Christian Priest to Atheist to Buddhist

[Confused Ape]

It's happening now, in Burma, some are calling it an ethnic cleansing of Muslims.... by Buddhist monks.

I don't have the time to look up specific references,

Just as well I had the time, then.

Burma Accused of ‘Ethnic Cleansing’ of Rohingya Muslims

It should be noted, however, that many Buddhists put their lives on the line to protect Muslim neighbors and hide them from the rampaging mobs.

Doesn't matter what the religion teaches, people will always find a way to fight and kill for it.

Or many people, but not all, can find a way to fight and kill for something in spite of what they believe or don't believe.

Trying to figure out the motives for human behaviour is far from easy. I did google searches for the religious beliefs or lack of them where the US military is concerned. I'm not going to provide links for the various sources because anyone can find them by putting "xxxx in the US Military" in google.

Besides Christians of various denominations there are - Muslims, Sikhs, Jews, Wiccans and other Pagans, Buddhists, Hindus, Humanists, Atheists, Agnostics and Freethinkers.

US military personnel don't go off to fight in the name of any religion or atheism. They do it for other reasons.

[Minimalist]

Unprovable? Buddhism is supportive in science, we do not believe in an afterlife, a god, a creator, or magical power. Just enlightenment by suppressing "suffering" within ourselves

As you noted in the OP, there are 3 schools so some do and some don't. Historically in most of the world these divisions have meant murder/mayhem as each group tries to demonstrate how holy they are by swinging clubs.

It all seems so pointless.

[BlackSwordsman]

Unprovable? Buddhism is supportive in science, we do not believe in an afterlife, a god, a creator, or magical power. Just enlightenment by suppressing "suffering" within ourselves

As you noted in the OP, there are 3 schools so some do and some don't. Historically in most of the world these divisions have meant murder/mayhem as each group tries to demonstrate how holy they are by swinging clubs.

It all seems so pointless.

Buddhists do not have "holy" and even the second school does not believe in an afterlife, simply that there was something that created the world, and left it as is. Afterlife is a Christian deal, not buddhist. Buddhism is about being a better person and a postive impact on the world around us. Nothing more.

[Leo34]

Okay, so for those of you whom are not aware of Buddhism, there are three main schools of philosophy.

School One: The world has always been. There is no beginning - Atheistic

School Two: a creator created the world - theistic

School Three: Complex school, this one believes that the world never had a beginning but is a continuing cycle of rebirth (life, death, restart) by that I don't mean reincarnation but the cycle of life. It is Atheistic.

I am in the Third School, sorry to bore you.


I was raised christain, I even did a bit of preaching at a church and small community where I lived. I was very very active, not extreme but active.

After events in my life, I started reading the bible, I mean really reading the bible and studying it! ALL OF IT. I hated what I read.

I am Bisexual (I look at it as being able to view things through both sides of the spectrum).

My brother in law is Gay, and I grew up hating gays, again family values. Now after much study and internal conflict with morals and such I realized god is a myth.

I remember finding this video and this guy from MY Christian school who turned atheist said, I wasn't able to find non-biblical sources for a jesus, he never existed. I could not believe it. It was right!

I lost my faith. I became an Atheist. but I was always facinated by the peaceful nature of Buddhists. My friend being from India introduced me to the idea.

I started studying buddhism, and became Buddhist. I don't believe in a god, or a creator. I believe in being "awake".

It simply means to find peace within yourself by being the best you can be.

Karma was tough to understand, reincarnation was tough too, but once I grasped it, it just made sense.

Reincarnation doesn't refer to one being "reborn" it refers to the effect you have on others, and the world around you when you pass. If you live a good life and are a good person you leave a positive effect on those whom you knew (karma: good)

So I am buddhist, I know some of my post do not reflect or show it, but Buddhist can cuss, we can be upset, and we are not perfect, we just try to be better and live better.

But again Buddhists for the most part are Atheists.

The main buddhists schools are theravada , mahayana and Tibet "buddhism " or tantric buddhism. The 3 schools as you defined it don't exists . Lol I don't think you really know about the subject. The school number 2 doesn't exists . The creator god idea is rejected in all buddhist schools. The goal of theravada is the arhat . To end the circles of rebirths without beginning( samsara). The goal of mahayana buddhism is the bodhisattva. To help others beings attain liberation from samsara. The Tibet buddism promise fast liberation of samsara with some complex rituals. You should study the teachings of early buddhism with the nikayas to know what buddhism is really about. The original buddhism doesn't exists. Theravadins claim to teach the original teachings of the Buddha but this school is in reality a evolution of early buddhism. Mahayana buddhism is the second corruption of the Buddha teachings and the Tibet buddhism is the biggest corruption of the Buddha teachings. I'm not a buddhist because I can't buy some of their doctrines without evidence . I have read the 4 nikayas and I find the early buddhism teachings interesting.

---

Long story short , the mainstream buddhism is bullshit like all religions.

[BlackSwordsman]

Okay, so for those of you whom are not aware of Buddhism, there are three main schools of philosophy.

School One: The world has always been. There is no beginning - Atheistic

School Two: a creator created the world - theistic

School Three: Complex school, this one believes that the world never had a beginning but is a continuing cycle of rebirth (life, death, restart) by that I don't mean reincarnation but the cycle of life. It is Atheistic.

I am in the Third School, sorry to bore you.


I was raised christain, I even did a bit of preaching at a church and small community where I lived. I was very very active, not extreme but active.

After events in my life, I started reading the bible, I mean really reading the bible and studying it! ALL OF IT. I hated what I read.

I am Bisexual (I look at it as being able to view things through both sides of the spectrum).

My brother in law is Gay, and I grew up hating gays, again family values. Now after much study and internal conflict with morals and such I realized god is a myth.

I remember finding this video and this guy from MY Christian school who turned atheist said, I wasn't able to find non-biblical sources for a jesus, he never existed. I could not believe it. It was right!

I lost my faith. I became an Atheist. but I was always facinated by the peaceful nature of Buddhists. My friend being from India introduced me to the idea.

I started studying buddhism, and became Buddhist. I don't believe in a god, or a creator. I believe in being "awake".

It simply means to find peace within yourself by being the best you can be.

Karma was tough to understand, reincarnation was tough too, but once I grasped it, it just made sense.

Reincarnation doesn't refer to one being "reborn" it refers to the effect you have on others, and the world around you when you pass. If you live a good life and are a good person you leave a positive effect on those whom you knew (karma: good)

So I am buddhist, I know some of my post do not reflect or show it, but Buddhist can cuss, we can be upset, and we are not perfect, we just try to be better and live better.

But again Buddhists for the most part are Atheists.

The main buddhists schools are theravada , mahayana and Tibet "buddhism " or tantric buddhism. The 3 schools as you defined it don't exists . Lol I don't think you really know about the subject. The school number 2 doesn't exist. The creator god idea is rejected in all buddhist schools. The goal of theravada is the arhat . To end the circles of rebirths without beginning. The goal of mahayana buddhism is the bodhisattva. To help others beings attain liberation. The Tibet buddism promise fast liberation with some complex rituals. You should study the teachings of early buddhism with the nikayas to know what buddhism is really about. The original buddhism doesn't exists. Theravadins claim to teach the original teachings of the Buddha but this school is in reality a evolution of early buddhism. Mahayana buddhism is the second corruption of the Buddha teachings and the Tibet buddhism is the biggest corruption of the Buddha teachings. I'm not a buddhist because I can't buy some of their doctrines without evidence . I have read the 4 nikayas and I find the early buddhism teachings interesting.

I believe Venerable Dhammananda, would beg to differ on the thoughts of origin.

Study is a key part in understanding Buddhism, I love that you have interest in it, keep in mind that there are more than just the views of few. Some view things differently. There are even Christian Buddhists though in my opinion it does contradict the Buddha's teaching but I thought I would throw reference to the thoughts anyway.

K. Sri Dhammananda

[Angrboda]

Buddhism is a greatly varied practice, having as many differences as to basic beliefs as other religions like Christianity. I find it amusing that you appeal to the "No True Scotsman" fallacy to attempt to purify the image of Buddhism, but for every Buddhist about whom what you said is true, there are a dozen others for whom it is false. There are many ways to slice up the Buddhist pie, and I think the differences between eastern and western Buddhism are quite telling. Western Buddhism tends to be sanitized of the religiousness of eastern Buddhism and is fertile ground for the "No True Buddhist"' style of apologetic. Regardless of east or west, there is a core of hagiography surrounding Siddhartha and his teachings with all the trappings that follow from deification of a mortal. In one Buddhist chant you find the refrain that the way of the Buddha is unsurpassable. How would you know, except through faith and idolization of Siddhartha? To my view, Siddhartha was just another religious charlatan, who packaged up a "method" and sold it to the yokels. And the attempt to sell the faith to the yokels continues to this day.

One of my favorite quotes about Buddhism comes from a former member, Rhythm. He said, "The monk and the priest both smile from the door of the temple. They're not actually smiling, they're just baring their teeth."

I didn't intend to get into this, but some of the religious silliness of Buddhists, combined with the ever present attempt to white wash Buddhist beliefs, just irritates me.

[topher]

Buddhism is about being a better person and a postive impact on the world around us. Nothing more.

What exactly separates that philosophy from something like secular humanism, and can you demonstrate it?

[Minimalist]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/au...iot-muslim

Burmese Buddhists riot after rumours of sexual assault by Muslim man

Maybe the muslims simply bring out the worst in people?

[Leo34]

Buddhism is about being a better person and a postive impact on the world around us. Nothing more.

What exactly separates that philosophy from something like secular humanism, and can you demonstrate it?

Nothing. You can read the nikayas and find some interesting stuff . You can also find some unlikely assertions. I don't believe in the unlikely assertions . That's why I'm not a buddhist. Buddhism is a religion after all.

[BlackSwordsman]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/au...iot-muslim

Burmese Buddhists riot after rumours of sexual assault by Muslim man

Maybe the muslims simply bring out the worst in people?

Perhaps asking why is a good place to start.

https://www.facebook.com/BuddhistsinBurma