Witnessing to Hindus

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by Dean C. Halverson and Natun Bhattacharya
Christian Research Institute

American Christians who take the Great Commission seriously cannot afford to ignore Hinduism. Not only are one million of its roughly eight hundred million adherents living in the United States, but the beliefs and practices of Hinduism (e.g., pantheism, reincarnation, and yoga) have deeply penetrated Western culture. In Part One we provided necessary background information for understanding Hindus. Now we offer six specific suggestions that will help facilitate meaningful dialogue with them.

1. Ask and Listen. Hinduism is a vastly diverse religion in which adherents share similar beliefs but do not have a common doctrinal creed. As such, it is in some respects a tolerant religion, allowing some latitude for individual Hindus to choose their own set of beliefs.

Don’t assume, therefore, that you know what your Hindu friend believes. Ask questions about his or her beliefs concerning God, man, sin, and salvation, and listen carefully to the answers. Listen closely to the way your Hindu friend describes the way to enlightenment. He or she might use words such as “achieve,” “attain,” “overcome,” and “strive.” Such expressions are significant because they reveal how enlightenment — the Hindu equivalent of salvation — is based on human effort, and not on God’s grace. After your friend has used such words, you might discuss passages such as Romans 3:19-24 and Ephesians 2:8-9, which speak of the futility of attempting to earn one’s salvation and of how salvation is a gift from God to be received by faith.

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http://www.equip.org/articles/witnessing-to-hindus/#christian-books-2