A Contrast Between Women in the Hindu and Sikh Religions

Paper Summary:

The author explains how recent world events have highlighted the plight of women in several given societies with many atrocities still occurring against women in the name of religion. He contends that while some religions embrace the contributions of women, others completely ignore or forbid it. In some religions, women are encouraged to participate fully in the activities of the church, in others; women are not even allowed to enter places of worship. In addition, the social treatment of women differs according to the religion embraced by each particular society. While women are regarded as equals to men within some religious cultures, other cultures view the woman as little more than a slave and piece of property. To depict the realities of the statements made above, two religions and the way each regards and treats women are covered in this paper: Hinduism and Sikhism. Toward this end, the basic tenants and beliefs of each of these religions is provided.

From the Paper:

"The Hindu religion has developed over the last four thousand years, and lacks the organizational hierarchy found in many other religions. Unlike Western religions, Hinduism is a mixture of many beliefs and aspects, including that of magic, nature worship, animal veneration, and an unlimited number of deities and idols. In other words, the Hindu's find religion in almost everything, such as places like the Himalayan where they believe the God's live. The basic tenants of the religion hold that, "the multiplicity of gods and goddesses in its pantheon as manifestations of the one divine spirit, Braham" (Smart 70). According to Hindu's, Braham is the "ultimate level of reality, a philosophical absolute, serenely blissful, beyond all ethical or metaphysical limitations" (Kussman and Jain, 83). In Hinduism, the basic view of God is one of "infinite being, infinite consciousness and infinite bliss" (83). Another important aspect of the Hindu religion is that of rituals. In Hinduism, these rituals include such activities as the lighting of incense, bathing, eating, and marriage ceremonies, all of which are meant to show that God is in everything (Smart 71)"

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