Can a christian be a buddhist?

[ScottA]

The problem with your view is that you’re mixing the Law and the Gospel. Jesus didn’t come to add to salvation by faith, He came to fulfill it ~Matthew 5:17. When He said, “It is finished” ~John 19:30, He meant exactly that. The entire sacrificial system, circumcision, and ceremonial law found their completion in Him.

Paul is quite clear: “By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight” ~Romans 3:20. The Law reveals sin to us but it cannot save anyone. Salvation is by grace through faith, not of works, lest any man should boast ~Ephesians 2:8-9. Baptism is an act of obedience, a command that we should keep, but it is not the means of salvation, it’s the evidence of it. The thief on the cross was never baptized, but Jesus said, “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise” ~Luke 23:43.

If we were able to keep the Law perfectly we would not need a Savior. But none of us can do that, and all have sinned ~Romans 3:23. Christ has fulfilled the Law’s demands for us by His righteousness and paid its penalty with His blood. Those who trust in Him are justified and sealed by the Holy Spirit ~Ephesians 1:13.

You are right that sin will still result in death, but the second death only for those whose names are not in the Lamb’s Book of Life. The only way a name is written there is through faith in Jesus Christ, not through law-keeping or ritual. The Law is meant to drive us to Christ, but Christ alone saves ~Galatians 3:24-26.

Any who dies in faith in the Buddha, Muhammad, self, or any other false system is eternally lost. I do not say that in hatred but in truth and love. For eternity is at stake. God desires that all would come to repentance and faith in Christ alone ~2 Peter 3:9.

That’s all good, but apparently you misunderstood my point: Christians can and do believe in many things that will not bring salvation. No child is turned away for believing in Santa Claus, and no believer in Christ will be turned away for believing in aliens, evolution, western medicine, or some fat, dead philosopher. Being wrong is not a sin either, but none of those are necessarily another master...unless they are.

 

[quietthinker]

That’s not what that passage means. John wasn’t saying that a Christian can be Buddhist or Hindu, or just live however they want in open sin, he was addressing Christians to remind them that even though we all still struggle with sin we don’t live that way or call it our own. You can’t be a Buddhist and a Christian, because to be Buddhist is to deny the very gospel itself, that Jesus is Lord and the only way to the Father (~John 14:6).

1 John 1: 9 tells us that when we sin, we confess and are made white as snow. But then John goes on to say in the next chapter, “Whoever says ‘I know Him’ but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (~1 John 2:4). You can’t serve two masters (~Matthew 6:24). A saint is someone made righteous by Christ. They may stumble and fall, but they don’t walk in the ways of the world or bow down to any other gods.

Should a New Guinea bushman conform to the clothing fashion of the white man to qualify as Christian?
Buddhism or Hinduism are primarily cultural markers as is the designation 'Christian'
Call yourself whatever you like and when a person is convicted by the Spirit to drop practices out of line with the Spirit of Jesus.....then they can make their choices.

 

[bdavidc]

That’s all good, but apparently you misunderstood my point: Christians can and do believe in many things that will not bring salvation. No child is turned away for believing in Santa Claus, and no believer in Christ will be turned away for believing in aliens, evolution, western medicine, or some fat, dead philosopher. Being wrong is not a sin either, but none of those are necessarily another master...unless they are.

That seems fair at first, but it’s only half true. You are right that being wrong about secondary things does not by itself mean a person is lost. But Scripture draws a very sharp line between being wrong and being deceived into following another master.

The Bible says that false belief corrupts the faith itself. “If anyone comes and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him” ~2 John 1:10. Paul told the Galatians they had accepted “another gospel,” and said that even if an angel preached it, “let him be accursed” ~Galatians 1:8. That’s not harmless error, that’s deadly deception.

A believer can be mistaken about many lesser things and still be saved, but when a person starts excusing or redefining truth, sin, or Christ Himself, they are no longer just “wrong”, they are following a lie. “No one can serve two masters” ~Matthew 6:24 says Jesus. So the issue isn’t whether we’re allowed to be imperfect thinkers; it’s whether we remain submitted to the truth of God’s Word.

 

[bdavidc]

Should a New Guinea bushman conform to the clothing fashion of the white man to qualify as Christian?
Buddhism or Hinduism are primarily cultural markers as is the designation 'Christian'
Call yourself whatever you like and when a person is convicted by the Spirit to drop practices out of line with the Spirit of Jesus.....then they can make their choices.

Your comparison between cultural customs and faith misses what Scripture actually teaches. Christianity isn’t a cultural label; it’s a spiritual rebirth. Jesus didn’t tell Nicodemus to “adopt a new culture.” He said, “You must be born again” ~John 3:7.

A New Guinea bushman doesn’t need Western clothes to follow Christ, but he does need to repent and believe in the gospel. Buddhism and Hinduism aren’t cultural habits, they’re systems of worship that deny the one true God. You can’t follow teachings that reject Christ and still claim to belong to Him. The Bible says plainly, “What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God” ~2 Corinthians 6:16.

The Holy Spirit doesn’t slowly “convict” people to stop worshiping false gods; He calls them out of darkness into light ~1 Peter 2:9. Following Christ means turning from every other path and submitting to Him alone. You can’t call that cultural, it’s conversion.

 

[ScottA]

That seems fair at first, but it’s only half true. You are right that being wrong about secondary things does not by itself mean a person is lost. But Scripture draws a very sharp line between being wrong and being deceived into following another master.

The Bible says that false belief corrupts the faith itself. “If anyone comes and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him” ~2 John 1:10. Paul told the Galatians they had accepted “another gospel,” and said that even if an angel preached it, “let him be accursed” ~Galatians 1:8. That’s not harmless error, that’s deadly deception.

A believer can be mistaken about many lesser things and still be saved, but when a person starts excusing or redefining truth, sin, or Christ Himself, they are no longer just “wrong”, they are following a lie. “No one can serve two masters” ~Matthew 6:24 says Jesus. So the issue isn’t whether we’re allowed to be imperfect thinkers; it’s whether we remain submitted to the truth of God’s Word.

Again, that's all good. Thanks for your further input, but I addressed it all already.

A saint knows to relax in the freedom of Christ, and those approaching should see in them both righteous intent as well as grace.

 

[Riven]

Can a Buddhist be a Christian?

 

[Matthias]

Can a Buddhist be a Christian?

Yes, but he or she would have to convert. Such a person wouldn’t remain a Buddhist.

 

[Riven]

Yes, but he or she would have to convert. Such a person wouldn’t remain a Buddhist.

If it is so simple, one wonders why this thread has six pages??

 

[Matthias]

If it is so simple, one wonders why this thread has six pages??

It’s so simple that five pages wouldn’t have been enough.

 

[quietthinker]

Your comparison between cultural customs and faith misses what Scripture actually teaches. Christianity isn’t a cultural label; it’s a spiritual rebirth.

'Christianity' has morphed into a cultural label ....and in certain. circles, so has the term 'born again'. They have become hoops of a sort for entrance into religious clubs.

On the other hand, knowing Jesus in a real life emotional/ faith connection is not common.

 

[ArkangeMikail]

It’s your choice what you believe, but I’m only stating the truth God has already revealed. The Bible is truth, Jesus Christ is truth, and He alone is the way to salvation. That isn’t up for debate. “Your word is truth” (John 17: 17), and “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

You ask if God is unfair to the majority of men who are born in non-Christian countries. Scripture answers that question clearly. “God shows no partiality” (Acts 10:34). He has revealed Himself to all through creation and conscience, so no one is without excuse. “Since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen… so that men are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). God is just and merciful; He judges righteously according to the light each person has received, but salvation still comes only through Christ. “There is salvation in no one else” (Acts 4:12). I am giving you the truth now so you know.

As for your point that men wrote and preserved the Bible, yes, but not by their own wisdom. “Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). God used human hands, but the words are His. The same Spirit who inspired Scripture also preserved it, just as Jesus promised: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35). Nothing outside the Bible is needed, because God’s Word is complete: “Do not add to what I command you nor take away from it” (Deuteronomy 4:2).

You said Catholicism and Orthodoxy are simply “branches of Christianity,” but according to Scripture, any system that adds human tradition, rituals, or mediators between man and God departs from the gospel. “There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). The Bible never teaches purgatory, prayers to saints, or salvation through sacraments. Those are man-made doctrines that contradict the simplicity of the gospel. “By grace you have been saved through faith… not by works” (Ephesians 2:8–9). Don’t fall for other people telling you need their mad-made religion, people can not save you only Jesus Christ can. If you really want to know the truths read the bible for your self and ask God to reveal Himself to you.

You also said all religions have pieces of truth. That’s partly right, Satan always mixes truth with lies. But Jesus didn’t say partial truth saves. He said, “He who is not with Me is against Me” (Matthew 12:30). False religions may contain moral teachings, but they deny the core of the gospel: that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, crucified and risen for our sins. Good morals cannot erase sin; only His blood can. “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22).

And yes, only God can judge hearts, but God has already revealed the standard of judgment in His Word. “The Father has given all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22). Jesus Himself said the Word He has spoken will judge men on the last day (John 12:48). So we aren’t judging anyone’s heart; we’re warning according to what the Judge Himself has already declared.

You asked if the “broad road” refers to false religions or sin. According to Jesus, it refers to both. The broad road includes anything that leads away from repentance and faith in Him. Sin, false religion, self-righteousness, these are all part of that wide gate. But the narrow way is Christ alone, through faith alone, according to the Word alone. “Enter by the narrow gate… because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life” (Matthew 7:13–14).

So I’ll say it plainly: you are free to believe what you wish, but the truth doesn’t change. Jesus Christ is Lord. The Bible is His Word. Salvation is only through faith in Him. Everything else, no matter how sincere, leads to destruction. I say that not in arrogance, but in love, because God “is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Once you die, there are no do-overs.

You may believe that Christ has revealed Himself to all, but the reality is different.

Most people never even read the Bible, never even heard of Jesus-Christ... Coming to the conclusion of the existence of God is possible, but it is not easy.

In some places, being christian is punished by death. In some places, there are no churches, or worse, "Catholic evil churches" as you seem think they are...

If you look at reality, it is clear that men actually have excuses to not be Christian and not believe in God. That's why I firmly believe that God is fair and will not punish people unnecessarily, because that would be injustice, and God is justice.

“Since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen… so that men are without excuse” (Romans 1:20)"---> Roman was written by a man, st Paul, so first this is his own interpretation (human mistakes), second st Paul lived in a different time and in a different historical/political context (1st century, Roman empire, Palestine, Mediterranean).

God controlled humans beings and then wrote Himself the Bible through their hands, is that what you are saying? Then where is human freedom? Are we all under the spell of God?

I believe Scripture is a part of Tradition, that's why I believe the Catholic Church about what it teaches about Mary, saints, purgatory...
You believe that Scripture comes only from God and tradition is invented by men, that's why we disagree.
I respect your belief, and I could have adopted your way (or will adopt later if I change my mind), but it seems to me that men have written the Bible and preserved it, so I also believe what men say.

I don't believe other religions are satanic, so it's not that Satan mixes truth with lies, it's that men try to understand God or the purpose of life but make mistakes.
I don't think that ignorance is a sin, so I don't think that believing in a false religion is a sin. Believing in a false religion is a sin only if one knows that Jesus-Christ is God but still rejects Him.

Believing in a another religion is rejecting/ignoring Jesus, but how can God punish the disbelievers if they have never even met Jesus or seen Him rise from the dead... ?

If I read the Bible by myself and try to understand it, I may wrongly interpret it. That's why I need the Church to interpret it for me. The Catholic Church has 2000 years of experience about the Bible, so they know what they are talking about.
What's your experience of the Bible? a few years...?

 

[Big Boy Johnson]

Can a christian be a buddhist?

No a Christian would not be someone living after the false doctrines of budda boy

 

[bdavidc]

'Christianity' has morphed into a cultural label ....and in certain. circles, so has the term 'born again'. They have become hoops of a sort for entrance into religious clubs.

On the other hand, knowing Jesus in a real life emotional/ faith connection is not common.

True in one way, but a lot of people that use Christian lingo have not got Christ in their life. Jesus spoke against that: “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me” ~Matthew 15:8. The problem is not that Christianity has “morphed.” It is that people have. The Word of God is unchanging.

There is nothing emotional about “knowing Jesus in a real life connection,” as you correctly pointed out. It is spiritual. “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” ~John 3:3. Not a club membership. Resurrection of the heart.

Churches can become social clubs and faith can be degraded into bumper stickers. But the question is this: have you personally met the living Christ? When one is born again, their life will change from the inside out. You will no longer just know about Him. You will walk with Him, you will hear His Word, and you will obey Him.

Cultural Christianity is counterfeit. Biblical Christianity is conversion. One dons the label; the other bears the cross.

You may believe that Christ has revealed Himself to all, but the reality is different.

Most people never even read the Bible, never even heard of Jesus-Christ... Coming to the conclusion of the existence of God is possible, but it is not easy.

In some places, being christian is punished by death. In some places, there are no churches, or worse, "Catholic evil churches" as you seem think they are...

If you look at reality, it is clear that men actually have excuses to not be Christian and not believe in God. That's why I firmly believe that God is fair and will not punish people unnecessarily, because that would be injustice, and God is justice.

“Since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen… so that men are without excuse” (Romans 1:20)"---> Roman was written by a man, st Paul, so first this is his own interpretation (human mistakes), second st Paul lived in a different time and in a different historical/political context (1st century, Roman empire, Palestine, Mediterranean).

God controlled humans beings and then wrote Himself the Bible through their hands, is that what you are saying? Then where is human freedom? Are we all under the spell of God?

I believe Scripture is a part of Tradition, that's why I believe the Catholic Church about what it teaches about Mary, saints, purgatory...
You believe that Scripture comes only from God and tradition is invented by men, that's why we disagree.
I respect your belief, and I could have adopted your way (or will adopt later if I change my mind), but it seems to me that men have written the Bible and preserved it, so I also believe what men say.

I don't believe other religions are satanic, so it's not that Satan mixes truth with lies, it's that men try to understand God or the purpose of life but make mistakes.
I don't think that ignorance is a sin, so I don't think that believing in a false religion is a sin. Believing in a false religion is a sin only if one knows that Jesus-Christ is God but still rejects Him.

Believing in a another religion is rejecting/ignoring Jesus, but how can God punish the disbelievers if they have never even met Jesus or seen Him rise from the dead... ?

If I read the Bible by myself and try to understand it, I may wrongly interpret it. That's why I need the Church to interpret it for me. The Catholic Church has 2000 years of experience about the Bible, so they know what they are talking about.
What's your experience of the Bible? a few years...?

I respect your sincerity, but you are wrong. You said there are “excuses” why men don’t believe in God. God’s Word says differently. “Since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, so that they are without excuse” ~Romans 1:20. God has clearly revealed Himself through creation, through conscience, and through His Word. The problem is not lack of information, but the decision to reject the truth. The Bible says, “They did not like to retain God in their knowledge” ~Romans 1:28. God’s justice is perfect. He never judges anyone unfairly. Those who diligently seek God will find Him ~Jeremiah 29:13. There is no biblical support for the idea that people are innocent because they “never heard.” That’s not the gospel; it’s man’s attempt to justify unbelief.

You said Romans was just Paul’s “interpretation” of events, but the Bible teaches that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine” ~2 Timothy 3:16. That word “inspiration” (Greek: theopneustos) means “God-breathed.” The writers did not speak from their own opinion, but were “moved by the Holy Spirit” ~2 Peter 1:21. God took men to write the Bible, human hands recorded it, but every word is the Word of God. This does not mean He controls every action, it means God is sovereign and the Spirit empowers men to guide truth. Jesus Himself confirmed that “the Scripture cannot be broken” ~John 10:35. To reject divine inspiration is to make God a liar.

You also said you believe Scripture is only “a part of tradition” and that you trust the Catholic Church to interpret it. But the Bible never teaches that tradition has any authority equal to God’s Word. In fact, Jesus warned against exalting tradition above Scripture: “You reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition” ~Mark 7:9. Paul rebuked false teachers who distorted Scripture to fit their own ideas. The Catholic Church does the same when it teaches doctrines like praying to Mary, purgatory, and saints, none of which can be found anywhere in God’s Word. These are the “commandments of men” that Jesus condemned ~Matthew 15:9.

You said you don’t believe other religions are satanic, but Scripture says the opposite. Paul wrote that “the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God” ~1 Corinthians 10:20. Any religion that denies the gospel of Jesus Christ is not a harmless “mistake”; it is deception from the enemy. “Satan himself transforms into an angel of light” ~2 Corinthians 11:14. False religion blinds the mind “lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ should shine on them” ~2 Corinthians 4:4. Ignorance of God is not innocence; it’s the result of rejecting the truth He has already revealed.

You said you trust the Catholic Church because it has “2000 years of experience.” The age of a system does not make it true. The Pharisees had centuries of tradition, but Jesus told them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God” ~Matthew 22:29. Salvation comes not through a church, but through Christ alone. “There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” ~1 Timothy 2:5. The Catholic system adds mediators, rituals, and doctrines that replace simple faith in Christ with human works. That is not the gospel, it’s deception.

The Bible alone is the standard of truth, not councils, popes, or priests. “Your word is truth” ~John 17:17. Those who are born again receive the Holy Spirit, who “will guide you into all truth” ~John 16:13. You do not need the Church to interpret the Bible for you, you need the Spirit of God to open your eyes. Until a person is born again, they will never understand because “the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God” ~1 Corinthians 2:14.

Following a man-made religion will not lead you to God or to the Kingdom of Heaven. Only repentance and faith in Jesus Christ will. “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” ~John 14:6. Religion without the Word is deception. Tradition without truth is idolatry. The only safe foundation is the Word of God, and every doctrine that contradicts it is false. “Let God be true, but every man a liar” ~Romans 3:4.

I have been studying the bible for over 35 years. It does not matter if some studies Catholicism for 100 years because they are studying a false gospel which is mad-made. If one don’t know the true God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob they will be lost forever if they die not knowing and serving Him.

 

[Riven]

No a Christian would not be someone living after the false doctrines of budda boy

You don't know, Big Boy. You're not a Buddhist.

 

[Debp]

You said Romans was just Paul’s “interpretation” of events, but the Bible teaches that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine” ~2 Timothy 3:16. That word “inspiration” (Greek: theopneustos) means “God-breathed.” The writers did not speak from their own opinion, but were “moved by the Holy Spirit” ~2 Peter 1:21. God took men to write the Bible, human hands recorded it, but every word is the Word of God. This does not mean He controls every action, it means God is sovereign and the Spirit empowers men to guide truth. Jesus Himself confirmed that “the Scripture cannot be broken” ~John 10:35

@ArkangeMikail Yes, the Scriptures were given by God, God-inspired. God can work in miraculous ways...He is beyond our comprehension.

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16.

13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:13-15.

-----------------------------------------

About the Catholic Church...if some Catholics truly believe in Christ alone saving them, they would be saved. However if they are believing that the rituals are what saves them, that is not saving faith. It's adding on man-made works to save oneself.


I knew a Catholic Sister for years (like a nun but Sisters don't have to live in a convent). I think Sister P was a born again believer. However she became a Sister when she was only 17 years old...and when she died, she had been a Sister for over 60 years!!!

So I can understand someone like that not leaving the Catholic Church as her fellow Sisters were like her family. She also did Social Work and everything was provided for her (shelter, food, insurance, car, etc)...so she could just concentrate on helping others as a Social Worker.

But for a new Christian we always steer a person to a good Bible-based church. So you won't learn false teachings.

 

[David in NJ]

Can a christian be a buddhist?

Are those two religions compatibles? Morally or theologically?

#1 - JESUS Says: "You cannot serve two masters"

#2 - God Says: "You shall have no other gods before ME"

#3 - God Says: "You shall love the Lord God with all you heart soul mind and strength.

#4 - JESUS Says: "No one comes to the FATHER but thru ME"

 

[Big Boy Johnson]

You don't know, Big Boy. You're not a Buddhist.

Buddists don't have salvation and don't know the Lord and as such they are hell bound.

You should stick with what God says in His Word and leave the demonic religions alone before you get deceived even more.

 

[Big Boy Johnson]

So I can understand someone like that not leaving the Catholic Church as her fellow Sisters were like her family.

God's Word tells us to not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.

It's too bad she put people before the Lord. That's one way to NOT make Heaven right there

if some Catholics truly believe in Christ alone saving them, they would be saved.

If they got born again, the Lord would lead them out of the fake catholic religion

We are not to be partakers in other people's sins and catholic doctrine is not biblical so it's sinful.

 

[2bme]

Can a christian be a buddhist?

Are those two religions compatibles? Morally or theologically?

Ask Jesus. He knows.

 

[Big Boy Johnson]

Ask Jesus. He knows.

The Lord already teaches in His Word that those not accepting the Doctrine of Christ aren't saved.

1 Timothy 6:3-5 (see Luke 11:23 and 2 Peter 3:2)
If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness (holiness); (Doctrine of Christ, aka Doctrine of the Apostles)
He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof comes envy, strife, railings, evil thoughts… Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.