Is Buddhism a good religion?

Naoryunosuke · Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 2:33 pm Post subject: Is Buddhism a good religion?

When talking about religion and how religion corrupts everything the subject of Buddhism always seems to come up. People will ask "but what's wrong with Buddhism?", and on there face of it there doesn't appear to be anything wrong with it. Buddhists don't worship a creator god, and thus this separates them from the other religions in this sense, and the fact that Buddhists don't worship a creator god could be the very reason they're so peaceful.

However, we can't really excuse the fact that they talk rubbish about understanding "the true nature of life". I'm certainly one for understanding the nature of life, but I certainly don't think meditation and chanting are going to get me there. While Buddhists may not worship a god the Tibetan Buddhists certainly worship the Dalai Lama like one, they believe him to be the incarnation of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. When the Dalai Lama told his fellow Buddhists to cast off their furs and burn them they did so, even though many were poor and would have suffered from doing so they did it without question. It's this kind of blind devotion that makes religion so dangerous and, as I've demonstrated, even Buddhists are subject to this blind devotion to idols.

The difference between Islam and Buddhism is that the Dalai Lama uses his authority for good; burning furs, telling people not to buy particular things, all it takes is for him to mention how unhappy he is. But is this really any different to other religions? Followers do what they're told in the belief that they're doing the right thing, it only takes a book to convince people that the wrong thing is right. So where do the Buddhists stop their blind obedience? does it stop at furs, or does it stop at killing everyone who opposes you. Blind obedience is the enemy, it always has the potential to be corrupted.

Raskolnikov · Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 2:59 pm Post subject:

I wouldn't really consider Buddhism as a religion. More like a philosophy lol.
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-Thomas Jefferson

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pr126 · Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 3:00 pm Post subject:

Like with all organised religion, Buddhist spend a lot of time, energy and resources which could be better utilised for the advancement of humanity.

Buddhist monks for example live off the handouts of the local people, essentially a parasitic life, for the use of a better word. Praying, reciting meaningless scriptures as a lifelong occupation. What a waste.

Furthermore, it is an industry, selling religious artefacts for the local population, the paraphernalia of Buddhist rituals.
So no, I do not think it has much positive value, as a religion.

One thing is in their favour, they are relatively peaceful.

I am sure there will be a few here of a different opinion to mine.
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Eyedunno · Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 3:13 pm Post subject:

1) Buddhism is definitely a religion (except among white people in California).
2) Buddhism is not, as a whole, a belief system that espouses "meditation and chanting" as a means of understanding "the true meaning of life" any more than Catholicism is.
3) The Dalai Lama is not a figure of any religious significance for the majority of world Buddhists.
4) Many Buddhists are in fact theists, for all practical intents and purposes. In Japan, some people really do take Jizōsama and his alter-ego Enma Daiō quite seriously as supernatural intelligences.
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Godless Red Scum · Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 3:41 pm Post subject: Re: Is Buddhism a good religion?

Naoryunosuke · Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 3:47 pm Post subject:

Naoryunosuke · Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 3:58 pm Post subject: Re: Is Buddhism a good religion?

Eyedunno · Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 4:03 pm Post subject: Re: Is Buddhism a good religion?

Naoryunosuke · Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 4:10 pm Post subject:

Chubz · Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 4:28 pm Post subject: Re: Is Buddhism a good religion?

YooHoo · Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 4:58 pm Post subject:

better then airabs neways huh

Naoryunosuke · Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 4:59 pm Post subject: Re: Is Buddhism a good religion?

ambelamba · Visitor Joined: 13 Aug 2008 Posts: 23 Local time: 9:25 AM

The main reason why I don't like Buddhism is that it (actually its branches) eventually became a religion.

See, it's kinda different from region to region but there are Buddhist Hells. And I gotta tell you, Abu Gharib is an orgy of paradise comparing to Buddhist Hells.

chookrooter · Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 12:15 am Post subject:

RyanDzundza · Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 2:00 am Post subject:

i pretty much agree with what Pr126 said,

yeah there peaceful and all, but shouldnt we expect that from everybody these days
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