Request:

With all due respect to every Christian, how do I tell my Hindu friend that Christianity originated from Hinduism ? And how do I explain that Lord Jesus was an enlightened soul sent by the tridevs of Hinduism to earth to show light to the beings on earth?

Response:

The answer is that you do not tell your friends that Christianity originated with HInduism because it is not true.  There is literally zero evidence to support the claim that Christianity originated from Hinduism.  I have heard this claim, but I have never seen the slightest hint that it is true.  Christianity originated within Judaism, and there is no evidence that Judaism has any historical relationship with Hinduism.  This is sheer wishful thinking.

There is a false rumor that Jesus traveled to India during his life, but, again, there is literally no evidence that this is true.  In fact, as far as I know, all responsible scholars will say that Jesus did not leave the area on the east end of the Mediterranean Sea during his lifetime.

Besides, Christianity is a monotheistic religion which is based on the worldview of theism.  Hinduism is a polytheistic religion based on the worldview of pantheism. The two worldviews are diametrically opposed. It is really quite irresponsible, based on this fact, to claim that Christianity comes from Hinduism, as Christianity has a worldview which is completely incompatible with the Hindu worldview.

What is a tridev?  I understand it is the name of a Bollywood movie.  There is also no evidence that Jesus was sent by the tridevs of Hinduism.  This is a false claim, plain and simple.  Unless you have actual evidence to support this claim, I suggest you stop making the claim.  We know where Jesus was born, when he was born, where he lived, how he died, the name of his mother, adoptive father, three of his brothers and many of his close friends. There is not any evidence whatsoever supporting any view other than the fact that he was  a Jew.  He believed in the one God Jehovah.  He was not a panthiest. He did not believe in brahman or atman or karma or reincarnation, and there is no evidence that he die.  He did not claim to be enlightened.  He claimed to be God in the flesh, which is something very different.  I find this claim in John 8:58 and many other places in the Bible.

If you have any evidence supporting your claim I will be happy to look at it.  In lieu of that, I certainly am not going to take your advice to tell people that Christianity came from Hinduism.

John Oakes