There are over 2.3 billion practicing Christians in the world.
However, no matter what you believe, it’s important to see things from other perspectives. You may even find that certain aspects of other religions resonate with you.
Eastern religions, which include Buddhism, Hinduism, Taosim, and more, are filled with spiritual richness. Plus, they make up about 30% of the world’s religions. Chances are, you know someone who practices an Eastern religion — but you may be confused about what that means.
Chances are, you know someone who practices an Eastern religion — but you may be confused about what that means.
Read on to expand your education about the differences between Christianity and Eastern religions.
1. Multiple Gods
Though Christians believe in the concept of the Holy Trinity, they still see the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as one entity. This means they worship only one god.
Many Eastern religions are polytheistic, meaning they believe in more than one God. In fact, the Hindu religion has 33 million Gods and Goddesses!
2. Buddha vs. Jesus
Many people wrongly believe that Buddha is a god — and that there is only one Buddha. This is likely because they’re associating this with the Christian concept of Jesus.
In fact, there are 28 Buddhas, which are considered to be highly enlightened beings, not gods. However, similar to Christianity’s idea of acting in a “Christ-like” manner, many Buddhists wish to emulate the behavior of these Buddhas.
3. The Creation Story
The idea of how the world began is a concept that is often discussed in all religions. Christians believe that the world was created in 6 days, and that on the 7th day of creation, God rested.
They also believe that the world was created in a specific order. As you likely know, the creation story of Christianity has led to intense political debates in the United States.
However, the Eastern creation story is a bit different. Essentially, their followers believe that one day, the Earth just came into existence, but wasn’t created with life.
Life came later, from beings called “Phroms” that are similar to the Christian concept of angels. These Phroms then evolved into different life forms on Earth.
4. Prayer vs. Meditation
When Christians want to seek answers from God, or even if they are just looking for comfort, they often turn to prayer. This prayer can be practiced in silence, out loud, in a group, or in solitude.
Prayer may be to ask God to intercede in some way, or it may be because Christians want help to accept the difficult things happening around them.
In Eastern religions, the focus is on meditation as opposed to prayer.
Meditation is usually a completely silent practice and done alone. It may also involve the repetition of mantras, and may occasionally include singing.
Often, this meditation is done outdoors so that followers can experience a closeness to nature.
The goal of meditation is not to change the course of events. Instead, it is to accept them, to clear the mind, and to get closer to reaching the coveted state of total enlightened bliss.
5. Dietary Restrictions
While Christianity has some rules about how and what to eat (especially in the Old Testament) in general, most followers ignore it.
However, in the Eastern belief, what followers choose to put into their bodies is often directly tied to their belief systems.
Vegetarianism, or at least a refusal to eat beef, is common.
This is because Buddhism places a high importance on the refusal to harm another living thing. By refusing to eat meat, they are minimizing their impact on other forms of life.
Additionally, some Eastern belief systems, such as Jainism, emphasize eating as little as possible as a means to spiritual enlightenment.
6. The Role of Intuition
In Christianity, a special emphasis is placed on learning through experience, prayer, and other forms of education. Essentially, in Christianity, the “right” path is shown to followers by God.
However, in the Eastern belief system, the sense of intuition is highly prized. Intuition is valued because it reflects a sense of enlightenment and trust in the self.
7. The Importance of Nature
One of the major differences between Christianity and Eastern belief systems is that the latter has a major focus on the importance of Nature.
This is because humanity is seen as an extension of nature — even before they are seen as creations of God.
In fact, Eastern religions feel that God is everywhere, meaning that he/she is just as much in the trees as in people.
So, the ultimate goal of these followers is to achieve a union and closeness to nature, because nature has a direct connection to God. In Christianity, man should seek to be close to God before anything else.
8. Nirvana
The idea of spiritual enlightenment is enormously important in Eastern belief systems.
Nirvana is the highest state of being, and it’s not a concept that exists in Christianity. When someone reaches Nirvana, they land in a world of bliss. There is no more evil, sadness, pain, or even an idea of the self.
When someone reaches Nirvana, they have officially left behind all earthly trappings.
9. A Belief In Reincarnation
Christianity’s vision of the afterlife is based around the concept of Heaven, Hell, and (for some Christians) Purgatory.
In contrast, many Eastern religions stress the idea of reincarnation.
This means that when you die, you don’t go to heaven. Instead, you live again as another person or animal. Your status in your next life is often influenced by your deeds and faith in your past one.
In fact, this forms the basis of the concept of karma, a huge component of Eastern belief systems. Developing good karma is essential for followers to live a better life when they are reborn.
For better or worse, this concept of karma often reinforces social class systems in Far Eastern countries.
Want To Learn More About Eastern Religions?
Now that you’re aware of just some of the things that separate Christianity and Eastern religions, why not expand your knowledge even further by spending some time on our site?
From readings from astrologers to Tarot cards, and everything in between, you’re bound to find something of spiritual interest to unlock the secrets of your future, or simply make peace with your past.
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