Confessions vs. Gita When ancient people look to understand religion, it is easier for them to relate to a higher power, also known as a god. Throughout the world and through time, there have been hundreds of different religions that have been established, and in the writings by people of these various groups there are often stories about conversation with the gods. This helps other people in understanding and conforming to the same beliefs. Two of such examples of this style of analyzing what gods are, are found in St.
Augustine’s Confessions and The Bhagavad Gita. St. Augustine’s Confessions is written through the Christian perspective of religion. Christianity is founded on the idea that there is one God who oversees all actions. Though all actions are observed by a higher power, God instills in us a free will.
As Christians we are free to make our own decisions whether right or wrong. In his Biography St Augustine expresses that he feels like a sinner. He struggles with the fact that he is a thrill seeker. He loves to watch blood sports. He watches gladiators fight to the death and commit murder. Not only does he watch, but he enjoys observing these acts.
He is also expressing his sins in his biography when he writes about stealing, which is another sin. He steals pears for fun. St Augustine doesn’t even eat the pears he steals, but throws them to the pigs to eat. Through the story St Augustine struggles internally about what religions is, and more importantly what God is to him. In his plight which is written through the Christian prospective, he is faced more with a mental reflection, rather than a physical face to face encounter with God. This is more the Christian way.
The Essay on Christian religion
A crucifix is not a mere cross, but a representation of Jesus’ body or corpus. Thus, the latin term corpus christi. Whereas, a cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other, dividing one or two of the lines in half. The crucifix is crucial to the Christians because it’s the principal symbol of the Christian religion. It is primarily used in ...
On the other hand, in the story, The Bhagavad Gita, which was actually out of a bigger writing named the Mahabaratta. The character Arjuna comes to a very different opinion of what it is to understand life on earth and the gods in heaven. The writing places Arjuna as having inner turmoil on his duties as a human. As a result he is placed in front of the god Krishna. Face to face the god and man talk through what human life is, and what it is to succeed on earth. The actions of life under Hinduism are predetermined by the gods.
There is more than one god in Hindu beliefs, but they all are a part of one another to create an all mighty god. Unlike Christianity, where there is free will, the Hindu’s believe that life I predetermined. People have certain jobs which they are to do to fulfill their duties. It is also believed that there can be this instant answer to life’s questions in the presence of the super natural. Instead of a mental progression to the answer in ones self there is the physical proof. The Hindu culture explains its questions of religion through direct interaction with the higher powers, whereas Christianity takes a more mental look at its question.
St Augustine has a mental struggle to find out what religion is to him and what God is to the world. These two works are reflective pieces on how others are to view their religion and to come to belief in a higher power.
