My son has has a friend who is says he is Budduist and Christian. He was raised a buddist, but was baptised into the Christian faith as well. It just kinda threw me for loop. Talk about a melting pot. I said whichever you practice is your religion. But it left me a little confused. Does one have to choose between the two?
2006-10-19 04:20:21 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Actually Buddah was a person, not a "God", he was a man who pretty much sat under a tree until his own butt rotted out, literally. He had great ideas and philosophy, but I dont understand how anyone can be BOTH Buddah and Christian.
I find that offensive actually.
I know that God specifically tells us in the Bible to put no other "God's" before him, not to worship a false idol...so IF someone is a Christian HOW can they be ANYTHING else?
It does not make sense.
Does one have to choose between the two? Well, according to the Bible, yes.
2006-10-19 04:31:46 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 3⤋
Some people think that Jesus was an incarnation of the Buddha. Or that he spent a substantial part of his adult life (there's a significant gap in the Christian canon -- it just doesn't say anything about what he was doing from age 12-30 (or thereabouts) studying Eastern religions. There are enough similarities between Jesus' teachings and Buddhism that they can make an argument for their case. (Please note that this is specifically for Jesus' teachings, not later interpretations, including Paul.)
Fundamentalist Christians will say that you have to choose. And since Buddhism is about non-attachment and fundamentalists are by definition severely attached to their deity, the two just aren't going to work together. But there are lots of other ways of being Christian.
Can you ask your son's friend what being a Buddhist means to him? And being a Christian as well. Buddhism is flexible enough that it's very possible. As a parallel example, there are strong and deep connections between American Buddhism and contemporary Judaism. My rabbi teaches meditation to other rabbis and my zen master was just tickled that I was sitting zazen as a Jewish practice. We had some great conversations about the possibility that G-d was meditating on the seventh day.
2006-10-19 04:59:28 · answer #2 · answered by The angels have the phone box. 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No a person cannot be Buddhist and Christian.
God said:"You shall have no other gods before Me."
Exodus 20:3
There are many other scriptures that address this subject. My suggestion to you would be to study the bible for your self, and include your son and his friend in a bible study. Ask questions, check answers against the Word of God
And remember that there is a difference between a religion and a relationship. Christianity is a relationship with Christ.
Hope this helps.
2006-10-19 04:36:10 · answer #3 · answered by redeemed 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The beliefs of Budhism and Christianism, in its cosmological aspect are irreconciliable, why? let me explain:
Budhism teaches that there is nothing real and that the universe and its phenomena are an illusion, that the "self" as you perceive it is an illusion too that has no intrinsec reality, and that when you die, your "self" will be over, finito, caput, zipped, etc. You, the only "you" you know will actually end, but your essence will reborn into something or someone else with a different "self"
The goal of Budhism is to escape this wheel of rebirths and awaken to "nirvana" which litterally means: "To be put out"
Bascially what this is, is to seek to be extinguished, to stop absolutely everything, to stop being born over and over. To be nothing! Yes, that is what it is.
We christians believe that there is a personal and inmanent God that created the visible and invisible, qwe believe in the inmortality of the soul and the possibility of eternal life with the direct vision of God in a supreme state of ebing called "heaven"
Just because of this, is impossible to be both, either you believe that you will live forever in heaven as yourself, or you believe that your "self" will die and that behind this illusion called reality there is actually nothing, and that there is no heaven to go to.
As i said, diametrically opposite.
Besides, Budha was a person, not a God, and is not regarded as a god, not even by his followers. His is a philosophy, not a religion "per se".
I hope I helped you.
2006-10-19 04:52:59 · answer #4 · answered by Dominicanus 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It depends. Buddhism is a religion with many aspects to it, some of which are counter Christian, others are not. However, almost all aspects of Buddhism are included in some versions, and not others. It's possible to recognize Buddha as a very smart man who said many profound things and lived a righteous life to the best of his ability... in other words, to call him a "saint." But anywhere that Buddha and Christianity would seem to be in conflict, the question is which do you choose, and on what basis. That is what answers how much of each you are.
2006-10-19 04:25:25 · answer #5 · answered by Sifu Shaun 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Western Buddhism tends to be a philosophy whose ideals are not that different from Christianity's. I don't see any conflict. Google around and check out the Eightfold Path--not too far off from the Ten Commandments; aspects such as right mindfulness could certainly be applied to the Christian God.
2006-10-19 04:38:07 · answer #6 · answered by angk 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
i do not truly care what faith or conception someone follows. i like to communicate about what human beings believe or disbelieve notwithstanding it doesn't result how i think about that man or woman. anybody might want to be loose to believe what they decide on. i don't think of all of us feels the very similar or thinks a similar. we are all so unique and we each and every have our personal personal reports that effect those beliefs. Love & basic Sharon One Planet = One human beings
2016-12-05 00:11:36 · answer #7 · answered by gerrit 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Buddha was just a man and nothing near to God. I consider Buddhism as a philosophy and not a religion.
2006-10-19 04:33:21 · answer #8 · answered by Screwdriver 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
How old is your son? Perhaps the person grew up in a buddhist household but then chose to follow Jesus instead. It happens with muslims, etc. all the time. Now, if you are saying that the person is both then there is no way you can TRULY follow Jesus and still be buddhist because Salvation comes from Jesus and we are to follow his teachings.
2006-10-19 04:23:51 · answer #9 · answered by Light 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
No, baptisism does not make you a Christian, the belief and Christ does, also, one can not serve two masters, you can only serve God Almighty or Satan (Christianity or other *false* religions).
2006-10-19 04:31:27 · answer #10 · answered by JesusFreak 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋