Religion 107 Sample Essay Outline

Having the privilege to serve in the military has allowed this writer the opportunity to be exposed to the pluralistic society in a way which has exposed him to the beauty of the diversity enjoyed in American culture. One aspect of said diversity is the interaction which has taken place amongst the Christian and various world religions who also wear the same uniform in defense of America. It was the pleasure of the writer to attend a local synagogue in which his Jewish brothers and sisters welcomed him with open arms. The local congregation of Jewish believers went out of their way in order to ensure their newest visitor understood the flow of service and the significance of the ritual which took place on the first Shabbat or Sabbath of the month. The following essay will serve to detail the worship experience as well as how it and other beliefs of Judaism compare/contrast with the Christian faith.

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

These two religions had very different concepts about divinity, Christians believed in one only merciful god, while Buddhists believed in Buddha’s divinity known as enlightenment and his teachings. Christians had a very complex concept of what divinity is, they believe in only one god who can be manifested in three different ways, as God himself, throughout his son Jesus

One of the main similarities between Buddhism and Christianity is their belief in a spiritual master. Buddhists believe the story of the Buddha. Buddha was born as Siddhartha Gautama and became the Buddha though out his life after being awakened. “Siddhartha was born the son of a prince of the Shakya tribe... Legend says his mother, Maya, dreamt that a white elephant entered her side—this was the moment of conception of the future Buddha—and that Siddhartha was born miraculously from her side” (Molloy 124-25). After witnessing the Four Passing Sights, Siddhartha devoted his life to reaching spiritual enlightenment.

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.

In this essay, I intend to compare and contrast two major religions, Hinduism and Buddhism, that came out of India thousands of years ago. Though these two religions are old, they are still practiced today by millions of followers within the continent of Asia and the West.

Hinduism and Buddhism have different similarities and are in some ways connected to each other. Some of the practices of the two religions are similar in various ways and there are several examples to show this.

4. Morality – This is the area where Christians and Buddhists mostly agree. The Christian “golden rule” is similar to that of the Buddhists. You are not to do anything to others that you wouldn’t want done to yourself. Christians hold a lot of the same morals as Buddhists such as the eightfold path and five precepts. The Christian and Buddhist Worldviews are shaped by their moral codes.

All in all, Hinduism and Buddhism are similar because they both have moral responsibilities in the form of Dharma and the Eightfold Path. However, Hinduism and Buddhism are different because both religious have different goals. Followers of Hinduism want to eventually go to Brahman, while followers of Buddhism want to achieve Nirvana. While these two religions are very different from each other, they both of one other similarity with each other and with other religions in the earth, which is that they all want to be released from the pain of the world and enter into a world of of greater

Throughout the class we have learned about four different religions. Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity are all very complex and interesting religions, but all of them are very different from each other. Hinduism and Buddhism are very similar while Christianity and Judaism are similar. The two with the most differences would be Buddhism and Christianity. There are many differences between the two religions, but when a person puts them side by side there are three major differences that pop out at them. Those differences are, who each religion worships, the sacred text of the two, and finally the idea of life after death or the afterlife. Yes, almost all religions have commonalties between them, like prayer or meditation, or even the idea of a human messiah sent by their deity, but at the core of these two religions are very different from each other. In order to understand these differences in greater detail one must look at the origins of the two religions and look at the little differences before you can explore the three larger ones.

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 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.

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

What religion am I? In my life, I have been told many things about my religion. My mother is a Roman Catholic, while my father is Jewish. I have learned about both religions, and I have tried to practice both as best I could, but I am now faced with the decision; which one am I?