I have long felt that Hinduism is simply a typical ancient religion or even moreso, a typical pagan religion. One reason I feel that way is because the oldest formal religions known to man such as Yezidism and Zoroastrianism both practice caste. Zoroastrianism is often thought to be the oldest living formal religion, and that may be the case. However, sometimes I feel that Yezidism is some whatever form may be older yet than Zoroastrianism. That Yezidism has been influenced by Zoroastrianism is clear from anyone who has extensively studied the religion.
The worshiping of the Devil seen in Hindusim once you pull back the curtain to see the wizard putting on the show is also typical of an ancient religion. Yezidis are said to be devil worshipers, and in a sense that is true but in another it is not, for in Yezidism, the Devil of Malak Taus is actually a good guy like Jesus or the kind and loving God of the New Testament (not the murderous brute of the OT). As in the Christian sense, Taus is also a fallen angel, but he is fallen for other reasons than the Christian belief that the Devil has fallen due to excess pride.
Older religions often worshiped the Devil in the sense that they feared him and sought to appease him. Those who saw or see a wrathful God as in the OT also in a sense are worshiping the Devil. The God of the OT is more nearly a Devil than a God of Mercy as in the NT. The ancients did not worship the Devil in the sense that modern Satanists claim to worship evil however defined; instead they made sacrifices and said prayers to the Devil or the in effect “Devil God” so this monster would not do bad things to them.
As this Devil or Wrathful God was thought to be behind all calamities, and the Ancient World was full of calamity as a nearly quotidian affair, it made sense to say prayers or make sacrifices to this cruel and evil force so as to appease his wrath and keep calamity at bay.
The Hindu practice of saying prayers and giving offerings not to ask a merciful God to make good things happen to them or to bring good to the world but instead as a purely mercenary device to “get more stuff” is also quite an ancient practice. Sort of a “make a wish upon a star” type of thing.
You may make a prayer or leave an offering to a Hindu God to ask them for just about anything. Often money or fortune is requested, but one may also make requests for either good or evil. Basically, whatever it is that you want, moral or immoral, you simply pray and make an offering to a particular God, and your wish may be granted. My study of ancient religions has shown me that such intercessionary amorality was a typical feature of ancient religions. The world was a savage place, and there was not much good around to be seen, so it made little sense to pray to some merciful god in a world seemingly devoid of mercy.
