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I am very confused. I believe in God and Jesus Christ being reborn and that he died for our sins. I am told that I cannot fully enter Buddhism because (1) Buddha is considered to be a false God in Christianity and (2) I want to enter Buddhism but keep my Christian faith both elements full blown. It is very difficult. I want to enter Buddhism but not pray and meditate to something that is considered false. Any advice, facts, suggestions?
Well, you seem to be creating a conflict of interest here. Do you want to convert to Buddhism or just learn about it? To convert, you would need to renounce Jesus as your saviour, which I suspect is not something you want to do.
You cannot remain true to two different religious deities. It is an impossible undertaking.
What you can do is learn about Buddhism fully, if it interests you. Knowledge is power and it will not go against your faith to fully learn the faiths of others.
\Quote:
Originally Posted by RubyPitbull
Thanks for the advice. I have researched in depth Buddhism. I admire the religion Buddhism and Christianity. Do you think that I can remain Christian but still practice certain aspects of Buddhism like the Eight Principles and the Four Noble Truths?
One more question: Since a lot of Buddhists worship gods like Buddha ( the founder and creator of Buddhism and Martial Arts) and Allah, those deities are considered to be false gods in Christianity, I'm not asking for myself but for others, is worshiping (considered to be) false gods wrong for them?
If you feel that this in no way, goes against your Christian teachings and principles, and may enhance your understanding of Christianity and Buddhism, then I do not see it as a problem. But, if doing this will, in anyway, create confusion or doubt in your belief in Jesus and his teachings, it will be detrimental to your faith. Faith in what we believe in is what gives us our morale compass and aids us in taking the correct paths in life. You must avoid purposefully putting yourself on a path that may cause you to doubt your beliefs.Quote:
Originally Posted by Religousman3
Do your friends feels that it is wrong for them to worship their Gods? Do we have a right to assume that they are wrong? What you are asking is a question that has been argued and debated for over 2000 years (I am only referencing Christianity in the date I am using) and it is a question that I cannot answer. What I believe in, is what I believe in. What you believe in, is what you believe in. How can we come to the absolute conclusion while we live on this Earth that another belief is absolutely wrong? How do we know what the real truth is until we ourselves pass on? I personally believe that it is a very egotistical idea to believe that any one of us knows what will happen to another if they do not worship at our church. Tolerance and acceptance of, and for, others who are different from us, who have a different belief system from us, leads us to a happier and more fulfilled live on this earth. Why argue and create strife? Why force your concepts onto someone who does not believe as you do? In the end, no matter what others say, no one really knows for sure. It comes down to faith. Faith in your religion and God. I, for one, do not choose to stand in judgement of my fellow man. I do not think any good can come out of it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Religousman3
Just to quickly clarify, Buddha himself did not claim he was God and Buddhism actually teaches there is no God.
And one of the 10 commandments is that you should not worship idols. Idols is defined as anything that is worshipped instead of the true God. In Bible times, idols were often statutes of false "gods" made of wood, stone or metal. Idolatry is the worship of idols. (This is just what I found in the appendix of my Bible and in my opinion, worship of idols is wrong. But that's just my opinion and I am not in anyway trying to force this onto anyone so please stop accusing me of so called preaching)
Again, this is just what the Bible says and I am not the in the position to judge. This is just my opinion. Take it or leave it. No hard feelings.
I will be praying for you and hope that the Holy Spirit will guide you to a good decision.
God loves you man
As Ruby so aptly stated, you cannot state you believe in God and practice elements of Buddhism. The two do not reflect the same theology and practices. While there are elements of peace and understanding and tolerance in Christianity and in Buddhism, there are vast differences that cannot be overlooked. Have you sat down and talked with a minister/priest and a Buddhist monk? You have some good questions but how can you reconcile splitting your personal faith in Christ and still practice Buddhism?
I think it would cause a great deal of inner turmoil for you. Which way to go for this or that.
Buddhism > Nichiren - SGI-USA.ORG is a good place to start your search. Good luck!Quote:
Originally Posted by Religousman3
I think its wonderful that you are opening to other religious ideas. Don't let it discouraged you to think that there is only one true religion because there isn't and there is no evidence to tell you otherwise. Just go with what you believe is faith as long as your happy and not doing any harm then I don't see why not.
Please people, at least look up Buddhism before you comment on it from a seat of authority. We, myself included, do not worship the Buddha. The Buddha is already inside of us. If we bow to an image of Buddha, we are bowing to ourselves, as a sign of self respet.
You do not need to renounce Christ. Anyone who says so is speaking from a profound seat of ignorance as to what Buddhism is. Buddhism is a philosophy that deals with suffering.
If Christians said you could not practice Empiricism because it is a false god, would you buy in to it? Would you reject Western medicine? All of these are philosophies that do compete with Christian apologetics.
Buddha explicitly stated he was not a god. I meet with other Buddhists in a Baptist church. The church gives us the space. They are not threatened because they understand that Buddhism is not about competing with Christ, it is about finding what is already in you.
I am not trying to be pompous when I say that there is plenty of evidence that Christians can not agree to what Christianity is. Many people only have superficial beliefs about what Buddhism is. They are often not true. Just do it.
Gogo, I never claimed to know about Buddhism. Since Religiousman posted this on April 2, I realized through Avengers kind post that I mistakenly used the word deity. Even though, I agree it is a major difference, it was minor to the actual question at hand and wasn't what I was focusing on. I apologize if this upset you. That aspect of Buddhism is not what is at issue for Religiousman. I understand what you are trying to say but it is not relevant to his post.
It is apparent that Religiousman is very much a Christian. He admires Buddhism and would like to incorporate certain aspects of that religion into his own without compromising his belief system. Are you suggesting, with your knowledge of Christianity, that his parents, his church, will be accepting of his embracing both religions fully? His statements made it clear that someone of his faith told him that Buddha was a false God.
Although I didn't put it quite in these words, I stand by my belief that a Christian cannot wholly embrace two different religions and stay true to Jesus Christ. A person doing this cannot avoid creating a conflict of interest. However, if he is able to take certain elements of Buddhism that he admires and is able to find a way to thread those elements into his life as a Christian and enhance his faith, without undermining it, that is always a good thing in my book. But, unless a person fully understands both religions and is adept at doing this, it can lead to a crisis in faith down the road. That is what I was focusing my attention on. This young man is a follower of Jesus Christ. That fact was foremost on my mind when I answered his post. I do not want to see someone actively and accidentally undermine their religious beliefs. So, I do apologize for annoying you to the extent that you were, but Buddhism and understanding it, wasn't my concern when I answered this post.
If you are interested in telling Religiousman what aspects of Buddhism in particular he my follow without undermining his religious beliefs, please, share those with him here. I am sure it would be beneficial to him.
If you are interested in teaching us about Buddhism and are willing to engage in a discussion about it, please, start a new thread and invite us to join you. I would be very open to learning what you are willing to share.
Many apologies if my post caused any of you consternation, but it was meant to. The post was addressed to all of you, not just the person who asked the question. Reading this series of posts is like watching someone try fix a broken engine by changing the tires on his car.
The belief that Buddha is a god, or that we worship Allah, is a symptom of profound ignorance of Buddhism. Why would a person get advice from people that are totally ignorant about the topic?
Why travel so far through this drama only to find that everything you are looking for is already inside of you?
As a Christian and a Buddhist, I fully comprehend the need to be validated by family members and friends. At the end of the day, it is your decision.
I hear the same stuff every day from preachers who know nothing about other belief systems other than what they may have read in a religious booklet designed to be read in 5 min or less.
At the end of the day, you might consder that all of the people you are seeking approval from are really not qualified to help you make the decision to study another philosophy. This forum is obviously not the place. Try finding a Sangaha and talking to a real Buddhist. Take printouts of these responses, it will generate some compassionate laughter.
Gogo, I know you meant to cause consternation. Frankly, it baffles me. Although I do agree with some of what you are saying here, I find your underlying condescension uncalled for. Shygrney suggested he speak with counsels from both religions. You suggested he find a Sangaha. Both pieces of advice are very good. You also touched on the REAL issue here in that he is receiving advice from fellow Christians who are giving him misinformation. Unfortunately, no Buddhists were around over a month ago to help him. He was stuck with us. My only purpose was to get him to think about the ramifications of what he was contemplating. Since you are now here with us, why don't you focus on the positive, and tell him what you know and offer him some CONSTRUCTIVE help in how to make the two religions work for him, without placing him in a position in which he will question his relationship with Jesus Christ or start arguing with his family and friends over this. Posting your disapproval about us, is not helpful to him. This is his post. You are hijacking it to belittle others. So far, you are not convincing me that Buddhism is a religion I would like to join. I was under the impression Buddhists were not as judgmental as other religions. Am I wrong? Your posts are very disheartening.
Final post.
Stop playing the victim and playing hurt like a child. If me being blunt with you will keep you from spreading more negative propaganda on Buddhism, then I am all for it.
Some of you may have hurt feelings, but you should not have posted to begin with because you are clearly not experts on the apologetics of Buddhism and Christianity.
You are doing more damage to the tolerance of Buddhism by Christians by "just trying to help" with your ignorant posts than anything else.
Here is another insight, Buddhist are people. We get angry. We get sad. We tend not to comment on other people's philosophies when we know nothing about them.
If I said Christians worship the Virgin Mary because they have statues of her, it woud cause a riot. According to you, if I get mad because some knucklehead is promoting false information about my spiritual path then I am "giving Buddhism a bad name". Get over it. I don't have to be the poster boy to know what the whole story is all about.
So, I give Buddhism a bad name for reacting NORMALLY when my belief systems are misrepresented?
Try reading the history of oppression. Nazis used all sorts of misinformation about Jews to justify killing them. Do you think the Jews stopped being angry because they were hurting the Nazi's feelings? Do you think I don't have a right to be angry with your irresponsible posts just because it hurts your feelings? This very misinformation you are posting just fuels intolerance.
Spreading false information about someone's "religion" , intentionally or unintentionally, is an act of intolerance. If you truly "didn't mean to" then you would have educated yourself before you opened your mouth.
Did you know there have been mass executions of Buddhist monks all around the world that was fueled by the same ignorance your are promoting?
In today's world of warfare, intolerance towards groups leads to their mass murder. Placing Buddhism in the same camp as extremism is not only offensive, it is dangerous to the welfare of millions of people world wide who are inches away from a military enforcement of intolerance towards Buddhism.
You have to be direct with some people, and I judged from your own words that you are one of those people.
Am I allowed to get angry yet? Now that people are getting shot for sitting on the floor and closing their eyes in the name of enlightenment, is it okay with you if I feel sad for a while? Do I have permission from all of you to mourn for the dialogue that this created? Or must I simply lay down and die at the end of a gun that has the ethics of a bulletin board post?
Gogo, I hope this won't be the last post from you. You are totally misunderstanding what I am trying to say here.
I am not hurt by anything you are saying. Everything you are feeling and expressing here I completely understand. I am not trying to minimize, or purposefully spread negative propaganda about your beliefs, at all. Far from it. But, this post isn't about you and the terrible atrocities that Buddhists are suffering, it is about Religionman's post. Since you are a member of this web site, I assumed that you had familiarized yourself with the rules here. The owners expect us to follow them. To belittle or disparage us, when we were attempting to help someone is not allowed here. You can say something to the effect of "I don't agree with the previous posts because it is apparent that they are not Buddhists. Here is what you need to know to be able to effectively honor both the religions,..." That is allowed. But, getting angry, trying to pick a fight, going off on a political tangent, and suggesting we will be laughed at for our ignorance, is not. Please see this link and scroll down to rules:
https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/faq.ph...#faq_faq_rules
You need to understand that when a question is posted and isn't answered, it isn't good for this web site. We will lose members. We try to answer as many questions as we can. A Buddhist wasn't here for Religionman when he posted on April 2. Frankly, I only posted because I was fearful that someone might tell him that he was going to "burn in hell" for even considering what he was suggesting. As I am sure you are aware, that does happen. That is against the rules too, although it is not specifically written out. I just didn't want him to be hurt, and more confused, or to sit there expecting an answer and feel ignored when an answer wasn't forthcoming. Most people, when they come to this web site expect an immediate answer. When they don't receive one, they never come back. The owners want people to come back. The owners want people to feel that they have been helped. Religionman did seem to appreciate the help, and I hope that he pursued the route Shygrney advised and proceeded to ask questions of the proper people.
I am sorry you are offended. That truly was not the intent. You are entitiled to state "because you are not Buddhists you really shouldn't have answered the question. I will attempt to clarify this for the poster." It is correct and it is not contentious. But, you are not entitled to abuse us about it and keep on ranting about it. I tried to get you back to the poster's question. That is what our responsibility is here along with treating people in a respectful manner. Unfortunately not everyone does this, and eventually get attacked by others, put on notice, or banned. We are used to Freedom of Speech. Unfortunately, this is a privately owned site and although we are allowed a lot of latitude, we don't have the freedom to do as we please. We can go to the Member's Forum and create a post for discussion or debate, if we choose to do that. We are allowed a certain amount of freedom of expression there. I think you will have a lot to offer people who are seeking help with Buddhism. So, I will ask you again, please, respond to the poster. Help him if you can. In doing that, we will all learn something.
Dear Poster,Quote:
Originally Posted by Religousman3
There are several opinions about whether Christianity will tolerate Buddhism.
What is most personally influential in the Christian debate usually boils down to the opinions of trusted ones and families. All the Christian books in the world will fall into two camps, for or against.
Imagine the journey you are on, and you have packed Christianity and Buddhism in a backpack. Many Christians take an all or none view. You can't throw out part of Christianity without throwing it all out. So if you have to throw something out , like bowing in respect to a statue of Buddha, simply take it out of your backpack and keep moving. When you arrive at your destination, you will find that everything you carried on your back was always inside of you.
For most people, your kind of question has little to do with theology and more to do with fear of ostracism. All of us are reflecting Buddha. Every time we are compassionate, every time we sacrifice, and every time we share, we are being the Buddha.
The best Christian argument against practicing Buddhism is, oddly enough, a book called "Letters to a Buddhist Jew".
Since all of our books, people, and internet sites have no answers, use the answers already inside of you.
Religousman3,
I suggest you have a read of 'Ethics For The Millennium' by the Dalai Lama. It points to the common ground shared by Buddhism and other religions. I also suggest that as a Christian you might find some helpful teachings and practices in Buddhism. Some Christians (including religious orders) have taken up the practice of zazen without compromising their beliefs.
The Buddha did not seek to convert anyone away from other teachings. He even sent one student back to another teacher, telling the student to stick with a good teacher and a good teaching and, in effect, not to shop around for a new religion.
There is even a term (bompu) for zazen meditation practiced for health and well-being without any obligation to become a Buddhist.
A great Zen monk, Suzuki Roshi, who founded the San Francisco Zen Centre, married a Christian.
Religousman3,
Do what you feel driven to do. Go where you feel driven to go. It's your journey and no one has the right to tell you what is right and what is wrong for you. It is a personal journey. Personal to you alone.
I really don't know much and like my signature says, I am an expert in nothing but my own life.
My start in life was tough and I sometimes feel like I was born old and grew younger. The more I worked to understand myself and let go of the past, the happier I became.
I ran the gauntlet of The Occult and Religion and Spirituality and now Zen - not Buddhism just some aspects of Buddhism. I'm sure Buddha and the Dalai Lama would forgive this simple woman because all she wanted to do was stay alive for her children's sake.
I think I could be considered an eclectic. I read everything I got my hands on and I chose what I thought would help me the most. Today, I'm a bit of a 'know it all' a 'Jill of all trades and mistress of none'.
I am not an educated person but thankfully I loved reading. I love words and I think of myself as a word-smith - I simply took the words and hammered them out to suit my situation. Call it self preservation. I just knew I could not go on the way I was - stuck in a downward spiral.
Remember, it’s your journey.
There's lots of Buddhism type things on the market to try without buying the T-shirt. Buddha won't mind if you don't carry the membership card.
What bluerose says is THE most important thing to keep in mind.Quote:
Originally Posted by bluerose
I am a big fan of Thich Nhat Hanh, a prominent figure in today's Buddhism. He has written a book you can find on various book selling web sites. The book deals specifically with Buddhism and Christianity.
You will find that most Buddhists will accept people who continute to practice most any religion. The bigger question for me, for 20 years, was "What will my family think?".
How will Christians react? Christianity has had, I dare say, in the hundreds of traditions over the past 2000 years. There is no single answer.
This closes out the extent of anything I have to offer, so good luck.
Just been doing a little research...
Sadly this almost turned into an argument about religion. But from what I can gather, Buddhism is not a religion it is a philosophy - a philosophy for life. There was no Christianity around in Buddha's time, and he himself was a Jew who converted to Buddhism.
Research?
Hi everybody I AM A Buddhist-there are aspects here of many posts that are a little misguided-however, I believe that you all are trying to help the original poster-kudos to you all.
I would be delighted (as I have yet to figure out the intricacies of this forum as to how to work it) to answer any questions you may have on Buddhism. Or even discuss it further-I won't argue with you though.
Cheers all.
Religion is personal. Many religions are based on others and take writings from various places. I don't see why you can't do the same thing. I know many will get upset by this but I really don't think there is anything wrong with believing in Jesus and Buddha and whoever else you choose. By choosing to believe in a God or deity you do not have to take on every part of their teachings - in fact few religions do and many teachings contradict themselves anyway. Hindus have many thousands of deities and worship the ones of their own choice, believing that all paths lead to heaven. And there is no reason you cannot meditate on Jesus as well as Buddha, is there?
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