Buddhism, against having fun.

[Angrboda]

Meh. The day that Buddhists start doing shit like going door to door spreading the good news, or attempting to influence public policy where I live is the day I'll give a rat's ass about the bullshit that they believe. Until then, I'm perfectly happy to live and let live.

Be thankful you don't live in South Korea then.

Rep. Park Geun-hye, the ruling Saenuri Party presidential candidate, sought to curry favor with religious leaders during courtesy calls on the heads of Buddhist, Protestant and Catholic church groups Monday.

Ven. Jaseung of the Jogye Order was one of the leaders Rep. Park met during her “tour.”

This stirred speculation on whether she will get along with Buddhists or not, as her ruling party predecessors had a hard time maintaining a good working relationship with them.

Some analysts predict that unlike her predecessors, the leading candidate may be able to avoid clashes with Buddhists because of her unorthodox background.

Park describes herself as an atheist. Although she received a baptismal name while she attended Sogang University in Seoul several decades ago, her aides said she does not attend Sunday services.

They said the daughter of the late President Park Chung-hee has a strong bond with Buddhists due to the influence of her late mother, Yook Young-soo, who was a pious Buddhist. The aides added that she is also close to several prominent Protestants.

Because of this background, some analysts say Park is de facto affiliated with the three key religions and this would help her relationship with Buddhists during her presidential campaigns.

According to a 2005 survey, Buddhists make up 22.8 percent of the population, followed by Protestants with 18.3 percent and Catholics with 10.9 percent.

Incumbent President Lee Myung-bak, former President Kim Young-sam and Lee Hoi-chang ... had difficulty in handling a backlash from Buddhists.

—