Christian Worldview
Critical Thinking
Let us ponder about how other religions worldviews relate to the Biblical worldview. There are three main areas or types of worldviews, Pantheists (Hinduism, Buddhism), Secularism (naturalism), and Theism (Christianity, Islam, Judaism). I will answer 5 basic questions on just one of the non-Christian worldviews and then compare it to the Biblical worldview. Part one will be about Buddhism and part two will compare Buddhism and the Biblical worldview. The questions to be answered are:
1. The Question of Origin. 2. The Question of Identity. 3. The Question of Meaning/Purpose. 4. The Question of Destiny.
Part One
The Buddhist people are a peaceful people with a simple worldview, but it is quite interesting. First let me give you a short background on their religious history so that you may understand how they get their worldview. Siddhartha Gautama who was a sheltered, well off child, founded Buddhism. His father did not want him to see the suffering of the less fortunate people of the village had so he tried to hide it from him by building a wall around their home. However, once he was an adult he got to see out side the gate and saw the plight of the common people and had questions and doubts about the Hindu belief. He left home and started his search for the answers to those question and doubts. For several years searched until he was finally enlightened and found Nirvana and changed his name to Buddha. He had found his four truths.[i] The four truths of Buddhism and the Eightfold path are simple. The four truths are (1) suffering is life, (2) the cause of suffering is desire, (3) to stop suffering one must stop desire, and (4) the way to stop desire is the Eightfold Path. The Eightfold Path is comprised of 8 virtues: right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right awareness, right meditation, right understanding, and right thoughts. These simple truths and path is the basis for the
Let us ponder about how other religions worldviews relate to the Biblical worldview. There are three main areas or types of worldviews, Pantheists (Hinduism, Buddhism), Secularism (naturalism), and Theism (Christianity, Islam, Judaism). I will answer 5 basic questions on just one of the non-Christian worldviews and then compare it to the Biblical worldview. Part one will be about Buddhism and part two will compare Buddhism and the Biblical worldview. The questions to be answered are:
1. The Question of Origin. 2. The Question of Identity. 3. The Question of Meaning/Purpose. 4. The Question of Destiny.
Part One
The Buddhist people are a peaceful people with a simple worldview, but it is quite interesting. First let me give you a short background on their religious history so that you may understand how they get their worldview. Siddhartha Gautama who was a sheltered, well off child, founded Buddhism. His father did not want him to see the suffering of the less fortunate people of the village had so he tried to hide it from him by building a wall around their home. However, once he was an adult he got to see out side the gate and saw the plight of the common people and had questions and doubts about the Hindu belief. He left home and started his search for the answers to those question and doubts. For several years searched until he was finally enlightened and found Nirvana and changed his name to Buddha. He had found his four truths.[i] The four truths of Buddhism and the Eightfold path are simple. The four truths are (1) suffering is life, (2) the cause of suffering is desire, (3) to stop suffering one must stop desire, and (4) the way to stop desire is the Eightfold Path. The Eightfold Path is comprised of 8 virtues: right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right awareness, right meditation, right understanding, and right thoughts. These simple truths and path is the basis for the