Running head: CRITICAL THINKING The Question of:
Origin, Identity, Meaning/Purpose, Morality and Destiny

Part One:
The Question of Origin
According to Buddhism, there is no beginning and no end. The world was formed from the interaction of elements and then it “embarks on a downward spiral at the end of which [it is] destroyed in a great cataclysm caused by natural elements such as fire, water or wind. In due course the process starts up again and the worlds once again evolve to complete a full cycle of time known as a “great eon” (mahākalpa)” (Prebish, C. S., & Keown, D. p. 27).
The Question of Identity Buddhists believe that the universe and everything in it are equal and are in search of an “eternal oneness” (Weider, L. and Gutierrez, B. p. 58). They believe that upon death they will reincarnate into another life form. The life form they are reborn as will depend on whether they performed good or bad deeds during their lifetime. This is their concept of reaping what they sow, which Buddhist call Karma. The more acts of goodness they accomplish in their life, the closer they get to reaching the state of Nirvana. This level is the highest achievement possible for Buddhist and when it is accomplished it is said that their souls become eternal.
The Question of Meaning/Purpose The Buddhists main objective is to perfect their life on earth in order to end the cycle of Samsara, which in it’s simplist form is their reincarnating until they reach the state of Nirvana.
The Question of Morality Because “Buddhism is more about an ethic and philosophy than an actual religion” (Hindson, E., Caner, E., p. 155), it stands to reason that they would follow a concept, rather than a god, in terms of modeling their moral identities. As such, they follow the concept of Karma and look to themselves to figure out what is proper conduct in order to optimize their chance at reaching Nirvana.
The Question of Destiny I suppose we can say that a Buddhist’s destiny is the life form they will be reborn into over and over again, depending on their present life choices, until they reach Nirvana. At that point they are said to “become one with Brahman (Hinduism’s concept of eternal soul)” (Weider, L., Gutierrez, B., p. 58).
Part Two:
The Question of Origin
Christianity believes that God created the world and everything in it. Whereas, Buddhism believes in what we essentially describe as the scientific view or refer to as the Big Bang Theory.
The Question of Identity
As Christians we are taught that God created us in His image and that He created us a little lower than the angels but above the animals. But the Buddhists not only believe that all life forms are equal but their main concern is the soul and not the physical form at all, except of course, to use as a means to improve their chances of attaining Nirvana.
The Question of Meaning/Purpose
Christians accept as true that our main purpose in life is the pursuit of a relationship with Jesus Christ, to learn and carry out His will for us and to spread the Word of God throughout the world. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).
The Question of Morality
As Christians we hold that the Bible is our guide for moral conduct and we believe that since we are created in the image of Christ, we should therefore, do our best to model his behavior. Since Buddhists depend on their actions as indicators of what level of life form they will be reborn into, they refer to their own individual barometer, if you will, to guide them as to how they will behave.
The Question of Eternity Christians are certain that upon death we will ascend to heaven to live out an eternity with our Creator, our Father, the Lord, our God. The Buddhist believe that they will reincarnate into another life form, hopefully one that is at a higher level of life form as to continue to pursuit their ultimate goal of Nirvana.

References
Hindson, Edward E., and Ergun Mehmet Caner. The popular encyclopedia of apologetics. Eugene: Harvest House Publishers, 2008. Print.
Prebish, C. S., & Keown, D. (2005). Buddhism the ebook : an online introduction. S.l.: Journal of Buddist Ethics Online Books.
Weider, L., & Gutierrez, B. (2011). Consider. Virginia Beach: Academx Publishing Services, Inc.