Universalism and Buddhism: What Does Christianity Say?

  This post will help you talk to any of your reincarnation and/or Buddhist/Zen friends about Christianity. It will help you explain how Christianity goes farther and higher in a friendly way. Universalism is a popular idea today. There are different versions of it but the general idea is that God will save everyone eventually. Of course this is an attractive idea; who doesn’t want everyone to be saved? Even scripture says that God is “not wishing that any should perish” (II Peter 3:9). But scripture also says in many places that God will send some people to punishment after He judges them for their destructive, unloving lives. We won’t look at all the verses on that because the purpose of this post is to look at why God takes that view. One of the best ways to understand Christianity is to compare it to other religions. This will help Continue Reading →

Churches as Compassionate Relationship Centers

In many circles today Buddhism has a reputation for being a compassionate religion. Christianity is not viewed that way. This is ironic since the chief goal of Buddhism on earth is to eliminate desire and avoid suffering which includes intimate relationships that could cause suffering. Jesus embraced suffering , especially sacrificial suffering for others. Buddha believed in compassion but did not value sacrificial love and suffering nearly as much as Jesus . There is no God in Buddhism – it is agnostic. In Christianity we discover a loving personal God. So why does Buddhism have a better reputation for compassion for many people? Is it possible that too many Christians present themselves as adversarial inside and outside the church, that many are focused on defending Christian doctrine and morality with people who aren’t even Christian? Is this okay? Should anyone who has experienced both religions have any doubt which is Continue Reading →