Christianity and Buddhism are two of the most popular religions in the world today. Focusing on core values such as humility, purity of heart and charity, Christianity and Buddhism appear similar in many ways. However, Christianity is a religion that teaches there is only one God, while Buddhism is a way of life, not centered around any gods; Christianity teaches salvation through faith in Christ Jesus, whereas Buddhism believes a man’s sole responsibility is to achieve peace and harmony through reaching Nirvana, and Christianity teaches that when a person dies, they are judged by God and their soul is sent to either Heaven or Hell, whereas Buddhism teaches that one never “dies,” but recycles their soul through a cycle called Rebirth.
At the center of Christianity there is one god, Jehovah. Christians believe that God is the creator of the universe, and that he is, was, and always will be in existence. Although there is only one god, there are three separate entities: God the Father (Jehovah), God the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit, each of which make up the “Trinity.” Contrary to …show more content…
In Christianity, a believer’s main purpose is simply to love God and show God’s love to one another. The first step to becoming a Christian, known as salvation, requires a believer to ask God’s son, Jesus, for forgiveness in order to be saved from eternal damnation. Upon salvation, a believer’s goal is to then go into all the nations, preaching the gospel and make disciples. Conversely, in Buddhism, a believer’s soul purpose is to achieve Nirvana, which is a state of being free from suffering and the extinction of craving (passion and hatred). The term for one having achieved the state of Nirvana is Arahant. After attaining the status of Arahant, a Buddhist seeks Bodhi, which is a term meaning “Enlightenment” or “Awakening,” which is needed in order to attain eradication from