Buddha vs. Jesus

1. Jesus is God.  (John 1:1, 20, 20:28)  Buddha was a man.

2. Buddha was created by Jesus. (John 1:3, John 1:10)

3. Jesus came to save us. (John 3:16; 4:24)  Buddha left his wife and child.

4. Jesus brought salvation (John 3:36; 11:35).  Buddha brought religion.

5. Jesus was the only way for salvation (John 14:6). Buddha taught that eights steps were necessary for salvation or "Nirvana".

6. Jesus commanded us to be born again (John 3:3-5), Buddha taught reincarnation.

7. Jesus lives in heaven (John 14:1-3) Buddha taught that heaven was not real.

8. Jesus taught that hell was indeed real and eternal punishment for those who reject Him (John 3:18). Buddha taught that hell was not real and karma.

9. Jesus is Truth (John 14:6). Buddha taught Four Nobel Truths.

10.  Jesus rose from the dead and proved He is God. There were over 500 witnesses recorded in history (John 20). Buddhas is dead in his grave.

11.  Jesus was born in a stable for animals. He was a working man. He died the death of a criminal, crucifixion, a death only for slaves and the lowest of society. He was poor. He was never sheltered from poverty or the world.  Buddha was born a prince. He was sheltered from all forms of misery of the world. He had all of life's pleasures. He was shielded from sickness, decrepitude, and death.

12. Jesus preached the reality of sin, the nature of God the Father, and the need for repentance and salvation. Buddha denies the ultimate existence of sin and the necessity of grace.

13. Jesus taught that God wishes to share his divine life, given through the Son by the power of the Holy Spirit. Buddha taught individuality must perish and everything is one.

14. Christ established a Church, with a structure of authority based on his words and example. He said, "Follow me!" Buddha left a teaching in which each person must find his own path.

15. Christ rose from the dead only once and will return as King of Kings. He revealed his own divinity, saying, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:58). Buddha suggests that "there is no 'I'; there is no 'self'. At his death, when he experienced pari-nirvana (final extinction) he stated that the question of the afterlife was "Not conductive to edification"

16. Jesus paid the price in human flesh for the sin of mankind. Jesus is Lord-the incarnation of God Himself.  Buddha is a teacher and his followers are students.

17. Christianity recognized the reality of sin and that we cannot save ourselves.  Buddha believes in self-reliance, self-discipline and individual striving. Pretending sin doesn't exist does not make it go away.

18.  There is only one God, one Jesus, one Holy Spirit.  In Buddhism teaching, anyone can become a Buddha (a supreme enlightened being) in due course if one practices diligently and attains purity of mind (No delusions, no afflictions).

19. Christians do not disconnect from the world. Buddhism teaches to disconnect.

20. The Bible believes that what you sow that you shall reap also. Sin in the world is the result of greed, selfishness, and people preying on one another. Buddhism believes in Karma: fate, predestination, inequality of mankind. Cause and effect, your genetic inheritance, plus previous experiences along with current experiences and choice explain what and where you are today, Karma.

21. The Bible says man is appointed to live once and then comes judgement. Buddha taught enlightenment. If you don't get it you are up for re-birth.

22.  Jesus taught to do good to others. Put your faith into action. Buddhism says one must not be attached to good deeds or the idea of doing good, otherwise it is just another form of craving.

23. Man is the pinnacle of God's creation formed on the 6th day of creation. Christianity teaches that we should take care of animals and other aspects of creation. They are not sentient beings.  Buddha teaches bad animals will be re-born.

24. Jesus crucifixion was prophesied over 1000 years before he was born. It hadn't even been invented yet. 48 prophesies are in the Bible having to do with Jesus. Peter Stoner in Science Speaks shows that coincidence is ruled out by the science of probability. "We find that the chance that any man might have lived down to the present time and fulfilled all eight prophecies is 1 in 10/17 (ten to the 17 power). 48 prophesies would be 1 in 10/157 (or 1 in 100,000,000,000,000, 157 times)

The estimated number of electrons in the universe is around 10 to the 79 power. It should be quite evident that Jesus did not fulfill the prophecies by accident.   He was the all knowing, all mighty, ever present God of Creation and exists in the triune of God.   Buddha was only a teacher of philosophy.