Is Hinduism a philosophy not a religion?

Answer 1

This is tricky to answer.

All religions are philosophical; but not all philosophies are religious.

There are branches of Hinduism which are more philosophical in nature (for example, Buddhism, though there are a few others). But the vast majority are devoutly religious, worshipping the gods as real entities more than mere ideological representatives.

But it also depends on how we define the word "religion" in English. If we define religion to narrowly include only those belief systems that in some way mimic Christianity or Judaism, then it may not count as a religion at all, in spite of the obvious similarities. But if we broadly define religion as nothing more than a container in which to label similar beliefs of faith, then it clearly fits into this definition.

Both of these definitions are valid, as well as literally hundreds of others.

Answer 2

This would generally fit Buddhism, Taoism, Jediism, and a few other traditions-even a few Hindu traditions.

Buddhism does not worship a God - the Buddha is a human being who leads the Buddhist followers. Most Buddhists are thinkers rather than worshippers. This makes them a philosophy. A majority of Buddhists also believe that you do not need a god to show good and compassion to others or to lead/control you, but still have respect for those who do worship a god.

Buddhism is a peaceful movement which has supported peace and freedom for thousands of years and they respect religions rather than constantly battling or "picking on" them. In this sense, Buddhism is not a religion.

However, the word "religion" is also somewhat misunderstood: we confuse the term with "church" and even "organization", neither of which really fits well with Buddhism. In the most general sense, the word "religion" could simply refer to a container in which we label similar forms of faith, and in this sense Buddhism could very well be considered a religion.

There are also Buddhist groups which are strictly religious in nature, and hold the Buddha in the same reference that a Catholic might hold the Holy Trinity. These are certainly religions, and not merely philosophies. The teachings of the Buddha are wide open to interpretation.

All religions are philosophical in nature; not all philosophies are religious. The definitions of the word "religion" make this a tricky question to answer.

Answer 3

Confucianism,taoism,shinto.