The War on Christians Continues...

[Minister of Truth]

Cool 'nuff.

You have some weird inability to learn things if you feel like somebody is "feeling superior", I think it is a symptom of an inferiority complex. I am sorry if teaching people about differences in other people's beliefs makes you feel like I feel somehow "superior" to you.

So be it. Accuracy is important when speaking of such things, generalities can cause issues.

No matter if people use Buddhism as a religion, Buddha is not a god. Not in any sect of Buddhism that I know of.

Its my understanding that this is where Buddhism is broken off from Hinduism, which has gods behind Nirvana...

 

[Sammy Jankis]

It would have to be to be an "idol", however. Words mean things, keep up.

Buddha has to be an idol for buddhism to be a religion?

 

[Sammy Jankis]

http://www.religioustolerance.org/buddhism.htm
Is Buddhism a religion?
Whether Buddhism is or is not a religion depends upon how you define "religion."

Government census offices and public opinion pollsters generally recognize Buddhism as a religion. Books that describe the religions of the world generally cover Buddhism along with Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, etc. Even the Boy Scouts of America, who expel Atheists, Agnostics and homosexuals, accept Buddhists as members.

The Drepung Loseling Institute states:

"Like all major religions, Buddhism contains an explanation of the origin of existence, a morality, and a specific set of rituals and behaviors. ... Buddhism presents a transformational goal, a desire to improve one's situation, and a distinct moral code. 5

However, some definitions of "religion" require a belief in the existence of one or more deities. That would disqualify most branches of Buddhism from being considered as religious groups.

 

[Damocles]

Buddha has to be an idol for buddhism to be a religion?

Read the story, the man was upset about them touching an "idol". Again, words mean things, keep up old man.

 

[Sammy Jankis]

Read the story, the man was upset about them touching an "idol". Again, words mean things, keep up old man.

Whatever. nice wiggle.

 

[Jarod]

I have a fat buddah in my back yard and I rub its tummy sometimes.

My father had a more serious tall skinny Buddah in his yard, I never touched its belly... it does not have much of a belly.

 

[Damocles]

Whatever. nice wiggle.

It's what the thread is about, you dople.

 

[Sammy Jankis]

It's what the thread is about, you dople.

It was about a buddha statue loosely. We had branched onto whether or not buddhism was a religions. It most definitely is.

 

[Immanuel]

Damocles,

If I remember my comparative religious studies courses, wouldn't it be more accurate to say that Buddha was more on line as a comparison to Muhammed than to consider him a God?

Immie

 

[ib1yysguy]

It was about a buddha statue loosely. We had branched onto whether or not buddhism was a religions. It most definitely is.

Gee. Thanks for settling that. You should let the academic community who debates this fact all the time know so they can move on to other things. You got this figured out without a shadow of a doubt before religious scholars did!

 

[Sammy Jankis]

Gee. Thanks for settling that. You should let the academic community who debates this fact all the time know so they can move on to other things. You got this figured out without a shadow of a doubt before religious scholars did!

Any set of beliefs that assert supernatural moral machinery and a unprovable hierarchy of reincarnation is a religion, even if a major figure is not a "god" per se.

 

[Damocles]

Damocles,

If I remember my comparative religious studies courses, wouldn't it be more accurate to say that Buddha was more on line as a comparison to Muhammed than to consider him a God?

Immie

That would be a closer connection. Buddha drew the map, he didn't create the terrain.

 

[Sammy Jankis]

That would be a closer connection. Buddha drew the map, he didn't create the terrain.

But islam is still a religion right?

 

[Damocles]

But islam is still a religion right?

Islam is always a religion, Buddhism is not.

Are you really this dense?

I didn't argue that Buddhism wasn't a religion, in fact it is my religion.

I argued that it is not always a religion and that the fat little statues are most certainly not "idols". You got sidetracked by reading miscomprehension syndrome and tried to make, "not always" mean "never" and some sort of argument I wasn't making.

Don't be so deliberately disingenuous, it doesn't become you.

 

[Sammy Jankis]

Islam is always a religion, Buddhism is not.

Are you really this dense?

I didn't argue that Buddhism wasn't a religion, in fact it is my religion.

I argued that it is not always a religion and that the fat little statues are most certainly not "idols". You got sidetracked by reading miscomprehension syndrome and tried to make, "not always" mean "never" and some sort of argument I wasn't making.

Don't be so deliberately disingenuous, it doesn't become you.

It is a religion. how can it be your religion if its not a religion?

I never got confused. You just go out on all these big limbs of stupidity like 'buddhism isn't a religion', then when you get smacked down you start acting stupid, as we see.

 

[Sammy Jankis]

If I say I view islam as a philosophy, does that means it's sometimes not a religion?

 

[Cancel3]

If I say I view islam as a philosophy, does that means it's sometimes not a religion?

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, so that would make it a religious holiday.

Would you say everyone who celebrates christmas is a christian?

There are plenty of people who celebrate christmas that are not christians.

So there are times when christmas is a religious holiday and times when it is not.




Buddhism is a religion for some. For some it is a philosophy. These are two different things.

 

[Damocles]

It is a religion. how can it be your religion if its not a religion?

I never got confused. You just go out on all these big limbs of stupidity like 'buddhism isn't a religion', then when you get smacked down you start acting stupid, as we see.

It is not always a religion. And Buddha is never a god.

My points in this thread:

This guy said they were "worshipping" an "idol".

Worship of Buddha is not something I have seen in any Buddhist practice. Buddha is not a god, and the statues are statues, not "idols".

Your points:

Buddhism is a religion, therefore should be taken out of the zoo if it is a public zoo.

My answer:

Yes. (I then added the addendum that I would prefer to be inclusive rather than exclusive, that if Buddhism can be represented then so too can Islam, Christianity, etc.)

I then went on to explain again, because you deliberately refuse to get the point of the thread and instead want to practice deliberate "miscomprehension", that this guy is wrong about several things. First of all that the statues are "idols" and that rubbing the belly is a practice of "worship". I gave reasons why it is not.

Your answer:
But Buddhism is a religion.

Mine:

Not always, and that doesn't change that these are not "idols" and the people rubbing the belly of the statue were not "worshipping".

Your answer:

But is it a religion?

(Come on! You are stinking up a good thread with deliberate obtuseness!)

 

[Damocles]

Let me clear up several things for the deliberately obtuse.

Buddhism is sometimes a religion and other times not.

Islam is always a religion, there is never a time that it does not teach about the supernatural, unlike Buddhism the largest group of which (Theravada Buddhism) does not teach about any supernatural phenomena.

Using your definition posted earlier, Buddhism is, at times, "not a religion" because it doesn't cover the points it says are needed to be one.

 

[Topspin]

Rasta>Buddhism>Christianity