cslewissucks Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 edit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evolution_beyond Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 His arguments come down to two main points. 1. Reincarnation cannot be true because of spiritual possession 2. Works do not get you into heaven - only grace can do that. As a buddhist who (a) does not believe in reincarnation (and there are plenty of us about), ( does not believe in spiritual possession and c) does not accept the christian view that nobody can be righteous, forgiveness is enough without amends and trying to be a better person is irrelevant because only faith matters - I am not especially troubled by his viewpoints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Religion Destructor Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 A Bodhisattva is a person who is able to be released from Samsara and reaching Nibbana but delays doing so through compassion for suffering beings. How is their reaching their nibbana delayed? Do they put their reasoning and insight on hold? If nibbana is the extinction of craving and desire that means that a bodhisattva has not extinguished craving and is not to be considered worthy of following; so how do they claim to help others if they have themselves put it on hold? Karma is the sum of a person’s actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as affecting their future fates. A good little fairy tale to make people behave. Reincarnation is a necessary adjunct to Karma. This is because incomplete punishment for a person’s evil deeds in this life will be completed in future lives. This is what makes Buddhism another false man-made religion. Stories of universal punishment. As a buddhist who (a) does not believe in reincarnation (and there are plenty of us about) In China, Vietnam, Tibet, Cambodia, Thailand, and Japan then you are not a Buddhist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deva Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 A good little fairy tale to make people behave. In your opinion. This is what makes Buddhism another false man-made religion. Stories of universal punishment. Stories of universal punishment are in Buddhism but it is unfair to judge the whole of it on this one idea alone. Seems like you have your mind quite made up RD-- that Buddhism is false, has no value, and is no different from Christianity. That's your priviledge, but some of us here who have studied and practiced it feel differently. You know it is a fact that Buddhism overlays cultures with shamanistic types of religions (such as the Bon religion in Tibet) and practices of the old religions were retained and translated into Buddhism. I am sure it was the same in China and other countries. As a buddhist who (a) does not believe in reincarnation (and there are plenty of us about) Agreed that reincarnation or rebirth is in Buddhism. Ultimately though, there is no death and no birth. Buddhism cannot be reduced to some simple formula. I don't feel disposed to defend Buddhism, so I won't continue with this. This section of the forums is really not about debating or harshly criticizing other ideas that ex-christians may have, of whatever type. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deva Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Now, this guy is going to sound ridiculous to many, but I'd like to see if anyone is willing to pick him points apart in a semi-serious manner, rather than just brushing him off as an idiot. It is indeed hard to take anyone seriously when they make statements such as the following from the above linked article: I believe this concept of Nirvana is a deception hatched by Satan and his fellow demonic spirits I'm not implying that it is anyone's duty to defend buddhism, but is anyone up for it? To hit a target this easy might give someone much fun, if it is as easy to hit as I'm guessing it is. Yes, Buddha says not to waste time on this kind of thing, but I won't call anyone a hypocrite Yes it is a total waste of time in my opinion. The purpose of this site is to encourage ex-christians. That is, people who have broken out of the Christian religion. We have many different points of view represented on this site, atheists, deists, pantheists, pagans, etc. In my opinion we should all be congratulating each other on our escape from the suffocating, stifling, life destroying dogma of Christianity, not criticizing different religions or philosophies some of us have chosen to take. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Religion Destructor Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 I don't feel disposed to defend Buddhism, so I won't continue with this. This section of the forums is really not about debating or harshly criticising other ideas that ex-christians may have, of whatever type. Wow, how surprising. Don't criticise the Buddhists for their beliefs. Ok, enough from me on this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hereticzero Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 It reads like another fundy rant against other religions. Typical. A religion, any religion, is a set of doctrines that control a person's desires in order to obtain spiritual rewards whether heaven and hell or reincarnation. Religion puts restraints on a person's freedoms and these same restraints have a tendency to make their way into mainstream laws that only serve to protect another person's religious beliefs and have little to do with ensuring fairness and freedom for the rest of us. Christianity and Islam, in my opinion, rank at the top of the heap when it comes to control over others. Buddhism is one more religion people turn to to fill a void in their lives. I do not see the benefits of trading christianity for another set of religious beliefs. People need to grow up and learn to rely on themselves. Whatever happens after death will happen whether we 'walk the straight and narrow' or not--seeing how there are as many religious beliefs as their are communities in the world, even neighborhoods have their own denominational leanings. So, who is to say which religion is the correct one and which one has the correct information for salvation? The only answer I can come up with is that they are all limited works of a select group of people over time--in other words, they are all taken from the imaginations of one or more people and built upon over time into a structured set of disciplines dictated to the masses by one or more persons as law. If religion did not have a voice to insist it had value, no one would give a crap about the religious leanings of a few nut jobs. But people seem to think we need to respect someone's religious views. We do not. They have the right to worship as they choose but we have the right not to tolerate someone's interference in our daily lives by telling them to piss off when they want to preach those beliefs to us. So, when it comes to someone preaching against Buddhism or any other religion because that person knows 'their doctrine' is true and without error, it is time for them to go have a Prozac and chill out. Most personal visions would stop with a little Librium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deva Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Wow, how surprising. Don't criticise the Buddhists for their beliefs. No, it ought not to be surprising. From the rules for this section of the forums: In this one area of Ex-Christian.net, each individual who has adopted an alternative spiritual expression should feel encouraged to freely express any experiences, thoughts, or opinions without fear of being brow beaten, harshly criticized, or condemned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Religion Destructor Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Wow, how surprising. Don't criticise the Buddhists for their beliefs. No, it ought not to be surprising. From the rules for this section of the forums: In this one area of Ex-Christian.net, each individual who has adopted an alternative spiritual expression should feel encouraged to freely express any experiences, thoughts, or opinions without fear of being brow beaten, harshly criticised, or condemned. I don't see how criticising Buddhism is harshly criticising YOU. I have not brow beaten you or condemned you. You are free to express your experiences as are I. As someone who has spent a number of years studying Buddhism in China and Japan in monasteries and seen the light as it were, I feel I have something to say. Religions are not and should not be free from criticism in fact the Buddha encouraged it. Funny how some feel threatened when you question their beliefs, heh? As per the rules I'll say no more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
par4dcourse Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 I, too, studied Buddhism briefly among many alternatives to xtianity when I was de-converting. Allowing for the age of the writing and translations, I always thought of Buddhism and Tao as more of philosophies than religions. I still follow some of the tenants, although I am far from being a true Buddhist. It seems to be focused more on the abilities and function of the human mind, a subject that I'm fascinated with, and at very least provides some thought provoking ideas. Never a bad thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator florduh Posted July 29, 2008 Super Moderator Share Posted July 29, 2008 Par4 was channeling me again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouroboros Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 For anyone that this might apply to: This section "Theism and Spirituality" was setup for the purpose of having a place for members to share belief in other religious ideas besides Christianity, without the fear of being attacked or criticized for these beliefs or views. The forum contains of about 99% of sections where we allow full head-on discussion, and no breaks applied, this sections does not. Please, respect that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Religion Destructor Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 For anyone that this might apply to: This section "Theism and Spirituality" was setup for the purpose of having a place for members to share belief in other religious ideas besides Christianity, without the fear of being attacked or criticized for these beliefs or views. The forum contains of about 99% of sections where we allow full head-on discussion, and no breaks applied, this sections does not. Please, respect that. Sorry moderator. I'm new here. My fault. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cslewissucks Posted July 30, 2008 Author Share Posted July 30, 2008 edit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouroboros Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 No worries. I'm slow to anger, but quick to action. Or something like that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insanezenmistress Posted August 24, 2008 Share Posted August 24, 2008 here is a link to an e-book called "a buddhist critique of christianity" if the OP is interested http://www.uq.net.au/slsoc/bsq/budchr0.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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