Are Christianity and Buddhism compatible?

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Prayer Warrior

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And I might point out that even in the Bible we are called to be Elohim.

Any notions of pantheism in Buddhism are misunderstood, and can only come from someone who has not been exposed to Buddhism at all. Buddhists do not "do worship" of any deity in the manner that we are fam with
By all means, explain this to us. I dabbled in Zen Buddhism in college before I was a Christian, and I studied pantheism as a Christian in order to wrap my mind around this worldview that is so contrary to the truth.
 

bbyrd009

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By all means, explain this to us. I dabbled in Zen Buddhism in college before I was a Christian, and I studied pantheism as a Christian in order to wrap my mind around this worldview that is so contrary to the truth.
unfort i guess if you believe you have found the truth then any explanation is moot, and sorry i don't know what Zen Buddhism even is, sounds like a wasp thing? i can say with confidence that i was never directed into any "worship" such as a nominal Christian believer would define, the literal obeisance thing we do?

And even in its correct def imo i can't say i found any fault with them; these ppl whom i did not like, and didn't seem to like me much either. But i was pretty bad back then too, hated myself even. They certainly seemed to be unflinchingly seeking truth, and while they used diff terms Works unto repentance seemed to be at the forefront?

but i'm sure every group of Buddhists is somewhat diff too, just like us
 
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bbyrd009

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'Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit,
after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power:'

(Colossians 2:8-10)

Hello @aspen,

If God is, 'the fulness of the Godhead bodily', and those who are born from above, 'complete in Him'; why should they seek to compare what God has given to them, in Him, with any belief system which does not have the Living God as it's originator? To do so would seem like a betrayal.

In Christ Jesus
Chris
ha you want betrayal just go listen to a round of "when we all get to heaven" imo.
The philosophy and vain deceit are palpable i guess

and being as how Buddha did not even leave any writings, i'm not sure it is fair to say that God did not originate the Sutras or the Pali, imo you would have to Quote something that iyo Scripture maybe disagreed with from them first?
 

Prayer Warrior

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unfort i guess if you believe you have found the truth then any explanation is moot, and sorry i don't know what Zen Buddhism even is, sounds like a wasp thing? i can say with confidence that i was never directed into any "worship" such as a nominal Christian believer would define, the literal obeisance thing we do?

Zen Buddhism is one of the major Buddhist sects.

And even in its correct def imo i can't say i found any fault with them; these ppl whom i did not like said:
Works unto repentance [/I]seemed to be at the forefront?

but i'm sure every group of Buddhists is somewhat diff too, just like us

I'm not sure what you're saying here.
 

bbyrd009

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Zen Buddhism is one of the major Buddhist sects.
I've obv heard of it, but never heard it stated during my admittedly brief time with Buddhists
I'm not sure what you're saying here.
works unto repentance is a bad translation of a goal or vision that one should be working toward, Acts I think, although I would ditch the penance part myself. The point imo is an expansion of you will know them by their fruit, "works meet for repentance" being an indication of good fruit I guess
 

amadeus

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This is is another good point and an essential one. When we are born again, we become new creations in Christ. Our new self is who God made us to be. I'm reminded of what 1 John 3:2 says. "Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him because we will see Him as He is."
"New creations in Christ", but this is simply giving us a new start with a clean slate as Adam and Eve had a clean slate. Directly once Adam and Eve died as a result of their disobedience, all of their natural offspring were also dead with no immediate hope. God sent Jesus to provide Hope, to provide the possibility of Life. Most people enjoy "death" too much to take hold the "Life" now offered to them. Being born again or from above or resurrected from the dead, are NOT guarantees of enduring to the end with Him. What is guaranteed is a possibility.
 

Marymog

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Buddhism is becoming more popular in the West than ever before - even within Christian circles. buddhists claim that Buddhism is a philosophy, not a religion. A core belief is that attachment to illusion is the cause of suffering.

Is this contrary to Christianity? Harmful to a persons walk with Christ? Incompatible with Christianity?

Verses and discussion, please
The foundation on which Buddhism rests, the doctrine of karma, is false. This is a pretended law of nature by which the myriads of gods, demons, men, and animals are but the transient forms of rational beings essentially the same. It is in flat contradiction to the recognized laws of nature and hence ignored by men of science. Another basic defect in primitive Buddhism is its failure to recognize man's dependence on a supreme God.

So the answer is YES.....It is contrary and incompatible with Christianity.
 

aspen

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The foundation on which Buddhism rests, the doctrine of karma, is false. This is a pretended law of nature by which the myriads of gods, demons, men, and animals are but the transient forms of rational beings essentially the same. It is in flat contradiction to the recognized laws of nature and hence ignored by men of science. Another basic defect in primitive Buddhism is its failure to recognize man's dependence on a supreme God.

So the answer is YES.....It is contrary and incompatible with Christianity.

Karma is cause and effect.....reaping what you sow
 

jaybird

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There are so many connections between Jesus and Buddha.

Both had miraculous births.
Their moms were Mary and Maya.
taught against corrupt religious leaders.
Always fasting.
Performed miracles
Both tempted by evil (Satan and Mara) and overcame.
Began teaching in early 30s.
Had disciples and sent them off at death.
Both descended from noble families, and both chose to live among common men rejecting worldly riches.
And you could go on and on and on but none the less, many will just tell you they are all coincidences and nothing more.

I like what Einstein had to say about a coincidence.
“A coincidence is a small miracle when God chooses to remain anonymous.”

but what would Einstein know other than one of the smartest men ever and also worked in a field where pretty much everyone is an atheist, except Einstein.
 

jaybird

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Karma is cause and effect.....reaping what you sow

some will never see it, they will just bury their head in the sand and claim you are wrong even after you just proved the point with a bible scripture.
i think some Christians want to believe Christianity is an exclusive club that only a select few are invited to and no one else can get in unless they go through an exclusive member that is already there.
 

Prayer Warrior

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There are so many connections between Jesus and Buddha.

Both had miraculous births.
Their moms were Mary and Maya.
taught against corrupt religious leaders.
Always fasting.
Performed miracles
Both tempted by evil (Satan and Mara) and overcame.
Began teaching in early 30s.
Had disciples and sent them off at death.
Both descended from noble families, and both chose to live among common men rejecting worldly riches.
And you could go on and on and on but none the less, many will just tell you they are all coincidences and nothing more.

I like what Einstein had to say about a coincidence.
“A coincidence is a small miracle when God chooses to remain anonymous.”

but what would Einstein know other than one of the smartest men ever and also worked in a field where pretty much everyone is an atheist, except Einstein.

I wouldn't call these connections. Similarities, maybe.

But the differences are glaring. Jesus, not the Buddha, lived a sinless life, suffered and died for our sins, and rose from the dead, conquering death and hell. Jesus alone ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. There is no other name but Jesus by which people must be saved.

Acts 4:11-12--"This [Jesus] is the Stone which was despised and rejected by you, the builders, but which has become the Head of the corner [the Cornerstone]. And there is salvation in and through no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by and in which we must be saved."

Einstein was brilliant, but he rejected Jesus Christ as his savior and was, from all accounts, a pantheist. So, what good did his intelligence do him in the end?

What religion do you claim as your own, Jaybird?
.