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Hinduism: The world's third largest religion

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Overview:

Hinduism differs from Christianity and other Western religions in that it does not have a single founder, a specific theological system, a single system of morality, or a central religious organization. It consists of "thousands of different religious groups that have evolved in India since 1500 BCE." ₁

Hinduism has grown to become the world's third largest religion, after Christianity and Islam. It claims about 837 million followers - 13% of the world's population. ₂ It is the dominant religion in India, Nepal, and among the Tamils in Sri Lanka. According to the "Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches," there are about 1.1 million Hindus in the U.S. ₃ The "American Religious Identification Survey" is believed to be more accurate. ₄ They estimated smaller number: 766,000 Hindus in 2001. Still, this is a very significant increase from 227,000 in 1990. Statistics Canada estimates that there are about 157,015 Hindus in Canada. ₅

Hinduism is generally regarded as the world's oldest organized religion.

Most forms of Hinduism are henotheistic religions. They recognize a single deity, and view other Gods and Goddesses as manifestations or aspects of that supreme God. Henotheistic and polytheistic religions have traditionally been among the world's most religiously tolerant faiths. However, until recently, a Hindu nationalistic political party controlled the government of India. The linkage of religion, the national government, and nationalism led to a degeneration of the separation of church and state in India. This, in turn, has decreased the level of religious tolerance in that country. The escalation of anti-Christian violence was one manifestation of this linkage. With the recent change in government, the level of violence will diminish.

Topics covered in this section:

	A general introduction to Hinduism: Name of the religion, early history, sacred texts, beliefs, practices.   Yama: Basic human values in Hinduism an essay by Dr. Chintamani Rath
	Two negative behaviors found in Hinduism: Caste system; status of women
	Additional information: Divisions within Hinduism, the forehead mark, Hindu web sites.
	Is there a Christ - Krishna linkage? Were details of Jesus' life copied from legends about Krishna? Similarities between Krishna and Christ
	Christian-Hindu conflicts: Controversy over a Hindu invocation in Congress The Southern Baptist prayer guides
	Other: Tantric sex

Amazon.com's online bookstore lists the following books on Hinduism:

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Also, you might consider:

Carl Olson, Ed., "Hindu Primary Sources: A sectarian reader," Rutgers University Press (2007). Read reviews or order this book safely from Amazon.com online book store

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References:

1. David Levinson, "Religion: A cross-cultural dictionary," Oxford University Press, (1998). Read reviews or order this book
2. From data published by the 2004 Encyclopedia Britiannica Book of the Year.
3. Estimate from the 1999 edition of the "Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches," National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.
4. "American Religious Identification Survey," by The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, at: http://www.gc.cuny.edu/studies/
5. 1991 census by Statistics Canada.

Links to Hindu web sites:

	Ardh Kumbh is a Hindu religious gathering held every six years. See: http://www.kumbh.org/
	Diwali-Greetings.com provide free online greeting cards at: http://www.diwali-greetings.com/
	Gita Murti Bhandar supplies a diverse group of marble deities and statues which they export from India throughout the world. See: http://www.gmb.in/
	Hi Greetings have a series of Hinduism eCards available at: http://www.higreetings.com/
	TotalBhakti features mantras, bhajans, videos, yoga, etc. at: http://totalbhakti.com/index.php

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Latest update: 2009-SEP-30
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