Your thoughts on Buddhism, and especially the parts on essentially doing nothing to stop others from harming others, reminds me of that ever so famous quote:
"All it takes for the victory of evil is for good men to do nothing."
That was always the biggest problem I had with Buddhism. It's a very naive approach to the world. And I debate the supposed "enlightenment" it provides to its followers. Buddhism hasn't enlightened anyone to modern medicine, technological advancement, or anything that is practical in the world. It's an alternative religion for yuppies, when you boil it down to its existence in the West. It helps guide people, but like all other religions...it's a religion. Not a philosophy like some people claim, it's a religion, complete with its own clerical hierarchy, and aaaalllll the problems that that entails.
It's hard to find good secular communities. Biggest downside of being an atheist is our greatest strength is our greatest weakness; our lack of belief frees us from the flock mentality. And...since we're no longer in a flock/herd mentality, we don't quite have the same level of unified voice that religious people tend to have. But that's why sites like this forum are here, I suppose; the age of social networking via the internet is upon us, and atheists tend to be very numerous online, so...who knows? Could be a massive community of fellow secularists right under your nose.
I for one am gonna put up the Happy Humanist symbol as a lawn ornament outside my house when I can afford to get one cast. Probably gonna cast it in good ol' fashioned steel. That or iron. Strength in humanity and all that symbolic goodness.
Welcome to the forum!
"All it takes for the victory of evil is for good men to do nothing."
That was always the biggest problem I had with Buddhism. It's a very naive approach to the world. And I debate the supposed "enlightenment" it provides to its followers. Buddhism hasn't enlightened anyone to modern medicine, technological advancement, or anything that is practical in the world. It's an alternative religion for yuppies, when you boil it down to its existence in the West. It helps guide people, but like all other religions...it's a religion. Not a philosophy like some people claim, it's a religion, complete with its own clerical hierarchy, and aaaalllll the problems that that entails.
It's hard to find good secular communities. Biggest downside of being an atheist is our greatest strength is our greatest weakness; our lack of belief frees us from the flock mentality. And...since we're no longer in a flock/herd mentality, we don't quite have the same level of unified voice that religious people tend to have. But that's why sites like this forum are here, I suppose; the age of social networking via the internet is upon us, and atheists tend to be very numerous online, so...who knows? Could be a massive community of fellow secularists right under your nose.
I for one am gonna put up the Happy Humanist symbol as a lawn ornament outside my house when I can afford to get one cast. Probably gonna cast it in good ol' fashioned steel. That or iron. Strength in humanity and all that symbolic goodness.
Welcome to the forum!
