Can you be both?

[Fattybumbum123]

I became really interested in following a Buddhist way of life and enjoyed attending the temple as and when i could and went on a couple of retreats.
Since last August I've attended a free methodist church and I'm about to be baptised. I truly believe in God and want to continue on my journey and follow Jesus.
My confusion is can I still follow a Buddhist way of life and be a Christian?

It doesn't matter what you identify as it won't change your infinite essence

I wouldn’t have said so, unless by ‘Buddhist way of life’ you mean something very watered-down like ‘occasionally meditating and being vegetarian’.

Buddhism has always adapted itself to whatever the local beliefs are in any given country - that’s why there are so many different versions of it.
I don’t see any great incompatibility between basic Buddhism and Christianity- both share a respect for the lives of others - but as a Christian you accept the divinity of Christ and the existence of God, whereas Buddhism is non theistic.
My DD is a Buddhist but is welcomed by my church of Scotland minister at our services with a nameste!

I think it’s theism/non-theism stuff being a fairly fundamental difference, but also central Buddhist tenets like samsara/karma requiring a belief in reincarnation quite at odds with Christian ideas about life, death, salvation etc. In fact I would imagine Methodism would be less amenable to Buddhism than many other versions of modern Christianity.

The thing with Buddhism is that it will dispel all idea's about concepts to allow the Truth to be revealed. Even the concepts of Buddhism and Christianity.
Afterall Buddha wasn't a Buddhist, Christ wasn't a Christian.

Thich Nhat Hanh has a book called Living Buddha, Living Christ that looks at some of this and might be helpful for you

I thought Buddhism was a way of life rather than a religion. That was what I was taught at school anyway.

Thank you for your replies @semele5069 I will definitely check out that book.
@minidaffodils that's how I see it. I go to church every week and am I true believer in Jesus. I do however like to follow a Buddhist way of life. Buddhism isn't a religion like you say.

I love this quote.

There are many religions and each one thinks it is the only one but in reality there is only One, and that One has no religion.

I consider myself spiritually Christian (maybe some would consider that wishy washy xD) in that I believe in Christ. I heard it described once in that most religions involve men reaching out to find God and yet, in Christianity, it is God that reached out to men. And that always stuck with me.

However, I don't believe that means that other spiritualities have no merit. Do i believe that budda is devine? no, no more more I believe Confucious was. But he may have been based upon a very enlightened chap. With many good ideas.

I also belive that practices like meditation might bring us closer to God. And that can only ever be a good thing.

I'm sure if Jesus was around he would visit these places and love to learn about these people. Though he would be able to tell them more of God, I'm sure he would appreciate the ways in which people try to get closer to their maker.

It is no opinion that you can be a Christian but appreciate practice's that make us think about the nature of the world around us, how to help our fellow man better and how to quiet ourselves so that we may better hear him.

I do not know if my church would agree or not. But we all have personal relationships with god, so I say do what feels right in your heart.

I'd also advise watching 'life of pie' as it raises some very good points about beliefs in the early scenes (the boy sees something to live in all religions). It think the book does the same but I can't remember as it's been a while.

I'd also note that 'oh come in, I love to learn about all religions, I find them fascinating' is a brilliant deterant to jahovas witnesses. They think you're off your trolley xD

No, you can't be a Buddhist and a Christian. For so many reasons. As a Christian it's basically idolatry to follow the Buddha too. Secondly, to have another religion is basically to have no faith in Christ as your saviour as you're looking for a new path to salvation when Jesus said that nobody gets to the Father except through Him. As Christians we find out strength and our joy and our hope in God, and have faith in only Him. Not Him and Buddha You can go to church but you'd not be a good Christian if you're a Buddhist too 😳

(the 'do what feels right to you' statement from a poster above only stands, I think, if you are willing to totally ignore and disregard the bible. Which I'm personally not but a lot of Christians are.)

I'm sorry, my first post looks like mean with the emojis, I didn't mean it to come across like that! I always use emojis because I think they're funny but sometimes they make a message seem unkind!

my question would be, what is it you are wanting to do that you think is Buddhist and not Christian. I would say there were similarities in lifestyle and both would use meditation so if you decided to focus on Christianity, what would you worry about losing?

I think so. You do you! This was answered recently in the guardian

I forget who is was that told the story of meeting a catholic priest living in a Buddhist monastery.

from memory it might have been Thich Nhat Hanh

So it is possible.