Buddhism

Self-Improvement without Christ

1. Exclusivity vs. Tolerance:

The first difference between Buddhism and Christianity is that Buddhism embraces Christianity as a valid religion whereas Christianity does not accept Buddhism. Buddhism is a religion that advocates tolerance. It teaches that all religions are different paths leading to one goal.

Christianity, however, teaches that Christ is the only way to God. John 14:6 says, "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"

Philosophically, it is impossible for religions with mutually-exclusive doctrines to be equally valid. Where we find contradiction, we must find error. Either Christ was wrong or He was right when He claimed to be the only path to God. It is simple logic, not spiritual elitism.

2. Re-incarnation:

Buddhists believe in reincarnation. The essence of reincarnation, crudely speaking, is: "Whatever goes around, comes back around"; and that which one does in this present life will have effect in the next life. People are reborn in new bodies either as lower life forms or higher life forms, until they "fix" their moral short-comings. This begs the question: "How can one fix in a second lifetime that which could not be fixed in an entire first lifetime?"

Answer from the Bible: "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." - Hebrews 9:27

When a person dies they go immediately to Heaven or immediately to Hell. Most will go to Hell. The Bible says regarding Heaven: "Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. - Mat.7:14

3. God versus No God:

Buddhism believes in No God!

However, Christianity believes in the One True God manifested in the flesh, the Lord Jesus Christ [John 1:1,14] [1 Timothy 3:16] [Isaiah 9:6] [Colossians 2:9].

"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good" - Psalm 14:1.

4. Man:

Buddhism teaches that personal self is an illusion. There is no "I" or "you" even now, and no soul or spirit of man that transcends this physical life. This view would seem to clash with their belief in the reincarnation cycle, but in explanation of this, they believe in being part of the energy of the whole cosmos of energy. Reincarnation involves a repackaging of the deceased host's previous energy into a different form.

Christianity speaks of a personal God knowing us as persons: "Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off" - Psalm 139:2. "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee" - Jeremiah 1:5. "Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in Thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them" - Psalm 139:16. "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints" - Psalm 116:15.

5. Morality:

Buddhism teaches that there is no moral right and wrong. Rightness and wrongness are merely subjective to them.

Christianity says: "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter" - Isaiah 5:20,21

"Shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. 17And their word will eat as doth a canker [gangrene]" - 2 Timothy 2:16:17

"It is written, Be ye holy; for I Am holy" - 1 Peter 1:16, and

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord" - Hebrews 12:14

"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. " - 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Is God's Morality Old-Fashioned? No, Mankind Has Become Immoral!

"I Am the Lord. I Change not" - Malachi 3:6.

"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever" - Hebrews 13:8.

6. Salvation

Buddhist branches prescribe various things as to the most effective path to enlightenment and how to possibly escape from the suffering of life and the cycle of death and rebirth. All hold to the centrality of adherence to the eightfold path laid out by Siddhartha Gautama of Nepal, the historical Buddha (448 BCE - 368 BCE) for the self-disciplined reshaping of one's thoughts, views, speech, and actions. As one ceases from personal desire and the illusion of self-existence, one attains to enlightenment, their Nirvana.

Buddha taught that the root of human suffering is ignorance.

A Good point -- An Half truth -- But ignorance of what?

--- IGNORANCE OF The Holy Bible: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee" - Hosea 4:6

The Bible teaches that the root of human suffering is sin and the devil!  "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil" [1 John 3:8]. The only salvation from sin is found in Christianity, which preaches that the penalty for our sin has already been paid by the death of the perfect manGod, the Lord Jesus Christ, on the cross. Not only did He die, but also Jesus arose bodily. His resurrection and subsequent sending of the Holy Spirit to indwell believers enables Christians to defeat death and to live as Jesus lives, walking in holiness. The truth of this teaching is confirmed by signs and wonders:

Mark 16:17,18 - "These signs shall follow them that believe; in My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues ... they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

Christianity preaches a divine commandment of perfect righteousness and that we are held accountable for our actions. To become a Christian is to accept the ultimate sacrifice of the risen Lord Jesus Christ for us to avoid the ultimate penalty of Hell. Only Christians, by virtue of the grace of the Holy Spirit of the true and living God, have the ability to fulfill the divine commandment, and to enter Heaven. All thanks be unto the Lord Jesus Christ!

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U N E N L I G H T E N E D

by Cole Richards

Buddhism is more than 2,500 years old, but it came to widespread prominence in Europe and the U.S. only about 50 years ago. Since then, Buddhist thought has become deeply rooted in American popular culture through music, books and films. Many Americans encounter the teachings of Buddhism's founder, Siddhartha Gautama, when seeking a way to empty themselves of desire and attachment while embracing peace of mind through meditation.

Gautama is called the Buddha (enlightened one) by his followers. The simple response God's Word gives to the notion of human enlightenment is that our Lord Jesus Christ is the true light and life. Without Him, there is only darkness and death (see John 1:1-13).

How enlightening is Buddhism? Having been a witness for Christ in Buddhist contexts both overseas and here in the U.S. for more than 20 years, I have come to view Buddhism practiced in the U.S. as a trick or illusion that contains just enough truth to provide false hope. Rather than offering its adherents truth with the power to save or set them free, it merely helps them marginally reduce the stress that overwhelms their peers who have succumbed to this world's strivings and vanity. Jesus sets us free for eternity.

While Buddhism in the West is darkness masquerading as light, a very different kind of Buddhism is widely practiced in parts of Nepal and throughout Tibet. The spiritist Buddhism in the part of the world where Gautama was born is not disguised as false light -- it openly reveals itself as the blackest darkness. There, Buddhists work to appease spirits whom they know to be evil.

When those of us who have served among Nepali and Tibetan Buddhists describe them as intentionally serving evil spirits and seeking to be filled with their power, it may sound to some as if we are overstating the religion's dangers. Sadly, however, our description is no exaggeration, and millions of lost Buddhists remain enslaved to evil throughout Nepal and Tibet.

People in the U.S., including Christians, are also astonished when we describe the persecution of Christians in these countries by Buddhists. But it is important to understand that children in these areas are forced to leave their families and enter Buddhist monasteries, that young adults who come to faith in Christ are disowned by their Buddhist parents, and that Christian families are driven from their homes in Buddhist areas. All of this is done explicitly to appease and court favor with evil spirits we know to be demons -- the fallen angels who, like their master, work only to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10).

The stories in this magazine (The Voice of the Martyrs, October 2020, www.persecution.com) help us understand the dark side of this supposedly "enlightened" belief system. And we hope they will encourage you to pray for our Christian brothers and sisters who are willing to pay any price to see Buddhists set free by the gospel's power.

Reincarnation  or  Hell

Hinduism vs. the Truth

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