(January 17, 2016 at 9:25 am)Brian37 Wrote:(January 17, 2016 at 8:09 am)miaharun Wrote: I am an Atheist/Buddhist if it makes sense. I practice Buddhism but doubt Karma and rebirth. I still believe in it because it helps me to be a better person. Your one of the very few "Atheists" i have come across on this forum who are actually polite towards others. You understand and practice the word "empathy"
Nobody "practices" any religion, they swallow and follow.
A lawyer practices, a student practices, a musician practices, a sports player practices.
No sorry, any kind motif you point to to justify holding your club label, can be found in all religions in some description. Buddhism is no more a cure for 7 billion humans than Hinduism, and I hate to tell you this, but Buddhism is nothing but a spinoff of Hinduism.
No, sorry see that is your problem. "Empathy" is in evolution, and so is cruelty. You are hiding behind your label to avoid criticism by using "don't pick on me" as a dodge. Buddhists do not deserve anymore a taboo than Muslims or Christians.
Nobody is talking about taking your human right to believe what you want. But no, you don't get to set up censorship either. If you are more worried about getting offended, than the actual physical violence and tribalism all religions set up, then to me, your priorities as a human, suck.
Civility isn't about never getting offended. Civility is what you do when someone offends you. Now please don't pretend Buddhism is perfect because it is not. I am quite ready to point out the transgressions of Asia and the Orient too.
Nobody is or at least should not advocate violence to their fellow human beings. But nobody has a right to decide for everyone what is or is not offensive. As an atheist I have been equated to monsters like Hitler and Stalin and Po Pot. That does insult me, no not the right to make bullshit claims, but the logic is insulting to me.
If we all got to censor everything we don't like, all 7 billion humans could easily think of things we'd rather not hear. "Empathy" is not about censorship. Empathy is knowing that you can handle getting offended in non violent ways.
I will not give Buddhists a pass either. We are the same species, and what matters more to me, is non violence, not someone pissing me off with mere blasphemy.
No one here asked you to give Buddhists a pass. No one here said it is any sort of cure, No one here said it is perfect. Your assumptions. I am terribly sorry if i made you mad about all this. Almost everyone here is treating Buddhism with words like "Bullshit, Nonsense etc etc". Do i become violent ? No. I must say i do not care. I have tried to correct or respond to posts. To me "Empathy" means putting myself in the shoes of another person. If i say something to a person which will hurt or injure that person in anyway i would not say it. Not everyone here will have "evolved" to take the word "empathy" as you do.
May i try to explain what i mean by practicing,
"The Buddha himself is revered not as a deity or supernatural being but as a very special kind of human being. He was a human who achieved the ultimate in development of his human potential. The Buddha taught that this achievement is within the reach of every human being, and he spent his life teaching a practical methodology which, if followed with purity of mind and great diligence, would enable others to reach the same objective. In other words, he taught a method rather than a doctrine. When questioned about the validity of his teachings, the Buddha did not refer to the higher authority of a deity. He explained that his teachings were based on his own direct personal experience, and he invited all who were interested to test for themselves whether the method he taught was effective." - religioustolerance.org
There, "interested to test for themselves". That is not forcing anyone. Example "Thou shall not". If i stop practicing "following" it , nothing is ever going to happen to me. I can go to the extent of making a point to you by calling Buddha an idiot. It was just to make a point, it means nothing, just words. All what matters are your thoughts. If your thoughts are pure nothing can go wrong. Like you rightfully stated in a previous post, if a child steals a loaf of bread suffering from hunger it is not considered a misdeed. Stealing is considered wrong however if your thought is for the right reason it is not.
"No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path" - Gautama Buddha
