which religion is the oldest: Christianity, Islam or Buddhism? And when did Buddhism come to Europe?

Question

I would also like to know how many years there is between the 3 religions!
Thank you to all who can help me!

Answer 1

Theravada Buddhism is the earliest/oldest of these three religions you asked about.
Theravada Buddhism began 500 yrs before the birth of Jesus. Mahayana, Tibetan Buddhism and Zen Buddhism began at the time of Jesus - the Christ of Christianity. There is a approximately a 500 yr period between each of these religions.
Buddhism spread to Europe and to the United States in the Nineteenth Century.

*Metta to all.

Answer 2

First of all, Buddhism is not a religion in the traditional sense, since according to Buddhism, God(s) either do not exist OR are irrelevant to man's goal of becoming enlightened.

Then the age thing:
Buddhism: around 5th century BC
Christiatnity: 0 or 33 AD
Islam: around 7th century AD

So, Buddhism is oldest, you can do the calculations yourself ;)

When did Buddhism come to Europe? Well, what do you mean with "Europe" and "coming to"? The Indian Emperor Ashoka already sent Buddhist emissaries to the West, so this happened even before Christ.

After that the Jesuits took some knowledge of Buddhism back to the West, in the form of Zen Budhism, but only in the 19th century did a more widespread interest arise, through intellectuals like Schopenhauer, Nietzsche and Thoreau. But real conversions to Buddhism only started taking place in the 20th century, the first of which under the patronage of a Zen Budhdist named Suzuki ROshi wo settled in San Fransisco.

Answer 3

If you define a religion as having a god or a set of gods, no. If you define a religion as holding respect for the divine, yes. The Buddha you recognize is fat and jovial because he has shed his worldly attachments, leaving him free of suffering. An important fact many western thinkers miss is that Siddhartha was a man and not a god. He was a teacher. I believe a philosophy is more encompassing than a religion. Two Christians may believe in the same god and the same book, but they can still have different philosophies about life. Depending on the branch or sect of Buddhism, there are different views on the existence of afterlife. To some, Nirvana is nothingness, an escape from the karmic cycle of rebirth. For others, it is like the western idea of Heaven.

Answer 4

By chronology, Buddhism is the oldest among the three that you mentioned. Then Christianity comes next, and Islam [or Mohammedanism] is the latest.

There is approximately 500-600 years between the times when the Prophets Buddha, Yeshua Messiah, and Mohammed [pbut] when they walked on Earth.

Hope that helps.

Peace be with you.

Answer 5

Buddhism was founded circa 500 BC, Christianity was founded circa 0, and Islam was founded circa 500 AD. Buddhism had spread to the Middle East by the time Jesus was born, not sure when it reached Europe...

- Banji Wa Yume -

Answer 6

Buddhism started -500 but mostly as a kind of wisdom, some think it was athiest, it turned into religion when it moved to china in the start of the common era. Islam according to Koran is the religion established by Ibrahim, which is go back to about -2000 which make it the oldest. even athiest think that muhammed took his religion from old ibrahimi, hanifi sources. but the final shape of Islam was formed around the 600/700.
as for saying that christianity and judaism cannot be seperated is a masonic rabbish. jews in talmud think that mary slept with an evil spirit to bring jesus.
judaism was formed around -1500/-1200, but its final rabinical form was established in the begining of the common era.
the hinduist veda go back to -1500 not -8000. some indian sects claim they go back for millions of years!
from a historical view buddhism is the oldest(-500). but according to content both buddhism and christianity are the oldest(0). but taking the ibrahimic theory, Islam would be the oldest(-2000).
is their buddhism in europ! they are probably small groups that were affected by the beatles trip to india in the late sixties.

Answer 7

Buddhism.

Answer 8

Judeo-Christianity is the oldest.
Islam was created over 800 years after Christ, and Buddhism began approx. 500 B.C. The Judeo-Christian religion (the two cannot be divorced- the latter is a culmination of the former and share the same history) began at Creation approximately 4000 B.C.
Different religions didn't appear until the first few centuries after the Flood approximately 2400 B.C., and they were primarily Sun-worship, based upon the deification of Nimrod, Noah's great-grandson. All pagan religions today are some form of either Sun-Worship (Nimrod-worship), female-worship (Semiramis-worship [wife of Nimrod]), or self-worship.

Answer 9

Buddhism- It probably didn't really get to Europe until the 20th century!

Answer 10

Buddhism is the oldest, then Christianity and then Islam check this web site is really helpful


http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/