Why won't christians touch Buddhas?

[mpok1519]

I think you shouldn't worship it; but rather understand the value and religious importance to some peoples and to tolerate and appreciate the good it has for many people.

 

[TimRout]

I think you shouldn't worship it; but rather understand the value and religious importance to some peoples and to tolerate and appreciate the good it has for many people.

Am I to understand that you see some inherent good in other people's veneration of Buddha? Given the Bible's strong disallowance of idolatry, I find it difficult to see how you can justify such a position.

Now then, I am not suggesting that we should ignore or disrespect those who follow other religions; we must certainly learn to understand what the lost believe if we are to effectively present the gospel to them. That said, we must by no means erroneously indicate that there is some worth...some value...some good in their godless belief systems. Yes?

 

[Izdaari Eristikon]

Am I to understand that you see some inherent good in other people's veneration of Buddha? Given the Bible's strong disallowance of idolatry, I find it difficult to see how you can justify such a position.

Now then, I am not suggesting that we should ignore or disrespect those who follow other religions; we must certainly learn to understand what the lost believe if we are to effectively present the gospel to them. That said, we must by no means erroneously indicate that there is some worth...some value...some good in their godless belief systems. Yes?

I don't agree at all. I think Buddhism does have some worth, some value, some good.

Here's a snippet of C.S. Lewis to ponder, from Mere Christianity:

I have been asked to tell you what Christians believe, and I am going to begin by telling you one thing that Christians do not need to believe. If you are a Christian you do not have to believe that all the other religions are simply wrong all through. If you are an atheist you do have to believe that the main point in all the religions of the whole world is simply one huge mistake. If you are a Christian, you are free to think that all those religions, even the queerest ones, contain at least some hint of the truth. When I was an atheist I had to try to persuade myself that most of the human race have always been wrong about the question that mattered to them most; when I became a Christian I was able to take a more liberal view. But, of course, being a Christian does mean thinking that where Christianity differs from other religions, Christianity is right and they are wrong. As in arithmetic--there is only one right answer to a sum, and all other answers are wrong; but some of the wrong answers are much nearer being right than others.

I would say Buddhism is one of the wrong answers that are much nearer being right than others.

 

[mpok1519]

Am I to understand that you see some inherent good in other people's veneration of Buddha? Given the Bible's strong disallowance of idolatry, I find it difficult to see how you can justify such a position.

Now then, I am not suggesting that we should ignore or disrespect those who follow other religions; we must certainly learn to understand what the lost believe if we are to effectively present the gospel to them. That said, we must by no means erroneously indicate that there is some worth...some value...some good in their godless belief systems. Yes?

I find inherent good in the GOODNESS of people, which isn't biased based exclusively on what religion one belongs to.


Are you saying its wrong to find value in a faith other than my own?

 

[mpok1519]

i think there is value in others' faiths. I don't think God would make them if there wasn't a point to it.

 

[Eurasia]

i think there is value in others' faiths. I don't think God would make them if there wasn't a point to it.

Actually other faiths are considered man-made philosophies. Of course there is truth in it.. but we need to bring them under the authority of the word of God !

 

[Criada]

Please only answer the question asked by the OP
Thank you.
​

 

[seashale76]

Allow me to help dispel the myth that Christians don't touch Buddhas. When I was a kid in the first and second grade, the book store at my school sold little Buddha erasers in various colors. I thought they were hilarious and bought them all the time. All of my little friends felt the same way. We had to use our little Buddha erasers and to do so, we had to touch them. My parents were always like, "You bought what?" Then they'd shake their heads and move on.

And come on, one can't go to one of those manicure stores without running into a Buddha statue or two. There would be plenty of Christian women with unvarnished nails running around if they couldn't stand to be around them.

 

[Spyring43]

actually my aunt used to own a tanning salon. in the salon they also did manicures.. there wasn't any buddhas.

the main issue with having buddhas is a Christian is the same as putting yin and yang images all over a Christian home, or a Christian buying a movie that mocks Christ, or simply not setting a good Christlike example. it doesn't glorify God, and it glorifies a man that began a religion that is not about God. therefore it is anti-Christian. It is the same as any other sin. Even if we don't worship the idol of Buddha, it still is a representation that glorifies that man and the religion which contradicts Christianity. That is the problem.

Christians that refuse to touch some idol are doing it because they don't want to encourage something that isn't glorifying to God.

 

[seashale76]

And restaurants! I forgot to mention the restaurants! One can't go to most decent Asian restaurants without seeing a Buddha statue. I don't think I could go on without Thai food. And, if one gets a certain specialty drink at Shogun Japanese Steak House, it actually comes in a ceramic Buddha.

Now, I don't have Buddhas in my home currently, not even for kitschy decoration as I'm not a Buddhist. I do have paraphernalia for my own religion though. I have an icon corner, etc.

 

[Spyring43]

visiting a restaurant does not require the patrons to touch the buddha. buying food from a buddhist is not the same as buying a buddha. it is not comparable. speaking of which, a woman getting a manicure at a salon from a buddhist is not the same as buying buddhas. The Lord doesn't command us to avoid buying stuff from foreign people. He commands us to avoid idols. enjoying an idol in any form is the same as idolatry. That is why Christians don't like Buddha statues. It doesn't matter if they exist, we don't need to support the idols just because somebody we meet has one.

 

[Eurasia]

Christians that refuse to touch some idol are doing it because they don't want to encourage something that isn't glorifying to God.

I think God looks at your heart if you were to touch an idol.. if you to touch an idol and perhaps push it out of the way in a shop to get something from the shelf then it's ok. but to look at it and admire it's beauty and want one that would be perhaps a worry.

 

[Eurasia]

And restaurants! I forgot to mention the restaurants! One can't go to most decent Asian restaurants without seeing a Buddha statue. I don't think I could go on without Thai food. And, if one gets a certain specialty drink at Shogun Japanese Steak House, it actually comes in a ceramic Buddha.

Now, I don't have Buddhas in my home currently, not even for kitschy decoration as I'm not a Buddhist. I do have paraphernalia for my own religion though. I have an icon corner, etc.

Actually I go to a restaurant where they display Buddhist paintings on the wall. I would prefer it if they hang up a a picture of a cross on the wall