Having Far More Respect For Beliefs Of Non Judeo Christian Theists

[thesummerqueen]

I believe in plants - don't I get respect, Pad?!

[The Grand Nudger]

I would surely much rather have a big spread of militant fundamentalist Jainism than militant fundamentalist Islam where I live.

Oh I wouldn't be so sure. Remember, christians are the loaves and fishes people. The healers of the blind, the last to cast stones, the ones that love their neighbors. Muslims are in a similar position. They have plenty of nice fluffy scriptures as well. Is being a Buddhist or Jain somehow a better safe-guard against being a human being? I think not. Anytime people get militant about their superstitions strange (and often terrible) things occur.

[Cyberman]

No belief "deserves" respect.Period.

This. In spades.

But everyone has beliefs. I believe the sun will rise tomorrow and I will wake up from slumber, although it is not 100% guarenteed. I also believe that if I drive through a green light on my way to work that it will be safe because other drivers will stop at red lights, but this too is not 100% guarenteed. I believe that certain people love me and I love them. So why don't THESE BELIEFS deserve respect???

You are grossly fooling yourself if you think you hold no beliefs on your ever-decaying life! You may be ignorant of them, but nonetheless, you believe in MILLIONS of things, both positive and negative, it is your choice.

Buddha is a wise man, beliefs are merely impermanent and relative.

That's not at all what I said. I agreed with pad's comment, that beliefs do not automatically command respect by dint of their being beliefs. Of course we all have beliefs in all sorts of things, it's called being human and we all have that right. But not all beliefs are created equal - believing that the Sun will rise tomorrow is a reasonable belief, based on things such as prior experience of the Sun rising and an understanding of the dynamics of the Solar System (planetary rotation etc). Believing that the Sun will rise because it is being pushed along by the Khepri, the Egyptian scarab god, is not reaonable. I'll leave you to work out why.

I can (and do) respect your right to hold your own beliefs, however I am not obliged to respect any beliefs you hold purely because you hold them, and neither are you to mine, and you may not demand that I do so. Good day sir.

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

I believe in plants - don't I get respect, Pad?!

My dear,you have my affection and respect just for being you

I can has kiss?

(you may now throw up in your bourbon and branchwater)

[thesummerqueen]

[5thHorseman]

They're all wish thinkers, no more, no less. Although I believe respect is earnt and not given, I do have a bit more love for our seriously deluded Buddhist bros. At least the have the decency to not go nuts at the burning of a holy book, send a plane into a tower, have little parties involving koolaid, blow up building in revenge for Waco, you know, the yearly Abrahamic bs ritual. They also don't appear to condemn others for homosexuality, for being a different colour skin or even for not being a fundy nutjob like they are.

I could be wrong.

[The Grand Nudger]

Well, since the seat of Buddhism (as far as the west is concerned) was taken by China ending their hilariously backwards feudal policies and slave holdings; toppling their theocracy along with their god-king, and since the 13th Dalai Lama banned enforced penal mutilation and capital punishment for minor offenses before his death in 1933, and since Buddhism has long lost the sort of political power it once held (Buddhism and politics in Asia were tied at the hip for centuries)...then yeah....maybe they seem less crazy.

Long story short, buddhism was once a hugely fundy nutjob religion (and some would criticize that it's becoming more so now, not less), that portion has simply died off by force or by irrelevance. Bet we could find us some Waco style Buddhists if we wanted to. The Buddhism that we in the West are familiar with today is only the corpse of what Buddhism once was.

[Bgood]

Buddhism is always self critical and introspective. Divinity is within, it's not "out there". Agreed that any buddhist can be delusional or hateful as an individual, the Dharma teachings though will not support or justify any evil actions as perhaps the Bible can. Most of Buddha's words are very clear, concise and direct. There is little room for ambiguity or misinterpretation. The most complex teachings are generally mystical and do not relate to ethical justice or moral righteousness yet rather to states of mind and inner awareness. For example the concept of Emptiness.

I think this also applies to hindu, jainism but I am not as qualified or informed on these religions in depth as I am with my own. So I don't see how any of these teachings can justify or rationalize bad behavior. I will admit that I am not a "saintly" man by any means, for I can be extremely selfish and vindictive at times, but when I humble myself and open my mind to Buddha's remarkable wisdom, I ALWAYS find myself loving life and loving all others a little bit more than before. Even my so-called enemies! I have no enemies, only people I don't really know yet...

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

Bet we could find us some Waco style Buddhists if we wanted to.

You wouldn't need look very far: traditional Tibetan Buddhism is as loopy as it comes. Under the Dalai Lhamas Tibet was a backward,insular and corrupt theocracy. Some Tibetan nationalists in exile are also pretty extreme.

I have no idea what the Dalai Lhama REALLY wants.I don't know the man.All I know about him is from the media and his autobiography."My Land And My People" (1962)

[Bgood]

I don't think there is any subversive motive behind any of Tibet's religion or wish for sovereignty. Just like the Native American population who were killed off and marginalized into barren reservations when Christian Europeans stole the American land, the Tibetan people are also innocent victims of arrogant, prejudiced, industrialized fuckheads like the most rich, insecure, white slavemaster landowners of yore.