Preview

Similarities Between Christianity And Buddhism

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
376 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Similarities Between Christianity And Buddhism
Some of the important similarities between Christianity and Buddhism in the Classical World are that they both have a single founder of the religion, Prince Siddhartha Gautama ( Buddha or Enlightened One) founded Buddhism, and Jesus introduced Christianity. Christianity and Buddhism both appealed to women and peasants, and taught the spiritual equality between all believers. Buddhism attracted those suppressed by the caste system. Another important similarity is that both faiths gained more followers outside their places of origin. Christianity began in southwest Asia and spread from Middle East into North Africa, Turkey, and Europe. Christianity remains dominant religion to this day in Europe. Buddhism, on the other hand, began in South Asia and spread across the Indian Ocean, and by the Silk Road from India to China. Christianity and Buddhism spread by the work of …show more content…
Buddhism has a concept that someone has to work for his or hers salvation to reach nirvana, while people have the gift of salvation from Jesus if they accept him as their savior. Another important difference between the faiths is that the main teachings of Buddhism and Christianity were different, Buddhism told to follow Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path to reach nirvana and end suffering, while Christianity had 10 commandments and faith in God’s son Jesus to reach salvation. Also Buddhism teaches the idea of the cycle of birth and rebirth and reincarnation, while Christianity teaches that people have one life- one chance.
Factors that account for the differences between Christianity and Buddhism indicated in part b are that Christianity was formed from Judaism, and Buddhism derived from Hinduism. Christianity is a monotheistic religion- believing in one god, while Buddhism is polytheistic religion- believing in many

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • 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
  • 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
  • Good Essays

    Europe’s Christianity was similar to China’s Buddhism because they both had ways of teaching and spreading their religion. In China there were several Monasteries where monks would teach Buddhism to others. Also Buddhism was taken with merchants who practiced Buddhism to all the places they traveled and they would teach it. Additionally, Buddhism was practiced among the elite government officials so it had a big…

    • 452 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good 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
  • Good Essays

    Christianity and Buddhism are two very different religions. It's not surprising how they diffused and spread from one place, class, or person took different turns. Christianity began covertly, with secret cults and meetings; while Buddhism, from the beginning, agreed with the native religion, allowing it to be accepted in society and spread through monasteries and schools. However, they both did become incredibly popular and proliferate. There are multiple arguments that can be taken on to explain the differences in diffusion during this time period. Politically, Christianity posed a greater threat to the Jews than the Buddhists to the Hindus. Economics also played a role; Buddhism had the silk roads to travel and spread through. Religiously, Christianity and Buddhism were able to eventually appeal to multiple classes. It is observed that while both began ascetically, they evolved to fit the religious needs of different social classes and degrees of wealth.…

    • 761 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good 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

    Emerging during the classical period, Buddhism and Christianity are both similar and different in many ways.…

    • 339 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Buddhism is a religious group that differs broadly from other groups in America. The difference is eminent in the way they carry out various practice. Some examples are worship, beliefs, culture, doctrines, and in other routine practices. Buddhism, unlike other religious groups, believes in the existence of only one Supreme Being ‘God’. In contrast to most groups, Buddhism spirituality is of personal discipline rather than faith in ‘God’. A lot of differences may be present when attempting to draw a comparison between…

    • 913 Words
    • 4 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

    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
  • Satisfactory Essays

    1. In both Buddhism and Hinduism the goal is to reach bliss otherwise know as Enlightenment or Moksha. Both Buddhist and Hindus try to accumulate as much positive karma possible. They both believe in reincarnation and believe all suffering comes from worldly desires or things. In Buddhism anyone can achieve Enlightenment, but in Hinduism only people in the Brahmin caste can achieve Moksha. In Buddhism there is no God, but in Hinduism there is many Gods. In Hinduism they believe in the caste system, but buddha, the founder of buddhism, rejected the caste system.…

    • 374 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The two religions, Hinduism and Buddhism, are similar because they both had a belief in karma and reincarnation but different because Buddhism was founded by Buddha but Hinduism didn’t have a single founder, and because of Hinduism’s belief in many Gods but Buddhism’s belief in no particular God.…

    • 431 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Buddhism and Christianity have certain aspects of themselves that had made them distinct universal monastery religions from Western and Southern Asia during time period 2, both having unambiguous kindred and congruous characteristics between themselves.…

    • 640 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good 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
  • Good Essays

    Christianity and Buddhism, as one of the world’s three major religions, occupy very important position in the society, influence most of people. Maybe they have different religious doctrines and faiths, but they also share the similarities.…

    • 692 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays