Introduction
Religions are the fundamental elements of society and vary depending on the culture and region of the nations. However, to understand why certain cultures uphold specific values or beliefs, it can be essential to delve deeper into the religions and their histories. For example, among the oldest religions are Buddhism and Christianity, which have been present and spread for millennia. Nevertheless, while they originated long ago, they have almost nothing in common. Thus, while Christianity and Buddhism place value on worshipping and believing in life after death, the religions differ in terms of the extent of belief in deities and the nature of the universe.
Table of Comparison
Table 1. Buddhism and Christianity Differences
Summary of Beliefs
Founder
The first aspect to consider is the founder of each religion. As seen in Table 1, the Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautama, is the founder of Buddhism. He is said to have been born in India in about 563 BCE and passed away in 483 BCE (Pollard & Liu, 2022). Until the Edicts of Ashoka were written down in 255 BCE, the religion of his adherents initially spread orally (Pollard & Liu, 2022).
In contrast, Jesus Christ established Christianity in the region that is now modern-day Israel during the first century CE (Biger, 2022). Therefore, the two religions have different founders and originated in different centuries.
Deity
Since Buddhism rejects the idea of a Supreme Being or Creator, its moral doctrines and principles are not interpreted as divine orders but as logical guidelines. If they are followed, one will improve one’s and others’ well-being. In other words, instead of focusing on deities, the religion emphasizes the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path as the road to enlightenment (Keown, 2022).
In contrast, according to Christianity, there is only one God, the creator of the universe and the origin of everything that exists (Mahadev, 2018). The Apostles’ Creed used the conventional structure to reveal the threefold nature of God: “I believe in God, the Father Creator of Heaven and earth”; “I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord”; “I believe in the Holy Spirit“ (Del Castillo, 2022, p.7). Therefore, one of the significant contrasts between the two is focused on the presence of deities.
Life after Death
However, there is a similarity between the two in terms of life after death. Buddhism holds that the primary transformations of life in samsara are the sorrows of birth, aging, disease, and death (Quyet et al., 2022). A significant aspect of the religion is suffering, with Buddhism emphasizing the ability to endure pain (Lewis & Hill, 2019). Buddhists believe in reincarnation, where an individual’s subsequent birth is determined by their choices in a previous life (Largen, 2019).
Similarly, according to Christian doctrine, a person’s afterlife fate is either heaven or hell, based on how they lived their lives (Ehrman, 2021). Moreover, faith is crucial in supporting a person (Xiong et al., 2020). Thus, both emphasize the importance of human behavior and choices.
Nature of the Universe
In the universe context, there is a difference between religions as well. According to Buddhism, the material world, which people mistakenly believe is filled with immovable matters, is, in reality, transitory and constantly in a state of motion of change and activity (Goatly, 2021). This innate dynamism recognizes that interactions between matters, even those that appear lifeless, are anything but inert (Walser, 2018).
In contrast, Christianity holds that a spiritual entity, specifically the God of the Bible, created the cosmos with love (Zagonari et al., 2020). As a result, the universe is intrinsically good rather than ethically neutral since creation was intentional rather than random (Ferngren, 2022). Consequently, there is a difference in discussing a divine plan and an order.
Origins of the Religion
Moreover, the two religions have different locations and regions of origin. Around the first century AD, Buddhism originated and began to spread from India to China, resulting in many cross-cultural interactions that significantly impacted both Asian and global history (Karimova et al., 2021).
The origins and early growth of Christianity in Jerusalem’s ancient towns are where the Middle East’s Christian groups started (Lee, 2018). From Jerusalem, Christianity quickly expanded along the main commercial routes, reaching Egypt, the African continent, Italy, Greece, and additional regions (Molloy, 2020). Thus, while one originated in India, another originated in the Middle East.
Worship
As mentioned, Buddhists reject the existence of an ultimate deity or god and instead concentrate on obtaining enlightenment, a condition of inner tranquility and knowledge. The founder of the faith, Buddha, is regarded as an exceptional being but not a deity, which is reflected in his name, which literally translates as enlightened or someone who reached nirvana (Harvey, 2019).
In contrast, worship in Christianity is a way of paying God respect and reverence (Lathrop, 2018). Christian worship includes reciting hymns of praise to God, readings from the Bible, several kinds of prayers, and a sermon (Lathrop, 2018). Therefore, while one religion does not worship any deity, Christianity focuses on God.
Major Festivals
Both religions have specific festivals that help them connect with their faith. The most crucial calendrical ceremony in Buddhism is Vesak, which is based on the ritualistic season of Buddhist holidays (Geary & Shinde, 2021). The birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana of the Buddha are all commemorated on this full moon day (Geary & Shinde, 2021). Another celebration is Kathina Dana, the Theravada tradition of the great robe offering rite. It is celebrated in many monasteries and by monks (Geary & Shinde, 2021).
The first event celebrated is Christmas, commemorating Jesus’s birth (Naie, 2022). Then, the forty days leading up to Easter are known as Lent and begin on Ash Wednesday (Naie, 2022). Finally, the Easter event involves remembering Jesus’s death and resurrection (Naie, 2022). Therefore, while both have festivals, they are different due to Christianity’s deity-focused approach.
Key Symbols
Finally, some symbols are related to both religions. For example, in Buddhism, the symbols involve Buddha himself, the Bodhi tree that signifies the Buddha’s enlightenment, and the lotus that reflects the Buddha’s birth (Phuong & Van Dung, 2023). Moreover, the Dharma wheel signifies Dharma’s doctrine (Phuong & Van Dung, 2023).
The cross is the primary symbol of Christianity and represents Jesus’s death and suffering (Guirguis et al., 2020). The fish and the dove are some more symbols of religion (Guirguis et al., 2020). Thus, both religions involve symbols to characterize their beliefs and values.
Conclusion
Hence, Buddhism and Christianity emphasize worshiping deities and having faith in an afterlife, but they differ in their conceptions of the nature of the cosmos and gods. The first significant difference between the two religions is their different founders. For example, Buddha founded Buddhism, also known as Siddhartha Gautama. In contrast, the founder of Christianity was Jesus Christ, who later played a crucial role in establishing the symbols and teachings of the religion.
Another difference is that Buddhism does not believe in a Supreme Deity or Creator; hence, its moral teachings and tenets are not seen as divine commands but as logical rules. In contrast, Christianity holds that only one God exists, the universe’s creator and the source of all things. Thus, the fundamental elements of religions are different, starting with the founders and deities.
Additionally, other aspects make the religions contrast. The inherent vibrancy of Buddhism acknowledges that even seemingly passive interactions between objects are dynamic. Christianity, in contrast, claims that the universe was created in accordance with a spiritual being, notably God.
Buddhists additionally oppose the idea that there could be an ultimate being or deity and place more of an emphasis on enlightenment, a condition of inner tranquility and insight. Conversely, worship is a method for Christians to show God gratitude and reverence. As a result, Christianity is deity-centered, and Buddhism focuses on the inner self and environment.
Additionally, the two religions share different development stories. Buddhism originated in India and spread to China in the first century AD, while Christianity originated in the Middle East and spread to other regions later.
Although both religions have festivals, they are different in nature. For example, Vesak and Kathina Dana are two of Buddhism’s most significant calendrical celebrations. Likewise, significant occasions in Christianity include Lent, Easter, and Christmas, which are focused on Jesus Christ.
Lastly, there are religious symbols that relate to such faiths. For instance, the Buddha himself, the Bodhi tree, and the lotus are used as symbols in Buddhism. Along with fish and doves, the cross is Christianity’s primary symbol. Overall, it can be seen that the two religions are different in nature due to varying beliefs and approaches to faith.
Nevertheless, the two have certain similarities, such as the belief in life after death. According to Buddhist doctrine, a person’s subsequent birth is influenced by the decisions they made in a previous life. Similarly, Christian belief holds that a person will either go to paradise or hell after passing away, depending on how they spend their time on Earth. Therefore, the fact that the two religions value appropriate human behavior and adherence to guidelines demonstrates the similarity between Christianity and Buddhism. In other aspects, they have little in common due to the role and presence of deities in religious events, symbols, and perspectives in the context of the environment and universe.
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