Why did you convert to hinduism?

[Vinidra]

Like several other posters, I think I was always Hindu and just didn't know it. What made me start worshipping the Mother, though, was realizing she was the only one answering my prayers.

 

[mangalavara]

Why did you convert to hinduism, buddism or sikhism?;

I'm just curious

What a friendly question!

In my case, I would say that I did not convert to Hinduism, rather, I adopted it as my religion and way of life. Many of us like the term adopt rather than convert because Hinduism is a religion without a conversion rite or ceremony that a person must undergo in order to become a Hindu. I adopted it and became a Hindu by deciding to follow its main tenets and base my worldview on some of its scriptures.

There are three reasons that I adopted Hinduism. First, I found certain deities quite appealing spiritually: Gaṇeśa and Śiva. Second, I found that the teachings of certain scriptures called the Upaniṣads wonderfully made sense of life, the world, and everything, kind of like how C. S. Lewis found the same thing with Christianity. Third, when I discovered Hinduism at age 20 or 21, I tried a Hindu spiritual practice for a short while that gave me an unforgettable mystic experience. In March of this year, at age 33, I finally decided to count myself a Hindu. Beforehand, I was considering Sikhism (or Sikhi in Punjabi).

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

 

[Clara Tea]

Like several other posters, I think I was always Hindu and just didn't know it. What made me start worshipping the Mother, though, was realizing she was the only one answering my prayers.

Many atheists ascribe to Christian ideas (I don't mean gun rights, wars, and torture camps), and theists think that they will go to hell because they don't believe in Jesus. I believe the violent will go to hell, rather than pollute heaven with their violence.

 

[Clara Tea]

No. Mom had no real interest in religion, and Dad was a fire and brimstone Christian. Mom pretended to be Christian for awhile because Dad was so pushy, but this did a real number on their marriage. (They divorced eventually.) I was out of Christianity in my teens, but I didn't make it known until I moved out at 17.

Maybe if he hadn't put quite so much brimstone in it?

 

[Clara Tea]

I neither believe nor disbelieve as I believe that one cannot objectively find evidence one way or another.

BTW, I heard of a guy who wanted to reincarnated as a stud, and I hear he's now in a snow tire.

You've got to watch what you tell God. When God was handing out noses, W. C. Fields thought he said "roses" so he asked for a big red one.

 

[Clara Tea]

Initially it wasn't about belief at all, but about how the Hindu environment made me feel. Hinduism isn't so much a 'belief' religion, but an 'action' religion. Beliefs vary widely between sects ang groups, reflecting the vast lot that we are. A Hindu can go to a temple, and stand there in a blissful state, and have very few beliefs about that, or if you ask, it comes out confused.

But the first belief that really hit the nail on the head was the one about inclusiveness, and not declaring that your faith is the only way. The first analogy I heard on that had some faiths drawing a box, putting themselves inside, and keeping all other religions outside of it. With Hinduism, it was a giant multi-coloured circle, and putting all of humanity inside it. That one really hit home. It was in stark contrast to any religion I had seen until then.
But so did ahimsa (as a kid I hated the farm butchering, and would go for long walks when it happened) karma, (it seemed absolutely fair) reincarnation (I had hints of it), and moksha (that seemed logical to me).

I feel bad that you had to butcher farm animals. You felt pain for your actions and sought solace.

I agree, that Hinduism is action, not belief.

I agree that Hindus don't isolate themselves, but the whole world is in their box.

We must all love everyone, and consider murder to be a paramount sin.

Think of a world without wars. Look at all of the progress we could make, and look at all of the suffering that we could avoid.

President W. Bush had lived a privileged life, and he was used to barking orders and have everyone instantly obey him. So, when the Taliban was reluctant to turn over bin Laden, after they had capture him, W. Bush was too impatient and stubborn to make a diplomatic solution, instead, war was his first choice. W. Bush was too cruel to stop himself from making torture camps (just as Hitler did).

Hindus showed what they were made of when they opposed the war in Iraq. They stuck to their principles, and the karma that they generated will eventually put them on top.

 

[Clara Tea]

For reasons I will not state here, I have a complicated relationship with my father. I think that people who believe in "God the Father" had a reasonably harmonious relationship with their fathers; thus they simply retrieve the "programming" they experienced during their childhood. As I said, it never worked for me or felt very uncomfortable. Moreover, I have a birth defect, so I was never quite happy "the way God made me". I think that most people who believe they were "wonderfully created" are simply taking their health for granted. To be exact, the issue of my birth defect was the main reason that drove me away from the Christian God. Reincarnation and karma seemed to make more sense to me. In the Bhagavad Gita it is said that one cannot remember one's last incarnation, so the question of why suddenly fell away for me.
What I liked about Krishna was the fact that in the Bhagavad Gita, he really gives you free choice whether you want to believe in him or not. There is no threat if you refuse to believe in him. Also, I see Krishna more as an "counselor" and "friend." It does not, unlike what I have experienced in Catholicism, have a negative connotation to approach God, whereas as a Christian you should always have a submissive attitude as a "sinner" in relation to Jesus, even though you may not actually feel that way.

Torture, during the Dark Ages, created more converts to Christianity. One cannot have a religion of peace by constantly using torture. Native Americans were tortured (and killed) to build California's missions, and Father Junipero Serra was recently sainted. One should love God, not fear hell.

 

[Clara Tea]

What a friendly question!

In my case, I would say that I did not convert to Hinduism, rather, I adopted it as my religion and way of life. Many of us like the term adopt rather than convert because Hinduism is a religion without a conversion rite or ceremony that a person must undergo in order to become a Hindu. I adopted it and became a Hindu by deciding to follow its main tenets and base my worldview on some of its scriptures.

There are three reasons that I adopted Hinduism. First, I found certain deities quite appealing spiritually: Gaṇeśa and Śiva. Second, I found that the teachings of certain scriptures called the Upaniṣads wonderfully made sense of life, the world, and everything, kind of like how C. S. Lewis found the same thing with Christianity. Third, when I discovered Hinduism at age 20 or 21, I tried a Hindu spiritual practice for a short while that gave me an unforgettable mystic experience. In March of this year, at age 33, I finally decided to count myself a Hindu. Beforehand, I was considering Sikhism (or Sikhi in Punjabi).

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

The Jewish bris is a bit daunting, especially when done with a cry "KeeeeeYah" and a Samurai sword swung from a great height. This is why Jesus told his converts to the Jewish religion (whom we call Christians) that they didn't have to get a bris.

Very few Christians are willing to entertain the notion that another religion is valid. But, when one is choosing a religion, it makes little sense to take the religion of our parents. We have to pick the right religion, and our parents might have been wrong.

It makes more sense to assume that we are all God's children, even those who do not believe in God. That said, we should avoid war if possible. Certainly President George W. Bush (who was elected by the Religious Right) should have been patient in seeking a peaceful resolution, rather than killing a million Iraqis.

 

[Clara Tea]

I’m not a member of any eastern religion, but probably the reason behind some conversions from a Christian style or dogma, to something completely different, is due to the hypocrisy so prevalent in Christendom!

For Christians, the Bible outlines a sexually-immoral-free life, but few live by it. And rarely is anything done to keep such damaging influences out of christian congregations.

On top of that, Jesus tells His followers to love one another (John 13:34-35)…. But Christendom, since it’s inception in the fourth-century, has been supporting the world in its conflicts, and killing their brothers! In spite of Jesus telling us to even ‘love our enemy’.(Matthew 5:44)
Titus 1 10 & 16 (written to warn those 1st-century Christians) was evident even back then.

But obviously, God does have standards: our divinely-given conscience is evidence of that…we make judgement calls every day, discerning between what is right and wrong. And the Bible reveals those standards. That’s one reason why I love the Bible.
(Not the institutions of Christendom, though.)


Best wishes.

Bible said "peace," President W. Bush said "war." It is as simple as that.

 

[Clara Tea]

I don’t believe:

• The theology, ontology, soteriology of Christianity.
• That God created the universe out of nothing, that nothing existed before that.
• That God is outside and separate from creation.
• The whole temptation, fall of mankind, redeemer belief.
• The need for salvation through Jesus.
• The Christian concept of sin and forgiveness.
• Divine commandments.
• Judgement, punishment.

There are no doubt more that I can’t think of off the top of my head but it’s safe to say my (dis)beliefs are incompatible with Christian teachings. My beliefs about Jesus are that he’s a yogi, a prophet, a guru, a self-realized and enlightened being, not unlike the Buddha. I’m iffy about him being a manifestation or incarnation of God any more than we or creation are.

Other than the fact that it is completely wrong, it's still right, right?

 

[Clara Tea]

Why did you leave christianity? Was it because ortodox christianity do not teach reincarnation?

The last thing someone remembered was getting run over by a truck. They woke up, and they were a flower. Oh, they exclaimed....I came back as a carnation.

 

[ManSinha]

Why did you convert to hinduism, buddism or sikhism?;

I'm just curious

I seldom post anymore - but felt compelled to reply to this thread even though:

I am not a Hindu in the traditional sense (I am a simple minded person who ascribes to a much (very much IMO) simpler philosophy)
IMO - there is no "Hindu" - that is a name given by the erstwhile British to a group of people living along the Indus (a river) in the days of yore - in an effort (again IMO) to lump them into a "religion" like Christianity or Islam

Much of what I want to say has already been alluded to in one form or another - I aim only to reiterate or perhaps regurgitate some of the points made

The only brand of "religious practice" that I know that welcomes and encourages an atheistic bent -
Advaita Vedanta - specifically the Samkhya Philosophy based on
1. Pratyaksa Perception
2. Anumana Inference
3. Sabda Testimony of experts

@George-ananda and @Aupmanyav as well as @SalixIncendium may be able to elaborate further

One of the biggest turn-offs for me in the largest Abrahamic religions is:
John 14:6
Sura 3:85

If we go by these then the entire humanity is "doomed" as for the most part these groups are mutually exclusive and I cannot accept that personally

Coming back to Sanatana Dharma (the eternal religion) - which also goes by "Hinduism"

There is no force or coercion - as @Jainarayan indicated

iti te jñānam ākhyātaṁ guhyād guhyataraṁ mayā
vimṛiśhyaitad aśheṣheṇa yathechchhasi tathā kuru

BG 18.63: Thus, I have explained to you this knowledge that is more secret than all secrets. Ponder over it deeply, and then do as you wish.

The concept of reincarnation and karma which is one way the unfortunate events like childhood cancers and other happenstances also called "evil" can be explained, even if in a metaphysical way

A way to accommodate those who worship others - specifically stated

yo yo yāṁ yāṁ tanuṁ bhaktaḥ śhraddhayārchitum ichchhati
tasya tasyāchalāṁ śhraddhāṁ tām eva vidadhāmyaham

BG 7.21: Whatever celestial form a devotee seeks to worship with faith, I steady the faith of such a devotee in that form.

(Snarky comment - to those that worship others - IMO - It is the Universe itself that is making it possible)

A comment that we are indeed parts of a larger whole

mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñchid asti dhanañjaya
mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva

BG 7.7: There is nothing higher than myself, O Arjun. Everything rests in me, as beads strung on a thread.

The concept of god as a friend and advisor rather than a judge

kabeer mulaa(n) munaare kiaa chaddeh saa(n)iee na baharaa hoi ||
Kabeer: O Mullah, why do you climb to the top of the minaret? The Lord is not hard of hearing.

jaa kaaran too(n) baa(n)g dheh dhil hee bheetar joi ||184||
Look within your own heart for the One, for whose sake you shout your prayers. ||184||


And finally - the concept of moksha or liberation

gur kirapaa jeh nar kau keenee teh ieh jugat pachhaanee ||
That person, blessed by Guru's Grace, understands this way.

naanak leen bhio gobi(n)dh siau jiau paanee sa(n)g paanee ||3||11||
O Nanak, he merges with the Universe, like water with water. ||3||11||

And along the way -

hi(n)dhoo turak kouoo raafajee imaam saafee maanas kee jaat sabai ekai pahichaanabo ||
Someone is Hindu and someone a Muslim, then someone is Shia, and someone a Sunni, but all the human beings, as a species, are recognized as one and the same.

 

[JustGeorge]

Maybe if he hadn't put quite so much brimstone in it?

I'm not sure if it was the fire or the brimstone that caused him more problems.

 

[Truthseeker]

I just didn't believe in any of it. The need to be saved, or that Jesus was the son of God.

My wife was much the same. She didn't believe in what the Catholics were telling her. Jesus being God didn't click with her. I never encountered that belief in Quaker, but then I wasn't paying very good attention. Quakers are diverse in what they believe, spread over area and over time. Quakers seek religious truth in inner experience, and place great reliance on conscience as the basis of morality. They emphasise direct experience of God rather than ritual and ceremony. They believe that priests and rituals are an unnecessary obstruction between the believer and God. I was never baptized, and we didn't have communion. I liked it that way. I agree with the part also about priests not defining beliefs for the religious community.

However I believe now that religious truth through inner experience alone has split the Quaker church into many pieces. There are many sects of Quaker today. Region by region in the same sect I was in has different beliefs in America. Inner experience is important, but it can't be the sole source of truth. It needs to be correlated by reason and scripture.

Sorry, this is supposed to be about Hindus.

 

[Starlight]

What a friendly question!

In my case, I would say that I did not convert to Hinduism, rather, I adopted it as my religion and way of life. Many of us like the term adopt rather than convert because Hinduism is a religion without a conversion rite or ceremony that a person must undergo in order to become a Hindu. I adopted it and became a Hindu by deciding to follow its main tenets and base my worldview on some of its scriptures.

There are three reasons that I adopted Hinduism. First, I found certain deities quite appealing spiritually: Gaṇeśa and Śiva. Second, I found that the teachings of certain scriptures called the Upaniṣads wonderfully made sense of life, the world, and everything, kind of like how C. S. Lewis found the same thing with Christianity. Third, when I discovered Hinduism at age 20 or 21, I tried a Hindu spiritual practice for a short while that gave me an unforgettable mystic experience. In March of this year, at age 33, I finally decided to count myself a Hindu. Beforehand, I was considering Sikhism (or Sikhi in Punjabi).

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Why did you choose Hinduism instead of Sikhism?

 

[metis]

I don’t believe:

• The theology, ontology, soteriology of Christianity.
• That God created the universe out of nothing, that nothing existed before that.
• That God is outside and separate from creation.
• The whole temptation, fall of mankind, redeemer belief.
• The need for salvation through Jesus.
• The Christian concept of sin and forgiveness.
• Divine commandments.
• Judgement, punishment.

And that's fine as far as I'm concerned, but Hinduism simply does not have a creed that would prohibit such beliefs.

Are those beliefs absolutely, correct? I haven't a clue, but it doesn't stop me from accepting that Jesus was one of the religious figures that taught that Love & Truth were and are so very important. All the rest is window dressing to me.

My beliefs about Jesus are that he’s a yogi, a prophet, a guru, a self-realized and enlightened being, not unlike the Buddha. I’m iffy about him being a manifestation or incarnation of God any more than we or creation are.

And I agree with you.

 

[metis]

You've got to watch what you tell God. When God was handing out noses, W. C. Fields thought he said "roses" so he asked for a big red one.

Oh, that's good!

 

[mangalavara]

Why did you choose Hinduism instead of Sikhism?

I chose Hinduism instead of Sikhism for many reasons. First, Sikhism teaches that God is absolutely formless whereas I like being able to ‘see’ God in some visual representation because it makes the relationship easier for me. Second, the main spiritual practice in Sikhism—remembering and chanting the name Wāhigurū—is one that I could not get myself to like. Third, Sikhism involves reading the same compositions in Punjabi every day, and it takes over an hour to do so, and I would not be able to faithfully do that. Fourth, I don’t care to wear a turban most hours of the day, nor do I want to stop shaving or trimming hairs. Fifth, I think living an ascetic or monastic life should be an option whereas Sikhism rejects asceticism and prefers marriage for everybody. Finally, the central scripture of Sikhism teaches that the oldest Hindu scriptures, the Vedas, came from God yet the central Sikh scripture rejects some teachings of the Vedas.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Why did you convert to hinduism, buddism or sikhism?;

I'm just curious

I didn't. I found a religion the aligned with my worldview. Any conversion was in name only.