Catholicism vs Hinduism

Catholicism versus Hinduism comparison chart
	Catholicism	Hinduism

Place of worship	Church, chapel, cathedral, basilica.	Temple (Mandir)
Clergy	Heirarchial clergy in Holy Orders Deacons, monks, nuns, Priests and Bishops, other ranks are only offices (archibshop, cardinal Pope etc. although several other offices also exist)	No official clergy. Gurus, Yogis, Rishis, Brahmins, Pundits, priests, priestesses, monks, and nuns.
Belief of God	One God: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Apostles and Nicene's Creed states beliefs	Many gods, but realize that they all come from Atman.
Founder	Jesus Christ, St. Peter the Apostle.	Not credited to a particular founder.
Marriage	Marriage is sacrament between one man and one woman. Divorce does not exist in Catholicism, but there is annulment (that the marriage was invalid to begin with) by competent church official.	Man may marry one woman. However, kings in mythology often married more than one woman.
Literal Meaning	catholic - from the Greek adjective καθολικός, (katholikos) meaning "general" or "universal".	The followers of Vedas are called as Arya, noble person. Arya is not a dynasty, ethnicity or race. Anyone who follows the teachings of Vedas is considered Arya.
Population	1.33 Billion Globally	1 Billion.
Scriptures	Holy Bible, a collection of 73 canonical books in two parts, 46 in the Old Testament, and 27 in the New Testament.	Vedas, Upanishad, Puranas, Gita. Smrti and Sruti are oral scriptures.
Use of statues and pictures	Crosses, statues and pictures are acceptable in Catholicism. Catholics widely use them as depictions of Christ, Mary, and the Saints.	Common
Life after death	Eternal Salvation in Heaven; Eternal Damnation in Hell; Temporal third state before Heaven for those who desire purification, known as Purgatory.	A constant cycle of reincarnation until enlightenment is reached.
Practices	Catholics are expected to participate in the liturgical life, celebrate and revere Jesus' sacrifice on the cross at Mass. The celebration of seven sacraments Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, Matrimony, Anointing of Sick, Holy Orders and Confession.	Meditation, yoga, contemplation, yagna (communal worship), offerings in the temple.
Goal of religion	To give glory to God and share Eternal Life in Him.	To break the cycle of birth, death and reincarnation, and attain salvation.
View of the Buddha	N/A	Some Hindu sects claim Buddha was an avatar of Vishnu. Others believe he was a holy man.
Religion which atheists may still be adherents of	None. Faith is integral to Catholicism, a christian who rejects Christianity altogether is considered an Apostate. Atheism is a sin against Faith.	Charvakas and Sankyas are atheistic groups in Hinduism.
View of other Dharmic religions	N/A	They believe that Buddhists, Jains, & Sikhs should reunite with Hinduism (which is the original Dharmic religion).
Place of origin	Roman province of Judea, which is part of present-day Israel, Palestine and Lebanon	Indian Subcontinent
Geographical distribution and predominance	Roman Catholic church is located in Vatican City, an independent City-state. Catholicism is geographically dispersed throughout the world. 69% of Catholics are located in Latin America.	Mainly in India, Nepal and Mauritius. Has significant population in Fiji, Bhutan, UAE, etc.
Authority of Pope	Successor of St. Peter.	N/A.
Human Nature	Man has inherited "original sin" from Adam. Mankind then is inherently evil and is in need of forgiveness of their sin.	Depends on sects.
Means of salvation	Received at baptism; may be lost by mortal sin; salvation through faith and penance. Belief in Jesus as the sole savior of humanity. Must have a relationship with Jesus. Good Works. Seven Sacraments.	Reaching enlightenment by the Path of Knowledge, the Path of devotion, or the Path of Good Deeds.
Confessing sins	Confess to priests for absolution from sins in the name of Christ (John 20:22-23). Prayer to the Saints.	Repentance for unintentional sins are prescribed, but intentional sins have to be repaid through karmic consequences.
Second coming of Jesus	Affirmed.	N/A.
Religious Law	10 Commandments, Canon law , Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), papal decrees and orders.	Dharma shastras
Holy days	Sundays; Solemnity of Mary, January 1; Ascension of Jesus, May 13 — Celebrated on the sixth Thursday after Easter Sunday; Solemnity of All Saints, November 1; Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, December 8; Christmas, December 25	Diwali, Holi, Ram Navami, Hanuman Jayanti, Ganesh Chaturthi, etc. There are many holy days in Hinduism which differ from region to region.
Belief	Believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the King of Heaven, and Saviour of the entire world.	Diverse beliefs depending on sects.
Status of women	Women are Equal to men and have the same dignity as men, but women are not eligible for Ordination in Catholicism. They can be religious (sister, or commonly called "Nun") and can lead many offices assisting the clergy within the church.	Women can become priestesses or nuns. Women are given equal rights as men.
Day of worship	Worship should be a continual process in the lives of Roman Catholics. Sunday is not the only day Catholics can attend Church for Mass.	Orthodox schools prescribe three prayer times a day: at dawn, noon and dusk.
Holy days/Official Holidays	Sunday (The Lord's Day), Advent, Christmas, Lent, Holy Week, Easter, Pentecost.	Diwali, Holi, Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, etc.
Birth of Jesus	Virgin Birth, through God.	N/A.
Use of statues	Permitted. Statues are not worshipped.	Allowed, but not compulsory
Death of Jesus	Death by Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascended into Heaven	N/A.
Goal of Philosophy	Eternal Salvation.	Salvation, freedom from the cycle of birth and reincarnation.
Position of Mary	The Queen of all Saints. View is similar to the Orthodox church - the title 'Mother of God' being used more commonly than Theotokos. In addition, it is claimed that at various points in history, Mary has revealed herself to the world in apparitions.	N/A.
Principle	Adam and Eve sinned, as have all subsequent human beings because God created us with a free will to make choices. Man was unable to adhere to laws of God, so Christ came as the ultimate sacrifice to reconcile us to God.	To follow dharma, i.e. eternal laws
Time of origin	About 30 C.E.; 1st century Holy Land, Roman Empire	circa 3000 B.C.E
Views on other religions	The Catholic Church contains the fullness of Truth and is the only means of salvation. Other faiths have access to that truth and non-Catholics may be saved by a special grace of God.	Believe all religions have some truth in them.
Identity of Jesus	God Incarnate. Son of the Father. The Messiah saviour of mankind sole mediator between God and man.	N/A.
Branches	Latin rite & Eastern rite and as of 2008 the Anglo-Catholic derivative of Latin Rite; Orthodox Christianity.	Shaivism, Shakti, and Vaishnavism
Promised Holy one.	Second Coming of Christ	Kalki, the 10'th avatar of Vishnu.
About	Belonging to the Church Founded By Christ, when He chose St. Peter as His Rock (first Pope). Apostles creed gives summary of Catholic creed, man fell and Christ came to redeem mankind.	Devotion to the various gods & goddesses of Hinduism.
Status of Muhammad	False Prophet.	N/A.
View of God	Trinitarian: God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.	Monists believe only Brahman exists, Pantheists believe all things/entities are God, Monotheistic sects consider God as immanent and transcendent and different from others. The Nasadiya Sukta even explores creation-ex-nihilo.
Angels	Angels are God's messengers. Spirits seen as immortal and always praising God. They never disobey God except for Lucifer (Satan) and the angels who follow him (demons).	The concept of angels does not apply in Hinduism. Some mythological stories include rishis, who sometimes serve as the messengers of God.
God's role in salvation	God sent His only Divine Son to save humanity from their sins.	Beliefs vary by sect. Upanishads (scripture) say God chooses who gets salvation. Salvation is attained via good deeds and righteousness (following the "dharma" and avoiding sin)
Virtue on which religion is based upon	Love.	Follow righteousness.
Rites	7 Sacraments: Baptism, Eucharist, Penance, Confirmation, Marriage, Holy Orders, Anointing of the Sick; exorcisms, blessings of objects, dedication of churches sacred garments installation into clerical offices. Roman Missal and eastern rites.	Some Hindus believe in a "thread ceremony" for men.
Geographical predominance	Catholicism has spread worldwide across all six settled continents, predominantly Europe, North, Central, and South America, Australia, Africa and New Zealand.	India, Nepal
Status of Adam	Adam was the first man created by God. He fell into temptation and brought sin and death to the human race.	N/A.
Definition	Universal; Apostolic succession; Papal authority.	The word Hindu has geographical significance and was used originally for those people who lived beyond the river Sindhu or the region watered by the river Indus. Hindus themselves, call their religion "Sanatana Dharma, " meaning "Eternal Law."
Concept of God	Trinitarian: God the Father, the son and the holy spirit.	God is in everything and everything is God.

Place of worship

Church, chapel, cathedral, basilica.

Temple (Mandir)

Clergy

Heirarchial clergy in Holy Orders Deacons, monks, nuns, Priests and Bishops, other ranks are only offices (archibshop, cardinal Pope etc. although several other offices also exist)

No official clergy. Gurus, Yogis, Rishis, Brahmins, Pundits, priests, priestesses, monks, and nuns.

Belief of God

One God: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Apostles and Nicene's Creed states beliefs

Many gods, but realize that they all come from Atman.

Founder

Jesus Christ, St. Peter the Apostle.

Not credited to a particular founder.

Marriage

Marriage is sacrament between one man and one woman. Divorce does not exist in Catholicism, but there is annulment (that the marriage was invalid to begin with) by competent church official.

Man may marry one woman. However, kings in mythology often married more than one woman.

Literal Meaning

catholic - from the Greek adjective καθολικός, (katholikos) meaning "general" or "universal".

The followers of Vedas are called as Arya, noble person. Arya is not a dynasty, ethnicity or race. Anyone who follows the teachings of Vedas is considered Arya.

Population

1.33 Billion Globally

1 Billion.

Scriptures

Holy Bible, a collection of 73 canonical books in two parts, 46 in the Old Testament, and 27 in the New Testament.

Vedas, Upanishad, Puranas, Gita. Smrti and Sruti are oral scriptures.

Use of statues and pictures

Crosses, statues and pictures are acceptable in Catholicism. Catholics widely use them as depictions of Christ, Mary, and the Saints.

Common

Life after death

Eternal Salvation in Heaven; Eternal Damnation in Hell; Temporal third state before Heaven for those who desire purification, known as Purgatory.

A constant cycle of reincarnation until enlightenment is reached.

Practices

Catholics are expected to participate in the liturgical life, celebrate and revere Jesus' sacrifice on the cross at Mass. The celebration of seven sacraments Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, Matrimony, Anointing of Sick, Holy Orders and Confession.

Meditation, yoga, contemplation, yagna (communal worship), offerings in the temple.

Goal of religion

To give glory to God and share Eternal Life in Him.

To break the cycle of birth, death and reincarnation, and attain salvation.

View of the Buddha

N/A

Some Hindu sects claim Buddha was an avatar of Vishnu. Others believe he was a holy man.

Religion which atheists may still be adherents of

None. Faith is integral to Catholicism, a christian who rejects Christianity altogether is considered an Apostate. Atheism is a sin against Faith.

Charvakas and Sankyas are atheistic groups in Hinduism.

View of other Dharmic religions

N/A

They believe that Buddhists, Jains, & Sikhs should reunite with Hinduism (which is the original Dharmic religion).

Place of origin

Roman province of Judea, which is part of present-day Israel, Palestine and Lebanon

Indian Subcontinent

Geographical distribution and predominance

Roman Catholic church is located in Vatican City, an independent City-state. Catholicism is geographically dispersed throughout the world. 69% of Catholics are located in Latin America.

Mainly in India, Nepal and Mauritius. Has significant population in Fiji, Bhutan, UAE, etc.

Authority of Pope

Successor of St. Peter.

N/A.

Human Nature

Man has inherited "original sin" from Adam. Mankind then is inherently evil and is in need of forgiveness of their sin.

Depends on sects.

Means of salvation

Received at baptism; may be lost by mortal sin; salvation through faith and penance. Belief in Jesus as the sole savior of humanity. Must have a relationship with Jesus. Good Works. Seven Sacraments.

Reaching enlightenment by the Path of Knowledge, the Path of devotion, or the Path of Good Deeds.

Confessing sins

Confess to priests for absolution from sins in the name of Christ (John 20:22-23). Prayer to the Saints.

Repentance for unintentional sins are prescribed, but intentional sins have to be repaid through karmic consequences.

Second coming of Jesus

Affirmed.

N/A.

Religious Law

10 Commandments, Canon law , Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), papal decrees and orders.

Dharma shastras

Holy days

Sundays; Solemnity of Mary, January 1; Ascension of Jesus, May 13 — Celebrated on the sixth Thursday after Easter Sunday; Solemnity of All Saints, November 1; Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, December 8; Christmas, December 25

Diwali, Holi, Ram Navami, Hanuman Jayanti, Ganesh Chaturthi, etc. There are many holy days in Hinduism which differ from region to region.

Belief

Believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the King of Heaven, and Saviour of the entire world.

Diverse beliefs depending on sects.

Status of women

Women are Equal to men and have the same dignity as men, but women are not eligible for Ordination in Catholicism. They can be religious (sister, or commonly called "Nun") and can lead many offices assisting the clergy within the church.

Women can become priestesses or nuns. Women are given equal rights as men.

Day of worship

Worship should be a continual process in the lives of Roman Catholics. Sunday is not the only day Catholics can attend Church for Mass.

Orthodox schools prescribe three prayer times a day: at dawn, noon and dusk.

Holy days/Official Holidays

Sunday (The Lord's Day), Advent, Christmas, Lent, Holy Week, Easter, Pentecost.

Diwali, Holi, Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, etc.

Birth of Jesus

Virgin Birth, through God.

N/A.

Use of statues

Permitted. Statues are not worshipped.

Allowed, but not compulsory

Death of Jesus

Death by Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascended into Heaven

N/A.

Goal of Philosophy

Eternal Salvation.

Salvation, freedom from the cycle of birth and reincarnation.

Position of Mary

The Queen of all Saints. View is similar to the Orthodox church - the title 'Mother of God' being used more commonly than Theotokos. In addition, it is claimed that at various points in history, Mary has revealed herself to the world in apparitions.

N/A.

Principle

Adam and Eve sinned, as have all subsequent human beings because God created us with a free will to make choices. Man was unable to adhere to laws of God, so Christ came as the ultimate sacrifice to reconcile us to God.

To follow dharma, i.e. eternal laws

Time of origin

About 30 C.E.; 1st century Holy Land, Roman Empire

circa 3000 B.C.E

Views on other religions

The Catholic Church contains the fullness of Truth and is the only means of salvation. Other faiths have access to that truth and non-Catholics may be saved by a special grace of God.

Believe all religions have some truth in them.

Identity of Jesus

God Incarnate. Son of the Father. The Messiah saviour of mankind sole mediator between God and man.

N/A.

Branches

Latin rite & Eastern rite and as of 2008 the Anglo-Catholic derivative of Latin Rite; Orthodox Christianity.

Shaivism, Shakti, and Vaishnavism

Promised Holy one.

Second Coming of Christ

Kalki, the 10'th avatar of Vishnu.

About

Belonging to the Church Founded By Christ, when He chose St. Peter as His Rock (first Pope). Apostles creed gives summary of Catholic creed, man fell and Christ came to redeem mankind.

Devotion to the various gods & goddesses of Hinduism.

Status of Muhammad

False Prophet.

N/A.

View of God

Trinitarian: God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Monists believe only Brahman exists, Pantheists believe all things/entities are God, Monotheistic sects consider God as immanent and transcendent and different from others. The Nasadiya Sukta even explores creation-ex-nihilo.

Angels

Angels are God's messengers. Spirits seen as immortal and always praising God. They never disobey God except for Lucifer (Satan) and the angels who follow him (demons).

The concept of angels does not apply in Hinduism. Some mythological stories include rishis, who sometimes serve as the messengers of God.

God's role in salvation

God sent His only Divine Son to save humanity from their sins.

Beliefs vary by sect. Upanishads (scripture) say God chooses who gets salvation. Salvation is attained via good deeds and righteousness (following the "dharma" and avoiding sin)

Virtue on which religion is based upon

Love.

Follow righteousness.

Rites

7 Sacraments: Baptism, Eucharist, Penance, Confirmation, Marriage, Holy Orders, Anointing of the Sick; exorcisms, blessings of objects, dedication of churches sacred garments installation into clerical offices. Roman Missal and eastern rites.

Some Hindus believe in a "thread ceremony" for men.

Geographical predominance

Catholicism has spread worldwide across all six settled continents, predominantly Europe, North, Central, and South America, Australia, Africa and New Zealand.

India, Nepal

Status of Adam

Adam was the first man created by God. He fell into temptation and brought sin and death to the human race.

N/A.

Definition

Universal; Apostolic succession; Papal authority.

The word Hindu has geographical significance and was used originally for those people who lived beyond the river Sindhu or the region watered by the river Indus. Hindus themselves, call their religion "Sanatana Dharma, " meaning "Eternal Law."

Concept of God

Trinitarian: God the Father, the son and the holy spirit.

God is in everything and everything is God.

Catholicism vs. Hinduism

Comparison chart

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