Similarities Between Bible And Daodejing

Comparison of the Bible and the DaodejingBoth the Bible and the Daodejing represent the religious artifacts designed to guide the believers through their lives, establishing the moral code to follow. The Bible is a significant symbol of Christianity and while its text is open to interpretation, the Bible is quite strict with the rules provided within it: the people must follow them without questioning, doing exactly how it was said by the God. Disobedience, violations of the God-made laws will be punished. Daodejing is widely followed by Chinese people. It is more vague and accepting, and emphasizes the reward for following it: if the search for the harmony is successful, the person will reach happiness. Everybody can follow the Way, as long as they strive for natural balance and harmony: “I am good to those who are good; I also am good to those who are not good…I trust the trustworthy; I also trust the untrustworthy” (Chapter 49).
Since Christianity is a monotheistic religion, it implies the existence of only one God. The first three commandments clearly define that there is one God and people should worship only him: “for I am the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me” (Exodus 20:5). Following the Dao does not prohibit following other religions and believing in other gods. Instead of putting the emphasis on worshiping the gods, the way of Dao encourages people to learn more about themselves, pointing out that this knowledge can lead to enlightment: “those who know themselves are enlightened…those who conquer themselves are strong” (Chapter