The book “The Symbolism of Hindu Gods and Rituals” says regarding a Hindu trinity that existed centuries before Christ: “Siva is one of the gods of the Trinity. He is said to be the god of destruction. The other two gods are Brahma, the god of creation and Vishnu, the god of maintenance. . . . To indicate that these three processes are one and the same the three gods are combined in one form.”—Published by A. Parthasarathy, Bombay. [Should You Believe in the Trinity?, (Georgetown, Ontario: Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada, 1989), 12.]
Once again, a weak analogy is drawn between one indivisible God which exists as three inseparable persons and three gods in a triad. The above quote readily admits the Hindu view of the “Trimurti” (Hindu Trinity) as three gods. This is blatant tri-theism. But there is actually another view which is just as inconsistent with Trinitarianism as the above. This other view is explained in The New Book of Knowledge,
“Hindus believe that there is one spirit that runs through everything in the world – plants, animals, and human beings. Because a part of the spirit is found in each of us, we are all united spiritually. Hindus call this unifying spirit Brahman. […] Hindus worship many gods that represent different sides of Brahman, or pure spirit. The most important are Siva the Destoyer, Vishnu the Preserver, Ganesha the Giver of Success, and Kartikeya, a son of the Divine Mother of the universe. Hindus also worship goddesses which represent in different ways the power of Brahman called the Divine Mother. Among them are the goddesses Kali, Durga, Laksmi, and Saraswati. […] Brahma the Creator is another important god, but Hindus do not worship him with the devotion with which they worship the other gods.” [Cooper, Kenneth S. “Hinduism,” The New Book of Knowledge, (Danbury, CT: Grolier, 1988), 8:129.]
The analogy crumbles in light of the facts presented:
1. Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva are actually various manifestations of the Brahman (not to be confused with Brahma). But they are not the only exclusive manifestations, but rather this “unifying spirit” is believed to be in all things!
2. Hindus worship many gods whereas Trinitarians worship only one!
3. There are many other gods that Hindus worship aside from the three in the Trimurti. It seems as though those who oppose the Trinity only like to single out three from the many others in order to draw a faulty analogy.
4. The power of Brahman is represented as the Divine Mother, a far cry from God the Father!
5. Brahma is not afforded the same worship as the other two gods of the Trimurti, Siva, and Vishnu. Brahma is not even given the same worship as the goddesses that represent the power of Brahman!
1. Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva are actually various manifestations of the Brahman (not to be confused with Brahma). But they are not the only exclusive manifestations, but rather this “unifying spirit” is believed to be in all things!
2. Hindus worship many gods whereas Trinitarians worship only one!
3. There are many other gods that Hindus worship aside from the three in the Trimurti. It seems as though those who oppose the Trinity only like to single out three from the many others in order to draw a faulty analogy.
4. The power of Brahman is represented as the Divine Mother, a far cry from God the Father!
5. Brahma is not afforded the same worship as the other two gods of the Trimurti, Siva, and Vishnu. Brahma is not even given the same worship as the goddesses that represent the power of Brahman!
Excerpted from:
The Defense of an Essential: A Believer’s Handbook for Defending the Trinity
Copyright © 2006
Nick Norelli
All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.
The Defense of an Essential: A Believer’s Handbook for Defending the Trinity
Copyright © 2006
Nick Norelli
All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.
