Buddhism and Christianity: Can They Be Reconciled?

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**Buddhism and Christianity: Can They Be Reconciled?**  

While reviewing some information about Buddhism this week, I encountered an article advocating for cooperative efforts between Buddhists and Christians. The author, the late Bhikkhu Buddhasdasa, argued that Buddhism and Christianity teach many of the same things and should naturally partner together for their common religious interests. However, this is a form of intentional syncretism that should be avoided.  

The problem with Buddhasdasa’s argument is that he interpreted Christian theology and the Bible from a Buddhist perspective. His assumptions about Christianity could only encourage cooperation under a Buddhist understanding of the Bible while disregarding key biblical principles.  

Many today mistakenly believe Buddhism and Christianity are compatible. They are not. Below, I will examine several points Buddhasdasa made and explain why these two religions are fundamentally irreconcilable.  

### **Contradictions Between Buddhist and Christian Teachings**  

**1. "Most people have believed that their own religion is the best and the only way to salvation. Such an attitude contradicts all valid religious principles."**  

This statement assumes that all religions are equal, but this contradicts both logic and Scripture. If one truly believes in their religion, they must believe it is the best way to truth. If Buddhasdasa truly believed what he wrote, he would have abandoned Buddhism, yet he did not.  

Jesus explicitly stated: **"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."** (John 14:6) Christianity does not allow for religious relativism.  

**2. "The root of all the evils in the world today is human selfishness, and the essence of all religious teachings is the eradication of selfishness and egoism."**  

While selfishness is a problem, the eradication of self is a Buddhist teaching, not a Christian one. Buddhism seeks the dissolution of individual identity, but Jesus taught that human beings are meant for eternal life as conscious individuals. The Bible does not promote the annihilation of self, but rather transformation through faith:  

**"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind."** (Romans 12:2)  

**3. "God in Buddhism, however, is not anthropomorphic but is the law of nature that creates and governs the universe."**  

This is a fundamental flaw in Buddhist theology. Christianity does not teach that God is anthropomorphic; rather, we are created in God's image:  

**"Let us make man in our image, after our likeness."** (Genesis 1:26)  

Buddhism teaches that God is an impersonal force, while Christianity teaches that God is a personal, living being with intelligence, emotion, and will.  

**4. "The law of nature is thusness (tathatā). It embraces everything and does not differentiate good from evil."**  

If good and evil are indistinguishable, then morality is meaningless. Yet, in reality, no one truly lives this way. The Bible teaches that God is good:  

**"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever!"** (Psalm 136:1)  

If Buddhism does not differentiate between good and evil, then Buddhism itself cannot be considered good.  

**5. "According to the Old Testament, God forbade Adam and Eve to eat the fruits of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil... Essentially, it indicates that the law of nature commands human beings to live beyond good and evil."**  

Buddhasdasa misinterpreted the Bible through an Eastern lens. The story of Adam and Eve is about humanity’s fall from goodness into sin, not about transcending moral distinctions.  

**"For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive."** (1 Corinthians 15:22)  

Buddhism’s denial of good and evil fundamentally contradicts biblical teaching.  

### **The Incompatibility of Buddhist and Christian Worldviews**  

Buddhasdasa suggested that Buddhists and Christians should set aside the literal meanings of their scriptures and work together. However, abandoning the meaning of scripture makes it meaningless. The Bible warns against blending false religions with true faith:  

**"What partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?"** (2 Corinthians 6:14)  

### **Buddhism, Christianity, and the Resurrection of Jesus**  

Some Buddhists attempt to discredit Christianity by pointing to the Old Testament’s commands regarding warfare. However, these commands were specific to Israel’s national formation and not about spreading faith. The true foundation of Christianity is not these commands but the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  

Buddhist critics may challenge aspects of the Bible, but they have never successfully refuted Jesus’ bodily resurrection. Christianity stands or falls on this event:  

**"And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins."** (1 Corinthians 15:17)  

If Jesus truly rose from the dead, then his teachings must be taken seriously—and his teachings preclude Buddhism from being true.  

### **Exclusive Salvation in Jesus Christ**  

Jesus made it clear that there is no compatibility between his message and other religious systems. He stated:  

**"All who came before me are thieves and robbers."** (John 10:8)  

He also declared:  

**"No one comes to the Father except through me."** (John 14:6)  

Likewise, the Apostle Paul emphasized the need to abandon false religions:  

**"Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead."** (Acts 17:29-31)  

### **Conclusion**  

Buddhism and Christianity are irreconcilable. Any attempt to merge them requires abandoning Christian faith. The Bible demands exclusive devotion to Jesus Christ and a rejection of contradictory religious philosophies. True faith in Jesus Christ is incompatible with Buddhist teachings, which deny personal identity, the reality of good and evil, and the personal nature of God.  

Ultimately, Christianity is founded on the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is a historical and theological claim that Buddhism cannot refute. Therefore, those who seek truth should abandon Buddhism and turn to Christ, the only way to eternal life.