Catholicism And Buddhism Similarities

450 Words1 Page

While Catholicism and Buddhism both have several similarities, they both also have many differences in beliefs, rituals, and practices. Buddhism is centered mostly on the life and teachings of Siddhartha Guatama, also known as the Buddha, while Catholicism is centered mostly on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Paying close attention to beliefs and practices, Buddhism and Catholicism have several similarities. Both religions place an emphasis on what you do, what you think, and how those things affect you after your life in the physical world. While Buddhism’s ultimate goal is to be released from the cycle of rebirth and enter Nirvana, the goal of Catholicism is to be gain eternal life in Heaven. Both religions teach that we will all eventually pay for the sins we have committed while Buddhism refers to it Karma, Catholicism refers to it as temporal …show more content…

One main difference between these two religions is that Catholicism is a theistic (monotheistic to be specific) religion while Buddhism is a non-theistic religion. This means that while Catholics believe in one true God, Buddhists don’t believe in any one supreme deity. For this reason, some argue that Buddhism is more of a philosophy than it is a religion because Buddhists don’t worship a deity. Also, while there is an emphasis on respect for life in both religions, only Buddhism disdains the consumption of animals as food. Consumption of animals for food is permitted in Catholicism. Additionally, Siddhartha Guatama, also known as the Buddha, taught that there wasn’t a need for a personal deity while Catholicism teaches that a personal relationship is required to achieve eternal life. Finally, Buddhists believe that a cycle of rebirth and reincarnation is required to achieve Nirvana while Catholics believe you only have one life in the physical world to prove that you are worthy to spend eternity in

Open Document