Comparison Of Two Religions

Religion is a prominent aspect of many people’s lives. Not only does religion provide ethical and moral values, but also acts as a cultural system and often gives people a sense of order in existence. There is a wide array of different religions and philosophies across the world, and understanding the characteristics behind each one is important. Whether you are looking to expand your mind and learn more about another religion, or whether you are looking to find a religion that you specifically believe and find solace in, knowing facts behind religion is pivotal.

Comparing Buddhism and Christianity

While Buddhism and Christianity are quite different from one another, it’s interesting to contrast and compare practices, history, and beliefs behind different religions.

• ORIGIN: Christianity was formed 33 CE, while Buddhism was formed sometime in the fifth century B.C.E. The nations that these two religions span from are also different, as Christianity originates from the Middle East, while Buddhism originates from India.
• BELIEF SYSTEM: Buddhism is a polytheistic religion, while Christianity is a monotheistic religion. This means that Christians believe in only one God, while Buddhists believe in numerous Gods. Buddhism is based off the teachings of Buddha, which believes that everything is temporary, and the ultimate goal is nirvana. Christianity believes Jesus’ teachings, and that people may reach salvation only by believing in God and repenting for their sins to gain merit.
• KEY BEGINNINGS: For Christianity, the religion originated from the life and lessons of Jesus of Nazareth. For Buddhism, the religion, often more thought of as a philosophy, occurred after the spiritual realization that Buddha (Siddhartha Guatama) reached.
• AFTERLIFE BELIEFS: Buddhism believes that death is simply a return to Earth, and that it is much like a phantom world. Christianity believes in eternal heaven or hell, depending on the member of the faith. Whether they are a sinner or not determines whether a person goes to heaven or goes to hell. In most denominations of Christianity, this is the case. Catholicism also believes in a temporary purgatory.

When discussing religions, it’s difficult to concisely describe them, as the prominence of one detail can make a vast impact on a person; these details are not even the tip of the iceberg. Both Christianity and Buddhism are exceptionally different from one another; however both seek to provide a happy and peaceful existence to their followers. Whether you are searching for answers or looking for more details to suffice a wandering mind, literary research is always a go-to when looking for more details about certain religions.