Hinduism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Hinduism - Essay Example This paper will discuss Hinduism as a religion and a way of life. As earlier stated, Hinduism is considered by most people as a way of life rather than a religion (Flood 21). This is due to the fact that those who practice it have diverse beliefs, some of which appear to be unique to some communities for example in the rural areas and others for those living in urban areas. As it will be discussed later in the paper, these people have different gods whom they pray to. That not withstanding, they have various common beliefs that make them united under one umbrella of Hinduism. Apart from the belief that the term Hinduism was derived from Indus River, there are other theories which try to explain its meaning. For example, some people believe that the name was an invention of British people in the era of colonization while others believe that it was a term that was used by Persians to refer to India. However, Hinduism is believed to be one of the most ancient religions as several reports indicate that it was already in existence as early as 10000 B.C (Flood 29). One major aspect of Hinduism that has continued to attract criticism especially in the modern world of freedom and democracy is the caste system. This refers to the categorization of people into groups and sub groups on the basis of their family lineage as well as their occupation (Hawley 14). One of the major drawbacks of this system is that it marginalizes people of certain castes such that they cannot be allowed to socialize or intermarry with those of higher castes, who are accorded more privileges and respect in the society. The highest level in the Hindu caste system comprises of the Brahmins, who are considered to be the intermediaries between the gods and humans. In fact, the Hindu tradition defines Brahmins as the most excellent among all humans (Hawley 19). Due to this, they are entrusted with the responsibility of conducting religious rituals in