Case study: Help! My son wants to marry a Buddhist.

• A mother pleads for assistance in introducing her son's Buddhist fiancée to Christianity and navigating cultural and familial challenges.
• The mother seeks suggestions for printed or video materials that can help introduce Christianity to her future daughter-in-law, who has shown interest in attending church events.
• The mother grapples with her son's marriage to a Chinese Buddhist woman while facing resistance from the fiancée's family and the complexities of cultural backgrounds.
• Cultural differences, language proficiency, and parental disapproval complicate the situation.

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Is it wise for a Christian to marry a Buddhist?

Trying to share Jesus Christ with son's Buddhist fiancée

A mother wants to help her son's fiancée come to know Christ. The young lady comes from a Chinese Buddhist family. The mother wrote me an e-mail asking for help in bringing the young lady to faith in Jesus.

"I'm not really sure who to ask or where to go to get needed information. I'm a Christian mother whose son is marrying a Chinese girl who knows she is a Buddhist because her father told her she was.

"Are there videos or brochures that would help us introduce Jesus to this young lady?

"I'm a public school teacher and my husband is the worship pastor at our church. My son's fiancée has experienced our church's big Easter Pageant twice. She has expressed a desire to see it even more times.

"The young lady and her family have lived in the U.S. for 15 years. She speaks English fairly well. Of course, her father is against this marriage because it was not arranged by him. He also doesn't like it because my son is an American of European origin. The parents own a restaurant and it seems to me that Jenny is not much more than an employee to them.

"Help me introduce Jesus to this young lady. Can you suggest printed or video material that would help us?"

• How would you respond to an e-mail like this?
• What are some key things you think need to be said and heard?
• If some face-to-face conversations could be arranged . . .
  • If you could meet only with the mother, in what directions would you take the conversation?
  • If you could meet only with the son, in what directions would you take the conversation?
  • If you could meet only with the mother and son together, how would you approach that conversation?

    -- Howard Culbertson,

Differences between Buddhism and Christianity

Buddhism and Christianity are two major world religions that originated in different parts of the world and have distinct teachings, practices, and beliefs. Here are some principal differences between the two:

• Founders and Origins:
  • Christianity was founded by followers of Jesus Christ in the 1st century AD although it has deep roots in the Hebrew faith that looks to Abraham as its founder in the the 21st century BC.
  • Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the Buddha, in India in the 6th century BC.
• Concept of God:
  Christianity is a monotheistic religion, believing in one God who is the creator of the universe and actively involved in human affairs.
  • Buddhism is non-theistic or atheistic. It does not posit the existence of a creator god. Instead, Buddhism focuses on the teachings of the Buddha and achieving enlightenment.
• Salvation and Afterlife:
  • In Christianity, salvation is attained through faith in Jesus Christ, repentance of sins, and acceptance of God's grace. Believers are promised eternal life in heaven after death.
  • In Buddhism, the ultimate goal is to achieve Nirvana, which is liberation from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth (samsara). This is attained through enlightenment and the cessation of suffering. Buddhism doesn't typically emphasize a personal afterlife, but rather the concept of reincarnation until one achieves Nirvana.
• Scriptures:
  • Christianity's primary sacred text is the Bible, consisting of the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) and the New Testament (which includes the life and teachings of Jesus Christ).
  • Buddhism's primary scriptures vary depending on the tradition. Theravada Buddhism relies on the Pali Canon (Tripitaka), while Mahayana Buddhism has additional scriptures such as the Mahayana Sutras and the Tibetan Buddhist canon.
• Concept of Self:
  • Christianity emphasizes the importance of the individual soul and the idea of an eternal self that was created by God. Salvation is seen as a personal journey.
  • Buddhism teaches the concept of anatta or "no-self," which suggests that there is no permanent, unchanging self or soul. Instead, the self is seen as a collection of constantly changing elements.
• Role of Rituals and Practices:
  • Christianity incorporates various rituals such as baptism, communion, and prayer into its practice, often involving communal worship.
  • Buddhism includes practices such as meditation, chanting, and ethical conduct as means to achieve enlightenment. These practices can be done individually or in group settings.

Related articles

• Other case studies involving Buddhism
• How Buddhists respond to suffering
• Are the "heathen" lost? Answers to an oft-asked question
• World Religions word scramble 3
• World Religions word scramble 5
• Hindu/Christian marriage proposal

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