Gandhi and Comparative Religion Essay - 3170 Words

Gandhi and Comparative Religion Mahatma Gandhi was deeply interested in the comparative study of religions since the days of his youth. His interest in religious matters was due to the background of India, which was saturated with religious ideas and spirituality. Religion, to Gandhi, was not a matter of individual experience: Gandhi found God within creation. The meaning of the word Dharma is religion in India. This is a comprehensive term which embraces all of humanity. Gandhi referred to God as Truth, which has great significance. His mission was not only to humanize religion, but also to moralize it. Gandhis interpretation of Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity made his religion a federation of different religious faiths. His†¦show more content†¦To others, Religion is one condition among so many other countries, but to the Indian people it is one great sustaining force, pertaining to all the spheres of their lives. Mahatma Gandhi who was born and brought up in India could not escape this strong influenc e of religion in all his activities. In ancient times it was a common belief that religion is a matter of individual experience. But modern psychology has shown that there is no such thing as a merely individual experience, which is absolutely cut off from the society. There is an important element of truth in the views of Durkheim and other members of the French Sociological school, who maintain that religion, is essentially a social phenomenon. The views of Jesus: Render to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods did not find much favour in Gandhi. Rather his view was more in accordance with the writings of H.G. Wells, according to whom the doctrine of the kingdom of heaven as Jesus preached it, it was no less than a bold and uncompromising demand for a complete change and cleansing of the life of our struggling races an utter cleansing without and within. (2) . Gandhis religion was spiritual humanism because he declared that the service of the poor whom he called Daridranarayana is a tr ue service of God. In other words, Gandhi found God amidst his creation; this creationShow MoreRelatedGandhi : The World Of Mahatma Gandhi1320 Words   |  6 PagesEvan Zuniga Professor Krupnik Comparative World Religions May 6, 2016 Research Paper: Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Ghandi, better known to the world as Mahatma Gandhi is one of the world’s main faces when we think or talk of the Indian independence movements, women’s rights and all around freedom for humanity. This individual used strategies and tactics of his own to achieve justice for the Indian culture while he was alive. Gandhi also worked to reform traditional Indian society inRead MoreOn Religion and Hindu Mithology1517 Words   |  7 Pages Namaste (nah mahs day) is used for both hello and goodbye and means, â€Å"the god in me greets the god in you.† I am as firm in my faith today as in my younger years growing up, but I could at least have opened my mind to research other religions or their faith. So I think that made me have a narrow mind of my surroundings. Just because I did not get out of my comfort zone to learn about other’s faith it did not mean they didn’t exist. It should not have taken me over twenty yearsRead MoreA Government System Is A Resolute And Dicey Act1625 Words   |  7 PagesEssay April 17, 2017 UHON Questioning Authority Questioning a government system is a resolute and dicey act. Mahatma Gandhi and George Orwell’s ideals have influenced society to challenge higher power. As they shed light onto the corruption in politics in different manners, both similarly depict the evil of class injustices and that they inevitably result in violence. Mahatma Gandhi was born on October 2nd, 1869 into the Bania caste, a Hindu merchant caste family residing in Porbandar, India. Gandhi’sRead More Comparative analysis of the rise of religious extremism in Arab and Indian Politics871 Words   |  4 PagesComparative analysis of the rise of religious extremism in Arab and Indian Politics The cases being discussed by the authors here are more significant than the discussion of any other Muslim or Hindu nation because of the fact that these cases discuss the role of these religions in their respective birthplaces. We can realize the importance of this point by considering, for example that the Islamic countries worldwide look towards the Arabic ulemas for validation of their Islamic policies andRead MoreThe Positive Influence Of Christianity883 Words   |  4 PagesWhat? The results of the Religion IAT Test indicated that I have the most positive association with Christianity, closely followed by Hinduism and Islam, and the most negative association with Judaism. Some of the results surprised me, but others I would have predicted because of my religious background. I was raised Catholic and although I have questioned certain beliefs of Catholicism, I have never had extreme negative feelings toward by religion. Therefore, I would assume that I would haveRead MoreWha t Builds The Wall Between Us?2511 Words   |  11 Pagesthe effort to realize peace and human security. In addition, he has also made proposals touching on issues such as education reform, the environment, the United Nations and nuclear abolition. He has also mentioned many famous freedom fighters like Gandhi, authors like Wole Soyinka and so on. Basic motive of Dr. Ikeda was to discuss three priority themes for promoting the achievement of these goals and, on a broader scale accelerating efforts to eliminate the word â€Å"Misery† from the face of planetRead MoreEssay on The Life Of Mahatma Ghandi3308 Words   |  14 Pages Mahatma Gandhi Introduction Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the preeminent leader of Indian nationalism and the prophet of nonviolence in the 20th century, was born, the youngest child of his fathers fourth wife, on Oct. 2, 1869, at Porbandar, the capital of a small principality in Gujarat in western India under British suzerainty. His father, Karamchand Gandhi, who was the dewan (chief minister) of Porbandar, did not have much in the way of a formal education but was an able administrator who knewRead MoreHistory and Experience of the Sikh Diaspora in the United States3245 Words   |  13 Pagessometimes heavy Indian accents. An understanding of Sikh history and beliefs is necessary to develop an understanding about the experience and history of the Sikh diaspora in the United States. Sikhism is the worlds youngest and fifth most popular religion. It is a monotheistic faith centered on divine unity and uniqueness. Sikhs believe in human, gender, and social equality and that human life is the pinnacle of Gods creation. Followers of Sikhism number over 23 million worldwide with 17 millionRead MoreComparative Religions : Native Americans And The Africans2269 Words   |  10 Pages Craft Week 2 Comparative Religions W01 Dr. Tim Davis Question 1: While the Native Americans and the Africans inhabited two different continents, their belief system has a plethora of similarities pertaining to their core values. The basis of their religion also, in some ways, epitomizes modern day religion such as rites of passage. Their differences are shallow in context when it comes to what they view as sacred and holy and including religious rituals that are performed for a specific reasonRead MoreEssay on Microcultures in Canada7105 Words   |  29 PagesMicrocultures in Canada A Comparative Approach Introduction Every society contains both a mainstream culture and many different subcultures. The mainstream culture is how one is identified as. However, microcultures consist of how we identify ourselves within the global mainstream culture. There are multitudes of ways to participate in a microculture. It could be along ethnic, religious lines, or even lifestyle. All these factors come into play with regards to the different aspects of microcultures