Many differences are inherent in among the structures, paradigms, myths, and beliefs between the two major religions of Christianity and Buddhism; however, their greatest contrast can be marked between the revolutionary ideas of Jesus toward women and Siddhatta Gautama's obvious distrust of the female gender. To the society of today's modern world, it is almost appalling to say the least when one encounters the various world religions paradigms and yet typically notice a total lack of the feminine. In much of the Eastern World, the woman still faces incredible misogyny with covered faces, harems, and wives dominated by their husbands. The Western World sees female "liberation" but still has room for change. The Judeo-Christian deity is the male, omnipotent, and solitary deity, and though one may still see a church/reformed synagogue led by a female, these religions are almost exclusively sought out by, powered by, and financially run by men. The modern day Western philosophy has been thought out by men, its political systems, educational institutions, and scientific progress (at least by and large) are foundationally masculine. This then begs the question that since an ethos, created over 2000 years ago, has served a masculine world for a number of years where the male was the center of the universe and women were virtually nothing, should there not be a new ethos for today's world where women enjoy more equanimity, where women have actually held vehicles of power, and wealth, and who can look forward to some reward for their collegiate labors (despite glass ceilings). Perhaps, if one looks further into the person of Jesus, one finds a person whose resulting religion forgot everything he came to do in person and deed.
In order to properly examine Christianity and its founding patron, Jesus, it is best to begin with a contrasting religious expressing such as Buddhism. One should note that through seasons and times, ecumenical discussions occur on a wide scale from papers to conferences to councils (such as Vatican II).
