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Can you be Buddhist and Christian? Why or why not?

No. You cannot because the Bible says, thou shalt have no other gods.

Playing the Devil’s Advocate for a moment, the Darma, the Text followed by the Buddhists, says nothing about Gods of any kind…

UUMMM I not too familiar with ALL of buddhism but I did know some people who practiced it.  They believe that they are all god and that they need to acheive a "higher" state eventually.

Regardless of that fact or anything else.  Quite simply they deny Jesus as savior and don't believe in sin just right and wrong and that they are both necissary in the world.  Any religion that denies Jesus is false and needs to be strayed away from.  The bible tells us that if anyone comes with a message denying or not proclaiming Christ, not only should not be allowed in our house but you can't even send themj of with a godspeed.

Easy enough answer?  I don't even know why someone would want to practice anything else outside of the bible in a spiritual sense since everything else is a lie and of the devil.

I agree

I don't even know why someone would want to practice anything else outside of the bible in a spiritual sense since everything else is a lie and of the devil.
 Amen Brother

Brother Love :)

So you chase off the postman for bringing the electricity bill?  ;D

Unfortunately I live in an apartment, so I don't usually see him coming.  I would like to chase off anyone sending me bills though.   ;)

Good idea :)

Brother Love :)

First off, don’t get me wrong, I’m not some Buddhism peace and unite for the World religions, but this is what Buddhist, true Buddhists, believe. I'm my playing the Devils advocate, getting to the truth of such things.

You KNOW Buddhist? Are we talking about whole hearted Buddhist, or Yuppies? The Darma teaches the following, life is all about suffering, we are the ones who cause our suffering, and we are the ones who can end it. The Darma reads as an Asian self help book. That is the whole idea behind it. The Gods where not added until they carried the Darma to India. Buddhism believe you can’t take the Traditions and Nature out of a culture, so it assimilates them, must like we took on Wedding and Birthdays, and Christmas, and Easter. And Buddhist who thinks it is about the gods, isn’t Buddhist

Again this is totally false and there is yet NO mention of Jesus.  Why do you insist on ignoring blatent problems here?  You aren't being the devils advocate and I say I would dare not be any such thing as a faithful Christian anyhow.

I didn't say they believed in gods.  I said they believed we are ALL god, singular.  It's quite a popular belief in the east.

Right…

It is quite a popular belief all over. One of the world biggest. All the Yuppies following it. Anyhow, I just wanted to get everyone’s thoughts on this, and I’m quoting what I know a Buddhist would say. Most people are not going to simply give up there beliefs because you tell them is isn’t Godly. No need to get upset, just trying to get the wheels going in everyone head. Sorry for offending you.

No your question was can a Christian practice buddhism?  Starting to tell me what a buddhist would answer tells that A) they aren't Christian and B) IT's a deffierent subject to preach Christ to pagan religion, than whether or not it's ok to be a buddhist and a CHristian.  To which the answer is stil a resounding NO.

Buddhism, Confusousisism, (however you spell it) May have some good teachings in them but that is what what the devil is all about. He tries to decieve by making things look good.

My parents were missionaries in Asia for 33 years. So much of the culture was religious practices. How was he to seperate the two? He didn't. It wasn't his job. His job was to preach the Gospel. It was the Holy Spirit's job to convict new Christian on how to act.

So It is impossible for a Christian to be also Buddhist. The Holy Spirit would make him so uncomfortabe he would have to give up one or the other.

Naomi

It is common for Buddhist to say "You can be a Christian and a Buddhist." This is how some Buddhist wheel Christians in, with this popular line, they call Buddhism a way of life, a Philosophy, not a Religion, so people will feal more comfortable, because they thing they don't have to give up there Childhood beliefs. Ofcourse, they soon do, between the confused Tuppies and the anti-Christian Buddhists, they seem to slowly drift into a state of psudo-Enlightenment, the sum if this being they have realised the Church is only out for money, or something like that, and htis knowledge makes them wiser then the average Christian, many of which who would, ironically, agree with them!

I believe the term you are looking for is reel a Christian in not wheel.  You know, like fishing, once you HOOK them then you have to REEL them in.  Just so you know, it makes you look smarter.   ;)  Sort of like so many people that think "for all intent and purposes" is "for all instensive purposes".  Anywho......
The very fact that they would tell you it's "a way of life" should send up a red flag because true Christianity is a way of life and not a religion.

There are many who would be so easily swayed for they are either not truly saved or such babes that eventually they should feel the conviction from the Holy Spirit.  I know many more people that were saved after "childhood" than not, so this "they don't have to give up there Childhood beliefs." tells me yet again it's a decieving device to be strayed away from and send up all sorts of red flags.  They are not childhood beliefs but truths of God's Word.  I know plenty of people that think you can be Christian and get tatoos and body peircings.  This too is false and many itching ears want to be scratched.

Buddhist pray and meditate so it is quite false to pretend they are not a religion (which they are).  All the "enlightened" thinking from the east is actually a religion whether they want to admit it or not.  People try out these religions or "ways of life" because they need to fill their spiritual hole.  This should send up red flags again.  Every one I have ever met or heard speak has said that these are spiritual things.  It's all a ruse from satan as usual.  He is the father of all lies and hence he is and will ALWAYS be the best at them.  

If someone will not hear you on why you can not be both after showing them the truth they are on their own.  Only God can convict their spirit.  We can only use the Word of God which will convict them.  That is a ll we do and it isn't much really.  You are all hip into the martial arts stuff.  Tell me is it YOU who wants to be both?  The comment on the church just wanting money well..... take a look at the RCC's and all the gold and crap in there and tell how one couldn't feel that?  When most people speak of the "church" that's who they mean, so keep that in mind.  So because of this I too would agree but considering that many churches require no money to be a member I don't see how this could be believed.  My church has open finacial meetings that ALL are encouraged to come to.  There is no hiding of monies and only "members" of our church have more money than others.  My pastor still lives in the house the church built for the pastor on the same plot of ground the church is on.  It is nothing special at all.  I almost make as much as my pastor and I don't make too much money (at least not for where I live).

Ummmm..... this really confuses me! So if someone is a Christian and they get a tattoo then they are no longer a Christian?  ??? And no, I'm not trying to justify a tattoo... I don't have any and I don't like them - but I believe that's my own opinion and not God's Word....

(sorry for sidetracking from Buddha  ::))

Yeah well you'd be wrong if you think it's ok to get peirced an tatoo'd.  Here's at least one scripture for you:
Le 19:28
Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh
for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I
am the LORD.

It's not ok take a look at all the heathen peoples and what they look like.  You think that's ok huh?  Just a matter of personal preferance?

1Co 6:18
Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
1Co 6:19
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1Co 6:20
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

I suppose I should start spray painting and tagging the church walls.  After all it's just an art form.   ::)

Wow - that was an awfully snide reply  :-\

I believe the question I asked was:

In reference to the verse you posted:
Le 19:28
Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.

Does that pertain to the marking of the body for the dead?


What do 'heathen peoples' look like?  ???

What do the other verses have to do with tattoos?  ???



That would be breaking the law..... But you may want to check out a church that DOES have graffitti  ;) :
http://www.graffitichurch.org/building.html (http://www.graffitichurch.org/building.html)

And in many cities they have painting on walls that are called murals...  'Wyland' is a famous artist who was paid to paint on buildings all over the world.... So I guess it really is an art form!  ;)
http://www.kidzwerld.com/site/p2021.htm (http://www.kidzwerld.com/site/p2021.htm)

(http://www2.hawaii.edu/~mcgraw/Page-Lucky-Live-Hawaii/Hawaii-Oahu/whalewall2.jpg) This is even more spectacular in real life!

But, of course, none of that has a thing to do with tattoos~

Did Buddhism during his lifetime and after Buddha's death become a form of idolatry?
Many temples were built and still exist with huge idols of the so called Buddha. Some were destroyed in Afghanistan. Christians and idols are verboten.

Well if you can't figure something so simple out.......  Then again you still think that women can be pastors so whatever.

1Co 6:18
Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

So this verse says that tattoos are a sin? Or are you confused as to what 'fornication' means?


 Ummm.... I'm guessing that you've made a slight error and confused me with 'suzie'??!!  I have never thought that woman can be pastors since the Bible says otherwise.....

And the question is:

Actually, I was thinking wheel, to be honest. I guess they slur and butcher the English Language so might in this part of Texas, I can’t even quote them right, lol. Not a fan of fishing, anyways. ;D Thanks for the note, though.  So Gald I'm just passing thru ;D

They also claim they do not pray... lol

God can convict there spirit, and I’m sure he will once we plant the seeds.  As a Baptist, you believe you are right ,and as far as you know, you are. Now, maybe your right, maybe you are not, but you have to keep in mind that the people of other Regions and beliefs feels the same way you do about there Beliefs. They belief they are right, and we are the close-minded fools who needs to be convicted. We have to learn to approach them, or arsenals full of kind but honest replies to their every word and comeback. If we don’t know much about what they believe, then how we expect them to listen to what we believe!

As for Tattoo’s, lets read this verse in context, as you know I love to do. It seems to be taking about the doing this to honor the dead. Also, lets look at the 2 verse before it:

19: "Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed. Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material."
26:"Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it."
 
Tell me you have never worn a blend. Most clothes now a days are Cotton, Polyester blends! And the majority of the people I know like there steak with a little red in it. Leviticus is full of little tidbits we don’t follow. So, if we can’t get tattoo’s for that reason, then we are going to have to also resort to eating burned steaks and wearing less presentable clothing.

It is really a question of Letter of the Law vs. Spirit of the Law. Me, I’m on the fence. I don’t like Body Mod personally, I don’t even plan to get a Tattoo or piercing, but I’m still undecided as to wither it is sinful or not.
 

Hi all,

I haven't yet figured out how to quote stuff, so I'll have to do it the old-fashioned way:

Tibby wrote:

"God can convict there spirit, and I’m sure he will once we plant the seeds.  As a Baptist, you believe you are right ,and as far as you know, you are. Now, maybe your right, maybe you are not, but you have to keep in mind that the people of other Regions and beliefs feels the same way you do about there Beliefs. They belief they are right, and we are the close-minded fools who needs to be convicted."

By its very nature the truth is closed, so being closed-minded is not necessarily foolish.

Tibby also said:

"We have to learn to approach them, or arsenals full of kind but honest replies to their every word and comeback. If we don’t know much about what they believe, then how we expect them to listen to what we believe!"

The same way the Thessalonians listened to Paul's preaching:

"For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe" (1 Thess. 2:13).

Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, said that what he was teaching had nothing to do with religion and that he would be wrongly deified after his death.  He was right.  His corpse had barely grown cold before he was canonized and his teachings were alloyed with the existing religions of the time and region.  Today those alloyed religions include Hinduism, Shintoism, Animism, Christianity, and even atheism (i.e. no-religion).

Even early on, however, there were followers of Siddhartha who worried about this.  Zen arose partly as a form of Buddhist fundamentalism – a return to the “Bodhi Tree roots” (so to speak).  Zen stresses direct enlightenment primarily through meditation and secondarily through teaching (the mix depends on the school).  Enlightenment is impossible to define in words, and it’s not soteriological like the Christian concept of salvation.  Enlightenment in Zen means something more like “direct perception” or “immediate existence.”

So the answer to the question “Can a person be a Christian and a Buddhist” may have different meanings, depending on what one means by Buddhist.  If one means Buddhism alloyed with Hinduism, then one can be a Christian and a Buddhist to the same extent that one can be a Christian and a Hindu (etc.).

If by Buddhism one means Zen or other forms of fundamentalist Buddhism, then one can be a Christian and a Buddhist to the same extent one can be a Hindu and a Buddhist, a Shintoist and a Buddhist, an atheist/materialist and a Buddhist, etc.  Zen and fundamental Buddhism require no theological input and no theological commitment (in fact, most schools warn against it).  Any theological response to enlightenment and practice are considered part of the individual student’s experience and not part of Zen itself.

-Neil

People cannot really be Christians and Buddhists at the same time. The two are contradictory. Christianity teaches that enlightenment comes from God alone because the natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God, whereas Buddhism does not teach that enlightenment comes from outside the individual, IIRC. Also, Buddhists ultimately depend on themselves for personal moral improvement, whereas Christianity teaches that apart from Christ we can do nothing.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAMEN & AMEN!!!!

(With no intent to fan any flames...)

I couldn't vote because "Mu!" wasn't one of the choices.   ;D

-Neil

p.s. Mathetes, I'm not of the reformed persuasion myself, but "cruseofoil" is a very well-made website for those interested in topic.