The Off Topic Topic

[Malthus]

Buddhism has no god iirc.

No, they call their gods something else.  Bodhisattvas.  It's Hollywood Buddhism that has no god.

Bodhisattvas are more like saints than gods. They intercecde for humans.

[Josquius]

How is this a good reason for following it? If the god or gods are being ignored by humans, they're either weak/nonexistent or that's the way they want it.

Gods obviously don't exist ergo the people who recognise this and that their religion is just a bit of traditional fun come top in my book.

It isn't proselytizing because they don't want you.  It's fairly exclusive.  Especially before the US said the Emperor can't be a God anymore.  Simply because something is native doesn't make good.

Its not really that exclusive. Except for Ise anyone is free to come and go at the shrines, and take part in ceremonies even.

Native doesn't automatically equal good but all else being equal if its a choice between cultural uniqueness and variety and global monotony then give me the variety.

[Grey Fox]

Buddhism has no god iirc.

This depends on the type of Buddhism. Some types of Buddhism look functionally somewhat similar to Catholicism, complete with god(s), saints to pray to for intercession (bodhisattvas), heaven to get into (such as the "Pure Land") and hell to avoid.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pure_Land_Buddhism

Types of?

Is there any religion that isn't a mess of dissidence!

[garbon]

Gods obviously don't exist ergo the people who recognise this and that their religion is just a bit of traditional fun come top in my book.

So really just a bizarre personal choice given that all religions have bits that other people don't think exist.

Native doesn't automatically equal good but all else being equal if its a choice between cultural uniqueness and variety and global monotony then give me the variety.

Yes, because Christianity is certainly the same worldwide. Besides, if people don't want to preserve their heritage (i.e. adopt something new) - who are you to say they shouldn't change up?

[Malthus]

How is this a good reason for following it? If the god or gods are being ignored by humans, they're either weak/nonexistent or that's the way they want it.

Gods obviously don't exist ergo the people who recognise this and that their religion is just a bit of traditional fun come top in my book.

It isn't proselytizing because they don't want you.  It's fairly exclusive.  Especially before the US said the Emperor can't be a God anymore.  Simply because something is native doesn't make good.

Its not really that exclusive. Except for Ise anyone is free to come and go at the shrines, and take part in ceremonies even.

Native doesn't automatically equal good but all else being equal if its a choice between cultural uniqueness and variety and global monotony then give me the variety.

Heh, the Japanese certainly had a "bit of traditional fun" with the whole Imperial god-cult in the mid 20th century.  Got them touring the sites around east Asia, it did, and it certainly broke up the monotony.

[Malthus]

Types of?

Is there any religion that isn't a mess of dissidence!

None that I can think of. 

The whole notion that Buddhism is a harmless atheistic philosophy rather than a religion is a creation of Western enthusiasts for "pure" philosophical Buddhism that hardly exists in Asia. Such notions can be logically extrapolated from the Buddhist texts, but the religious trappings of Buddhism are far, far more prevelent among actual Buddhists. Probably because most actual Buddhists are ordinary folks and not intellectuals, and religion makes more sense to them. There is even a variety of Buddhism that, basically, states that all forms of Buddhism are equally valid, depending on one's station in life - it is appropriate for intellectuals to worry about ceasing desire, while peasants pray to boddhisatvas to be reborn in the Pure Land.

[Josquius]

eh, the Japanese certainly had a "bit of traditional fun" with the whole Imperial god-cult in the mid 20th century.  Got them touring the sites around east Asia, it did, and it certainly broke up the monotony.

And in Europe you had a bunch of christian countries being just as bad. Meh. Its just not relevant.

Besides, if people don't want to preserve their heritage (i.e. adopt something new) - who are you to say they shouldn't change up?

If they want to start believing in sky monsters of their own accord then thats their own silly choice. You want to do crack then have at it. Trying to make people start doing silly things though...that's immoral.

Yes, because Christianity is certainly the same worldwide.

There's some variety. But nothing compared to the variety in pagan beliefs.

[CountDeMoney]

Japs are right nasty fucking bastards.

[Malthus]

And in Europe you had a bunch of christian countries being just as bad. Meh.

I hesitate to claim that the Nazis and Communists were "Christian" in any sense other than ruling over populations whose traditional religion was Christianity. Both had nothing but hatred and contempt for the traditional religions of their peoples.

They certainly were not *motivated* by their religion to commit excesses in the same way that the Japanese were.

[Josquius]

I hesitate to claim that the Nazis and Communists were "Christian" in any sense other than ruling over populations whose traditional religion was Christianity. Both had nothing but hatred and contempt for the traditional religions of their peoples.

They certainly were not *motivated* by their religion to commit excesses in the same way that the Japanese were.

They weren't.
The Japanese motivations were pretty standard imperialist stuff driven ever crazier by endless war and nationalism. The religion was just there as an inherant part of Japanese culture for the nationalists to exploit to encourage the people.
Again though- not really relevant to the modern Japanese situation or the suckyness of christianity is monotonising the world.

[garbon]

I hesitate to claim that the Nazis and Communists were "Christian" in any sense other than ruling over populations whose traditional religion was Christianity. Both had nothing but hatred and contempt for the traditional religions of their peoples.

They certainly were not *motivated* by their religion to commit excesses in the same way that the Japanese were.

They weren't.
The Japanese motivations were pretty standard imperialist stuff driven ever crazier by endless war and nationalism. The religion was just there as an inherant part of Japanese culture for the nationalists to exploit to encourage the people.
Again though- not really relevant to the modern Japanese situation or the suckyness of christianity is monotonising the world.

Not all Christianity is dull like the Anglican Church.

[Tonitrus]

Some person on the radio in Alabama taughtme that Buddhists will cast out non-believers and Christian converts from their homes. 

And that if you sleep in the home of a Buddhist family, God might come to your dreams and threaten to kill you.

[Grey Fox]

To be fair, God comes into your dreams and threaten to kill you on a mostly daily basis.

[garbon]

To be fair, God comes into your dreams and threaten to kill you on a mostly daily basis.

[Eddie Teach]

Some person on the radio in Alabama taughtme that Buddhists will cast out non-believers and Christian converts from their homes. 

And that if you sleep in the home of a Buddhist family, God might come to your dreams and threaten to kill you.

What if you sleep in the home of a Buddhist single woman?