[For a brief overview of Hinduism see the previous post.] This post is a comparison between Hinduism and Christianity. Hindus and Christians have the following similarities in their beliefs:
- Human life is not what it should be.
- This life is not the end. Life continues after we die.
- Good deeds are rewarded and evil deeds are punished.
- The divine has come down to the human level.
- The divine is capable of and has performed miracles.
Hindus and Christians have the following differences in their beliefs: (Sorry for the poor layout.)
Hinduism
God: The divine (Brahman) is an impersonal essence or consciousness.
God in human form: The divine has incarnated himself multiple times.
The universe: Everything is Brahman.
Good and evil: They are ultimately one.
Our main problem: we are ignorant.
Our solution: look inside and realize that we are Brahman. Bad karma cannot be removed by another person. We must improve our karma to attain moksha.
Our future: reincarnation – we will be reborn in different life forms. If our karma is good enough we will eventually attain moksha.
Salvation paths: There are many paths to God.
Christianity
God: a personal and relational being.
God in human form: God has come down to earth as a human being once in Jesus Christ.
The universe: God’s creation.
Good and evil: They are separate. God is pure goodness and he will ensure that final justice is given and evil is destroyed.
Our main problem: we are sinners.
Our solution: look to Christ and put our faith in him. Sin can be removed by God’s grace and Christ’s sacrifice.
Our future: resurrection – our bodies will be raised, we will be judged by God and then we will either enter God’s kingdom or be sent away from God’s kingdom.
Salvation path: There’s one way to the Father.
After graduating from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, I served as a high school Bible teacher in Asia. I enjoy traveling, writing, and playing the drums. My latest book focuses on Paul’s work as a tentmaker and what it means for today.
Lee, you wrote this in 2012, but I found it now 2023 while looking for an answer to this from someone on Quora who wants to say Jesus is a fake and copied from Buddha:
What can you refer me to for further understanding?
Hi Carol. I wrote a post on reasons to trust the Gospels, which may be helpful: https://www.bible-bridge.com/eight-reasons-trust-four-gospels/