Similarities and Dissimilarities between Buddhism, Christianity and Hinduism

Question 1: Evidence that Could Give Credence to Gibbon’s Arguments and those that will Refute it

Edward Gibson’s claim about the Roman Empire is true to some extent. For example, during that period, the empire had many good emperors who were diligent and led people to prosperity. The rule of five emperors during that time featured expansion of territories and defeat of common enemies. Trajan defeated the Dacians and also expanded the boundaries to include the black sea and eastern people during his tenure, second century A.D. He also brought enormous wealth for his people.

However, some challenges override the gains that the Romans had enjoyed beforehand. For example, the transition from one emperor to another spelled the doom of the once prosperous empire. The predecessor of Emperor Trajan, Hadrian, did not stress on the expansion of territory but instead built a series of walls to demarcate the boundary of Rome. Such declines overturned every progress made by the previous emperors (Bentley and Ziegler 339). Additionally, the rule of Hadrian featured persecution of critics including the death of individuals who opposed his reign. Therefore, to a more considerable extent, the second century did not imply meaningful progress as far as the political and economic prosperity of the Roman Empire is concerned.

Therefore, even though Edward had a point on the likelihood of the second century A.D. being a golden age, such assertions were only to a considerable degree. The period had both negative and positive impact on the administration of the empire. Different emperors were gifted differently. There are some elements of contrast between the Hadrian and Trajan’s rules. Thus, they achieved varied levels of success concerning the expansion of the empire as well as political and economic prosperity (Bentley and Ziegler 334).

Question 2: Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity

Similarities and dissimilarities exist between Buddhism, Christianity, and Hinduism. For instance, Buddhism and Hinduism share the same origins. Both originated in India with Lord Buddha as the founder and prophet of Buddhism (Bentley and Ziegler 332). Furthermore, in each case, including Christianity, there were some forms of resistance among the members of other faiths which posed significant challenges to the work of first followers.

Moreover, Christianity and Buddhism were developed and spread during the same historical period. The spread of the two faiths occurred during a classical period in different regions. Nonetheless, some typical values advanced by various people were instrumental in the evangelism of Christianity and Buddhism (Bentley and Ziegler 334). For instance, Gautama Buddha and Jesus Christ played pivotal roles in their teaching. Both of them inspired positive values in the society, thereby winning many followers, even after their deaths.

Similarly, the spread of faiths mainly served to reach people with salvation. Both the doctrines of Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism spread amid uproar and chaos, thus, the overriding message of salvation. However, some groups, such as Christianity, mainly spread after the downfall of the Roman Empire, thus setting the religious groups apart. On the other, the spread of Buddhism was fought through the efforts of Ashoka who were keen on sharing the teaching of Prophet Buddha while Hinduism spread from Southeast Asia to Pacific regions.

Thus, it can be noted that the spread of religious groups had far-reaching implications in the social life of their followers. For instance, both of the religions emphasized the need to embrace positive values as anchored in the teachings (Bentley and Ziegler 340). Culturally, the religions led to the disintegration of some cultural beliefs and practices of the followers and new converts. Thus, Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism advocated for the abolition of some barbaric practices in the society.

Works Cited

Bentley, H J, and F H Ziegler. Traditions & Encounters: A Global Perspective on the Past. New York: Online Published, 2006. Print.