buddhism

Can Buddhism Lead to Christ?

Stan Jantz — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 13:13:03 -0700

Tiger Woods is back, and the world is watching. Some are watching for the golf, others for the story of recovery and redemption in play. Me, I'm watching for the Buddhism.

If you recall, just a couple of months ago Tiger held that rather strange and staged "mea culpa" press conference, the one where he apologized all over the place and then pointed to Buddhism as the rock upon which he was going to stand. Tiger hasn't mentioned Buddhism since, but that doesn't mean he hasn't made good on his intention to return to his religious roots. Come to think of it, was that Tiger's deceased father or was it the spirit of Buddha speaking to Tiger in that kinda creepy but somehow fascinating Nike commercial?

Brit Hume already famously (and correctly) said that Buddhism won't help Tiger in his spiritual quest for redemption (if that's what he's after) because it doesn't offer that. Hume also said that Christianity is the only religion that offers forgiveness and redemption. Again, he's right. If the events of the Easter story are about anything, they are about Christ dying so we can be forgiven, and then rising from the dead so we can be redeemed. it's a unique story and a singular reality among all belief systems.

So what does Buddhism offer Tiger and the rest of the world? And is it possible there are some kernels of truth in there that could lead someone like Tiger to the true source of forgiveness and redemption?

This is actually a really good question we can ask of all religions, and it's important that we ask it. It's one thing that we know what we believe, and quite another that we know what others believe. But that's what we're supposed to do, that is if we are to truly show "gentleness and respect" to those who are curious about our own faith (1 Peter 3:15,16).

If we believe that God is the source of all truth, is it reasonable to conclude that all religions, no matter how antithetical they are to Christiantiy, contain some truth? And if they do, is it possible that whatever truth is in there can serve as a kind of bridge to true truth (to borrow a phrase from Francis Schaeffer)? Well, let's use Buddhism as a kind of test case.

Buddhism is pretty complex, so it's tough to describe it in a way that serious practitioners agree with. But there are some basic principles that stand out, and it's in these where we can possibly find a kernel or two of truth.

From the teachings of Buddha (born Siddhartha Gautama in the 6th century BC), come the Four Noble Truths, which are key to living in the "Way of the Middle" between the extremes of unreasonable excess and unnecessary deprivation. The Four Noble Truths are:

Life is all about suffering
The cause of suffering is our desire and greed
There is a way to overcome our desire and greed
The path to happiness and relief of suffering is an eight-step process

Without taking time to go through all eight steps, suffice it to say that the eight steps involve three qualities: the Quality of Wisdom, the Quality of Mental Discipline, and the Quality of Ethical Conduct. If you do a little study on the eight steps, you will find one or two that Tiger quite obviously skipped, including step number seven, which falls under the quality of ethical conduct:

Right action (refraining from killing and taking what is not given; avoiding inappropriate sexual conduct, improper speech, and intoxicants).

Okay, so none of us is ever going to be in a position to sit down with Tiger and talk about these things, but what if that were possible? What if Tiger were to give you 30 minutes to talk with him? What kind of bridge could you build from Four Noble Truths of Buddha to the noble Truth of Jesus? I suspect your bridge would look a lot like mine. A little shaky, somewhat unconventional, but a bridge nonetheless--one that hopefully leads to more conversation.

Too often those of us who have been around the true truth of Christianity for a while have a hard time seeing kernels of truth in other belief systems, mainly because we aren't looking for them. What a mistake. Truth is, there are Buddhists and Hindus and Muslims and yes, even atheists, all around us who carry kernels of truth around in their heads. Even more, they carry the divine imprint of God around in their very being, which is a whole lot bigger than a kernel. As C.S. writes in The Weight of Glory,

There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilization - these are mortal and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors... Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses.

We may not ever have a chance to build a bridge with Tiger, but there are plenty of other people out there who are eager to do some bridge building with us, if only we will listen.

As I said, the world is watching Tiger right now, and like everyone else I'm going to be watching to see what he does and says. But as I watch I'm also going to be thinking about Buddhism and kernels of truth and Jesus and bridge building.

Hume and Tiger: Good or Bad?

Stan Jantz — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 13:25:43 -0800

How do you ignite a firestorm of conversation about God? These days the best spark is a controversial statement, such as the one delivered by news pundit Britt Hume about Tiger Woods.

Of course, it helps that Hume is fairly well-known as a former national news anchor who is in "retirement" but still does occasional news analysis for Fox News. If you or I had made a plea for Tiger to embrace Christianity as Hume did on Fox News Sunday this week, few would have noticed or cared. But Hume made his remarks on a national stage about an already famous person whose bizarre encounter with a tree and a golf club--and whose subsequent submersion into a strange kind of Howard Hughesian privacy--has everyone talking.

Because of Hume's remarks, everyone (including just about every media outlet) isn't just talking about Tiger Woods. They're talking about Tiger Woods and God. And because Hume framed the conversation to include forgiveness and redemption, two of the hallmark's of the Christian faith, it's a very productive conversation. I mean, compared to the unproductive blather that often dominates spiritual conversations, this one gets to the heart of why a relationship with God really matters. And it gets to the heart of why a relationship with God would really matter to Tiger Woods.

That's why I'm not offended by Britt Hume's remarks like most observers are, including many Christians I've heard from. Regardless of the level of their belief in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob--the God whose incarnation into the person of Jesus we just celebrated--most people are upset that Hume had the nerve to (1) suggest that Buddhism doesn't offer "the kind of forgiveness and redemption offered by the Christian faith," and (2) advise Tiger to turn to the Christian faith so he can make "a total recovery and be a great example to the world."

Now, let me qualify my statement that I'm not offended by Hume's remarks. The reason I'm not offended is because I have turned to the Christian faith. I have experienced forgiveness and redemption, not by anything I did, but by the grace of God.

If I were not a Christian, I probably would be offended, and not just because Hume had the audacity to suggest that Christianity offers something Buddhism does not (which is true, by the way...just ask any practicing Buddhist). I would be offended because that offering of forgiveness and redemption is inexpicably tied to a single and unique person: Jesus.

I would be offended because the implication of Hume's simple but eloquent statement is that Jesus alone offers a solution to the predicament facing Tiger Woods--and the entire human race, for that matter. We've all offended a holy God who has every right to dispose of us without explanation, but who has instead chosen out of the love and goodness in his heart to offer us a way out of our predicament through forgiveness and redemption made possible by the person and work of Jesus Christ alone.

To those who are the recipients of this divine forgiveness and redemption, this reality is, according to the apostle Paul, the "fragrance of life." But to those who are still stuck in the great human predicament, the message of the gospel of Christ is the "smell of death." In other words, it's highly offensive.

Whether or not Hume should have made his remarks on a national stage, and whether or not he should have made them without first being asked "to give a reason for the hope" that he has, is debatable. I won't take issue with anyone--Christian or not--who is offended by the way Hume delivered his message. But I would like to propose that those of us who believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and believe the incarnation really happened, should not be offended by the message. Nor should we be embarrassed by it.

Unlike so many other half-baked ideas and crazy behaviors that are paraded in front of the world under the banner of Christianity and Jesus, Britt Hume's 45-second reflection was--like it or not--absolutely true because it goes to the heart of the greatest story ever told. For that reason alone, I believe what Britt Hume did was good, not bad.

A Funny Thing Happened On Facebook

Jim Farmer — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:25:21 -0700

When I was in junior high school, a buddy of mine invited me to join the on campus Christian Club. Realizing that students who participated in an on campus club got a “go to lunch 5 minutes early” pass, I jumped at the offer. Our lunch lines were horrendous! The student-led club was basically a Bible study that met once a week, with the occasional guest speaker thrown in. I wasn’t raised in the church, but I was struck by the good company and became interested in what the big deal was about God and church and stuff.

This buddy of mine then invited me to attend church with him. So, on Sunday mornings, he would bike to my house and then the two of us would pedal through the morning fog for Sunday services. It was on one of these treks that my friend realized I did not own a Bible. A few days later, my friend passed down his own well-worn Bible. The dedication page was covered in white-out, and over the crusty paste he had written my name as the owner of the Bible and scrawled his name on the “From” line.

In high school, this friend of mine and I went our separate ways - but his friendship certainly left a legacy. To this day, he is the reason I was saved. He planted a seed that took root in my heart and blossomed as I grew older. I held on to the Bible he gave me well into my college years, and every time I opened it up, I thought about his friendship and how important those years were.

I hadn’t thought about this guy in years, but recently he came to mind. I decided a Facebook search was in order - and I struck gold. The friend request was sent and approved, and I immediately went to his page to send him a note. I wanted him to know the fruits of the seed he planted. I wanted to take the opportunity to do what not many believers get to do - thank the person that saved them. I wanted him to know he had a brother in me.

Instead, I noticed that he became a Buddhist. He’s certainly educated - he’s earned a Ph.D in Philosophy, and appears to have heart for a variety of great causes (yes, I’m in total Facebook stalker mode right now. Admit it, we’ve all been there!). I was saddened when I realized he is not a Christian. And I’m struck at how God can use men and women (and boys and girls) in ways we don’t expect.

I still sent him the note - I wanted him to know the impact he had on my life. I just pray that someday I’ll now be able to return the favor.

Buddhism and God's Grace

Christy Tennant — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 06:24:25 -0700

Earlier this week, I watched a podcast of a recent Larry King Live interview with Sharon Stone, and I have not been able to stop thinking about two things she said.

Responding to King's question about how she is handling the fact that she does not have custody of her older son, Stone responded by saying, "Well, I’m a Buddhist. I think that helps. I think that in my way of understanding life, that I understand that everybody has their own destiny, even Roan. And so I recognize that Roan has his path in life. When he’s with us, we try to love him up as much as we possibly can."

Interestingly, later in the interview, King asked her about a medical scare she had a few years ago, when her vertebral artery tore and she hemorrhaged into her brain. "At first, they missed it. So I ended up bleeding into my brain for a very long time, nine days, in fact, before they understood what was happening to me. And it was just really very much by the grace of God that I survived."

I was still contemplating her earlier comment about how her Buddhist beliefs helped her accept her son's destiny when I heard her refer to the fact that "it was just really very much by the grace of God" that she survived.

Now, before I go on, I want to point out two things: first, there is no God in Buddhism. And secondly, there is no grace in Buddhism.

So, with that in mind, I began to think about a conclusion I have been mulling over, which this interview strengthened: regardless of their profession of faith, everyone wants to believe in the God of the Bible. They don't often realize it, but at humanity's fundamental core, we all want the God of the Bible to be our God. And I believe that even people who insist they don't believe in the God of the Bible, do.

We want a God who believes in and exercises actual grace.

If you really take time to seek, logically and honestly, you will find that the God of the Bible is the only God who believes in and exercises grace.

The irony (and I'm not trying to pick on Sharon Stone here - she just happens to be the one who got me thinking about this) - the irony here is that, Buddhism isa non-theistic religion . That means, they don't even believe in God. At least, they're not supposed to believe in God. But they do. We all do. Atheists believe there is a God. And when push comes to shove, every single one of us wants it to be the God of the Bible, because that is the only God of grace.

When times are hard, we want the God of the Bible - all powerful, all knowing, loving, grace-filled, slow to anger, quick to forgive, healer, redeemer, savior. And regardless of what faith we profess to have, our core instincts - every human being, I say - is to return to the God of the Bible, in whose image we were made. Just look at how otherwise faithless people respond when there is a tragedy, health scare, custody battle, natural disaster, or the like. We either turn to him in prayer, or we blame him in anger - but either way, we believe. We have to; it's in our DNA. We all know God is there.

I came across this article from the Rime Buddhist Center while I was refreshing my memory about Buddhist teaching today, and I found it to be very enlightening. The writer, drawn to the presence of grace in Christianity, wanted to find such grace in Buddhism. He tried hard, and gave many suggestions about where grace might be found in Buddhism. But then the whole thing fell apart at the end of the article, when he wrote this:

"So you see, we have many examples of “grace” – the big difference in Buddhism is that it is not “unmerited” as in Christianity. As Pema Chodron is so fond of pointing out, us westerners often operate from a sense of poverty. We feel we are not deserving of this or that – and I believe this is especially true when it comes to grace."

You see, Buddhists believe you always get what you deserve, in this life or the next. The only way one could possibly discover "grace" in Buddhism is to change the very definition of grace, and thus be calling a thorn "a rose." Grace is undeserved favor. Grace is the exact opposite of getting what you deserve. And this fellow, this Buddhist, God bless him - he wants that so desperately. We all do. The problem with what he writes here is that he is so utterly mistaken.

Buddhists believe that we always get what we deserve, so when something good happens, we earned it. Likewise, when something bad happens. And while I have been in many conversations with Buddhists, trying to understand their faith, trying to understand their thinking, I have come to the conclusion that even they don't really believe that, and in fact, when they are tested, they revert to their innate DNA - the innate DNA of every human being, made in the image of the God of the Bible.

Why did you survive your brain hemorrhage, Sharon Stone? "It was by God's grace." Not because you deserved to keep living. You know it, I know it - every human being knows it, whether we acknowledge it or not.