It is a vital Strength that Hinduism teaches a realistic morality that is situational, as it is in life.

Judeo-Christians often believe that God imparted morals and ethics to Moses in the form of the Ten Commandments. However, every stable human society has a set of morals and ethics, and nearly every major society that developed a written language has them in writing. The morals and ethics of most cultures are remarkably similar because they evolved to promote cooperation within and between human societies.

Hinduism has no original sin. This is a clear Strength of Hinduism. Practitioners of Continuing Creation know that the Judeo-Christian idea of original sin is ridiculous on its face. Humans are not inherently evil from birth; except for psychopaths, people have evolved naturally to have a mix of good and evil. (See our Essay, “Leading an Ethical, Moral Life.”)

Hinduism teaches that all suffering is caused by bad behavior in this life or in prior lives. Therefore, in Hindu cultures, people may be perceived as deserving of poverty and disease due to bad karma carried over from their past lives. This attitude can be a Shortcoming in Hinduism, as it works against the practice of charitable giving and compassion.  On the other hand, there is a very strong tradition of giving and sharing within Indian extended families.