Sikh Orthodoxy: Defining A World Religion

For many years, many popular religions have been classified as “world religions” by Colonial leaders and European descendants of the Christian faith that “discovered” the new worlds - Asia, Africa, the Americas - in the late fifteenth century. They have classified Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism as world religions that fall under their criteria of classification. This classification framework-to determine if a religion is a world religion or not- is based around the Christian faith. However, I will use a more modern classification system to define a religion as a ‘world religion’. In this paper I will argue that a world religion must fulfill the following criteria: it must have a 10 percent- or greater- percentage

“...the existence of a clearly defined set of beliefs and practices constituting Sikh orthodoxy. The formulation of Sikh orthodoxy was the product of a concerted effort on the part of the Khalsa: a special order within the Sikh community, created by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699, whose members follow a rigorous code of conduct and dedicate themselves to upholding Sikh ideals.” (World Religions Today, 358) Some of the Sikh ideals do not just resonate within the Sikh community but also to other religious communities and those who are nonreligious; moreover, in their sacred Temple called the gurdwara, Sikhs believe that everyone is welcome in their local gurdwara as long as they respect the few rules they have, like covering your hair. Furthermore, as a guest or a frequent visitor of the gurdwara, no one is allowed to leave with an empty stomach, as each gurdwara has a kitchen that many volunteers help to fill and serve everyday. Sikhs believe helping everyone around you, no matter what culture, race, or religion, is essential and part of their belief system. It is important to foster a good image of religion to gain popularity and unfortunately acceptance from the masses; however, there is high confidence within the Sikh community to have others learn about Sikhism and approve of it. All ‘major’ religions have made some sort of contribution to society, based off of their religious beliefs.

Sikhism is greatly engaged with modernity. This engagement began with their background with colonization. The history greatened with their want for liberation from the colonial status, their struggle through the partition period, and the want for the spread of Sikhism to countries around the world. This sense of modernity is prominent today as Sikh religious leaders and scholars debate interpretations of the Sikh tradition with those who don’t follow the Sikh religion or culture. The people of Punjab have made a compelling contribution to society, notably in India. In India, Sikh influences are very prominent, especially the Harmandir Sahib (The Golden Temple) in the Punjab. Furthermore, Sikh men served in the British military during both World Wards and won many medals for their service, bravery, and assistance. After the descent of the Sikh Empire in 1849, Sikhism spread all over the world, where they have worked hard to continue their tradition of charity and service by developing Non-Governmental Organizations that strive to educate and care for all religious and non-religious peoples in the community. This idea of helping everyone, whether Sikh or not, is very prominent in the Sikh faith and reflects through their values and