Introduction: Christianity and Buddhism have many similarities and differences. They both believe in god and have different ways that god punishes and praises them. Christianity is older than Buddhism and is more popular but Buddhism is more popular in certain countries such as Asian countries like japan and many more. They both do many similar practices but they believe in different things.
God: God in Christianity is the eternal being who created and preserves all things. Christians believe God to be both wholly independent of, and removed from, the material universe and involved in the world. Early Christian views of God were expressed in the Pauline Epistles and the early creeds, which proclaimed one God and the divinity of Jesus, almost in the same breath as in 1. Christian teachings of the immanence and involvement of God and his love for humanity exclude the belief that God is of the same substance as the created universe but accept that God's divine Nature was hypostatically united to human nature in the person of Jesus Christ, in an event known as the Incarnation. Buddhists seek to reach a state of nirvana, following the path of the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, who went on a quest for Enlightenment around the sixth century BC. There is no belief in a personal god. Buddhists believe that nothing is fixed or permanent and that change is always possible that is why they don’t believe in a God.
Origins: Christianity originated in Roman occupied Jerusalem, a
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
Also, Buddhist are devoted to many deities. They have several ideas of creation. One specifically involves the lack of creation. Majority of Buddhists believe that the world goes through cycles. This theory uses the philosophy that there is neither a beginning nor an end.
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.
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
One similarity that exists in all major world religions is the importance placed on sexual intercourse and/or the lack of such actions. Some religions stress the procreative powers of sex as a symbol of its holiness, while others see sex as a method by which religious people channel the mystic powers of spiritual deities. Two religions, Christianity and Buddhism, both historically champion asceticism, and specifically celibacy, as the most enlightened and holy state of being. They do this, however, in two very different ways. Celibacy is revered in Christianity because of a long-standing anxiety of impurity and a great power imbued in sexual action, while Buddhism exalts celibacy’s unconditional departure from all finite attachments.
When growing up us as humans are given the right to choose what religion we want to follow. There are tons of different religions in this world. Many of these religions have similarities, but also quite a few differences. The two religions that will be discussed in this paper are Christianity and Buddhism. Two religions that worship one person, but in different ways.
Christians believe that when they die, they will go to heaven if they had lived according to will of God while in earth. The Buddha believes in rebirth after one dies and thus the patients see sickness and death as a stage in life where every person has to undergo through hence the patient in both religion see death not as the end but as a start of new life. Another similarity that exists between the Buddhism and Christianity religions is the moral precepts in Buddhism and commandments in Christianity. These moral codes in both religions help the patient to make choices on medical care given to him. In both religion for instance, procuring abortion is seen as murder and hence prohibited in both religions (Young & Koopsen, 2006).
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
Buddhism Christianity Comparison When comparing two of today’s religions they often have many similarities and differences in their teachings, and overall structure of the religion. Comparing the two religions of Buddhism and Christianity we start to see some similarities in their spiritual leaders, teachings, and their basic rules. These two religions also show major differences in the time they started, geographical location, and their deism. Even though these two religion were created in different time periods and different parts of the world, it is very surprising to see the amount of similarities that the two can have.
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
Buddhism and Christianity are both religions that have a substantial history and millions of dedicated followers throughout the world. In some ways, the two religions are similar, being based largely on the teachings of a single man; Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha in the case of Buddhism, and The Lord Jesus Christ in the case of Christianity. On the other hand there are various differences between these two religions.
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).
Every Religion believes in either a God(s), a leader, or supernatural forces. Unlike Christians who believe in Jesus Christ, is the divine savior of God, who died upon the cross to save others from their sins, Buddhists believe in an enlightened man referred to as Buddha. Buddha is believed to have lived between circa 563 to 483 BCE and believed to have taught in northeastern India. Buddha’s teachings are based upon his life, and provide guidance and support to his followers.
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
Another difference between the two religions is how each defines personhood. Christianity teaches of a state of eternal union with the Father, known as heaven. Buddhism on the other hand, teaches that nirvana does not include personhood. They believe that human beings are temporary figures to help one achieve nirvana only.