There is no "I" in "You"

[The Grand Nudger]

You've separated them based upon their religiosity?  Buddhist philosophy -is- an eastern philosophical tradition. If the eastern traditions seem more skeptical to you, after you've removed every sub-branch that doesn't seem skeptical to you, it's no wonder that the eastern traditions seem more skeptical to you.

Fair? It's entirely, demonstrably, and inarguably accurate. If you want to find the earliest kernels of science, look to Thales of Miletus.

[Gemini]

Buddhist philosophy -is- an eastern philosophical tradition.  If the eastern traditions seem more skeptical to you, after you've removed every sub-branch that doesn't seem skeptical to you, it's no wonder that the eastern traditions seem more skeptical to you.

Maybe the problem is that you think of Buddhism as being intrinsically religious. 

It really isn't. Not in the way Christianity is. Look to the controversy over whether Buddhism is a philosophy or a religion. (The answer is, it depends on the practitioner, imho).

Next: why do you think I've removed every sub-branch of eastern philosophy that doesn't seem skeptical?

Finally: kudos to Thales of Miletus. But non-westerners also contributed to the origin of science.

[The Grand Nudger]

Maybe the problem is that you think of Buddhism as being intrinsically religious. 

Well, it is...but that;s not my problem with buddhism.  My problem with buddhism is that it's silly.  To make it less silly...we apply syncretism.

It really isn't. Not in the way Christianity is. Look to the controversy over whether Buddhism is a philosophy or a religion. (The answer is, it depends on the practitioner, imho).

A controversy in the same way that there is a controversy over evolution, and a controversy over whether or not -christianity- is a philosophy, a personal relationship with god, or a religion.  The -tradition- doesn't change based upon any assessment of a particular practitioner.

Next: why do you think I've removed every sub-branch of eastern philosophy that doesn't seem skeptical?

"So bugger karma" - I know that you've removed some..and judging from your previous comments as to eastern traditions being more skeptical, I suspect that you've removed (or were unaware of) a great many. Do the same for western philosophy and run whatever metrics you're using to determine level of skepticism again?

Finally: kudos to Thales of Miletus. But non-westerners also contributed to the origin of science.

That would be a different subject.  People are not a tradition. OFC non-westerners have contributed to science, and their contributions have been, in many cases, monumental. That doesn't transfer to eastern philosophic tradition by association of their ethnicity or nationality.

[Gemini]

Well, it is...but that;s not my problem with buddhism.  My problem with buddhism is that it's silly.  To make it less silly...we apply syncretism...

A controversy in the same way that there is a controversy over evolution, and a controversy over whether or not -christianity- is a philosophy, a personal relationship with god, or a religion.  The -tradition- doesn't change based upon any assessment of a particular practitioner...

"So bugger karma" - I know that you've removed some..and judging from your previous comments as to eastern traditions being more skeptical, I suspect that you've removed (or were unaware of) a great many.  Do the same for western philosophy and run whatever metrics you're using to determine level of skepticism again? ...

People are not a tradition.  OFC non-westerners have contributed to science, and their contributions have been, in many cases, monumental.  That doesn't transfer to eastern philosophic tradition by association of their ethnicity or nationality.

Bertrand Russell didn't think the Buddha's philosophy was silly. You do. Whatever.

There actually is no controversy over whether Christianity is a religion or a philosophy. It's acknowledged to be a religion, by everyone. Period.

What eastern philosophical tradition did I trample on when I buggered karma? Be specific. Like I said, there's a difference between eastern philosophy and eastern religion.

Finally, if you want to separate people from the traditions they are associated with, go ahead. I really don't care whether we parse it out as eastern philosophical traditions or the thoughts of people who were raised east of the Euphrates.

[The Grand Nudger]

Bertrand Russell didn't think the Buddha's philosophy was silly. You do. Whatever.

.............? Well, if Betrand Russel thought is was awesome...it must be, I retract everything I've said.

There actually is no controversy over whether Christianity is a religion or a philosophy. It's acknowledged to be a religion, by everyone. Period.

As is buddhism.  Though plenty of buddhists will tell you it isn't, or that it's a religion -of- philosophy.

What eastern philosophical tradition did I trample on when I buggered karma? Be specific. Like I said, there's a difference between eastern philosophy and eastern religion.

Hinduism and Buddhism...for starters, and that covers alot of eastern philosophy.  You've separated the two because you would do so with western philosophy and western religion.....but the context and reality of those eastern traditions was and -is- different than the context of our western traditions (and that's ignoring that such a separation might not even be representative in western traditions). Remarkably appropriate to the thread, some westerners will tell you that religions have gods, -that's how you know they're religions...and then we simply point to buddhism to show that the rules or separations that -might- apply to western traditions do not always apply to eastern tradition...and ofc that's to be expected.

Finally, if you want to separate people from the traditions they are associated with, go ahead. I really don't care whether we parse it out as eastern philosophical traditions or the thoughts of people who were raised east of the Euphrates.

Jesus christ Gem, I'm not separating them from their traditions, you are conflating peoples contributions to science as saying something informative about the traditions to which -you- would attach them.  Attach them to their traditions, have at it.  Then I'll show you how they -did science-...not buddhism, for example, and -that's- what I'm separating.

[quip]

28 pages later....

Perhaps -you- should just tell us the only answer you'll accept...and be done with it?

The answers you ....et al. accepted before the very inception of this thread.

---

This dude can't be a Buddhist. I've known a few of them, and they're never this bad. Or this douchey.

Buddhists can be pretty douchey. There are Buddhists who believe that people are born into poverty because of their "past karma;" who are anti-choice; who oppose gay marriage. There are Buddhists who slum around with all manner of parapsychology bullshit. I've heard Buddhist monks endorse homeopathic medicine.

---

I suppose you could add to that body of evidence by introducing yours to a .45

Well you're a regular psychopath, aren't you?

FAIL.

Now that is some quality ad hom! Give the heads up to Rhythm

Hi, BTW   .......resident psycho at your service!

[The Grand Nudger]

You still don't know what an ad hom is, couldn't even be bothered to google it, could you?

[ApeNotKillApe]

You know what the Buddhist said to to the hot dog vendor?
He said, "Make me one with everything."

[Gemini]

@Rhythm

Google "Is Buddhism a religion or a philosophy?" and you'll come across an endless succession of articles dealing with this as a serious question. Google "Is Christianity a religion or a philosophy?" and you'll mainly get skeptical websites which skewer anyone idiotic enough to claim that Christianity is a philosophy.

There really is no equivalence between them.

Next. I asked you to give me an eastern philosophical tradition fond of cavorting with karma. You gave me Hinduism and Buddhism.

What I mean by a "philosophical tradition" is something like Nyaya or Madhyamaka. Something connected with intellectuals like Nagarjuna, Chandrakirti, Dignaga, etc. Not very broad categories that apply to religion, philosophy, culture, art, etc.

Finally, for the purposes of this discussion, I don't care about the origin of science other than to point out that it wasn't strictly a western project. If you're worried that I'm trying to credit it to Gautama, don't. All I'm saying is that his philosophical tradition is acknowledged to be one rooted in skepticism and empiricism, and that it came to dominate eastern thought.

[quip]

You still don't know what an ad hom is, couldn't even be bothered to google it, could you?

Well, I'm purportedly a psychotic numbskull. 

Can you take anything a psychotic numbskull claims as accurate or true?