What is a Christian's View/Opinion of Buddhism?

Answer 1

it's very funny to see how ignorant some christians are about other religions..and yet they proudly condemn and say sarcastic things,thus exhibiting nothing but their own ignorance!myself being a Buddhist,i took the trouble to read the Bible and also gather a lot of information about other religions as well since i don't want to portray myself as an uneducated fool.

1.Buddhism doesn't let you do whatever you want...if we do harmful things we ourselves will face consequences of appropriate magnitude....but true,we aren't threatened by fiery pits looming ahead of us if we "don't have faith" in Lord Buddha because he's not a God and he's not going to save us.he's not "watching over" us...

3.the deity and worshipping point---

*there are two types of Buddhism-Theravada and Mahayana.Theravada is the purest for of Buddhism==it concentrates TOTALLY on the teachings of Buddha.it's from Mahayana that the worshipping thing originated.they are man made.Buddha never told anyone to worship him like the Chrstian God has told people to pray.

*the Buddhist "praying" is different from the christian praying..i answered another Q on this..i will copy that answer onto this====

there are Buddhist temples with Buddha statues,Bodhi trees and Dhagabs(if u have ever seen a Buddhist temple u might have noticed a dome like srtucture that's pointed at the top)

Buddhists worship these

(1) Buddha statues-because they are meant to personify Lord Buddha (he's not considered as a deity-he was a mortal man)

(2)Bodhi trees ("Bodhi" is the name of that type of trees)-because it was a Bodhi tree that Lord Buddha sat underneath when he was meditating to get enlightened

(3) Dhagabs-because each Dhagab contains something that belonged to Lord Buddha that has been preserved with great effort over the years e.g. the most major temple in Sri Lanka contains a sacred tooth..some contain one hair of his etc

the difference is,when we worship,it's not really "worship".we do not pray to Lord Buddha to forgive us our sins (he's dead and gone'not "watching over us".we're on our own.and if we have done something wrong,no one can undo it or free us of our sins).our worship consists of reminding ourselves of his teachings.

the most basic worship would be saying to oneself

*i shall refrain from killing any living creature (this does not mean only humans)
*i shall refrain from stealing
*i shall refrain from engaging in inappropriate sexual conduct
*i shall refrain from telling lies
*i shall refrain from consuming intoxicants====most Buddhists engage in this short reminder daily.i do myself.

the longer worships would consist of repeating to ourselves more and more of his teachings.it is done in the Pali language so it may sound like a "prayer" to people who do not understand.

so u see,it's more a reminder...it's to make this reminder effective that we do it in front of a Buddha statue so we will be surrounded by a Buddhist atmosphere.oh and why we physically bow down and worship is because we respect him for what he taught us.it's got nothing to do with being a deity.Buddhists worship their parents and other elders as well.we are taught to stand up when a teacher comes to the class room and not to remain seated if an elder is standing without a place to sit etc..it's a way of showing respect

Answer 2

If I was a Christian, I would be embarrased to read these petty posts from Christians slandering Buddhism. Showing how ignorant you are about the religion you slander isn't something to be proud of. I'll briefly straigten out some of these ridiculous comments.

Buddhists don't believe Jesus is our savior or that he is the son of God. Therefore, the first commandment in your religion is irrelevant to Buddhists (and all non-Christians for that matter).
Jesus is not our God or spiritual leader, so please don't push him on us.

Buddhists believe the Buddha has attained enlightenment and teaches us the path to the same. Buddhists don't get a free ticket to heaven, they have to earn it. There isn't any punishment for being a "non-believer", as their is in Christianity. Actions alone determine your Karma. It is a tolerant religion that doesn't create "God-fearing" fundamentalist who lurk around websites devoted to other religions to slander them like the people who made these posts.


Buddhism doesn't teach that you can do what ever you want without consequences. Whoever wrote that obviously knows nothing about Buddhism or Karma.

Answer 3

Buddhism rightly points out that there is a relationship between this suffering in all of its forms and selfishness, but it is not able to offer an explanation as to why these things are as they are. Christianity provides us with the answer to this question: Adam and Even fell, bringing the curse upon all of mankind, along with suffering and death.


.Jesus Christ is the answer for which Buddha was looking. Jesus provides the answers to all of the questions that Buddha pondered. Buddha sought the answer in Hinduism, because he did not know where else to look for answers. But about 480 years after the time of Buddha's death, Jesus was born. Redemption came to all of humanity through His death and resurrection about 33 years later. This redemption from the effects of the fall included redemption from sin, disease, pain, aging, and death. If the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in us, He will quicken our mortal bodies, raising us to newness of life, both spiritually and physically.
Because of its clear understanding of the true condition of fallen mankind, Buddhism provides one of the clearest evidences for the truth of the Christian revelation. It would not have been surprising at all if, had Buddha had met Christ, he would have become a Christian. Buddha understood man's dilemma, and he knew man needed to be freed from selfishness and death. Confronting Christ, he would probably have recognized immediately that he was beholding the very redemption for which he yearned and of which he had perhaps had a foretaste.
Of course, there are major differences between Buddhism and Christianity. Buddhism is certainly indifferent to any personal creator. According to Buddhism, creation was the result of some primordial ignorance and willfulness incomprehensible to us. This negative view of creation stems from the realization of the reality of suffering in the created world. Christianity also acknowledges the depth of this suffering, but recognizes that it is due to man's fall. Prior to the fall, all that had been created was good. Thus, Christianity affirms the goodness of creation and the goodness of the God who created the universe, while Buddhism stumbles at this point.

Answer 4

I've read all the "other" posts to this subject, and apart from my own personal belief that ALL religions cater for the unthinking person, I just wanted to make ONE comment about Christianity. You don't have to agree with me, but just THINK about it:-

The most devastating critique of Christianity (in 15 volumes) happened in about the year 270AD (or CE, if you prefer). It was by a philosopher named Porphyry. Summarising those 15 volumes, he demonstrated that the Christian gospels were full of inconsistencies, exaggerations, impossibilities, and falsehoods, thus could not have been "inspired" by the only TRUE God. He derided the belief in the physical resurrection as materialistic and absurd. He considered it vulgar and ignorant for ANYONE to believe that this great and beautiful cosmos would perish in an apocalypse while his own insignificant physical body would be preserved by God for eternity, just because he "believed". For Porphyry, promising any criminal that he would be absolved and enter paradise as long as he was baptised before he died undermined the very foundations of an organised society of decent and intelligent human beings. Not surprisingly, when the Roman Empire became Christian, Porphyry's works were promptly banned, and consigned to the flames.

And for the last 1,737 years....the gullible have been blindly following one (or more) versions of the same ridiculous story.

Answer 5

Buddhism can fill in a lot of blanks. The Christian scriptures don't go into a lot of details. Buddhism has lots of detail. Lots of answers. Not everyone is blessed with a lot of Faith.

I understand that there are some Christians that fell away from their faith, went and practiced Buddhism, were led by Buddhist practice to realize the truths of Christianity, and came back stronger than ever.

I have heard this before.

Answer 6

I just started to understand / know Buddhism, and am amazed by the stories of Buddha.
Yes, he left his family in the middle of night, but what he did was under his serious consideration. He knows that his son and wife will be taken good care of my his servants and father. He said he will come back after he has done his work, and indeed he did come back to his mansion. His wife and each member of the family are always within him. He loves them ALL. How can we say "I love you" but sorry, I do NOT know how to let you happy? Buddha wants to let people know WHY they come to this earth, and how to become a happy person in this earth.
He, himself, was not happy even he is the prince, he has everything... what's the point of going to Heaven if we are not happy in our own hearts?
Christianity teaches me "trust and believe in GOD, and HE will make the best arrangement for you"
Buddha teaches me "do your own hard work... because only you and yourself can find the true happiness"
From now on, I start my work in searching for the true happiness...

Answer 7

My view is that Buddha is a historical figure who developed a school of philosophy after he became disenchanted with the Hindu religion. I don't believe as some Buddhists claim that the "spirit" of Buddha is being reincarnated over and over again in different people down through the ages. I believe that he died and went to the grave and his spirit went to God only knows where but not to inhabit another body here on earth. Jesus is the only man who ever died and rose from the dead and now lives forever.

Acts 2:25 For David says concerning him, "'I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; 26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. 27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. 28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.'

29 "Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.

Answer 8

It is to see the 4 noble truths and come to the great noble eightfold path. Buddhism has answers for all the pain we undergo in our life.

Answer 9

an atheistic religion centered around the belief that all natural life is suffering, and therefore man must attain a perfect spiritual life in order to enter to the buddha state of consciousness. Buddhists burn incense and pray to lord buddha, though they do not see him as a deity. buddhists also apparently believe in reincarnation. buddhism teaches to be peaceful and only use violence as a last resort. followers go to abuddhist temple, and apparently have statues of lord buddha in their homes. that's basically all I know.

what do I think of it? don't agree with it. I do not feel that buddha is the way, I only feel there is One Way, and that religions shouldn't be so open to every ideology. there is no point for good and evil to exist if all are correct. and sorry, but I think it's a little ironic to burn incense to buddha and then say he's just an enlightened man.

Answer 10

My opinion of Christianity is that it has some very interesting aspects and makes a strong argument, but that different things in it make no logical sense to my inner self. Also, it is too restrictive. If there was a God, why would he make it so people HAD to worship him to get to heaven? Was he so self-absorbed that he felt it was the only way? Why would a Compassionate all-powerful and forgiving being create so much suffering? So much restriction from the logic he gave us?