Can you be Catholic and Buddhist?

Question

Tell me why specifically!

Answer 1

The Buddhist won’t mind if you are Catholic. Catholics however are way to pious to accept most forms of Buddhism. Catholics may be a little more open to Zen Buddhism. Some forms of Buddhism have many deities. Where Catholics have only one, and he does not like others. In Zen Buddhism, God is optional. It has no deity of its own, therefore you are free to worship God.

Answer 2

There are some Catholic monks, Thomas Merton, for example, who have invited Buddhist monks to teach them some meditation techniques. The exchange between Catholics and Buddhists have been to find common ground and learn from each other. However, one does not become both at the same time. A good Catholic can appreciate some of the good things a Buddhist can teach him without converting to Buddhism.

Answer 3

No. These two faiths are in opposition to each other.

Catholics are monotheists;they believe in one God. They are one of the many categories of Messianic Judaism found in the world today (although most Catholics are Gentiles, the religion has its roots in Messianic Judaism).They believe that each person is a unique individual, born in a sinful state, needing redemption from the saviour, Jesus Christ. That salvation puts the individual into a right relationship with the one God, and secures a place in God's kingdom in the afterlife. Repentence and spiritual renewal are mandatory, as are obedience to the commands of God (and a host of other things). The salvation and spiritual renewal are gifts recieved from God, not something a person can earn, but they do come with responsibilities.

Buddhism is an offshoot of Hinduism, with easily 3,000 deities. It teaches that each person is actually a soul that is constantly migrating from one body to another (reincarnation). The human you see was probably an ape before being born as a human, and perhaps an ox before that, and a dog before that, etc. Through all of these migrations, the soul constantly seeks "enlightenment", or the key to the freedom from its earthly prison. When the human has lived a good enough life (as a monk! nobody else is good enough), they may finally earn enlightenment, and be reunited with the All Soul (Brahaman). No salvation is necessary, but bad deeds will put your soul back down into a lesser category of being (animal instead of human), and hold you on the earth that much longer.

Any questions?

Answer 4

You can't.

In its purest form, buddhism is more a philosophy than a religion, and could be compatible with other religious beliefs and practices. Practically, it is rarely so pure, even though religious buddhism has syncretized with several other systems that are still existant : see Japanese or Chinese religion for this.

However, Buddhism rests on some fundamental beliefs that go contrary to christianity (not only the catholic branch), like belief in reincarnation, renouncing and rejecting the world which the bible tells us is God's creation, and aspiring for nirvana rather than for heavenly paradise.

So you can't be a christian and a buddhist at the same time. It is conceivable that you might conceive a system combining traits of both, and trying to reconcile contradictions, but such a system would definitely be regarded as a heresy by Rome, most likely as not even christian by other branches of christianity, and might or might not be regarded as a branch of buddhism by those believing in it.

Answer 5

I think the Buddhists probably don't have a problem with that, because the Buddhist tradition does not consider itself to be exclusive to other faiths, and endorses all philosophies and faiths that promote peace.

However, I don't think the Catholic Church would go for that.

So you can, sure. But will the Catholics accept that? Hard to say.

Answer 6

Mother Teresa was Catholic and Hindu. I don't quite understand how that works though. Maybe when she said she was a Hindu she was referring to the culture rather than the religion.
I always thought Gandhi was a Christian and a Hindu because he lived a better Christian life through studying the Bible then many in America. Martin Luther King learned about non-violent resistance from him.
Sorry I can't be more specific.
I think it is why I respect people of other faiths. Someone I know is Jewish and when I talk with him about spiritual things I feel that we both share a knowing about God. I know that Jesus does not want us to judge and in the end God who reads the hearts of men knows who are His.
peace and goodwill

Answer 7

Absolutely, both religions are based on good works. Although Catholics house their beliefs in "salvation by faith" rhetoric, Catholics believe that works are necessary for salvation. Buddhist believe good works are the way to enlightenment. Both believe in meditation and rituals. They are natural bedfellows

Answer 8

of course. you can believe in the Bible, and lik the catholic doctrines, but live a busddhist way of life in terms of mediation and so forth. and if there are buddhist services on different days then you go to church, you can go to both.

Answer 9

Buddhists believe Heaven and Hell are states of mind, whereas Catholics believe Hell is a firey pit. There are many truths in Buddhism, anyways, and you should follow those as far as your Catholicism will allow.

Answer 10

No, although you can espouse some of the Buddhist values, because they are Christ-like.
Reason? You can't serve two masters. Either you serve God and Christ, or you don't. End of story.