is a negative aspect for me. Secondly, meditation as a main feature of Buddhism is a further negative aspect for me. A lot of people praise the benefits of meditation, which is perfectly all right; however, meditation is not for me. I tried to meditate on several occasions, but it does not work for me. Thirdly, a negative aspect of Buddhism for me is that life or existence is described as being a tragedy, filled with suffering and uncertainties. I find this belief to be very depressing, because I believe that life is a wonderful gift, not just an existence marked by suffering. IV. Confucianism Confucianism can be described as a religion, but to many people it might appear to have more of a philosophical character. Basically, it is a system of beliefs based on the teachings and philosophies of Confucius, a Chinese philosopher. For many people Confucianism is the closest to the “truth”. Indeed, it has some great aspects, such as the belief that humans can be taught and are able to improve themselves. This is a positive aspect for me, because it is a very positive approach it itself. The idea that people can always become better people is a concept that I like, because I believe in the same concept. Nonetheless, Confucianism is not for me, due to the following negative aspects. First, similar to Buddhism, Confucianism does not involve the belief in a higher power. As stated before, that is a major negative aspect, because I do believe in the existence of a higher authority. So any religion or belief that does not include the existence of a higher power does not represent the “truth” for me personally. Secondly, Confucianism has a very traditional gender view, where women are subordinate to men, especially their fathers, husbands and sons. I strongly believe in gender equality, so this aspect is a major disadvantage of Confucianism for me. Thirdly, a further negative aspect for me is that I do not think that I could draw any comfort or strength from Confucianism, especially in times of despair. Although it offers a great set of beliefs for many people, it would not provide me with the necessary support system. V. Taoism Taoism is a very old religion and similar to Confucianism, it has its roots in China. Taoism believes in several Gods, who are worshipped in temples. Moreover, Taoists believe in harmony and balance, for example they believe in Yin and Yang, which are opposites (darkness and light, masculine and feminine, etc) working in perfect harmony and depending on each other. Taoism has several positive aspects, such as gender equality. Due to the concept of Yin and Yang, masculine and feminine are not only inseparable, but also equal. As mentioned above, I do believe in gender equality and consequently, this aspect of Taoism is a positive one. Nevertheless, this religion is not the closest to the “truth” for me, mainly due to three aspects that are negative for me. Firstly, Taoism, like Buddhism, includes meditation and as previously stated, meditation does not work for me, although many people find it useful. Secondly, Taoist practices include feng shui, which is a method of positioning objects, such as buildings and furniture. Although it has to do with striving for harmony, I do not believe in feng shui. It is a concept that is lost on me, which makes it a negative aspect of Taoism. Thirdly, though I am aware of the fact that believing is part of religion and that there are always unanswered questions, the concept of Taoism is a little too vague for me. The Tao has been described as the ultimate principle of the universe, but for me that is a concept that I cannot grasp and/ or relate to. VI. Islam Islam is one of the religions with the most followers. Muslims believe in the existence of one God (Allah) and Muhammad is the most important prophet. There are five basic Pillars of Islam: declaration of faith, praying, charity, fasting, and pilgrimage. Islam is a great religion with many positive aspects. The most positive aspect for me is the importance of charity in Islam. Charity is regarded as a type of worship and as a result, every Muslim has to give a part of his money to charity. In my mind, charity is very important and I am convinced that charity being a part of religion is a positive aspect. Despite this positive aspect, there are three aspects that are negative. First, Muslims are supposed to pray five times a day. Although many people probably draw a lot of strength from praying five times a day, it is a rather negative aspect for me. I think that people should pray whenever they feel like it, not when it is time to pray. Especially praying five times a day seems a little much for me. Secondly, under Islamic law, homosexuality is a crime and therefore forbidden. In my opinion, this is not only a very outdated belief, but also very discriminating. Homosexuality is not a crime and religion should not punish homosexual believers. Thirdly, although not very common, Islamic law allows Muslim men to have more than one wife. Personally, I would not like to be in a polygamist marriage. As a result, this aspect of Islam is a rather negative one for me. VII. Judaism Judaism is one of the oldest religions. Like Christians and Muslims, Jews believe that there is only one God. The central and most important religious document is the Torah. It is a very interesting religion with many positive aspects. The most positive aspect for me is that a lot of Jewish life is centered around a community. For example, a lot of Jewish activities are based around the home and are also family activities. I am of the opinion that that is a very positive aspect, because being involved with family and community is positive. This aspect is something I can easily embrace myself, because I think community and family are important values. Despite several other positive aspects of the religion, I can outline three negative aspects of Judaism. First, Jews have relatively strict laws concerning food preparations and foods they can eat. For instance, they cannot eat certain seafood or pork. Moreover, meat and dairy products cannot be eaten together. For me, this is a negative aspect, because I do love the food items that are forbidden, such as shellfish. Secondly, traditionally, men and women sit separately in the synagogue. Although I am aware of the fact that it has nothing to do with discrimination, I still believe that it is an outdated concept. For that reason, this is a negative aspect for me. Thirdly, it is difficult to convert to Judaism, because technically, only children with a Jewish mother are Jewish. This is a negative aspect for me, because it makes the religion seem less open for newcomers. VIII. Christianity All of the above mentioned religions have positive aspects, but Christianity seems to be the closest to the “truth” for me. It is the religion with the most followers worldwide. Compared to the other religions, it seems the closest to the truth for the following five reasons: Firstly, Christians believe in the existence of a higher power, to be exact they believe that there is one God. That is a concept that I support, which makes this aspect positive. Secondly, Christians believe that Jesus died for the sins of humankind, which has a very positive connotation for me, because it is a very liberating and comforting belief. Thirdly, Christians believe in a monogamist marriage, which as explained above is the kind of marriage that I envision for myself. Fourthly, most Christians believe that men and women are equal, which is a very positive aspect for me as outlined earlier. In some Christian groups, such as Protestants, all religious positions are available to both women and men. Lastly, Christians believe in the existence of heaven, which has a positive connotation for me, because it is a reassuring and comforting idea. I believe that people can draw a lot of strength from believing in heaven. Probably, the most negative aspect of Christianity is its connection to violence, such as Holy Wars. However, religion has been misused on several occasions by people, which is not the fault of the religion, but of the people who are using religion for wrong purposes. Therefore, as long as I do not misuse religion, I can contribute to prevent the abuse of religion for bad actions, such as violence. This personal conclusion will help me deal with this negative aspect. IX. Conclusion This class taught me a lot about the different religions and the search for the “truth”. It helped me to evaluate the positive and negative aspects of various religions. Before taking this class I did not know much about Taoism and I enjoyed learning about it. The most surprising finding was that a belief can be a religion, even though they do not believe in God or gods, like Buddhism. For some reason, I always assumed that the existence of a God or many gods is a part of religion, so learning about different approaches has definitely enlarged my horizon and reminded me to be open minded about various religions. Read More