Buddhism and Christianity: Two Emerging Religions

Religion is one of the oldest and most sacred traditions of the human species. Religion started off as a basic belief in an afterlife, and then further developed into tribal religions, which evolved into ancestral worship, then to polytheism, and lastly into monotheism. Monotheism in the form of Christianity is the largest religion of the modern world, and it has similar beliefs to other world religions such as Buddhism. Christianity and Buddhism are similar because both religions teach about the equality of people and that making good choices reflects the positive teachings of that religion. They are also similar in how they formed, as both broke off from another religion that was exclusive, and both became popular and spread easily

Buddhism and Christianity came about before 600 C.E. and reformed the ideals of social structure and society of their era. Both the Buddha and Christ taught during a large political collapse, focusing on the spirituality and morality of a person in society. These like monotheistic religious views both had a central doctrine but held different positions on how to acquire this truth. Buddhist and Christians teachings both challenged social norms by preaching equality among all both in gender and in statues. Buddhism and Christianity, before 600 C.E. similarly, influenced social structures by introducing social and gender equality, promoted classless beliefs systems, and an emphasis on compassion, in contrast, Christianity held political power and leadership, while Buddhism had no political authority.

Christianity and Buddhism are two different religions that developed and spread contemporaneously in during the Classical Period different territories. Both of them share some similarities as well as differences. Both of these religions were founded based upon different principles taught by different people; in Buddhism’s case Gautama Buddha a thinker and in Christianity’s it is Jesus Christ who is a prophet. These two universal doctrines spread in times of chaos, in which citizens of their own territories were looking forward to achieve salvation of any kind. Although alike these two doctrines didn’t have a

Throughout history many universal religions have spread throughout the world. From cities to cities, countries to countries and so on. Christianity and Buddhism are two of the top universal religions that were practiced and spread throughout the early world. A series of events lead to the early and quick spread of Christianity and Buddhism throughout the early world. As turmoil engulfed the Jews in Judea, Christianity arose. The teaching of Christianity began with a Jew named Jesus. At the age of 30, Jesus began preaching the word of God to villagers near the Sea of Galilee. As Jesus preached, significant amounts of groups crowded around him to learn about his teachings, especially when word spread that he had performed acts of healing. Soon Jesus later formed a group of disciples or close followers to help spread his teachings.

Three new major religions developed and spread around the same time as the decline of the classical empires. These tree religions were Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam. As government declines, people began to strive for a more spiritual like and to seek joy. So, people turned to these religions. Buddhism spread through the bodhisattvas. As it spread and gained popularity, different versions of Buddhism formed in certain areas, like Mahayana Buddhism. Christianity spread through the teaching of monks and religious leaders. It became very popular because it appealed to all social classes. It offered a spiritual like, seeking the divine all-powerful force, which appealed to the wealthy. But, it also promoted the beauty of a simple life and spiritual equality, so the lower classes were fond of the new religion. Islam spread when the Arab armies fought to convert people to their religion. Islam had a huge impact in the civilizations in the Middle

According to our text, Huston Smith believed that all religions were essentially the same, whereas Stephen Prothero believes that they are all fundamentally different. These two differing opinions can be looked at further by comparing two of the world religions: Christianity and Buddhism. I believe that all religions are a mixture of both; religions are essentially the same and are also fundamentally different. Christianity and Buddhism both have similar aspects within them, and they have different aspects as well. In order to make sense of the world, one needs to have knowledge of religion and the implications it has on society (Prothero).

Throughout history, different civilizations have been exchanging and spreading ideas. Of these ideas, religion often spreads the most drastically, finding new roots in places throughout the world. These spreading religions can greatly affect the nations they spread to, often impacting the political, social, and economic aspects of an area. Religions such as Buddhism in Japan and Christianity in the Americas allowed their monarchies to strengthen their reign on their citizens, adapt their societies to the new theologies, and cultivate wealth through both trade and conquest.

The spread of religion first began through contact with neighbouring countries which gradually expand throughout the years. Buddhism and Islam are one of the most widespread religions across Southeast Asian countries like Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Trade merchants and imperial support of the religion were major factors in the facilitation and localization of the spread of Buddhism and Islam within Southeast Asia. However, there were also limitations presented which hindered the development of each religion in within their countries as introduction of newer religions and changes to political and imperial power would have affected the progression to become fully localised pre-1800s.

“Rivers, ponds, lakes, and streams—they all have different names, but they all contain water. Just as religions do—they all contain truths,” said by Muhammad Ali. Religion is the belief and reverence for a supernatural power and powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe (2003). The religions I’ve chose to compare and contrast would be non denomination/ Christianity and Buddhism. Each religion would be broken down by their religious belief, religious ritual, and religious experience. The definition of these religious things are: religious belief is a statement to which members of a particular religion adhere, religious ritual is a practice required or expected of members of a faith, and religious experience is the feeling or

At first glance the traditions of Christianity and Buddhism appear very different from each other. One centers around a God that was at one time physically manifest on earth in the human form of his "son" Jesus Christ, the other primarily worships a historical figure that gained divine status through enlightenment. This assessment is broad at best, especially in the case of Buddhism where the Theravada and Mahayana traditions differ significantly. Christianity also has division within itself, the most prominent being between the Roman Catholic and Protestant systems. There are however, despite obvious differences, some very interesting similarities between Buddhism and

Despite the differences in origins and cultures, there are still many similarities between Buddhism and Christianity. The most noticeable similarity between Buddhism and Christianity is the fact that they both centred around males. While the founder of Buddhism was Buddha who used to be the Prince of India - Siddhārtha Gautama, the figurehead of Christianity was Jesus, the Son of God. The concept about male leader also occurred in most of other religions such as Hinduism, Confucianism, Judaism and Islam.

In present-day society, the globalization, briefly including economics, and culture, has become an unstoppable tendency. With its rapid development and cultural communication, some controversies have emerged. Religious conflicts are characteristic examples showing the detrimental influences of cultural globalization. It is generally acknowledged that Buddhism and Christianity are ancient and global religions; however, whether the belief in Buddhism is credible or not, has sparked spirited debate. The Christian believes the Buddha is a “shadow”, and he is not to be believed. Actually, there are some similarities in terms of histories, main figures, and beliefs between Buddhism and Christianity. In order to solve sources of conflict, the

It is evident that religion is considerably a controversial topic across the globe that seems to bring up futile disputes between people. From the many religious extremist groups that have been the world, such as the Crusaders, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS), Al Qaeda, the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS); it is apparent that this certain topic evokes controversial views from enthusiasts. So why is this topic so controversial? Religion has corrupted the minds of human beings with ideas of what is right and wrong, thus influencing the ways we view others. We develop different opinions of what the “right” way to live is in our own eyes, which leads up to us judging others; resulting in the disagreements and controversy. Our idea of what is right can be completely different from somebody else’s. People may think that their religion is the “right” religion, but are our religions truly distinguished from each other? I believe this phenomenon has transpired from the way different religions has continuously been modified over the periods of time. There are significant differences between religions, but if one takes a closer look into the topic, they would be able to see that different religions have just as many similarities as they do differences. I will be focusing on two religions in particular that possess what appear to be controversial differences: Christianity and Buddhism.

Compassion is basically considered to be one of the most virtues in almost all religious traditions such as Buddhism and Christianity. Buddhism and Christianity are two different religions but both of them are interrelated. Both religions have hope of life after death, hope of reincarnation of Buddhists, eternal life of Christians, but live consciously. Both Buddhism and Christianity were founded by spiritual leaders and masters who tried to prove a way of salvation. Based on religious writings, this paper explores the way Buddhism and Christianity are different and in what ways they similar from the point of salvation, life after death, and love.

The United States is very diverse in religious beliefs and practices, and various religious faiths have prospered in the United States. Within the five most popular religions in the United States, Christianity and Buddhism are found. There are millions of people around the world participating in these religions, but one might be question the similarities and differences between the two. Many similarities are found such as the importance of a spiritual master, shared values, and followers that strive for spiritual perfection. However, Christianity and Buddhism also have many differences in views of God, salvation, and reincarnation.