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One way to tell how people approach religion is to express your admiration for another belief. I certainly admire Judaism, not just in the way of supersession like more Christians, but as a way of getting to know God. Over the years I have become much more aware of Islam and more recently Hinduism. But none of these impacted me like getting to know more about Buddhism, through great authors and discussion. I can confidently say that the Buddha saved my faith in Jesus. This may be offensive to you or at least incongruous. For me it hasn't been a passing fad in open-mindedness, but it has rooted deeply, because there is no conflict between Buddhist thought and Christianity. Buddhism is not a theistic faith. Of course there are Buddhist who are theistic, but it is not a requirement as it is in Christianity. In this episode, I discuss how I came to understand this, how it challenged me in a way I needed it to and how I found compatibility and peace. I have always been ecumenically minded, but my experience has opened my heart to a deeper appreciation for the sharing of faiths.

References:
Charlotte Joko Beck, "Nothing Special: Living Zen", 1993
Pema Chödrön, "Comfortable with Uncertainty", 2003
David Brazier, "The Feeling Buddha", 1997
Thich Nhat Hanh, "Living Buddha, Living Christ", 1995

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