Buddhism vs. Christianity

What do Buddhist believe?

Came from a man named Siddhartha Gautama, who explored and learned from all the vast religions of India.

He pendulum swung from extreme devotion to gods, to severe ascetic practices, until he discovered the Middle Way.

His belief has a foundation in the recognition of the samsara cycle and karma.

In Hinduism, you earn karma by serving the roles and law of the caste your born into.

Buddhism essentially believes that recognizing the truth of his teachings and how they apply to your actions is what determines the positive or negative value of your karma.

His teachings can be best summed up in the four Noble Truths.

First Noble Truth- all is suffering. We suffer because we rely on things. Everything is temporary, nothing is everlasting, not even your soul.

Second Noble Truth- We are born into a cycle of relying and craving things to fill our needs. This reliance leads to our suffering.

Third Noble Truth- Gaining control of the desire one has, by fully understanding suffering and the impermanence of everything leads to the end of rebirth.

Fourth Noble Truth- Most people will not reach this state, therefore follow the Eightfold path (right livelihood, speech, action, energy, concentration, mindfulness, thought, and wisdom) will lead to a better future life where you might obtain enlightenment.

How does a Christian Respond?

The third school of thought says that the beginning of this world and of life is inconceivable since they have neither beginning nor end. Buddhism is in accordance with this third school of thought. Bertrand Russell supports this school of thought by saying, 'There is no reason to suppose that the world had a beginning at all. The idea that things must have a beginning is really due to the poverty of our thoughts.'

There is no one origin of the universe, meaning there is no eternal being.

Christianity recognizes there is one God, who is eternal and creator. (Gen 1:1, John 1:1-5)

Suffering is the result of sin. (Gen 1:31, Rom 6:21-23)

Buddhism states that all suffering exists because of desire and reliance on impermanent things.

God made a good universe and it is sin that has corrupted it and corrupted our desire.

Christianity points out that the issue is that we desire the creation and not God. We worship things made and not the Maker.

Salvation cannot be achieved through good works. (Rom. 6:21-23)

There is no true hope in Buddhism, do enough good and maybe you might eventually be born into a life where you can achieve enlightenment.

The Bible looks at us and shows us that our actions are sinful. There is no amount of merit we can achieve, thus it must be by the grace of God that we are saved. (Rom 6:17)