Introduction
In providing health care, one will encounter many individuals of various backgrounds, beliefs, values, and faiths. In order to remain culturally competent and to provide excellent holistic care to a patient, one must have the desire to have a basic understanding of another’s belief system and to coordinate care in a manner that respects this with the ultimate goal of a positive patient outcome. For the purpose of this discussion, two faiths, Christianity and Hinduism, have been evaluated and will be discussed in regards to how they answer the basic worldview questions, how all religions have critical components regarding healing, what remains important to patients of differing faiths from those providing their healthcare, and
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Hinduism is a “conglomeration of religious, philosophical, and cultural ideas and practices,” (About Religion, 2015). Thus, Hinduism has various sects, lacking unification of systems and beliefs. For this discussion, a broad context of the faith’s answers to the worldview questions will be addressed.
First of all, Brahman is the ultimate reality, and it began to exist from non-existence, an unconscious emanation from the divine; Brahman is the cause of all physical and moral realms in the universe and although many gods exist in Hinduism, they all are below the one true deity above all else, (CAFNepal, 2011). Hinduism is varied in its beliefs regarding the characteristics of Brahman; some hold that Brahman is omnipotent and omniscient with no characteristics, while others hold that Brahman is a loving deity that cares for mankind and exhibits positive characteristics. The unified opinion is that Brahman is the Self (atman) of all things and is present in all things, the creator, the preserver or transformer, and reabsorber of all things, (Shah, 2013). Interestingly, Hinduism does not advocate the worship of any particular deity; but also includes worship of spirits, trees, animals, plants, (About Religion,