Two Questions For Serious Christians

[Christian Knight]

1. How do you, as a Christian, resolve the differences between the God of Abraham portrayed in the Old Testament with the Jesus Christ portrayed in the New Testament? It is said that Jesus is the God of Abraham incarnate, but they seem like opposites to me. The God of Abraham is depicted as jealous and angry, while Jesus Christ is depicted as patient, loving, forgiving, and peaceful. Again, how do Christians resolve these clear differences?

2. How do you, as a Christian, resolve the fact that the Buddha taught the same philosophy as Jesus Christ centuries before him?

 

[MrJim]

1. I would suggest that the differences of the two covenants reveal different ways in which God interacts with man. Consider that as Christians we look as history in a linear fashion. A man is born, grows, and dies. As a baby interacts differently with his father than an adult interacts with his father, so it is with the people of God. That we are children of God sets us apart from the nation of Israel-a new Israel so to speak. That may be sort of a lame analogy but you should get the gist of what I'm getting at.

2. I will not pretend to know what Buddha teaches. That there are similarities shouldn't come as a surprise. What one needs to look at is what is different. Consider things that are very similar but very different at the same time. Water and Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide look very much the same. Both are clear liquids and have similar properties. But one sustains life and one will violently end life. One will extinguish the flame and one will burn white hot. That may be sort of a lame analogy but you should get the gist of what I'm getting at.

 

[Knight]

1. How do you, as a Christian, resolve the differences between the God of Abraham portrayed in the Old Testament with the Jesus Christ portrayed in the New Testament? It is said that Jesus is the God of Abraham incarnate, but they seem like opposites to me. The God of Abraham is depicted as jealous and angry, while Jesus Christ is depicted as patient, loving, forgiving, and peaceful. Again, how do Christians resolve these clear differences?

The OT speaks of a God of love, mercy, patience, and kindness. He is also Holy and demands righteousness from His people. Jesus is that righteousness. He is the fulfilment of all the requirements of the law.

2. How do you, as a Christian, resolve the fact that the Buddha taught the same philosophy as Jesus Christ centuries before him?

I have not looked into Buddha. You'd have to define what you mean by "philosophy."

 

[Bulldog]

2. How do you, as a Christian, resolve the fact that the Buddha taught the same philosophy as Jesus Christ centuries before him?

Many of Buddha's important teachings actually seem to contradict Christ's and Christianity's. Buddha taught:

• The Four Noble Truths: that suffering is an inherent part of existence; that suffering is caused by craving; that craving can be ceased; and that following the Eightfold Path will lead to the cessation of craving (and suffering).
  
• The Eightfold Path: proper understanding, proper thought, proper speech, proper action, proper livelihood, proper effort, proper mindfulness, and proper concentration.
  
• The law of dependent causation: that events are not predestined, nor are they random, but that events are caused by the actions that preceded them.
  
• Rejection of the infallibility of accepted scripture: teachings should not be accepted unless they are borne out by our experiences.
  
• Anicca: That all things are impermanent.
  
• Anatta: That the perception of a constant "self" is an illusion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha#Christianity​

You might be thinking of Krishna, many people believe that Krishna and Christ were similiar in teaching.

 

[New_Wineskin]

1. How do you, as a Christian, resolve the differences between the God of Abraham portrayed in the Old Testament with the Jesus Christ portrayed in the New Testament? It is said that Jesus is the God of Abraham incarnate, but they seem like opposites to me. The God of Abraham is depicted as jealous and angry, while Jesus Christ is depicted as patient, loving, forgiving, and peaceful. Again, how do Christians resolve these clear differences?

I don't see any differences .

2. How do you, as a Christian, resolve the fact that the Buddha taught the same philosophy as Jesus Christ centuries before him?

He didn't teach the same philosophy .

 

[Christian Knight]

I don't see any differences .



He didn't teach the same philosophy .

I think you summed everything up quite nicely. I did not come to argue about such things. I just wanted to see what the majority opinion was.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[New_Wineskin]

No problem .

 

[lismore]

1. How do you, as a Christian, resolve the differences between the God of Abraham portrayed in the Old Testament with the Jesus Christ portrayed in the New Testament? It is said that Jesus is the God of Abraham incarnate, but they seem like opposites to me. The God of Abraham is depicted as jealous and angry, while Jesus Christ is depicted as patient, loving, forgiving, and peaceful. Again, how do Christians resolve these clear differences?

2. How do you, as a Christian, resolve the fact that the Buddha taught the same philosophy as Jesus Christ centuries before him?

Did David follow the Old covenant?

He ate consecrated bread on the sabbath? He was saved by faith