Compare And Contrast Christianity And Buddhism

Buddhism also has the provision of the bodhisattvas who find their purpose in helping other, but only to attain nirvana. Also Buddhism has four noble truths that include: Life is basically suffering, the origin of that suffering lies in craving or grasping, the end of suffering is possible through the ending of craving. However, in Christianity our purpose in life is to have a good relationship with God. Buddhism trying to end their suffering through acts for nirvana and Christianity bonds with God to end suffering and have everlasting life with

More importantly, the main beliefs in both religions have points in common. Buddhism and Christianity teach people and help them to escape the sufferings, and both of them

Millions of people from around the world participate in Christianity and Buddhism; both are in the top five most popular religions in the world. Christianity is ranked number one, while Buddhism is ranked at number four. Although these are different religions, the two actually have some similarities. Many similarities exist such as, shared values, the importance of a spiritual master, and that followers strive for spiritual perfection. Although Buddhism and Christianity possess many similarities within the religions, the differences in the view of God, salvation, and reincarnation ultimately outweigh their similarities.

Christianity and Buddhism are two very prominent religions dating back from early years up until today. Both are offshoots of other religions-- Christianity from Judaism, and Buddhism from Hinduism. The Buddhists follow the teachings of Gautama Buddha, while Christianity is centered upon the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christianity is monotheistic while Buddhism is nontheistic. Christians believe that Christ is the son of God, while Buddhists do not believe in God as the creator of the universe.

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

In comparing Buddhism to Christianity, Buddhism predates Christianity by 500 years and could have influenced the beliefs that resulted in Christianity. In the Christian faith it is believed that Jesus Christ is the son of God who died for our sins then was resurrected from the dead. Buddhist does not believe in an immortal soul or a supreme being. Christianity believes that there is only one life with one soul, whereas Buddhism believes in countless lifetimes of progression towards enlightenment. Christianity believes in consequences of good and evil, also following the 10 commandments in everyday life. Buddhism follows an eight fold path of universal suggestions to a more content life.

If a Christian follows Buddhist traditions, then one must assume that there is an overlapping of similarities in both teachings; a Christian’s worldview must be complementary to that of a Buddhist’s. Though I am arguing the similarities between Christianity and Buddhism, I do not completely shut down the obvious differences between the two traditions. Christians are devoted the Jesus Christ’s teachings, while Buddhists believe in the Buddha’s teachings. Jesus is God in human form while Buddha was a human being who reached supreme insight under the Bodhi tree. Roderick Ninian Smart, a Scottish writer and university educator of religious studies, argues in his book, Buddhism and Christianity: Rivals and Allies, “Jesus saved humanity through his deeds and death, while the heart of liberation for Buddhists is through the Eightfold Path” He then continues to defend

There are many different religions and beliefs throughout the world, ranging from Islam, Secular Humanism, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. The worldview of many of these religions differs greatly when compared to Christianity. For example, the questions of origin, Identity, Meaning/purpose, Morality, Destiny may get you different answer from each belief. I have chosen to discuss Buddhism in comparison to a Christian’s worldview on the questions of origin, Identity, Meaning/purpose, Morality and destiny. “Buddhism is a religion, originated in India by Buddha and later spreading to China, Burma, Japan, Tibet and parts of southeast Asia, holding that life is full of suffering caused by desire and that the way to end this suffering is through enlightenment

““Worldwide, more than eight-in-ten people identify with a religious group,” says a new comprehensive demographic study of more than 230 countries and territories conducted by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life.” (Harper). Within the top five most popular religions, Christianity if found to be at the top with Buddhism ranked number four. With millions of people from around the world participating in these religions, one may wonder how they compare to one another. Upon exploration of Buddhism and Christianity, many similarities are found such as the importance of a spiritual master, shared values, and the followers strive for spiritual perfection. Although Buddhism and Christianity encompass many similarities within the religions, the fundamental differences in the view of God, salvation, and reincarnation ultimately outweigh their likeness.

Let us begin this comparative theology paper by evaluating the history of both religions, starting with Buddhism. A man with the name of Siddhartha Gautama founded Buddhism, he was a privileged man known to have given up his prized possessions and wealth in order to chase self-enlightenment. Christianity on the other hand, originated from Jesus Christ, their savior who died for the salvation of the human race. Millions of people are aware of these two religions and millions of people also follow these two religions. Although both Christianity and Buddhism are different from each other, they have their commonalities and share their own uniqueness, which causes more people to join their religion. Christianity and Buddhism both share the same concept of making their believers become a better version of themselves so they can reach their highest potential in spiritual fulfillment.

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

Christianity and Buddhism are two religions that seem completely different on the surface, but when the layers of ritual and tradition are peeled back they are extremely similar at the core of their beliefs. Beginning at their origin, both religions were founded by men with a miraculous birth. Both of the religions founders set off on their spiritual journey around the age of thirty, and both of the founders lived their lives as an example of how to correctly practice their religions. The only core differences between Jesus Christ and Buddha is that Jesus came from humble beginnings and claimed to be a deity as the son of God and Buddha was a prince but did not claim to be a deity. The creation of their sacred texts has similarities as well. Professor

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

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).

Christians also believe in such polarities as good and evil, God and Devil, Heaven and Hell -- none of which form an important part of any Buddhist teachings. Christianity is likewise authoritarian and dictatorial -- "you must believe this or you will be condemned" -- whereas Buddhism tends to be more liberal and allows people to believe more or less whatever they like. Christians ban certain teachings as heretical, evil and harmful, but