Buddhism and Christianity Presenting the Essay

Charity, it may be said, therefore, is the initial step in establishing any relationship with a person of another faith.

The barriers that one may face when attempting, however, to present the Gospel to a person of the Buddhist worldview may be found in the fact that Buddhism itself is not a religion. It is, rather, a kind of philosophy that enables one to remove oneself from the things in life which cause one to desire permanence -- or, rather, the infinite in the finite world. This, of course, could also be turned into an advantage when presenting the Gospel -- which contains the Infinite in the finite world in the Person of Jesus Christ Who is called the Beginning and the End -- the Alpha and the Omega. Christ is a religious solution to the problem of pain, which the Buddhist practices overcoming through adherence to the Buddhist Scriptures of meditation.

Presenting the Gospel would present some personal challenges, however. These personal challenges may range from having the courage to speak of a faith that I find to be of the utmost importance in a world that has become essentially religiously pluralistic. In other words, while the modern world views all religions as equal, a Christian realizes that Christ is different from the other gods or prophets or teachers of other belief systems or faiths.Christ receives our attention because He is the Son of God and has established a way for people to do good and avoid evil and thereby merit the rewards of eternal life. Christ established a Church and identifying that Church can cause discomfort, especially when it is viewed by many with antagonism. Yet, the personal challenge is to remember that I am not defending the actions of men or particular churchmen, but rather the actions of my God, Who is Jesus Christ. It is He to Whom I attempt to draw attention -- for He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

In conclusion, when encountering a person of another faith in the real world, or for example the workplace, one must above all remember to build any relationship with that person on charity -- but also on truth (and the two are not so distinct from one another). Charity guides us to patience, and truth guides us to defend and preach the Gospel which we have been handed down by the saints and by the Disciples of Christ.

Reference List

Sheen, Fulton. (2008). Life of Christ. NY: Doubleday.

Van Voorst, R.E. (2008). Anthology of World Scriptures.….....