I can raise my right eyebrow.  Now that might not seem to be a great feat, and it isn't.  But how I came to acquire this ability is a funny little story.  You see I wasn't born with the ability to raise one eyebrow.  I trained my right eyebrow, like a weightlifter would train any other muscle.

Growing up I was a huge fan of the TV series The Six Million Dollar Man.  What kid wouldn't want to jump super high, or run super fast?  Let's not forget the bionic sight, and hearing.  Apparently my hero worship of Steve Austin (Lee Majors) knew no bounds.  On the show Steve Austin raised his eyebrow as often as he used his bionic powers.  Again, in my hero worship I wanted to do the most plausible thing I could, seeing as I wasn't going to become bionic any time soon.  That plausible thing was raising my eyebrow, like Colonel Steve Austin.

I came across a picture (right) online that was from a 1954 Christian activity book entitled "Listen and Do" depicting an Indian man "Praying to his God."  The man is lying down in front of a statue of Buddha.  The caption underneath says the following:

Here is a man in India.
He is praying to his God.
His God cannot help him.
This man must know about Jesus.
Can you think of some ways to help him?

Being a Buddhist I found this picture to be not only insulting but a perfect illustration of the differences between Christianity and Buddhism.  In talking to a friend I basically pointed out to her that I felt the main difference is that Christians seek external help while Buddhist seeks it within themselves.  These two ideas are completely and diametrically incongruent.  One can not seek enlightenment through understanding the self and at the same time seek an omniscient God for that same purpose.

Christianity is nothing if not the notion that absolution of one's sins comes through a personal relationship with, and acceptance of, Jesus.  I don't think anyone will argue with me that this is the main idea expounded by Christians.  But there those in this world that are on a different path, be that Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Catholicism, or Buddhism, to name some of the major religions of the world.

What I find insulting about this seemingly innocent illustration is how it attacks a belief system that does not attack Christianity.  On the contrary, Buddhism teaches that any religion that is based on love is a just and right path to God.  At least that's what I've been taught.

The main difference is the idea of external vs. internal.  While a Buddhist seeks enlightenment from within Christians seek that enlightenment outside of themselves.  I think that's why they are always searching, even after they claim to have found God.  If you believe you have found something don't you stop looking?  I tend to believe that we never stop looking, because it's precisely when we know we have found what we were looking for that we are lost.  It's precisely because we stop looking that we become lost.

I don't wish this to be an attack on Christianity in any way.  I simply want to point out to Christians that they often come off as know-it-alls because they claim to have all the answers.  But it's when you're sure that you know all the answer that you have none of the answers.  There is no balance in Christianity, I believe.  The idea of that external force causes Christians to believe that they need not grow beyond "knowing Jesus."  But how can you truly know Jesus, or anything, without knowing yourself?  To me the very idea is ludicrous.