Flame away
You can be both.
Zen is basically resignation, since it does not recognize the God of Heaven and Earth.
As a Christian, when terrible things happen, I can have faith that in the overall picture, the misfortune has a place in God’s plan. I can tell you that my misfortunes have served to teach me some lessons.
In Zen Buddhism, you are working out the wrongs in your life or a previous life. There is no grace or forgiveness in Zen Buddhism. That’s why there is so much suffering in places like India. They consider it a kindness to let you work out your suffering.
Zen is basically resignation, since it does not recognize the God of Heaven and Earth.
As a Christian, when terrible things happen, I can have faith that in the overall picture, the misfortune has a place in God’s plan. I can tell you that my misfortunes have served to teach me some lessons.
In Zen Buddhism, you are working out the wrongs in your life or a previous life. There is no grace or forgiveness in Zen Buddhism. That’s why there is so much suffering in places like India. They consider it a kindness to let you work out your suffering.
Zen - Don’t even think about it
You can be Catholic and Buddhist at the same time - like you can be a vegan and a Catholic...or an artist and a Catholic.
So why not give as much attention to the one you are "nominally" following as you would to the new one and see what happens?
Try finding a church you like and attending Mass faithfully.
Start observing the rites and rituals you have been avoiding.
Study the principles and rules.
Open your heart to what you learn rather then filtering it through your old stale preconceptions.
You might find that you are actually where you should be.
“What is the sound of one hand clapping?”
“Whiff whiff whiff?”
“Throw that stupid bastard out of the monastery.”
A high school friend of mine had his father convert to Zen-ism from Judaism. He shaved his head and converted one room in the house to a “Zen Room.”
We nicknamed their 1966 VW Bug to the “Zenmobile” in honor of his beliefs.
Another fellow I knew had an orange Toyota Corolla with the license plate ZENFLOW. That car ended up being crushed by a falling oak tree in a thunderstorm.
This all transpired in the 1977-1981 time frame.
That’s about all I know about all things Zen, other than also having read the book about motorcycle maintenance.
Zen has much to offer.
I was on a project in Taiwan, and after a long day in the jungle it was very relaxing to stop by a tea farm (plantation?) that a couple had. They sort of befriended us. She would make the tea and we would have it with little snacks and conversation. But just watching her make the tea was oddly therapeutic.
Zen + any religion is fine. Buddha never intended he be turned into a “god” or have a religion created around his self-improvement teachings.
Friendly reminder Japan’s slide into their militaristic government began with the Meiji restoration persecuting Buddhism and raising Shinto above it
In Buddhism, “all is one”. We are one with each other and we are one with God.
In Christianity, “all is two”. There is the Creator and His creation who should worship Him.
The original trick of the devil was to convince man that he could be on the same level of God.
He has been trying to make us believe it ever since then. Buddhism is no different.