Sikhism
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Sikhism was founded in India by Guru Nanak in the 15th century. Guru Nanak is thought to have had a spiritual experience that led to him becoming a spiritual teacher. He was disillusioned by Muslim and Hindu intolerance and inequality, and pronounced that there is neither Hindu nor Muslim, only man; he taught that all people are God's children. He attempted to unify the two religions, and used both Muslim and Hindu clothes while preaching. In addition, the Sikh Holy Book (Guru Granth Sahib), uses vocabulary from the languages of the two religions.

Guru Nanak rejected the Hindu Caste system and believed in only one God. However, he maintained the Hindu belief in reincarnation. The goal of Sikhism is spiritual peace and liberation achieved through freedom from re-birth and unity with God. Sikhs believe that a their conduct in previous lives affects their current and future lives. Guru Nanak's teachings led to the formation of the Guru Granth Sahib. This 1430 page long poetic book focuses on Sikh beliefs, spirituality and the nature of the Sikh god. The book is not dogmatic, and traditions such as leaving one's hair uncut were introduced later by Guru Gobind Singh. Sikhs treat the book as a living Guru, and it usually has its own private room.

The rejection of the Caste system led to Sikhs adopting the surnames Singh (Lion) for men and Kaur (Princess) for women; in Indian society, these names were of high Caste ranking. Worship also involves a free communal meal to which both men and women are welcomed, promoting sexual equality. Guru Nanak was opposed to the tradition of Sati, where Hindu women voluntarily burned themselves alive on the funeral pyres of their husbands.

Sikhs believe in religious tolerance to the extent that they are prepared to defend their own beliefs and those of others by force. This is an example of defending the freedom of people to sin, which may lead to others being oppressed. However, true freedom implies that people should be able to choose whether or not to sin. Therefore, defending the right of a person to sin is justified, providing that they are taught the nature of sin and how it causes suffering. However, if people do chose to sin, then the onus should be on defending the rights of the people who are sinned against; Sikhs do this by providing an alternative to the Hindu Caste system. Therefore, the Sikh approach to defending the freedom of religious expression is justified; Sikhism defends the rights of someone to be a Hindu while not supporting Hinduism itself, and at the same time shows people why Hinduism is false and defends the rights of those who are oppressed by it. However, it is unfortunate that many Hindus may have rejected Sikhism because of the requirement to keep their hair uncut (this is an open invitation for persecution, because it makes Sikhs look very different to everyone else).

The Sikh community became more militant under the leadership of Guru Gobind Singh, and they fought to defend themselves against persecution. One of the outward signs of their religion is a sword, which they keep to remind themselves of their military obligations.

Sikhism promotes charitable giving, mediation and prayer. Emphasis is placed on marriage, morality and refraining from adultery. Sikhs are not allowed to consume intoxicants or animals that have been bled to death in accordance with Islam. Sikhs hold different beliefs from Pauline Christians, but their code of conduct is very similar. This observation can be used as a criticism of Pauline Christianity, since Sikhism has similar ethical principles, yet does not involve Jesus.

There are a number of linguistic markers that can be found in Sikhism to indicate that it is a false religion. In addition, the use of nectar, the river Beas (the site of a city founded by Sikhs) and the year of birth of Guru Gobind Singh (1666) suggest a link with conventional wisdom as discussed elsewhere.

  • The correct pronunciation of Sikh is 'sick'.
  • The festival of Divali – Devilly.
  • The Sikh God is Sat Nam – Satan.
  • Their last name is Singh – Sin.
  • Guru Nanak's writings are called shabads – Bad.
  • Guru Nanak's writings use the Devanagari alphabet – Devil.
  • The founder of the religion was Nanak Dev – Devil.

The Baha'i religion is similar to Sikhism. It originated from Islam in the 19th century, founded by a man who called himself 'the Bab'. He announced that there would soon be another prophet of God from a long line of prophets including Moses, Jesus and Mohammad. The Bab was executed by the Islamic authorities, but another man received a vision that he was the prophet. The Baha'i religion emphasizes the unity of mankind and it is against all kinds of persecution and prejudice. They use their own scriptures and those of other religions, and their places of worship are decorated with the symbols of many religions. Like Islam, the Baha'i religion requires that people pray and fast. Emphasis is placed on marriage, and the consumption of intoxicants is prohibited.

Sikhism was founded as a response to the negative aspects of Hinduism and Islam. It is a relatively small religion with about 20 million followers; it is likely that Satan provides more spiritual encouragement for people to follow Hinduism and Islam because they cause much more oppression and suffering. Sikhs do not try to convert people to their religion, and accept the divine origin of all religions with ethical principals similar to their own.