Comparison of Roman Catholicism and Buddhism Essay

The history of the Roman Catholic Church can be traced to the time of Jesus Christ and the Apostles. As time went by, Catholicism developed a complex and highly sophisticated theology which elaborated on the organization structure with specific concern on the papacy that exists as one of the oldest continuing absolute monarchies across the globe.

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On the other hand, Buddhism gets construed as a tradition whose focus is inclined to the personal spiritual developments. In most events, the Buddhists strive for deeper concerns into the true nature of livelihood and do not subscribe to the worship of deities or gods. The paper is, therefore, concerned with a comparison between Roman Catholicism and Buddhism and the manner in which gender is treated within the religion and other distinctions in membership and leadership. The discussion on gender will also delve on the things that different genders within the religions are allowed to do and those that they are denied the opportunity of doing.

One of the major points of comparison between Roman Catholicism and Buddhism portray the two religions to acknowledge the existence of suffering in the world. They both agree that there is suffering which varies from mental to physical. The recognition of suffering is attached to the inordinate attachment to the desires of an individual which in the end leads to the commission of sins. Another significant area of comparison is on the concept of mediation. Both Roman Catholicism and Buddhism encourage mediation because it brings a person into reality, giving a person the opportunity of acknowledging their iniquities. For Roman Catholics, meditation involves talking to God and acknowledging your sins and seeking God's mercy. It mostly takes place before and during the mass. In the case of Buddhism, it is a time to reflect and change the manner in which the mind works. They give it in the form of teachings and offer free classes to people from all forms of beliefs. The other significant reason why they meditate is based on the noble eightfold path which is defined by their belief as one which ends suffering.

On the issue of gender, Catholicism emphasizes both the men and women's qualities as defined in the teachings of John Paul the Second. It views gender based on the theology of the body which is concerned with both the body and the soul. It, however, defines and interpret differently the concept of strength and personality an issue which has led to the current gender debates. There may be some limitation when it comes to the role given to the women in Catholic, for example, the nuns are not allowed to administer sacrament due to the existence of the Holy Orders that gives them more powers to the priests. Women can serve in other church activities though they are rarely assigned titles. The manner in which they are treated comes from the concept of creation where they were to serve as the man's helper. Buddhism do not consider women as inferior beings. They take note of the biological and physical differences but advocates for equality. Inequality only existed in traditional India where women were viewed as inferior beings. Today, Buddha advocates for a fruitful role of woman where she should be a good example to the children and be the pillar behind the family success. The two religions, therefore, compared to a greater extent with minimum accounts of differences.