I don't know how many countless gospel songs and sermons
I've heard that mentioned how Buddhists worship the Buddha and how Muslims
worship Muhammad (Peace be upon him). For the record, Buddhism is more of a
philosophy than a religion. In fact, there are no deities associated with
Buddhism, and modern Buddhists are free to worship Christ, Allah or any
polytheistic gods they choose. Although statues abound in most temples,
Buddhists do not worship the material that the statue is made of. They do not
bow to the substance used by the artist to create the inspiring object. They
bow in remembrance of the Buddha’s qualities and teachings. They bow out of
gratitude for the Buddha’s great kindness in teaching. They bow to themselves
and to all living beings for each and every one has a Buddha Nature–the
potential for enlightenment–within. Each one of us is a Buddha.
When it comes
to Islam, you can still find articles that incorrectly and disrespectfully
describe Muslims as “Muhammadans.” In Islam, there is only one God and His name
is Allah (The God). Therefore, it is forbidden for any Muslim (One who submits
to God) to worship anyone but Allah. Muhammad is highly respected in Islam as
the “Seal of the Prophets” (Last Prophet of God), but please know that Noah,
Moses, Abraham and Jesus are also highly revered and you’ll often read/hear a
proper Muslim say “Peace be upon him” after uttering any of these holy names.Buddhists
are free to worship Christ, Allah or any polytheistic gods they so choose.
Although, statues of the Buddha abound in most temples, Buddhists do not
worship the material that the statue is made of. They do not bow to the
substance used by the artist to create that inspiring object. They bow in
remembrance of the Buddha’s qualities and teachings. They bow out of gratitude
for the Buddha’s great kindness in teaching. They bow to themselves and to all
living beings for each and every one has Buddha Nature ‑‑ the potential for
enlightenment ‑‑ within: each one is a Buddha.
Let’s be clear:
without Judaism there would be no Christianity. Without Christianity, there
would be no Islam. Three is indeed a magic number, God's number. So let’s
examine the three major Abrahamic religions in order of appearance: Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam. Judaism regards itself as the religion of the
descendants of Jacob, the grandson of Abraham. Christianity began as a sect of
Judaism and was initially known as Jewish Christianity. It evolved into a
separate religion with distinctive beliefs and practices, notably its
replacement of the Jewish idea of an exclusive ethnic religious community with
an inclusive, universal community of believers, the Christian Church. It
replaced the idea of simple monotheism with a Triune God who is simultaneously
one and three (different branches of Christianity have different
interpretations, and some Christian religions don’t believe in the divinity of
Christ). Islam was founded by Prophet Muhammad in the 7th century upon the
teachings in the Qur'an. It retained the inclusiveness of Christianity, but
reverted to simple monotheism with a central, but not divine, prophet.
On Day 17
your perspective of the Abrahamic religions and Buddhism will change forever.
About the Author: James Hackley is an author, inspirational speaker, and a philanthropist who earned a B.S. degree in Physics from Longwood College and an M.S. degree in Engineering from the University of Virginia. He's the founder of Omega Consulting Enterprises, chaplain of a local chapter of Omega Psi Phi fraternity, and faithfully attends Holy & Whole Life Changing Ministries International in Lansdowne, Va. His latest book, Body, Mind & Spirit: The Awakening can be purchased by visiting him at www.jameshackley.com , www.Amazon.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com.
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