Section 12.5: The Bible on Hindus?

Section 12.5: The Bible on Hindus?

All religious scriptures have shortcomings. The Lord Shiva and Lord God are portrayed as angry Gods, thought there may be justifications provided by believers. The Abrahamic (Jewish, Christian and Muslim) scriptures have spent a good deal of efforts criticizing others’ belief systems.

For an interfaith couple, it is not what is stated in an individual’s scripture that is important, but what an individual has learned from it, that is most critical.

The word “India” has been quoted twice, but there is no mention of the word “Hindu” in the Bible. Here, select Biblical verses concerning 13 topics are quoted that a Christian-Hindu couple should be interested in knowing. By discussing these together, interfaith couples will better understand what these mean to their future marriage.

12.5.1 An Angry and Jealous God

The Abrahamic God is described as a “Jealous God” 31 times, as an “Angry God” 238 times and the word “fear” is used 455 times in the Bible. Many of these citations are by the God Himself. The Koran also has many stern warnings for unbelievers. Two different viewpoints on the Jealous God concept are presented in Section 3.3.

12.5.2 Bible on the “Other gods”

Similar to Hindu Dharma, the Bible teaches that there is absolutely only one God or ultimate reality. However, the Bible has stern warnings for those who believe in “other gods.” If so, are Lord Krishna, Rama, Ganesh, Goddess Laxmi, and many other forms of the God (Devas and Devis) as described in the Hindu scriptures, other gods? Likewise, Lord Krishna also said, “Those who are devotees of other gods and who worship them with faith actually worship only Me, but they do so in a wrong way.” Does it mean Christians are worshipping a wrong way? Like the author stated earlier, interfaith couples will have to learn to interpret scriptures in their context. They should read these conflicting scriptures together and decide what it means to their planned married life.

You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me. (Exodus 20:3-5) [The Ten Commandments]
He who sacrifices to another god, except to the LORD only, shall be utterly destroyed. (Exodus 22:20)
Be careful to do all things that I have said to you; and do not invoke the name of other gods, neither let them be heard out of your mouth. (Exodus 23:13)
And you shall break down their altars, and dash in pieces their pillars, and burn their Asherim with fire; and you shall cut down the engraved images of their gods; and you shall destroy their name out of that place. (Deuteronomy 12:3)
And has gone and served other gods, and worshiped them, or the sun, or the moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded;… then you shall bring forth that man or that woman, who has done this evil thing, to your gates, even the man or the woman; and you shall stone them to death with stones. (Deuteronomy 17:3, 5)
I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken Me, and have burned incense to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands. (Jeremiah 1:16)
They struck all the souls who were in it with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them. There was no one left who breathed. He burnt Hazor with fire. (Joshua 11:11)
And there is no God else besides Me, a just God and a Savior; there is no one besides Me. Look to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By Myself have I sworn, the word is gone forth from my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear to God. (Isaiah 45:21-23)

12.5.3 Bible on Idol-Worship

Hindus are provided complete liberty to revere/worship and pray to God in any and every ways that works for them. For example, Mount Kailash, the river Ganges, the monkey God Hanuman, the elephant God Ganesh, the Sun and Moon, Mother Earth and many plants and animals are all sacred to Hindus. Not only sacred, they may be considered the earthly manifestations of God.

As one can read below, the Biblical God has absolutely no tolerance for some of Hindu ways of worshipping, what it terms as idol-worshipping.

But you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images (for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God), lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they play the harlot with their gods and make sacrifice to their gods, and one of them invites you and you eat of his sacrifice, and you take of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters play the harlot with their gods and make your sons play the harlot with their gods. You shall make no molded gods for yourselves. (Exodus 34:13-17)
You shall make for yourselves no idols, neither shall you raise up an engraved image or a pillar, neither shall you place any figured stone in your land, to bow down to it: for I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 26:1)
Lest you corrupt yourselves, and make yourself an engraved image in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the sky. (Deuteronomy 4:16, 17)
When you shall father children, and children’s children, and you shall have been long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make an engraved image in the form of anything, and shall do that which is evil in the sight of the LORD your God, to provoke him to anger; … There you shall serve other gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. (Deuteronomy 4:25, 28)
You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me. (Deuteronomy 5:8-9) [The Ten Commandments]
You shall burn the engraved images of their gods with fire. You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them, nor take it for yourself, lest you be snared in it; for it is an abomination to the LORD your God. (Deuteronomy 7:25)
I took your sin, the calf which you had made, and burnt it with fire, and stamped it, grinding it very small, until it was as fine as dust: and I cast its dust into the brook that descended out of the mountain. (Deuteronomy 9:21)
They moved Him to jealousy with strange gods. They provoked Him to anger with abominations.… They have moved Me to jealousy with that which is not God. They have provoked Me to anger with their vanities. I will move them to jealousy with those who are not a people. I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation. (Deuteronomy 32:16, 21)
You have even poured a drink offering to them. You have offered an offering. Shall I be appeased for these things? (Isaiah 57:6)
“Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the LORD your God, and have scattered your ways to the strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed My voice,” says the LORD. (Jeremiah 3:13)
Why have they provoked Me to anger with their engraved images, and with foreign vanities? (Jeremiah 8:19)
Everyone is dull-hearted, without knowledge. Every metal smith is put to shame by the carved image. For his molded image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. (Jeremiah 51:17)
And have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. (II King 19:18)
Let all them be shamed who serve engraved images, who boast in their idols. Worship him, all you gods. (Psalms 97:7)
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak. They have eyes, but they do not see. They have ears, but they do not hear. They have noses, but they do not smell. They have hands, but they do not feel. They have feet, but they do not walk, neither do they speak through their throat. (Psalms 115:4-7)
You shall know that I am the LORD, when their slain men shall be among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every thick oak, the places where they offered pleasant aroma to all their idols. (Ezekiel 6:13)

12.5.4 Bible on Temple Visits and Taking Prasad

Why not worship God with everyone, in whatever form they worship Her/Him? Why not take your Christian fiancé(e) to a Hindu temple and share prasad from Hindu Gods? Then why not reciprocate by going to his/her church and eat the bread-prasad (body of Jesus)? Is it not wonderful to share and enjoy each other’s culture?

But this is what Bible has to say:

You abstain from things offered (prasad) to idols. (Acts 15:29)
Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that no idol is anything in the world, and that there is no God but one. For though there are things that are called “gods,” whether in the heavens or on earth; as there are many “gods” and many “lords;” yet to us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we live through him. (I Cornithians 8:4-6)
For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? (I Corinthians 8:10)
But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for the sake of conscience. (I Corinthians 10:28)

12.5.5 The Bible’s Exclusivity over God

Christianity teaches that only their faithful will achieve salvation, and others will be condemned to hell on the Judgment Day, after the Second Coming of Christ in the future. Islam too has similar teachings. Does it mean your Hindu parents will go to hell?

I will dwell among the sons of Israel, and will be their God. (Exodus 29:45)
And that whoever would not seek the LORD, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. (II Chronicles 15:13)
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father (God) except through Me. (John 14:6)
The house which I build is great; for our God is great above all gods. (II Chronicles 2:5)  
So we shall be separate, your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth. (Exodus 33:16)
Jesus therefore said to them, “Truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood lives in Me, and I in him. (John 6:53-56)
And there is salvation in none other, for there is no other name under heaven, that is given among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)

12.5.6 Bible on Baptism

An interfaith couple has to realize that baptism is not a hollow ritual devoid of meaning.

Baptism means formal acceptance of Christian doctrine, which as shown below, means abandoning anything that conflicts with it. One should not get baptized just for the sake of a marriage requirement. Accept baptism only if you truly believe in the Biblical teachings, and are really willing to renounce/denounce your current faith and cultural background as you are expected to do.

He did that which was evil (baptism for a wrong reason), because he did not set his heart to seek the LORD. (II Chronicles 12:14)
Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:3)
He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who disbelieves will be condemned. (Mark 16:16)
But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished. Do you think that I have come to give peace in the earth? I tell you, no, but rather division. (Luke 12:50, 51)
Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)
One Lord, one faith, one baptism. (Ephesians 4:5)
By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. (I John 4:2-3)
Whoever goes on and does not remain in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. He who remains in the teaching, the same has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you, and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not welcome him. (II John 1:9-10)

12.5.7 Bible’s Punishments to Unbelievers

Stern punishments are provided for those who do not follow Biblical commandments, including terror, wasting diseases, heaped coals of fire, fire of His wrath, utterly destroy that breathed, melting in their midst, stoning to death, torned open rib cages, hooks in their jaws, slaying, killing, burn houses, death, slay their sons, destroy first born, rivers turned into blood and more. It will certainly scare the faint of heart.

I also will do this to you: I will appoint terror over you, even consumption and fever, that shall consume the eyes, and make the soul to pine away; and you will sow your seed in vain, for your enemies will eat it. (Leviticus 26:16)
If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for so you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the LORD will reward you. (Proverbs 25:21-22)
I will pour out my indignation on you; I will blow on you with the fire of my wrath; and I will deliver you into the hand of brutish men, skillful to destroy. You shall be for fuel to the fire; your blood shall be in the midst of the land; you shall be remembered no more: for I, the LORD, have spoken it. (Ezekiel 21:31-32)
The city shall be devoted, even it and all that is in it, to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent… They utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, both young and old, and ox, and sheep, and donkey, with the edge of the sword… They burnt the city with fire, and all that was in it. Only they put the silver, the gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron into the treasury of the LORD’s house. (Joshua 6:17, 21, 24)
So Joshua struck all the land, the hill country, and the Negev, and the lowland, and the slopes, and all their kings. He left none remaining, but he utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD, the God of Israel, commanded. (Joshua 10:40)
The assembly shall stone them with stones, and dispatch them with their swords; they shall kill their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses with fire. Thus will I cause lewdness to cease out of the land, that all women may be taught not to do after your lewdness. They shall recompense your lewdness on you, and you shall bear the sins of your idols; and you shall know that I am the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 23: 47-49)
I will put hooks in your jaws, and I will make the fish of your rivers stick to your scales; and I will bring you up out of the midst of your rivers, with all the fish of your rivers which stick to your scales. (Ezekiel 29:4)
As for the head of those who surround Me, let the mischief of their own lips cover them. Let burning coals fall on them. Let them be thrown into the fire, into miry pits, from where they never rise. (Psalms 140:9-10)
But bring those enemies of mine who did not want Me to reign over them here, and kill them before Me. (Luke 19:27)
If anyone is to go into captivity, he will go into captivity. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, he is to be killed with the sword. (Revelations 13:10)
Yet I am the LORD your God from the land of Egypt; and you shall acknowledge no god but Me, and besides Me there is no savior… I will meet them like a bear that is bereaved of her cubs, and will tear the covering of their heart. There I will devour them like a lioness. The wild animal will tear them. (Hosea 13:4,8)
He turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, so that they could not drink. He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them. He gave also their increase to the caterpillar, and their labor to the locust. He destroyed their vines with hail, their sycamore fig trees with frost. He gave over their livestock also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts. He threw on them the fierceness of His anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, and a band of destroying angels. He made a path for His anger. He did not spare their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence, and struck all the firstborn in Egypt. (Psalm 78:44-51)

12.5.8 Bible on Interfaith Marriages

The Bible has many stern warnings against interfaith marriages. Probably for this reason, a fearful Christian will want to solve this interfaith marriage problem with the religious conversion of his or her non-Christian fiancé(e) (or children by this marriage).

Here are the Bible’s recommendations on interfaith marriages:

And when the LORD your God shall deliver them up before you, and you shall strike them; then you shall utterly destroy them: you shall make no covenant with them, nor show mercy to them; neither shall you make marriages with them; your daughter you shall not give to his son, nor shall you take his daughter for your son. For he will turn away your son from following Me, that he may serve other gods; so the anger of the LORD would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly. But you shall deal with them like this: you shall break down their altars, and dash their pillars in pieces, and cut down their Asherim, and burn their engraved images with fire. (Deuteronomy 7:2-5)
And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons and served their gods. The children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgot the LORD their God. (Judges 3:6-7)
Now king Solomon loved women, and he took many foreign women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites; of the nations concerning which the LORD said to the children of Israel, “You shall not go among them, neither shall they come among you; for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. For it happened, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods; and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. (I Kings 11:1-4)
Now therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters to your sons, nor seek their peace or their prosperity forever; that you may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever. (Ezra 9:12)
We have trespassed against our God, and have married foreign women of the peoples of the land. Yet now there is hope for Israel concerning this thing. Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God. Let it be done according to the law. (Ezra 10:2-3)
They joined with their brothers, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God’s law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his ordinances and his statutes; and that we would not give our daughters to the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons. (Nehemiah 10:29-30)
I contended with them, and cursed them, and struck certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons, or for yourselves. Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations was there no king like him, and he was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless foreign women caused even him to sin. Shall we then listen to you to do all this great evil, to trespass against our God in marrying foreign women?” (Nehemiah 13:25-27)
The woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he is content to live with her, let her not leave her husband. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the brother. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. Yet if the unbeliever departs, let there be separation. The brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called you to peace. (I Corinthians 7:13-15)

12.5.9 Bible On Women

In the western world, women’s status does not reflect what is portrayed in the Bible! This is one good example where religious scripture and what people have learned from it are different. It is important to find out what your intended interfaith spouse has learned from his/her scriptures.

This is what the Bible has to say for women:

But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God. (I Corinthians 11:3)
For a man indeed ought not to have his head covered, because he is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of the man. For man is not from woman, but woman from man; for neither was man created for the woman, but woman for the man. (I Corinthians 11:7-9)
Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church. (I Corinthians 14:34-35)
When you go forth to battle against your enemies, and the LORD your God delivers them into your hands, and you carry them away captive, and see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you have a desire to her, and would take her to you as wife; then you shall bring her home to your house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails; and she shall put the clothing of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in your house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that you shall go in to her, and be her husband, and she shall be your wife. It shall be, if you have no delight in her, then you shall let her go where she will; but you shall not sell her at all for money, you shall not deal with her as a slave, because you have humbled her. (Deuteronomy 21:10-14)

12.5.10 Bible on Circumcision

The God the Father and Son Jesus have different take on circumcision.

Every male child among you shall be circumcised; and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. (Genesis 17:10-12)
The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people. He has broken My covenant. (Genesis 17:14)
Thus says the Lord GOD, “No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any foreigners who are among the children of Israel.” (Ezekiel 44:9)
Circumcision of No Avail [Jesus’ message]: For circumcision indeed profits, if you are a doer of the law, but if you are a transgressor of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. If therefore the uncircumcised keep the ordinances of the law, won’t his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? Won’t the uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfills the law, judge you, who with the letter and circumcision are a transgressor of the law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God. (Romans 2:25-29)

12.5.11 Bible on Friendship with Unbelievers

Why would a true Bible-believer get into a love relationship with a Hindu, other than to proselytize? Even if that is not the conscious intent, the doctrine makes conversion of the “other” imperative for the believer.

You shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against Me, for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you. (Exodus 23:32-33)
You shall consume all the peoples whom the LORD your God shall deliver to you; your eye shall not pity them: neither shall you serve their gods; for that will be a snare to you. (Deuteronomy 7:16)
But of the cities of these peoples, that the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes; but you shall utterly destroy them. (Deuteronomy 20:16-17)
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What agreement has Christ with Belial? Or what portion has a believer with an unbeliever? What agreement has a temple of God with idols? (II Corinthians 6:14-16)
But as it is, I wrote to you not to associate with anyone who is called a brother who is a sexual sinner, or covetous, or an idolater, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner. Do not even eat with such a person. (I Corinthians 5:11)
He who is not with Me (Jesus) is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me, scatters. (Matthew 12:30)
If anyone comes to you, and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not welcome him, for he who welcomes him participates in his evil works. (II John 1:10-11)

12.5.12 Bible on Animal Sacrifices

If you are a vegetarian or an animal lover, you may not want to endorse this history of the Bible.

Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. (Genesis 9:3)
King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand head of cattle, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated God’s house. (I Kings 8:63; II Chronicles 7:5)
They sacrificed to the LORD in that day, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred head of cattle and seven thousand sheep. They entered into the covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul; and that whoever would not seek the LORD, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. (II Chronicles 15:11-13)
The number of the burnt offerings which the assembly brought was seventy bulls, one hundred rams, and two hundred lambs: all these were for a burnt offering to the LORD. The consecrated things were six hundred head of cattle and three thousand sheep. (II Chronicles 29:32-33)
One man has faith to eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. (Romans 14:2)

12.5.13 Bible’s Final Words

I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book, if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book. If anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book. (Revelation 22:18-19).