Many visitors in the West that go to Buddhist temples are in fact not Buddhists. It’s the simple curiosity of what Buddhism is, what Buddhist actually do, and what do they believe in that ignites people’s curiosity to take action. This is a good thing. If people visit a genuine Buddhist temple, then the people and monastics there will tell you that Buddhism is a “religion” of love; of loving-kindness and compassion, everything else is just extra.
People always ask or say, “I’m practicing Buddhism, should I still be Christian?” or “I’ve been raised Christian but connect more with Buddhism.” Simply put, yes, you can practice Buddhism if you’re Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or any other religion. Buddha’s teachings are not about buddha or any supreme being. Buddha’s teachings are the methods and tools to escape the dissatisfactions of our lives and live peacefully and happily. That’s it. No mention of god or deity worship (because there is none in Buddhism anyway), no mention of having to ask for forgiveness or help from some higher being, nothing that has to do with anyone that isn’t you.
Unlike all other major religions that are faith-based on a god, Buddhism puts its faith in yourself. That’s all you need. Buddhism is a mind-centered religion. That means that the happiness and unhappiness in your life doesn’t come from external circumstances, it comes from you and how you view and handle things. If you view something that is unsatisfactory and allow that to control your happiness or unhappiness, then no one is to blame but yourself. Sure, maybe someone didn’t do something for you that they said they would do, or someone cut you off on the highway, or the dog peed on the carpet; these things might seem like it’s their fault, but it’s your own fault for allowing that negative situation to control your mood or view in a negative way. So in Buddhism, the practice is to control our mind; our thoughts, feelings, emotions, etc., so when these negative situations happen, it doesn’t affect us and generate negative karma.
Buddhists never encourage other people to become Buddhist. Instead, we tell people that if you study and practice Buddhism (for example, meditation, the Eightfold Path, compassion, generosity, etc.) you will become better practitioners of your own religion. Buddhism isn’t replacing your own religion’s teachings, it’s simply adding to it and reminding you of what your religion is probably already teaching you just in a different way.