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Dedit
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Joined: 16 Dec 2007
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 Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 1:42 pm Post subject: Consider myself as Atheist or Buddhist? |
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Hello,
This is my first post on the forum, as you can see, and I have a question... I've been a Buddhist for a couple years now, and I consider my self and Agnostic Buddhist... But I sometimes label myself as an atheist as well. But I don't know weather to label myself as a Buddhist or Atheist. Buddhism is barely a religion, if not one at all. It's more of a philosophy. I also feel strong about atheism and like debating against Christians or believers. So I'm not really sure what to label myself as... in polls the US consideres Buddhism for some odd reason, I'm guessing because they don't know much about it.
Also, Atheists are the least trusted of society.. I don't understand what the difference is from Atheists and Other religious people (Islam, Hindu) from Christians... I mean, for example, in the Boy Scouts you must believe in something, atheists aren't aloud.
I don't understand any of this.
Dedit |
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A_Atheist_named_Christian
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| Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 2:12 pm Post subject: Re: Consider myself as Atheist or Buddhist? |
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| Dedit wrote: | Hello,
This is my first post on the forum, as you can see, and I have a question... I've been a Buddhist for a couple years now, and I consider my self and Agnostic Buddhist... But I sometimes label myself as an atheist as well. But I don't know weather to label myself as a Buddhist or Atheist. Buddhism is barely a religion, if not one at all. It's more of a philosophy. I also feel strong about atheism and like debating against Christians or believers. So I'm not really sure what to label myself as... in polls the US consideres Buddhism for some odd reason, I'm guessing because they don't know much about it.
Also, Atheists are the least trusted of society.. I don't understand what the difference is from Atheists and Other religious people (Islam, Hindu) from Christians... I mean, for example, in the Boy Scouts you must believe in something, atheists aren't aloud.
I don't understand any of this.
Dedit |
Call yourself both.
On this forum we have a few Communist atheists, Libertarian atheists, Stupid atheists, Smart atheists, Happy atheists, Emo atheists and I could go on forever.
And Welcome.  |
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josephpalazzo
Illusion Master
Joined: 30 Aug 2006
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Location: D-brane
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| Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 2:17 pm Post subject: Re: Consider myself as Atheist or Buddhist? |
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| Dedit wrote: | Hello,
This is my first post on the forum, as you can see, and I have a question... I've been a Buddhist for a couple years now, and I consider my self and Agnostic Buddhist... But I sometimes label myself as an atheist as well. But I don't know weather to label myself as a Buddhist or Atheist. Buddhism is barely a religion, if not one at all. It's more of a philosophy. I also feel strong about atheism and like debating against Christians or believers. So I'm not really sure what to label myself as... in polls the US consideres Buddhism for some odd reason, I'm guessing because they don't know much about it.
Also, Atheists are the least trusted of society.. I don't understand what the difference is from Atheists and Other religious people (Islam, Hindu) from Christians... I mean, for example, in the Boy Scouts you must believe in something, atheists aren't aloud.
I don't understand any of this.
Dedit |
Being an atheist comes down to this: an atheist doesn't believe in God. Period. If that is your position, then you are an atheist. Now if adopting Buddhist principles does not alter that position, then you can also be a Buddhist.
As to atheists being the least trusted is more of a complicated matter, but one reason is that people have wrongly associated Hitler, Stalin and other mass murderers with atheism, which is more propaganda than truth -- there is a lot of work to do to undo this association. Also, many religious believers have this weird notion that atheists have no morals. Again, another fallacy. Stats show that proportionally, there are fewer atheists in prison than any other groups, and fewer divorces than any religious denominations. |
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lumpymunk
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Joined: 17 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 2:22 pm Post subject: |
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In my understanding of Buddhism you would be considered "enlightened" or a much stronger Buddhist for being Atheistic. The Gods that Exist in Buddhism are supposedly only there for the "weaker" Buddhists who still need that comfort.
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“Here, here's American Gladiators. Watch this, shut up, go back to bed America, here is American Gladiators, here is 56 channels of it! Watch these pituitary retards bang their fucking skulls together and congratulate you on the living in the land of freedom. Here you go America - you are free to do what well tell you! You are free to do what we tell you!” ~ B.Hicks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNOPu_wU6hs |
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Dedit
Visitor
Joined: 16 Dec 2007
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| Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 2:24 pm Post subject: |
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Oh, I see. Most people think atheists don't have any morals because they don't follow an old fictional books for how to live a life. That's stupid, because in America only .2% make up the prison population while Christians make up 75%...
And lumpymunk, your right on the first part, Buddha taught against the teachings of a god or gods, but I am totally unaware of the Buddhism gods, I've never heard of that before.. |
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RyanDzundza
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| Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 5:25 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | I mean, for example, in the Boy Scouts you must believe in something, atheists aren't aloud. |
let me get this straight atheists arent allowed in the boy scouts ??
isnt the boy scouts a government thing, or is it a private institution
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Dedit
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| Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 5:26 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah I'm pretty sure..
I did a Google search and we see:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Atheists+Boy+Scouts&btnG=Google+Search
Quoted from a news source:
| Quote: | | As a private organization, the Boy Scouts are permitted to exclude certain people from membership. The organization bans gays and atheists. |
So I'm guessing Buddhism isn't allowed. I don't understand that shity concept. Pointless. |
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Jezzica
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Joined: 19 Oct 2007
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| Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 5:56 pm Post subject: |
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I was in girl guides (the girl version of scouts wonder if other countries name it that) and it never once associated with God or any such thing, what u did outside of the girl guides didnt matter to them.
I also had female friends who joined scouts it was a mix so thats ok, and they didnt care about your religion.
It must be only certain countries then i guess...
Anyway welcome to the forums
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We are just as meaningful,beautiful and loving without a God! we prove that just with our own existance. - Jezzica |
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transientangent
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| Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 6:00 pm Post subject: |
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There's really no reason you can't use multiple labels. I consider myself something of a taoist, a transcendentalist, existentialist, and agnostic besides being an atheist.
| RyanDzundza wrote: | | Quote: | | I mean, for example, in the Boy Scouts you must believe in something, atheists aren't aloud. |
let me get this straight atheists arent allowed in the boy scouts ??
isnt the boy scouts a government thing, or is it a private institution |
They're a private organization that often makes use of public facilities. |
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Siderius
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Joined: 19 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 6:24 pm Post subject: |
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| Jezzica wrote: | I was in girl guides (the girl version of scouts wonder if other countries name it that) and it never once associated with God or any such thing, what u did outside of the girl guides didnt matter to them.
I also had female friends who joined scouts it was a mix so thats ok, and they didnt care about your religion.
It must be only certain countries then i guess...
Anyway welcome to the forums |
In norway we have 'speideren' which is the same as scouts, but there both boys and girls are allowed. There is not many places where they seperate boys and girls over here 
So thats one other country less to wonder about. |
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RyanDzundza
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| Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 7:14 pm Post subject: |
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ah, if its a private organisation then i suppose its ok for them to make up their own rules,
we have both girl guides and boy scouts in the UK but any one can join,
any way, welcome to the forums
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Nox
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| Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 9:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Dedit wrote: | Yeah I'm pretty sure..
I did a Google search and we see:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Atheists+Boy+Scouts&btnG=Google+Search
Quoted from a news source:
| Quote: | | As a private organization, the Boy Scouts are permitted to exclude certain people from membership. The organization bans gays and atheists. |
So I'm guessing Buddhism isn't allowed. I don't understand that shity concept. Pointless. |
Not only is Buddhism allowed in the BSA, Buddhist services were provided at the last national jamboree and Buddhist scouts can earn a special insignia for their uniform.
Atheists are not allowed in the BSA.
The BSA does not realize that this is a contradiction, because Council, like many, doesn't realize that one can be both an atheist and religious, and that many Buddhists are atheists. |
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RyanDzundza
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| Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 9:54 pm Post subject: |
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dont bhudhist believe that they can be reincarnated as a god, demi god, human, animal or something else which i cant remember, depending on how good they were in their previous life, or has someone told me wrong
i suppose BSA might just need their members to accept some sort of supernatural belief, they might let you in if you believe in ghosts lol
EDIT
just remembered were i came about that piece about bhudhism, it was on the tribe, a tv show in england (might be shown in other places as well)
the presenter went visiting a remote tribe in the mountains of some country were he met bhudhists on hte way up who told him about some of thier beliefs,
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Nox
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| Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 10:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | dont bhudhist believe that they can be reincarnated as a god, demi god, human, animal or something else which i cant remember, depending on how good they were in their previous life, or has someone told me wrong. |
Some Buddhists do. Others don't. As Buddhism spread, it tended to blend with indigenous folk religions (Taoism did the same thing). |
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Dedit
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| Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 10:32 pm Post subject: |
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| RyanDzundza wrote: | dont bhudhist believe that they can be reincarnated as a god, demi god, human, animal or something else which i cant remember, depending on how good they were in their previous life, or has someone told me wrong
i suppose BSA might just need their members to accept some sort of supernatural belief, they might let you in if you believe in ghosts lol
EDIT
just remembered were i came about that piece about bhudhism, it was on the tribe, a tv show in england (might be shown in other places as well)
the presenter went visiting a remote tribe in the mountains of some country were he met bhudhists on hte way up who told him about some of thier beliefs, |
No, Buddhists don't generally believe you can be reincarnated into a god. They believe you can be reincarnated (not really reincarnated) into Nirvana, which is even unexplainable by the Buddha's standards... Some buddhists believe there are 32 plains of existence when you are reincarnated, as well. And if you have good karma in this life, you will be reincarnated on a higher scale in the next. But the ultimate goal is to reach nirvana which ends all forms of suffering. |
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