Comparison of Religions -- Please Help with Chart

Another:

I was reading a very old encyclopedia once and came accross this quote, "the Christian wants everything, the Buddhist wants nothing." This statement betrays the misconceptions about Buddhism that were common at the time but it also depicts the contrast in these two religious forms in a simplistic way.
A simple list of views is of little value for people who are attempting to develop a useful understanding of any religious form. This kind of simplification often leads to a great deal of distortion of religious teachings. It is going to be the foundation for argument rather than the foundation of real understanding. If someone wants to put a religion into the proper context they need to study it thoroughly and integrate the teachings into their own life.
There are already plenty of books about comparative religion and these have done little to assist people in moving beyond intellectual arguments into a living experience of religious teachings and practices. I apologise if I sound critical, I am speaking from the point of view of someone who has encountered the great depth and diversity of religious forms and practices. My view is that this richness can not be reduced to a simple list of ideas. Religion is, for the sincere, something that encompasses the whole of their lives.
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One more:

Since one of the criticisms of this questionnaire is that it is "so heavily slanted towards a theistic viewpoint," perhaps someone here (more knowledgable than I) could put together a similar chart, except the questions would be formulated from their own Buddhist-centric viewpoint. If we come at it from several directions then maybe the truth will begin to emerge.

I also see a problem with the language used. Can we all agree on the definitions of "sacred," "worship," and "pray?" I think they have different meanings for different religions. Even the word "religion" is vague. Can someone who follows Immanuel Kant be called religous?

What about obedience? Does a Taoists have to "obey" something to follow the Way? Does a Buddhist have to "obey" the Eightfold Path, or simply follow it?
Is it the same thing?

It kind of looks like this to me:
Buddhism is like an older, wiser person helping you pack your bags and giving you a roadmap and several pieces of advice for your journey ahead. But you travel it alone.
Christianity is like being on a field trip in the second grade. You stand in line, listen to the teacher, and do what you're told. All you have to do is OBEY.

Christianity just seems so damn punitive!


That's my American mid-western perspective.
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S/G said

OK, I got some Buddhist responses:

Well done SpiderGoat. I will incorporate these comments in the chart, including the negatory responses as a footnote. I will try to reformulate the questions as multiple choice answers based on similarity.

I know this is not an easy task, but I believe it can be done. The danger is oversimplifying it to the point that somebody gets shortchanged.

Maybe we can be the first to overcome this hurdle.
 
Describe how Peter, Paul, and/or John give us insight and understanding into the nature of God, of humankind, and of the reality we live in; as well as our standards of morality and ethics; and the Christian's hope for eternity. :confused:
 
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