QUESTION:
What’s Sikhism, candidate Nikki Haley’s one-time faith?
THE RELIGION GUY’S ANSWER:
Nikki Haley, who’s difficult Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, was raised within the faith of Sikhism (“SEEK-ism”) by immigrant mother and father from India. However quickly after each Sikh and Methodist weddings she transformed to husband Michael’s Christianity.
Throughout Haley’s first run for South Carolina governor in 2010, Nationwide Public Radio posted a notably nasty piece by a fellow Indian-American who mentioned “I’m not shopping for” Haley’s “Christian bit,” noting that “critical churchgoers” and political opponents suspected a “conversion of comfort” in a closely Protestant state. Nonetheless, Haley adopted Christianity at age 24 and solely entered politics eight years later.
Companions in combined marriages do need to make spiritual selections. Haley has repeatedly professed that she is a Christian believer however respects her household and doesn’t criticize its spiritual heritage. Although a Methodist churchgoer, she sometimes attends Sikh providers and has visited the religion’s holiest sanctuary, the Temple of God in Amritsar, India (generally known as the Golden Temple as a result of it’s lined in gold leaf).
As a journalist, The Man has no enterprise analyzing Haley’s soul, however sees her candidacy as a great alternative for Individuals to be taught extra about her former religion. Sikhism claims to be the fifth-largest world faith after Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism, although it doesn’t evangelize and counts solely a modest 30 million adherents. Nonetheless, that’s double the worldwide quantity for Judaism.
Sikhism is by far the youngest of the most important world religions. Its homeland is the Punjab area of northern India and adjoining Pakistan. The founder, Guru Nanak (1469-1539), was a married accountant with two sons who had a dramatic encounter with God, whence he proclaimed “there isn’t any Hindu; there isn’t any Muslim” and gathered a following as a religious instructor.
Syncretism? Hindu offshoot?
Western students usually depict Sikhism as a basic instance of syncretism (mixing of various religions) or a reforming “offshoot” of Hinduism. Sikhs insist theirs is a novel religion all its personal. Sikhism does clearly agree with essential features of older religions, however provides its personal ideas, practices and scriptures, creating a novel synthesis as a separate and really cohesive spiritual neighborhood.
Sikhs stand out as a consequence of compulsory bodily indicators of devotion, beginning with the turban worn by males and scarf or turban for girls. Most observant Sikh youths and adults endure initiation into the Khalsa order established by the tenth and remaining guru in 1699. Members are recognized by 5 indicators: retaining hair uncut; carrying a metal bracelet, picket comb, and sword or dagger representing militancy for justice; and sporting particular underpants to evoke sexual purity.
Like Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Sikhism is monotheistic and spurns idols. It believes within the one God who’s the creator of every part, everlasting, transcendent, omnipotent, all-knowing, self-existent, with out type, and ineffable but self-revealing and knowable by all. Nanak and the 9 authoritative gurus who adopted him rejected Hinduism’s quite a few gods and goddesses, supplanted its caste system with perception within the equality of all women and men, fought the burning of widows, and opposed renunciation of everday life by cloistered devotees.
Reincarnation and Karma
But Sikhism does agree with the Hindu (and Buddhist) perception within the cycle of Samsara. Every soul undergoes an extended sequence of births, deaths and rebirths generally known as reincarnation or the transmigration of souls. Underneath the legislation of Karma, amassed good and evil deeds decide a soul’s standing within the subsequent life. A Sikh strives to succeed in eventual Mukti (liberation from Samsara) in final union with God. At demise, a Sikh’s stays are cremated and poured into flowing water.
As for Christian affinity, Sikhism’s calls its Khalsa initiation “baptism.” The brand new member is just not immersed however sprinkled on the top with sweetened water after sipping it from a ceremonial bowl stirred with a sword. For the reason that demise of the tenth guru in 1708, Sikhism’s scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, has been the supply of authoritative instructing, a lot as in Protestant Christianity. Readings are central for worship ritual, and a ceremonial copy is current in all gurdwaras (congregational homes of worship) and most properties. Notably, the Guru Granth Sahib contains poems by non-Sikhs.
Sikhism’s life-style differs from Islam in banning polygamy. It forbids tobacco and alcohol, and in any other case defines virtues and vices in frequent with most faiths. It advocates love, truthfulness, honesty in enterprise, charity and repair towards others, contentment with God-given circumstances, humility, self-control, tolerance, sexual propriety, schooling and braveness. The 5 main evils are delight, anger, lust, greed, and materialism (“attachment”).
This notably democratic faith lacks a hierarchy or clergy class. Every gurdwara elects its personal functionaries, and any certified man or girl could lead worship or ship the discourse on the scriptures.
CONTINUE READING: “What’s Sikhism, candidate Nikki Haley’s one-time faith?”, by Richard Ostling.
