Universalism has similarities to Buddhism...

[Blazin Bones]

In Buddhism, the goal is to reach Nirvana. There is no punishment for those who don't

To a Universalist, all will receive there is no punishment because God wouldn't really condemn.

Anyone else see the similarity?

 

[cubedbee]

I believe that you are mischaracterizing both positions.

In Buddhism, the karma you accumulate in this life will determine your rebirth in the next one. Buddhism does believe in the existence of several different hells, and the evil in this world will be punished by being reborn in one of them. However, residence in hell is temporary until the bad karma has been exhausted.

To many (most?) Universalists, Hell is a reality and in it God punishes those who have failed to ackowledge Jesus as their Christ. However, they deny the eternality of hell, and instead belief it is a finite period of punishment.

I suppose they are similar in that both deny eternal punishment, but that is far different from denying any punishment at all.

 

[Quath]

I remember once hearing a theory that there is just 1 electron in the universe. It bounces back and forth in time. (Going backward it looks like a positron.)

Sometimes Buddhism sounds like there is one soul in the universe. It experiences the every life. So if you are bad in one life, you get to live the life of your victims later on. If you are good, you get to live the life of the people that were positively influenced by you later on.

This would be karma without the need of a higher intelligence determining who you are to be reincarnated into.

Quath

 

[evanman]

My Mother-in-law was born into, and raised in a Buddhist household. Her father was Buddhist, his seven wives were all Buddhists and their 18 children were all Buddhists.

She is now a follower of Jesus Christ and rejects Buddhism, although she had come to reject much of Buddhism before she ever heard of Jesus Christ.

She always tells us that in Buddhism there is no Creator God, so, up to a point Buddhists are Atheists.

 

[Heidi]

You are right when you say Buddhists are atheists, Evanman. They even admit it. The fact of the matter is that all non-Christians are atheists because Jesus is the only way to God. When he came, he brought a sword which divided the whole world into believers & unbelievers.

 

[reznwerks]

wrong

You are right when you say Buddhists are atheists, Evanman. They even admit it. The fact of the matter is that all non-Christians are atheists because Jesus is the only way to God. When he came, he brought a sword which divided the whole world into believers & unbelievers.

Wrong Heidi. Non Christians are not atheists. Atheism is without belief in any deities. Your God is one of many.Your stories of your God and your bible have been told before your God and before your bible. Man worshipped about 16 other crucified saviors BEFORE JESUS and many of those GOD/MEN were concieved by the supernatural as well. Jesus and Buddah both traveled with 12 disiples and both fed the multitudes with loaves of cake and or bread.
http://www.themodernreligion.com/compar ... ddhism.htm
http://www.religioustolerance.org/buddhism4.htm
http://website.lineone.net/~kwelos/Christian.htm
http://www.awitness.org/essays/bkup/16_ ... d_saviors/

 

[Nocturnal_Principal_X]

In Buddhism, the goal is to reach Nirvana. There is no punishment for those who don't

To a Universalist, all will receive there is no punishment because God wouldn't really condemn.

Anyone else see the similarity?

It is important to keep in mind that there are different kinds of Buddhism.

 

[DivineNames]

You are right when you say Buddhists are atheists, Evanman. They even admit it.

Some Buddhist's are explicitly atheist, but some are happy to use the term "God" when referring to the ultimate reality.

There may be nothing like the Old Testament God to be found in Buddhism, but comparison can be made between Buddhist and Christian mysticism as D.T. Suzuki has done focusing on Eckhart.