Buddhism

[Cade]

Quote:
Originally Posted by rustediron
Oh, and why isn't Buddhism a religion?

Yeah, how is Buddhism NOT a religion?

I'm quite fond of it, though I myself worship Bob not Buddha.

While Buddhism comes in No.3 in the religion charts (just after the bloody Christians and the Muslems), it is more philosophy than religion.

Or so I thought.

Because I thought I may have forgotten something, I asked my religion professor (who is Buddhist) and he said that Buddhism can be though of as a religion AND a philosophy.

He said that becasue of the way religions are classified (set of beliefes and practices), Buddhism is in the class of Eastern Religions. However, since everyone in Aisa and the Orient mixes ALL the religions together, you really cant call someone JUST a Buddhist.

Personally I follow Taoism, which is not a religion, but scholars place it in the eastern religion gamut. I would not worship Laozi, and I hope you can see how it gets rather mixed up when dealing with eastern religions.
Everyone has a different view and understanding of what Philisophy vs. Religion is, and for the most part, everyone is right. Just like everyone that follows an organized religion is correct in there own mind (see; "everyone is a disbeliever" Russ Kick Everything you know about God is Wrong)

It gets even more strange when you start comparing religious teachings and ritual of believers throughout time (which is what I do IRL).

The wiki link on religion is excellent and one should read that. However if you want to know the exciting heretical stuff, you wont find it there. I have been trying to get it placed there for some time. People arnt ready to not believe in Jesus just yet... so whatever.


Pax.

P.S. Links provided to good resources for those that might not have a good grasp on what we are talking about.

[nickbeat]

Indeed, philosophy differs from religion in that it avoids dogma. There is no pomp and circumstance to philosophy, no legends, just doctrines on how one can manage their life in the world.

Much of Buddhism does contain a number of myths and rituals, which is why it ends up as being defined as a religion. Of course there are so many different forms one must be more specific.

I'm not religious, but an Existentialist Utilitarian.

[Kangleton]

Personally, I would consider Buddhism to be a way-of-life, rather than a religion. I was put under the impression that, amongst many other criteria that must be met, a religion requires the worshipping of a divine being. However, I was also put under the imrpression that Buddhism worships no such being. I don't pretend to know much about it, though.

[Mighty_Draco]

Philosophy and religion are less distinct in many eastern cultures.

*pulled from wikipedia*

Philosophy
"the study of the most general and abstract features of the world and categories with which we think: mind, matter, reason, proof, truth etc. In philosophy, the concepts by which we approach the world themselves become the topic of enquiry."

Religion
"A religion is a set of beliefs and practices, often centered upon specific supernatural and moral claims about reality, the cosmos, and human nature, and often codified as prayer, ritual, and religious law. Religion also encompasses ancestral or cultural traditions, writings, history, and mythology, as well as personal faith and mystic experience."

Most religions also include philosophical aspects, but eastern religions often focus more on philosophy. Personally, I'm not religious and I believe in using empiricism and rationalism in order to understand objective reality.

[sharringtonm]

I belive in intoleranceforstupidityism. :P

Does that make me a bad person?

[Mighty_Draco]

Don't worry, intolerance of intolerance would make me a hypocrite

[nickbeat]

It doesn't make you a bad person, but it might suggest that you are a Pragmatist.

[Skro]

I don't consider myself part of a religion or a philosophy way.

I doubt in every religion because they are the typical: "Do what I say but don't do what I do"
I just realized the religion for someones it's a way to clean his/her concience and build a false holyness of themselves, like a big pack of politicians here, they steals our money in big sacks with a $ on them, but you saw them on the church praying and performing a religious guy.

Also I doubt of any philosophycal wave like the same, in Argentina it's the most popular to be like: "OMG! Im very communist! I have a Che Guevara T-shirt! Hooray Fidel Castro!" and seeing them going with expensive clothes and iPods.

------

My way of acting doesn't fits in any religion or philosophical wave.
Im racist when racisms refers to the low life people what tries to clean my car glasses and insults you because you don't want, Im intolerant to the stupid people I have to be all days. I don't like the way of the actual society fits on both sexual genders, when to survive or being socially acepted both genders must be drunk and doped, the womans must be the worst whores on the universe and the guys must dress like low life people and talk like illetrated.

I just observe my enviroment and I try to difference myself of that enviroment, even if that leads me to be a solitary guy and condemn myself to be a shadow on the streets.

[Kangleton]

You're just conforming to non-conformity, you conformist fiend!

Hehe.

And there is a big distinction between religion and spirituality, and I think that is something that should definetly be made apparent. Religion is the institution that the faith, philosophy, and spirituality are attributed to, whereas the spirituality is the actual essence of the entire concept itself - one that does nothing for financial or material benefit.

[cmosier]

I have to agree with Kangleton. I am not into any religion, but I can agree with many of its teachings. I firmly believe in generousity and aiding those less fortunate than myself. I believe people should be treated kindly, though not for some reward in the after life, just because it's that right thing to do.

There are decent people who aren't into any religion and could truly care less if we were created or evolved from lesser life forms. It doesn't matter where we came from, it matters where we are going.

[Machiavelli]

Buddhism (to make a brutally broad generalisation) actually provides a Theory of Knowledge; thus the reason it's so tempting to Westerners who are losing their religion (don't have one personally). Rather than consisting of a series of dictats as to proper behaviour, it provides a set of conceptual tools for attempting to understand and analyse the world. Cade's right on the money about the fact that it's mixed up with a wide variety of more overtly religious practices, and that leads to all sorts of confusion (I can't even remember how many flavours of 'Buddhism' there are anymore), but at base it provides an epistomology and accompanying ontology (much like any given system of scientific thought).

[dieOrg]

While Buddhism comes in No.3 in the religion charts (just after the bloody Christians
...

(see; "everyone is a disbeliever" Russ Kick Everything you know about God is Wrong)

...

People arnt ready to not believe in Jesus just yet... so whatever.

(not very objective on Christianity...) and

...

I doubt in every religion because they are the typical: "Do what I say but don't do what I do"
I just realized the religion for someones it's a way to clean his/her concience and build a false holyness of themselves

...

So are us Christians (and other religions) welcome on Sundren?

[Machiavelli]

Okay, religion's always a difficult subject and it seems some bad feelings are coming up here.

So are us Christians (and other religions) welcome on Sundren?

Of course you are! People from all cultural and religious backgrounds are welcome here; the greater the diversity of players the richer the experience will be for everyone.

On that note, I'm closing down this thread.