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Trying to pull Buddhism towards either the theism or atheism corners will render it unrecognizable from its true state.
Nobody has claimed it is theism or any ism. It is a religion and it is not atheism. The article linked is a good one, argues from a sound base. American Buddhism has already leached it off its cultural moorings and rendered it unrecognizable.
It is factual. Truth hurts but it remains.n
What is not just unfair but toxic is people like the atheist Buddhist who sows the seed of dissension by highlighting the difference rather the common humanity that unites us. Not only does he inform me without fail every time that i may see what connects all religions but non-Hindus hate Hindus. How does he know that other than that the hate that resides within him and all he sees is difference.
So you want to ignore the actual differences that actually cause actual problems. We are no sowing the seeds, we are pointing out who are sowing those seeds.
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Originally Posted by cb2008
This is a necessary tool for atheism:
Dont allow people of religion to bury their difference and celebrate their unity.
You are attacking atheists because we point out some of the religious are not doing this.
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Originally Posted by cb2008
Always remind them how their religion is not true because other religions think their religion is true.
A slight misrepresentation, but yes, that is how Bayesian probability works. But once again you attack us because you have the problem.
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Originally Posted by cb2008
Keep track of all these various gods and dont let them forget and have faith in something called Brhman/Divinity/spirit/oneness. That defeats the atheist reason to exist.
Not when you give Brhman/Divinity/spirit/oneness god like attributes. I can accept oneness, an ultimate source, but when you turn it into a god, you had better have good evidence for that claim.
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Originally Posted by cb2008
Tell them how hateful the other religions are. Do it again and again.
You want us to ignore the dangers of religious fundamentalism (Elizabeth Struhs)? Yet you want to attack us because you can not keep your own house in order.
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Originally Posted by cb2008
This is a despicable and miserable way to exist. It is toxic waste.
No, your implicit support of the dangers is what is toxic, because you think religion and spirituality is special, all love an harmony. Sorry, the world does not work that way, and religion is not immune from the problem.
From your link - According to this scheme, typical characteristics of pure consciousness seem to be, for example, the perception of silence, clarity, and an alert awareness without egoic self-consciousness.
Yes, once, looking up at the stars in Afghanistan, in a rare moment of absolute silence, I felt what I can only describe as if I was connected to everything. The act of trying to hold on to that moment destroyed it, and any attempt to try and recreate it was stopped when Abdul, one of our guides started what was to become a high volume series of flatulence.
I do not believe I was connected to everything, that was just what I thought at the time based on what I had read previously.
It is easy in religious zeal to get caught up in feelings that may be rather mundane. Although fictional, there's a very good old movie with that theme -- "The Miracle Of The Bells". But I think we've all seen people get carried away to one degree or another during religious ceremonies.
How are we to decide what to believe if not by way of judgement along these lines? Along with the other ways to learn, consider, become aware and decide upon. Critical thinking involves a lot of judgement, of others and their beliefs along with a good deal more. Nothing wrong with that I don't think, as long as we keep it peaceful and for the most part civil. I think the Buddha would agree if not encourage the same thing...
We all make 'judgements'; it you don't, you will not live a very long life. But that is quite different than setting yourself up as judge and jury where you constantly condemn others who don't agree with your personal views.
Let's face it...in my job I was the judge and jury for a number of things -- student suspensions, recommendations for expulsion, teacher evaluations, merit pay decisions, and hiring and firing. But there's a difference between those things (for example, suspensions probably affected 2% of our students, and 1 professional got fired in 20 years) and constantly attacking virtually every post by an atheist.
I have no problem with people who believe in and practice a reasonable level of christianity.
I have no problem with people who believe in and practice a reasonable level of hinduism.
But they have to behave themselves, because when they don't they come across as not believing in freedom of thought; and we even have one poster who believes that America should be taken over as a catholic government system.
That post is as incoherent as atheism itself is and what is worse than that is an atheist claiming he is Buddhist therefore Buddhism must be too.
Spell check changed deity to dirty. Do how is my post incoherent? And the poster never said that because he is an atheist anda Buddhist that must be what Buddhism must be. He said that some Buddhist are atheists however you claim that because one Buddhist days there are deities in Buddhism that no Buddhist can be an atheist and itt is you that refuses to look at sources that do not totally agree with your point.
You have anti atheists blinders which totally keeps you from being a poster with personal experience and knowledge to share to being a poster who appears to have the most anti atheism stands of any poster upon these forums
Atheism is very coherent, a lack of belief in any God's. That is such a simple concept that only a poster with blinders on cannot grasp it.
good point in the post above. that is why there is a contradiction for someone to support an atheist activist group "Freedom From Religion" while at the same time identifying themself as belonging to a specific world religion.
what's that great phrase ukrz uses, something about trying to ride two horses at the same time. The stated purpose of the activist group is: "The Freedom From Religion Foundation works as an umbrella for those who are free from religion "
"those who are free from religion"...none of us are because people like you shove it down our throats constantly.
Spell check changed deity to dirty. Do how is my post incoherent? And the poster never said that because he is an atheist anda Buddhist that must be what Buddhism must be. He said that some Buddhist are atheists however you claim that because one Buddhist days there are deities in Buddhism that no Buddhist can be an atheist and itt is you that refuses to look at sources that do not totally agree with your point.
You have anti atheists blinders which totally keeps you from being a poster with personal experience and knowledge to share to being a poster who appears to have the most anti atheism stands of any poster upon these forums
Atheism is very coherent, a lack of belief in any God's. That is such a simple concept that only a poster with blinders on cannot grasp it.
There is no such thing as "Lacking Belief" in anything one has considered or contemplated...you necessarily have a "Belief" about it.
That "lack belief" stuff is some of the most ridiculous I have ever heard.
You cannot "lack belief" about anything you have ever considered.
If you have considered it...you have some belief about it.
Either one believes a God exists, or they don't. You DO have a belief about it.
THEISM (Theos--God) = God
ATHEISM (A--No Theos--God) = No God
It is that simple.
But those that lack the*guts*to take a stand need to find some scam excuse to give them a deferment from taking a stand. That is where that "Lack Belief" stuff comes from.
The notion of Hell predates Christianity by thousands of years by Egyptian and sources of Jewish mysticism such as the Kabbalah. The Kabbalah mentions seven different divisions of Hell (including, ‘Gehinnom’ and ‘Sheol’ meaning Hades or underworld is the most common) and seven divisions of Heaven.
How dare you argue with the font of all knowledge about all religions!
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