Preview

Compare and Contrast Buddhism and Christianity

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1311 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Compare and Contrast Buddhism and Christianity
Religion is one of the oldest and most sacred traditions of the human species. Religion started off as a basic belief in an afterlife, and then further developed into tribal religions, which evolved into ancestral worship, then to polytheism, and lastly into monotheism. Monotheism in the form of Christianity is the largest religion of the modern world, and it has similar beliefs to other world religions such as Buddhism. Christianity and Buddhism are similar because both religions teach about the equality of people and that making good choices reflects the positive teachings of that religion. They are also similar in how they formed, as both broke off from another religion that was exclusive, and both became popular and spread easily because they were inclusive to all people. These religions are different because of the locations in which they developed, beliefs in a different afterlife, and the different lives of Jesus and Buddha.
Christianity and Buddhism have similar beliefs in that all people are created equal, and that each religion teaches people how to make good decisions that honor their God or Gods. Both of the religions have basic tenants that set forth their beliefs. In Buddhism there are the Four Noble Truths and the 8-Fold Path, and in Christianity there are the 10 Commandments. Each of these beliefs is a set of laws that tell followers of the religion about the equality of people and how to make the choices to live a pure life. Both religions broke off from already powerful and widely accepted exclusive religions in order to provide salvation to everyone. Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) founded Buddhism from Hinduism because he was unhappy with the exclusivity of Hindus. In Buddhism, one can still believe in the same Gods but doesn’t have to be in the top class to be saved as was the case with Hinduism. Likewise in Christianity, Jesus was born into a Jewish family, who God said were the chosen people, but he left because he said he was the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Christianity and Buddhism are two different religions that developed and spread contemporaneously in during the Classical Period different territories. Both of them share some similarities as well as differences. Both of these religions were founded based upon different principles taught by different people; in Buddhism’s case Gautama Buddha a thinker and in Christianity’s it is Jesus Christ who is a prophet. These two universal doctrines spread in times of chaos, in which citizens of their own territories were looking forward to achieve salvation of any kind. Although alike these two doctrines didn’t have a same concept of what is divinity is nor they spread in the same societies. In Buddhism they started spreading in the Indian society and for Christianity in the Mediterranean society conquered by Rome. Both of these religions were the most influential and important doctrines which spread during the Classical Period.…

    • 925 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Buddhism and Hinduism originate from the same area, India. Them two are extremely centered around nature, the things around them, however they both put stock in a few hells and sky, or higher and lower universes. They both have confidence in karma which is the influence a man's activities in this life will change his next life. Another point is that both religions concentrate on peace, and peacefulness towards every single living thing. They are merciful, which ties into their attention on nature. Buddhism and Hinduism likewise put stock in different otherworldly practices, for example, contemplation, fixation, and perspectives. Craving is the biggest reason for anguish in both of the religions. Another similarity is they both put stock in…

    • 206 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Jesus Buddha Paper

    • 1156 Words
    • 1 Page

    Christianity and Buddhism share some similar teachings as a result of the ethical code by…

    • 1156 Words
    • 1 Page
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Buddhism and Christianity had several similarities in how they diffused. However, they each had different roots and beliefs. Buddhism began in India in the late sixth century B.C.E, while Christianity began several centuries later in Israel and started spreading from Jerusalem. Buddhism shared some beliefs with Hinduism and soon became rooted in China. Meanwhile, Christianity shared roots…

    • 415 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hinduism and Buddhism are two of the most dominant and profound religions around the world. Both religions have similar foundations and philosophies that began in India before the Common Era. (Citation?) They are among the top five major religions in the world.(Citation?) Hinduism is the third highest ranked organized religion and has been around much older than Buddhism. Since Buddhism evolved from Hinduism, they are very similar, but they are two different faiths, with different sets of beliefs and interpretations on life and enlightenment(Citation?). They have survived for centuries and are still widely practiced around the globe.…

    • 449 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Buddhism vs Christianity

    • 893 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Despite surface level non-scholarly analogies, Buddhism and Christianity have inherent and fundamental differences at the deepest levels, beginning with monotheism's place at the core of Christianity and Buddhism's orientation towards non-theism and its rejection of the notion of a creator deity which runs counter to teachings about God in Christianity; and extending to the importance of Grace in Christianity against the rejection of interference with Karma in Theravada Buddhism, etc.[4][5][6]…

    • 893 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Buddhism differed from Christianity in what the religions offered converts. When these religions appeared, they offered different things for the people as a reason to join. For Buddhism, the current religions in India were Hinduism or Vedic, and Buddhism offered a peaceful different solution from the other religions. It was also liked because they did not sacrifice animals like some religions did then. In the beginning of Christianity, it was difficult to be a convert because places like Rome would stone…

    • 471 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Possibly Hinduism, and in turn, Buddhism have their origins in the Vedic age. Even though Buddhism is an offshoot of the Hindu religion, not much is the same between these great world religions. For example, Hindus worship many deities, and Buddhists worship one deity, the Buddha, or his teachings. The writings’ of both religions are similar in that they both talk about their teachings.…

    • 362 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Though each religion gained government support, Buddhism gained the support of Ashoka, and Christianity gained Constantine's support. Also, Christianity was a reaction to Judaism, while Buddhism was a reaction to Hinduism. Each religion had its own individual representatives, as well. Gautama inspired Buddhism, while Jesus inspired Christianity. These religions had their own attitudes to the world and its doing. Buddhism places an emphasis on misery, while Christianity stressed sins, and they each had different teaching on how to deal with these miseries and sins; this lead to different views on how to lead a holy life and on the intervention of divine forces. To achieve holiness in Buddhism one had to free oneself of desire, by following the Eight Fold Path. In Christianity, to achieve holiness one had to free oneself of…

    • 339 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Destiny - The greatest difference between Buddhism and Christianity lies with the belief in destiny. Christianity teaches an afterlife of a literal heaven or hell. Buddhists do not believe in an afterlife but rather in karma, which based on your present day good or bad actions will have an affect on your next…

    • 281 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Christianity and Buddhism are both religions that affected masses of people. Their origins are both offshoots from older religions. Christianity is an offshoot from Judaism and Buddhism is an offshoot from Hinduism. Buddhism originated in Nepal, India in 536 B.C.E., while Christianity originated in the Roman Provence of Judea around 33 A.D. Through 500 B.C.E. to 600 A.D. Buddhism spread from east India to the northern and western parts of the country. Eventually it was spread upwards in Asia and then eastward down the Silk Road and south to nearby islands. Christianity spread from Judea upwards at first and then eventually to all around the Mediterranean Sea in its beginning stages. Christianity went on to be the dominant religion of the world, but both religions are alive and influential today.…

    • 609 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are many religions in the world and they each have thousands of followers. Even though they all have something that they believe in; each religion varies. Buddhism and Hinduism have both have a form of rebirth, but they have different opinions on the caste system and the idea of having a god or gods.…

    • 1250 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Buddhism and Christianity

    • 358 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Whereas Buddhism was based upon the self-motivated search for liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth, Christianity was a monotheistic religion that focused on the idea of Good vs. Evil and judgment at the end of one’s life by the one and only true god. These ideas both pleased the people within the regions in which they emerged, but were nonetheless very different. While Buddhism was characterized by meditation, karma, and nirvana, Christianity had a sharper political and social edge due to the fact that Jesus was associated with the impure. The ideologies of Buddhism and Christianity had differing perspectives on the duties of their followers.…

    • 358 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Christianity vs Buddhism

    • 1419 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The concept of God within Christianity differs depending on the angle one chooses to look upon it. The Trinitarian concept of god breaks it down into 3 separate parts all of which are acting in unison. The first part is God; the father in this form god is a loving father figure who acts like a loving parent who has his children’s best interest at heart. In the second part God, the son he is Jesus a son of god who was sent to our world to die for all of our sins. In the last form God is the Holy Spirit this is his final and current form currently on our planet keeping our planet in balance until Jesus returns to earth to call his people home. The three different forms of god are seen as godhead for three different persons within the same eternal being.…

    • 1419 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Buddhism and Catholicism

    • 1035 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Buddhism and Catholicism are two main world religions that great populations believe in. Catholicism and Buddhism differ in teachings as well as holy books, life after death or reincarnation, and forgiveness of one’s sins. . They differ greatly in their belief systems, yet have similarities in the time they established their churches as well as the spirit of their followers.…

    • 1035 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics