more gods than people, more temples than houses

Saturday morning, we toured Pashupatinath, which is one of the Hindu temples of Lord Sheva. I count this tour as one of my top three most uncomfortable life experiences. There was definitely a feeling of darkness, the smoke from the riverside cremations was almost unbearable, the temple was decorated with images of people in different sexual positions, and, if that wasn’t enough, I was offered marijuana.

I am, however, glad that this tour was one of our required activities. The differences between Christianity and Hinduism are remarkable. While we worship one God, the Hindu’s worship over 33 million gods. This numerical discrepancy is only the first in a long line of theological differences.

What struck me most, however, was not the differences, but the similarities. After visiting the temple, I understand how someone who casually flipped through the Bible could declare “all religions are basically the same” and lump Christianity in with the myths of this world.

For example, at the temple we visited, there were numerous lingam, stone symbols that represent Shiva and fertility. Our tour guide told us that after an infertile Hindu king obeyed a holy man’s orders and built these statues, he gave birth to a son. My first thought was to compare this tale with the story of Abraham and Sarah. Indeed, bareness and fertility are common themes in Scripture.

Likewise, before Hindu cremations, there are purification ceremonies. Though the specific rites are different, the idea parallels some of the rituals found in Leviticus. I understand how someone could use these similarities to justify discarding the God of Scripture along with the gods of these myths. 

I, however, believe that these similarities, the common themes that religions share, point to existence of a true God. Here’s why:

Lies require Truth.

In order to create a lie, you must pervert the truth. I can say the “the sun is green.” Implicit within my false claim, however, are bits of truth. There is a sun, it has color, and there is a color called green. Without some truth, a lie couldn't exist; it would be nonsense.

Fertility and Purity (just two of many possible examples) are themes common to both Hinduism and the Bible. Hinduism has the wrong understanding of fertility, but the very fact that it has the wrong understanding indicates that there is right understanding to be had. The purification rituals of Hinduism differ from those in the Bible, yet they reveal a shared belief that purity (and consequently, holiness) matters.

The similarities between other religions and the Bible should not be interpreted as evidence that “the Bible is a myth too.” Instead, these similarities are evidence that God’s law is written on the hearts of men (Romans 1-2). The very fact that men can hold a perverted understanding of God’s law (which is what other religions are) is evidence that God’s law exists to be perverted. The common themes that religions share point to the existence of a true God.

*I know that this post doesn’t explain why I believe the God of the Bible is the one true God.  That’s another post for another time!