The Objection
Buddhist teaching holds that there is no permanent, unchanging self (anatta). What we call 'self' is a collection of constantly changing physical and mental processes. This contradicts Christianity's teaching of an eternal soul that survives death and faces judgment.
Key Claims
No permanent self exists
Self is an illusion (skandhas)
Nothing eternal to be saved
Personal God is conceptual attachment
Buddhist philosophy
Christian Response
How apologists address this objection
The universal human experience of personal identity, moral responsibility, and consciousness points to a real self that transcends physical processes.
Personal identity persists through change—you are the same person who existed yesterday
Moral responsibility requires a continuous self who can be held accountable
Consciousness cannot be reduced to physical processes alone (the 'hard problem')
Near-death experiences and the testimony of billions suggest consciousness survives death
Buddhism itself struggles to explain who achieves enlightenment if there is no self
J.P. Moreland, The Soul: How We Know It's Real and Why It Matters