Can people mix diffrent religions???

[yakov91]

I need some advice, I was wondering if people can mix diffrent religions, because i cannot choose between Christianity or Buddhism, I love them both, thier ideas, concepts, and diffrent worshiping styles.

Can anyone who has been through this help me, either how they choose, or how they mixed, whatever religions!

I need some serious help!!!

yakov91

 

[ChristineES]

From what I have learned of Buddhism, it seems that you can adopt the principles of Buddhism and still be a Christian.
I suggest a book for you to read:
Living Buddha, Living Christ By a Buddhist Monk named Thich Nhat Hanh. In addition to being a good read, it also tells of the similarities between Christian and Buddhist beliefs.

 

[Izdaari]

Yes, indeed. Much of Buddhist thinking, especially Zen, is IMO compatible with Christianity. I find many useful insights from both Zen and Taoism, and there is no conflict with my Christian faith. That is, I read the Tao te Ching and ponder Zen koans, etc., and benefit thereby. But I don't think it would be permissible for me to worship in a Buddhist or Taoist temple. It's only the philosophical side of either that i deal with, not the religious practices.

 

[Francine]

Yes, indeed. Much of Buddhist thinking, especially Zen, is IMO compatible with Christianity. I find many useful insights from both Zen and Taoism, and there is no conflict with my Christian faith. That is, I read the Tao te Ching and ponder Zen koans, etc., and benefit thereby. But I don't think it would be permissible for me to worship in a Buddhist or Taoist temple. It's only the philosophical side of either that i deal with, not the religious practices.

I don't thing daojiao would be compatible with Christianity, but daojia certainly is. Philosophical Taoism is no more an impediment to Christianity than Philosophical Pragmatism.

 

[Somkid]

It is possible to use some of the practices from certain traditions however the beliefs and texts are contrition's to Christianity ie. there is no God creator, nothing is permanent, etc. I think you can see where this is going.

 

[rajakrsna]

I need some advice, I was wondering if people can mix diffrent religions, because i cannot choose between Christianity or Buddhism, I love them both, thier ideas, concepts, and diffrent worshiping styles.

Can anyone who has been through this help me, either how they choose, or how they mixed, whatever religions!

I need some serious help!!!

yakov91

What I understood about Buddhism is that if you want to become one you have to stay in one place for the rest of your life. The Last Emperor(from the movie) Puyi defied this edict( that the Emperor should not go out of the forbidden city) given by Lord Buddha. & China became Godless in the end.

 

[Francine]

What I understood about Buddhism is that if you want to become one you have to stay in one place for the rest of your life. The Last Emperor(from the movie) Puyi defied this edict( that the Emperor should not go out of the forbidden city) given by Lord Buddha. & China became Godless in the end.

China has always been Godless. Name a Chinese deity. There are various dragons and other creatures, but nothing like Yahweh, Allah, Shiva, Zeus, Mars, etc. The only all-powerful force that is worshipped now in the Middle Kingdom is the so-called Communist Party.

 

[Melancholy]

I combine Mormon teachings with Anglican teachings. I'm not sure if most would agree on my stance, but I am very liberal in my beliefs.

It can cause certain conflicts form time to time, but I balance those out.
Heres a quote from C.S Lewis about this....

"The ordinary reader does not want theology, give him plain practical religion. I have rejected their advice. I do not agree that the ordinary reader is a fool. Theology means "The Science Of God". I think that any man who wants to think about God wants the clearest and most accurate Ideas about him which are available. You are not children, why should you be treated like children."

He goes on to say that he met an RAF man who explained his belief as such...

"I've no use for all that stuff, but mind you I'm a religious man . I know there is a god. I've felt him; out alone in the dessert at night ; the tremendous mystery. That is why I don't believe your neat little Dogmas and formulas about him. To anyone who has met the real thing they all seem so petty and pedantic."

Basically, God can be where you find him, you don't have to cling to one religion to find him.
God is within yourself.

 

[Mike182]

for a while i mixed Christianity with Wicca, however i moved away from that when i realised i didn't actually believe in Christianity.

i certainly didn't get a positive response from other Christians in real life, but that's nothing new to me lol. most of the Christians on this forum were very kind to me though

 

[Guitar's Cry]

As long as it works for you, then it works. There is nothing saying that religions are closed to each other. Beliefs are personal. Picking-and-mixing is often frowned upon, but why?

There is nothing holding you back from taking what you need or want from each religion.

 

[Izdaari]

It is possible to use some of the practices from certain traditions however the beliefs and texts are contrition's to Christianity ie. there is no God creator, nothing is permanent, etc. I think you can see where this is going.

Right. And I don't use those parts.

 

[Smoke]

I need some advice, I was wondering if people can mix diffrent religions, because i cannot choose between Christianity or Buddhism, I love them both, thier ideas, concepts, and diffrent worshiping styles.

Can anyone who has been through this help me, either how they choose, or how they mixed, whatever religions!

It's possible to mix the two, but I don't know if it's possible to mix them well. I don't see Christian dogma, any sort of Christian dogma, as being compatible with Buddhism. I think you'd be likely to end up as a Buddhist who appreciates Jesus, or as a Christian who meditates. If you're determined to try, though, you might want to give Thich Nhat Hahn's Living Buddha, Living Christ a read. From the Christian side, Thomas Merton believed that Christian mysticism was compatible with Buddhism.

I've been combining aspects of Quakerism and Buddhism myself, but not Christian Quakerism. From identifying as a Quaker (though not actually being a Quaker officially), I've come to identify as both, and it remains to be seen whether I'll reach some kind of equilibrium between the two, or continue to feel more and more "Buddhist" and less and less "Quaker."

In any case, I don't think it's important to find a pigeon hole and get in it. You should feel free to study all religions and learn from all of them, but you should also be aware that if you fail to take each tradition seriously on its own terms, what you come away with is likely to be something superficial and inauthentic to that tradition.

 

[Somkid]

Thich Nhat Hahn was recently here in Chiang Mai and did not make a good impression on the people and most especially the monks. For the record I have always liked him but I had the opportunity to speak to a monk that came with him that I knew from the USA and I was kind of surprised at what he told me. In any event this group did not strike me as Buddhist at all they even sang some kind of hymns.

 

[Izdaari]

It's possible to mix the two, but I don't know if it's possible to mix them well. I don't see Christian dogma, any sort of Christian dogma, as being compatible with Buddhism. I think you'd be likely to end up as a Buddhist who appreciates Jesus, or as a Christian who meditates. If you're determined to try, though, you might want to give Thich Nhat Hahn's Living Buddha, Living Christ a read. From the Christian side, Thomas Merton believed that Christian mysticism was compatible with Buddhism.

I've been combining aspects of Quakerism and Buddhism myself, but not Christian Quakerism. From identifying as a Quaker (though not actually being a Quaker officially), I've come to identify as both, and it remains to be seen whether I'll reach some kind of equilibrium between the two, or continue to feel more and more "Buddhist" and less and less "Quaker."

In any case, I don't think it's important to find a pigeon hole and get in it. You should feel free to study all religions and learn from all of them, but you should also be aware that if you fail to take each tradition seriously on its own terms, what you come away with is likely to be something superficial and inauthentic to that tradition.

"A Christian who meditates" is a fair description of me. I don't think it's possible to be fully Christian and fully Buddhist, but I do think it's possible to be a Christian who finds much of value in Buddhism, and that describes me too. I also like Thomas Merton.

Thich Nhat Hahn sounds like an interesting writer. I'll have to check him out.

 

[Smoke]

Thich Nhat Hahn sounds like an interesting writer. I'll have to check him out.

My nephew, who is a Christian, likes him a lot. I honestly haven't read too much of what he has to say.

Right now I'm on an Ajahn Chah kick, and he's the first Theravadan author I've really gotten into. I like him a lot, but some of his books seem better than others. I'm choosing to blame the translators.

 

[kai]

people change religions to suit themselves all the time, look at how many different christian denominations there are start up your own

 

[blackout]

If aspects of a thing (idea, viewpoint, belief, way) appeal to you?
Why not take them for a ride and see where they lead!

Make the concepts your own.
In no other way will they ever hold real meaning and power for you anyway.

 

[Ratiocinative]

I need some advice, I was wondering if people can mix diffrent religions, because i cannot choose between Christianity or Buddhism, I love them both, thier ideas, concepts, and diffrent worshiping styles.

Can anyone who has been through this help me, either how they choose, or how they mixed, whatever religions!

I need some serious help!!!

yakov91

If you're interested in being a true Christian, then no you cannot. Christians are free to worship God any way they wish, within common-sense boundaries of course, but the nature of God, faith in Christ, and salvation are not debatable. The Bible clearly defines those things.

2 Corinthains 6:14-16 (NLT) 14 Don’t join with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? 15 What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? 16 And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God.

On the other hand, if you're not interested in what the Bible actually says, sure, you can make up your own religion. People do that all the time. Of course, you'd know that you just made it up and it isn't true, but I don't think you'd be asking in the first place if that was one of your concerns.

 

[blackout]

...sure, you can make up your own religion. People do that all the time. Of course, you'd know that you just made it up and it isn't true,..

Everyone makes up their own religion.
Everyone chooses their own beliefs.

The only beliefs that are ever TRUE to/for a person
are the beliefs they ACTually hold within their OWN person.

So actually,
only YOU would know it isn't true.
Yakov would know it is.

 

[Izdaari]

If you're interested in being a true Christian, then no you cannot. Christians are free to worship God any way they wish, within common-sense boundaries of course, but the nature of God, faith in Christ, and salvation are not debatable. The Bible clearly defines those things.

So it does. But Buddhism has quite a bit of wisdom that doesn't conflict with any of them, nor does it require having anything to do with idols or other gods.

On the other hand, if you're not interested in what the Bible actually says, sure, you can make up your own religion. People do that all the time. Of course, you'd know that you just made it up and it isn't true, but I don't think you'd be asking in the first place if that was one of your concerns.

Your scripture quote is out of context. Paul isn't talking about borrowing philosophical concepts from another tradition. That passage is referring to marrying an unbeliever, which Paul strongly recommends against doing.

As Christians we believe we have more of the truth than Buddhists of course, else we'd be Buddhists ourselves, but Christian faith certainly does not require us to believe that Buddhists have no truth and are servants of the devil.