The Lotus and the Cross: Jesus Talks with Buddha | Ravi Zacharias

The Lotus and the Cross: Jesus Talks with Buddha | Ravi Zacharias | Review from Trina Baughn

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The Lotus and the ...

	The Lotus and the Cross: Jesus Talks with Buddha Ravi Zacharias Multnomah Books, 2001 - 96 pages average customer review:based on 69 reviews view larger image
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Fast Paced but Enlightning Reading

Dr. Ravi Zacharias is a brilliant scholar and theologian. Having spent much time debating and conversing with Buddhist monks in Asia, Dr. Zacharias set out to write a book that brings two leading teachers together in a fictional encounter between the Buddha and Jesus Christ.

I found this work to be fast paced and truly a delight to read. Having not studied much of Buddhism, it was a real eye-opener to see how Jesus and the Buddha view life and morality. World-views collade in this work. After 96 pages you get a quick overview of Buddhism and you see the superority of Jesus and the Bible over Buddhism. Buddhism has no foundation, no moral basis but feelings, and nothing but experience to drive it. Christianity, built upon the Lord Jesus, His death and His resurrection, is a solid religion that is the only way to God (John 14:6).

For more information on Dr. Ravi Zacharias see his ministry at [...]

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Review from Trina Baughn

For someone who knew little about Buddhism, I found Zacharias' perspective very compelling. Though some have stated that he posed a Christain-bias, he has always been one to be respectful and careful in presenting his views.

Biased? Of Course!

Why do so many detractors request an "unbiased" approach? This is an impossibility. Anyone who knows Ravi, knows his bias, or leaning, is Christianity. One cannot reject his own beliefs. If he can, then I suggest his beliefs are not true, or at least not truly believed. If you say, "I believe the sky is blue, but you might be right in saying it is red...it's not my place to judge," then either you are wrong, or you do not really believe what you are saying.

So to expect a true Christian to write a book that uplifts both Christianity and Buddhism (or the other way around, even) is preposterous. If such a book exists, then either the author's bias is incorrect, or the author simply does not believe it.

Whether you believe it or not, Christ claims to be the only way to Heaven, salvation, etc... So, naturally, any book comparing Christianity to any other religion (written accurately) MUST, of necessity, judge the other to be inferior. Ravi's book does not "attack" Buddhism, as many people believe, but simply reveals his bias. Whether or not Christianity or Buddhism are correct or not, is covered ad nauseum in countless other texts from both sides.

And anyone who is expecting Ravi to exhaustively cover both religions in a 6" x 6", 93-page book is a fool. It simply reads as a narrative/religious excercise by a devoted, intellegent Christian who has much experience in comparing other religions to Christianity. You cannot (should not) expect anything else.

Furthermore, I don't know why Buddhists are so upset...surely there are more caustic, derisive, and inaccurate texts than this little frivolity against Buddhism. Maybe these Buddhists are the equivalent of Christians who are outraged over The DaVinci Code.

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