Morons: Terrible bane or lifeblood of the forum?

[Belacqua]

Buddhism requires its adherents to believe in a number of supernatural things, such as karma, "nirvana", various otherworldly realms, etc. You can't be a "secular Buddhist". That would be like, if I still called myself a Catholic despite not caring about God. Like, no?

I suspect there are different sorts of people who describe themselves as "secular Buddhists." I'm not familiar with all the varieties.

From my experience I know there are people in America who use Buddhism as a sort of aesthetic, but whose Buddhist practice consists of meditation techniques borrowed from Zen, and "mindfulness" practices. In other words, without the Buddhist metaphysics behind it, what they do is mostly a kind of therapy. 

Recently these techniques have be re-imported into Japan by psychologists. They recommend maindufurunesu as pure therapy, and don't associate it in any way with the Japanese religion from which it supposedly has its origins.

As I say, though, I don't know about every single group claiming that they are Buddhists without the metaphysics. Perhaps some of them have it worked out more carefully.

[LinuxGal]

It absolutely IS Buddhism. Just as one can be a philosophical (as opposed to a religious) Christian, it’s perfectly possible to be a secular Buddhist.

Boru

Many western people think it's possible, but it's not. Buddhism requires its adherents to believe in a number of supernatural things, such as karma, "nirvana", various otherworldly realms, etc. You can't be a "secular Buddhist". That would be like, if I still called myself a Catholic despite not caring about God. Like, no?

Karma is just the law of unintended consequences.   Nothing supernatural about it at all.

[Jackalope]

This thread appears to be good evidence that the idiot population is still in healthy supply

[Angrboda]

This thread appears to be good evidence that the idiot population is still in healthy supply

[The Grand Nudger]

So, you’ve used it enough to know that ‘much’ of it is ‘compromised’ (whatever the fuck THAT means) but not enough to know that each article is sourced and referenced?

Boru

Who says the sources/references are credible?

Well...not to put too fine a point on it, but your very existence does.....?

[Deesse23]

This thread appears to be good evidence that the idiot population is still in healthy supply

I think it provides further evicence that morons are not likely to be lifeblood of this forum. If they were/are, i would be going ask for a blood transfusion in the nearest hosital.