Sikhism and Christian Worldviews for Universe - myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theSikhism and Christian Worldviews for Universe. Answer: Introduction Different worldviews explain the relationship between God and all the creations. Each worldview forms the foundation upon which believers base that belief and practices. Worldviews are integral because they define the relationship between God and His creation (Ryken, 2013). Each worldview stresses on pertinent issues that must be adhered to by the adherents. The World over, some beliefs are expressed by both non-Christians and Christians. Sikhism is a worldview that gained recognition in the Asian continent (Grenz, 1998). The essence of developing Sikhism was to ensure that mankind had a rational reform that targeted the traditional religious doctrines (Ryken, 2013). In this corpus, the comparison and contrast between Sikhism and Christianity will be delineated. The Origin, Nature of the Universe, and the Sense of the Ultimate In this corpus, the comparison and contrasting of Sikhism and Christianity will be based on the above. The understanding of these concepts varies across the worldviews. These world views are influenced by the specific teachings and doctrines. Comparison In Sikhism, there is an emphasis on the natural revelation of God. This means that Deist believe that God is always revealed in nature. The Sikhs believe that God created the world and as such His presence can be felt through the same nature. Similarly, in Christianity, there is the belief that God manifests himself through the natural phenomena (Ryken, 2013). An example how God manifests Himself through nature was the encounter with Moses. God appeared to Moses in the form of fire. During the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist, a white dove appeared and landed on the shoulder of Jesus Christ. A voice from heaven indicated that Jesus Christ is the His Son with whom he is Pleased (Ryken, 2013). It is a confirmation that has created everything; God has the power to use His creations to communicate messages to his people. It suffices to point out that Sikhism stresses on the application of reason in matters pertaining religious belief. Sikhs strongly believe in objective truth through systematic inquiry. According, acquiring and applying knowledge in religious beliefs is crucial (Ryken, 2013). Similarly, Christianity stresses that believers should seek for the truth in their relationships with God. In fact, Christians pray for wisdom from God so that they can know what is right and wrong. Indeed, Christians believe that the ultimate knowledge is possessed by God. Further, Sikhism teaches that God created the universe (Ryken, 2013). This assertion is similar to the belief of Christians. In the Bible, Christians believe that God created the universe and placed everything in it. In the book of Genesis, it is written that God created the heavens and the earth. The world was formless, and the commands from God made it what it is. As a matter of fact, people should confess their sins directly to God who has the ability to forgive. Sikhs further believe that God is always aware of our sins (Rutledge, 2013). This view is similar to that of Christians who opine that we believers should seek Gods face for redemption. Further, Sikhism teaches that God is the created of the world and He is actively involved in it (Oliphant, 2011). In Sikhism, there is the belief God has supernatural intervention on what goes on the world. It suffices to point out that according to Sikhism the world do not operate by itself. The operations are guided by the laws that were designed by the creator (Rutledge, 2013). Also, Sikhs believe that God is indeed beyond the world, but this does not mean that He is active in it in anyway (Ryken, 2013). Christians also believe that God created the universe and everything that is in it. They agree with Sikhs in that they believe that God s omnipresent. According to Christians, God is present everywhere and that He is capable of seeing everything that we are doing. Christianity teaches that God controls everything in the world according to His wishes. Christians believe that the God is the creator of the heavens and the earth as explained in Genesis 1-3 (McFarland, 2014). In effect , according to Christians, the physical world as created by God is essentially good, real, and was created out of nothing. By faith, Christians believe that the world was created by Gods command. Contrasting On the issue of the death of Jesus Christ, Sikhs do not believe in it. According to their worldview, Jesus Christ never existed (Jawandha, 2010). On the other hand, Christianity believes that Jesus Christ died by way of crucifixion. He later rose from the dead and ascended to heaven. In Christianity, it is a common belief that the objective truth is found in God (Ryken, 2013). The objective truth is as a result of Gods revelations. In this case, Christians believe that humility is critical in understanding God and acquiring the knowledge about the natural phenomena (McFarland, 2014). The founder of Sikhism is Guru Nanak (Oliphant, 2011). Sikhs strongly believe that the founder of their religion was Guru Nanak. On the other hand, Christians believe that Jesus Christ was its founder. In Christianity, Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Sikhs do not believe in Jesus Christ. Christians believe that God sent His only begotten son that whoever believed in him would have eternal life. Among the Sikhs, there is the belief in one god who ought to be worshipped by means of prayers and devotion (Rutledge, 2013). Further, the Sikhs are expected to engage in meditation by focusing on god. The meditation is meant to erase any evils from their minds including the elimination of the five evils. On the other hand, Christianity believes that God created human beings but they sinned against Him (Oliphant, 2011). The act of sinning made human beings to fall short of his glory. Every person is expected to adhere to the word of God. Additionally, there are differences in terms of practices between Sikhism and Christians. In Sikhism, the dominant practice is prayers. The believers are required to pray daily to God for redemption (Oliphant, 2011). In Christianity, other than prayers, believers are often offered sacraments, tithing, and studying the Bible among other practices. In addition, Christianity attaches a lot of emphasis on miracles in their lives (Rutledge, 2013). In the Bible, there are instances where Jesus Christ performed miracles. Some of these miracles include turning water into wine, raising the dead, healing the blind, and feeding over five thousand people with only two loaves of bread and five fishes. In fact, miracles form a great deal of Christian teachings and beliefs. Furthermore, Sikhs believes in the Unitarian concept of God (Jawandha, 2010). By this, it means that Sikhs don not believe in the doctrines of Trinity. According to the Sikhs, there is only one God who is indivisible. The doctrine of Trinity opines that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit exists (Oliphant, 2011). The Sikhs do not believe that God exist in three forms as portrayed in the Holy Trinity. It is worth noting that Sikhs do not believe in Jesus Chris. The Deists do not recognize the Jesus Christ lives (McFarland, 2014). This belief is in disagreement with the popular beliefs of Christians. As a matter of fact, Christians believe in the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. In Christianity, the Holy Trinity is essential in forging a good relationship between the believers and. Christians firmly believe in Jesus Christ as their personal savior (Rutledge, 2013). Accordingly, Jesus Christ is Gods only begotten son who died for the sake of Christians. His death on the cr oss redeemed Christians from their sins and the attainment of eternal life (McFarland, 2014). Another important difference between Sikhism and Christianity is life after death (Singh, 2014). In Sikhsm, there is the argument against life after death on the basis that there is no empirical evidence that supports the claims. It is imperative to note that Sikhs roots for objective truth but not just blind faith (Rutledge, 2013). On the other hand, Christians believe that there is eternal life. According to Christianity, Jesus Christ will come back to collect the righteous people. These people will enjoy the eternal life brought forth by the death of Christ. In Christianity, there is the belief that in the world there is a parallel and unseen spiritual reality that is not limited to the physical reality. It means that human beings possess a spiritual aspect to their nature (Ryken, 2013). Christianity teaches that God who is invisible created the world. In effect, it means that there exists a non-physical reality that is greater than the physical. Jesus Christ teaches Christians that God is Spirit and worshipping Him ought to be in spirit too. God created human beings in His image (Rutledge, 2013). This means that human beings have a soul and spirit. On the other hand, Sikhs does not believe in the existence of spirits. They believe in God only. It is also imperative to note that Sikhs the Bible is not recognized (Jawandha, 2010). They question the trustworthiness of the Bible. The Holy book among the Sikhs is Sahib Sri Guru Granthi (Singh, 2006). According to them, the entire Bible accounts cannot be trusted and taken to be true because they cannot be verified. The Sikhs believe in one god who should be worshipped through teaching the Sikhs gurus. Christians believe that the Bible is the supreme word of God. Consequently, among Christians, communication with God is through prayers and reading and understanding the Bible (Rutledge, 2013). Conclusion There are divergent worldviews as espoused by different beliefs. In this corpus, the worldviews of both Sikhs and Christianity has been delineated. It suffices to point out that the two worldviews have similarities and differences. As a matter of fact, these similarities and differences are pegged on ideologies rather than any substantive and objective standing. In a nutshell, the various worldviews should not be a source of conflict but rather a source of motivation to seek for the truth and use the ideas complimentarily. References Grenz, S. J. (1998). Created for Community. Michigan: Baker Academic. Jawandha, M. N. (2010). Glimpses of Sikhism. Sanbun Publishers. McFarland, A. (2014). Worldviews Comparison. Rose Publishing Inc. Oliphant, J. (2011). AQA Religious Ethics for AS and A2. 2011. Rutledge, D. S. (2013). An analysis of the correlation between the Christian education context of the local church and the biblical worldview of high school students. Liberty University. Ryken, P. G. (2013). Christian Worldview: A Student's Guide. Crossway. Singh, D. A. (March 2014). The Ideal of Service to Humanity in Sikhism. International Journal of Research, 84-86. Singh, H. S. (2006). Sikh Leadership: Established Ideals and Diasporic Reality. Teaching Theology and Religion, 9 no. 2, pp, 133-138.