I am a Buddhist. Why should I consider becoming a Christian?

Answer

Compared to Buddhism, Christianity possesses several distinctive features that warrant consideration.

Firstly, Christianity and Buddhism both have historical central figures, Jesus and Buddha, respectively. However, only Jesus is documented to have risen from the dead. While many individuals throughout history have been regarded as wise teachers and founders of religious movements, Siddhartha Guatama, also known as Sakyamuni, the historical Buddha, stands out for his exceptional wisdom and profound philosophy of life. Nevertheless, Jesus is also remarkable as He validated His spiritual teachings with a trial that only divine power could overcome. The teachings of Jesus are affirmed by His death and resurrection, a prophecy He foretold and fulfilled in Himself (Matthew 16:21;Matthew 20:18-19;Mark 8:31;1 Luke 9:22;John 20-21;1 Corinthians 15). Jesus is deserving of special consideration.

Secondly, the Christian Scriptures are historically remarkable and merit serious contemplation. One could argue that the Bible’s historical account is so compelling that to question the Bible is to question history itself, given that it is the most historically verifiable book from antiquity. The New Testament, in particular, is the only book more historically verifiable than the Old Testament (the Hebrew Bible). Consider the following:

1) The New Testament has more manuscripts than any other ancient text—5,000 ancient Greek manuscripts and a total of 24,000 manuscripts in various languages. This abundance of manuscripts provides a substantial research foundation for cross-referencing and determining the original texts.

2) The New Testament manuscripts are closer in age to the originals compared to any other ancient document. All the original manuscripts were

Written during the time of the contemporaries (eyewitnesses) in the first century A.D., we currently possess parts of manuscripts dating back to A.D. 125. Complete book copies emerge by A.D. 200, and the entire New Testament can be traced back to A.D. 250. The fact that all the books of the New Testament were originally written during the time of eyewitnesses ensures that the books did not have the opportunity to deteriorate into myth and folklore. Additionally, their truth claims were verified by members of the Church who, as firsthand witnesses to the events, could verify the facts.

3) The New Testament documents are more precise than any other from antiquity. John R. Robinson, in Honest to God, states that the New Testament documents are 99.9 percent accurate (the most accurate of any complete ancient book). Bruce Metzger, an expert in the Greek New Testament, suggests a slightly more conservative estimate of 99.5 percent.

Thirdly, Christian ethics have a more robust foundation than Buddhist ethics. Christian ethics are rooted in the personal character of God. God is personal and moral, with a nature that is inherently good. Therefore, actions aligned with His goodness are genuinely good, while those deviating from His goodness are truly evil. In contrast, Buddhists do not perceive ultimate reality as personal. However, morality inherently requires personality. To illustrate, consider the morality of a rock. One does not hold a rock accountable for being used in a murder since it lacks moral responsibilities as a non-person. The moral responsibility lies with the individual who employed the rock for nefarious purposes. Buddhism lacks the personal basis for moral obligations. In Buddhism, karma serves as the moral framework, but karma is impersonal, akin to a natural law. Violating a karmic “rule” is not inherently evil. The distinction between error (non-moral mistakes) and sin (moral transgressions) appears insignificant.

Moreover, many Buddhists argue that the dualities of “good” and “evil” ultimately disintegrate. “Good” and “evil” are considered part of maya, the illusory world.In the world of sensory reality, the categories of morality are insufficient to align with ultimate reality. Enlightened individuals will perceive that good and evil merge into one. However, this perspective implies that ultimate reality is not inherently “good.” It is also not “evil,” but then how can one be certain that the pursuit of “ultimate reality” is worthwhile? What justification would there be for leading a morally upright life rather than a life devoid of moral distinctions, or a passive life that avoids moral decisions as much as possible? If Buddhism claims that reality is fundamentally impersonal and that the distinctions between good and evil are not truly real, then Buddhism lacks a genuine ethical foundation. On the contrary, Christianity can point to the character of God as the personal source of morality and as the basis for distinguishing good from evil.

Furthermore, Christianity appropriately values “desire.” Buddhist ethics encounter a significant challenge in this regard. Sakyamuni taught that tanha, which means “desire” or “attachment,” is the root of suffering and should be eliminated. However, some undeniably positive aspects are rooted in the concept of desire. For instance, love is defined as “desiring the good of another” (John 15:13;1 John 4:7-12). One cannot truly love without having a level of attachment in desiring the well-being of another person. In contrast, Christianity teaches that desire is commendable when it is appropriately directed. Paul encourages Christians to “eagerly desire the greater gifts” of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:31;1 Corinthians 14:1). In the Psalms, we witness worshippers yearning for and desiring communion with God (Psalm 42:1-2;84). And, undoubtedly, God not only demonstrates love but embodies love (1 John 4:9); Psalm 136; John 3:16. Sacrificing desire altogether seems to discard the proverbial baby (love) with the dirty bathwater (suffering).

Fifth is the question “What do you do with your sin?” Buddhism has at least two concepts of sin. Sin is sometimes perceived as ignorance. It is considered sinful if one does not see or understand reality as Buddhism defines it. However, in Buddhism, there is also a concept of moral wrongdoing called “sin.” Engaging in deliberate evil, violating a spiritual or earthly law, or desiring wrong things would be identifiable sins. This latter definition of sin points to a type of moral error that necessitates genuine atonement. Where can atonement come from? Can atonement be achieved through adherence to karmic principles? Karma is impersonal and amoral. One could perform good deeds to restore balance, but sin cannot be completely eliminated. Karma does not even establish a framework where moral wrongdoing is considered moral. Whom have we wronged if we sin in private? Karma remains indifferent because it lacks personal attributes. Can atonement be attained through prayer or devotion to a Bodhisattva or a Buddha? Even if these figures could grant forgiveness, it appears that sin would still remain unresolved. Forgiving sin would imply that it is excusable; that it is insignificant.

On the contrary, Christianity presents the most comprehensive theological perspective on sin. In Christianity, sin is viewed as moral error. Since the time of Adam, humans have been inherently sinful beings. Sin is a reality that creates an infinite chasm between humanity and bliss. Sin demands justice, but it cannot be offset by an equal or greater amount of good deeds. Even if someone has ten times more good deeds than bad deeds, the burden of bad deeds remains. What happens to these lingering bad deeds? Are they simply forgiven as if they were inconsequential from the start? Are they allowed into bliss? Are they mere illusions, thus posing no issue at all? None of these alternatives are satisfactory.Concerning illusion, sin is too real for us to be explained away as an illusion. Regarding our sinfulness, when we are honest with ourselves, we all acknowledge that we have sinned. Concerning forgiveness, simply forgiving sin at no cost treats sin as if it is insignificant, even though we know that to be untrue. Concerning bliss, bliss is not very beneficial if sin continues to infiltrate. It appears that the scales of karma leave us burdened with sin on our hearts, and bliss either cannot accommodate us, or it must cease to be perfect so that we can enter.

Christianity provides a solution for sin. No sin goes unpunished, but the penalty has already been fulfilled in Christ’s personal sacrifice on the cross. God became man, lived a flawless life, and died the death that we deserved. He was crucified on our behalf, serving as a substitute for us and providing a covering, or atonement, for our sins. Additionally, He was resurrected, demonstrating that not even death could defeat Him. He offers the same resurrection to eternal life for all who place their faith in Him as their sole Lord and Savior (Romans 3:10,23;6:23;8:12;10:9-10;Ephesians 2:8-9;Philippians 3:21).

This is not a “easy believism” scenario where God, like a janitor, simply cleans up all our mistakes. Instead, this is a lifelong commitment where we adopt a new nature and initiate a new relationship with God Himself (Romans 6:1;Ephesians 2:1-10). When a person genuinely believes that God is who He claims to be in the Bible, and truly believes that God did what He says He did in the Bible, and a person entrusts his or her life to that belief—that person undergoes a transformation. They become a new creation through the power of God, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

(2 Corinthians 5:17). You cannot remain the same once you have that belief. One could just as easily continue reading the morning paper after realizing his house was on fire. That knowledge (the house is on fire) motivates action and changes your life (stop reading the paper and do something about the fire).

Nor is Jesus simply a solution among many others. All the world’s religions contain some level of truth, but ultimately, Jesus is the sole answer to the human condition. Meditation, works, prayer—none of these can make us deserving of the infinite and eternal gift of heaven. None of these can undo the sin we’ve committed. Only when Christ settles our sin debt and we place our faith in Him can we be saved. Only then is sin covered, hope assured, and life filled with eternal significance.

Lastly, it is solely within Christianity that we can be certain of our salvation. We do not need to depend on some fleeting experience, nor do we rely on our own good deeds or intense meditation. Nor do we place our faith in a false god whom we are attempting to “believe-into-existence.” We have a living and true God, a faith rooted in history, a lasting and verifiable revelation of God (Scripture), and a guaranteed home in heaven with God.

So, what does this mean for you? Jesus is the ultimate reality! Jesus is the perfect sacrifice for your sins. God extends forgiveness and salvation to all of us if we will simply accept His gift to us «But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: », (John 1:12), believing Jesus to be the Savior who sacrificed His life for us, His friends. If you put your trust in Jesus as your Savior, you will have absolute assurance of eternal life in heaven. God will pardon your sins, purify your soul, renew your spirit, grant you abundant life in this world, and eternal life in the next world. How can we

Why would we reject such a precious gift? How can we turn our backs on God, who loved us enough to sacrifice Himself for us?

If you are uncertain about your beliefs, we encourage you to pray the following to God: “God, help me to know the truth. Guide me to recognize falsehood. Show me the way to salvation.” God will always respond to such a prayer.

If you desire to accept Jesus as your Savior, simply speak to God, whether aloud or silently, and express your acceptance of the gift of salvation through Jesus. If you would like a suggested prayer, here is an example: “God, I am grateful for your love. Thank you for your sacrifice on my behalf. Thank you for offering me forgiveness and salvation. I embrace the gift of salvation through Jesus. I welcome Jesus as my Savior. Amen!”

Have you chosen to place your trust in Jesus as your Savior based on what you have read today? If so, kindly click on the “I have accepted Christ today” button below.

If you have any inquiries, please utilize the question form on our Bible Questions Answered page.