[Jan 7 update: Ethan Nichtern taped an NPR segment for "Tell Me More." Listen here.]

“What is the truth about Buddhism?” teased CNN Newsroom anchor Rick Sanchez, today at 3:15. Later in the program, he did his best to present the Buddhist perspective by way of an interview with The Interdependence Project‘s Ethan Nichtern.

This was overdue. Anyone who’s been on Shambhala SunSpace in the past couple of days knows that Buddhists have plenty to say about this controversy. Nichtern was there to talk up Buddhism’s inherent capacity for providing redemption — exactly the same quality that Hume so infamously said was missing from the faith. He did well — but it was clear from the get that it wasn’t going to be easy:

“As a Christian,” Sanchez said in his lead-in, “I think that [Hume's suggestion that Tiger Woods convert from Buddhism to Christianity] is a fine one.”

To be fair, Sanchez also admitted: “I really don’t know much about Buddhism [but] I’d love to.” This interview with Nichtern was a good opportunity to do just that, he said, thanks to Brit Hume. (Indeed, Hume’s remarks are valuable if only because it thrusts Buddhism into the popular culture, and creates dialogue.)

Nichtern explained Buddhism to Sanchez as being ” a system of meditation techniques and psychological teachings” coupled with an “ethical system” that amounds to “a process for greater awareness and understanding.” This greater awareness and understanding, reasoned Nichtern, is the redemption that Hume sees as missing from (or at least inadequate in) the Buddhist faith.

Sanchez asked Nichtern to compare Buddhism and Christianity, but Ethan didn’t take the bait: “A whole half of my extended family is Christian. [...] I know a lot of great Christians and Buddhists, and a lot of confused Buddhists and Christians.”

The segment closed with Sanchez asking Nichtern: “Is Buddhism a good place to look for redemption or forgiveness? Is that what it offers?”

“I think it definitely does,” replied Nichtern. “Especially meditation — [which is] a great way to become more in touch with your own mind and heart… and to work on those.” He went on to stress that practices like insight meditation or loving-kindness practice are often practiced by, and are helpful to, Christians. And that was that. Segment over.

Though Sanchez did come back from the break to take a look at responses to the segment from CNN’s “Twitter board.” These included comments like “Buddhism sounds very accepting…” to “Don’t Buddhists believe in [reincarnation]? I don’t want to become a tree. Trees become toilet paper. That’s sad.”