The erosion of America's freedoms - its all our fault!

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Cittasanto
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Re: The erosion of America's freedoms - its all our fault!

Post by Cittasanto »

Ben wrote:Hi Sam,

I used to do the same thing with Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons when they came to the door. One time I actually invited a young Mormon couple into the house and gave them bancha tea and talked to them about the Dhamma - they never came back.
These days I just politely say "thank you, but no thanks".
kind regards,

Ben
what you aren't proactive
Blog, Suttas, Aj Chah, Facebook.

He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
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Ben
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Re: The erosion of America's freedoms - its all our fault!

Post by Ben »

Thanks Cittasanto,

That is John Safran, a young jewish boy from Melbourne who had his own tv program: John Safran v God.
He is a very smart and funny guy.

I figure the LDS and JH people must get a royal shellacking as they go door-to-door. I don't want to add to their misery.
kind regards,

Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

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tiltbillings
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Re: The erosion of America's freedoms - its all our fault!

Post by tiltbillings »

Ben wrote:Thanks Cittasanto,

That is John Safran, a young jewish boy from Melbourne who had his own tv program: John Safran v God.
He is a very smart and funny guy.

I figure the LDS and JH people must get a royal shellacking as they go door-to-door. I don't want to add to their misery.
kind regards,

Ben
When I was in Thailand in the mid 70's there were a couple of Mormon young men doing their missionizing duty. Somewhere along the line they thought it would be great fun to climb up on one of the giant Buddha statues (as below) and take their pictures. Needless to say the local police did not find it amusing and they got arrested and a sentence of six months in jail. I do not know if they served it or not, but if not I certainly hope they had the bejesus scared out of them, and a pox on whomever trained them for not emphasizing that there should be a high degree of sensitivity to the religion of their host country. Idiots.


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>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
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Cittasanto
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Re: The erosion of America's freedoms - its all our fault!

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tiltbillings wrote:When I was in Thailand in the mid 70's there were a couple of Mormon young men doing their missionizing duty. Somewhere along the line they thought it would be great fun to climb up on one of the giant Buddha statues (as below) and take their pictures. Needless to say the local police did not find it amusing and they got arrested and a sentence of six months in jail. I do not know if they served it or not, but if not I certainly hope they had the bejesus scared out of them, and a pox on whomever trained them for not emphasizing that there should be a high degree of sensitivity to the religion of their host country. Idiots.
My former partner decided to let them in and lets just say it isn't just the country they need to develop a sensitivity for. I was not forgiving in the slightest!
Blog, Suttas, Aj Chah, Facebook.

He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
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tiltbillings
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Re: The erosion of America's freedoms - its all our fault!

Post by tiltbillings »

Cittasanto wrote:
tiltbillings wrote:When I was in Thailand in the mid 70's there were a couple of Mormon young men doing their missionizing duty. Somewhere along the line they thought it would be great fun to climb up on one of the giant Buddha statues (as below) and take their pictures. Needless to say the local police did not find it amusing and they got arrested and a sentence of six months in jail. I do not know if they served it or not, but if not I certainly hope they had the bejesus scared out of them, and a pox on whomever trained them for not emphasizing that there should be a high degree of sensitivity to the religion of their host country. Idiots.
My former partner decided to let them in and lets just say it isn't just the country they need to develop a sensitivity for. I was not forgiving in the slightest!
Well, when you got god on yourside, you can be a prick.

The last time I had a couple them at my door, I asked them how old they were, what kind of life experiences did they have that would lead them to believe that they knew better than me about what is what. I put questions to them about real life experiences I and others I know have had to deal with. They squirmed a fair deal when I would not let them get off with platitudes. They were sadly clueless kids. I told them when they had 20 or 30 years more of actual life experience that they might come back for another discussion.
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
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Mr Man
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Re: The erosion of America's freedoms - its all our fault!

Post by Mr Man »

tiltbillings wrote:Well, when you got god on yourside, you can be a prick.
Indeed.
Yana
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Re: The erosion of America's freedoms - its all our fault!

Post by Yana »

tiltbillings wrote:
Cittasanto wrote:
tiltbillings wrote:When I was in Thailand in the mid 70's there were a couple of Mormon young men doing their missionizing duty. Somewhere along the line they thought it would be great fun to climb up on one of the giant Buddha statues (as below) and take their pictures. Needless to say the local police did not find it amusing and they got arrested and a sentence of six months in jail. I do not know if they served it or not, but if not I certainly hope they had the bejesus scared out of them, and a pox on whomever trained them for not emphasizing that there should be a high degree of sensitivity to the religion of their host country. Idiots.
My former partner decided to let them in and lets just say it isn't just the country they need to develop a sensitivity for. I was not forgiving in the slightest!
Well, when you got god on yourside, you can be a prick.

The last time I had a couple them at my door, I asked them how old they were, what kind of life experiences did they have that would lead them to believe that they knew better than me about what is what. I put questions to them about real life experiences I and others I know have had to deal with. They squirmed a fair deal when I would not let them get off with platitudes. They were sadly clueless kids. I told them when they had 20 or 30 years more of actual life experience that they might come back for another discussion.
Last time one of those guys knocked on my door i just pretended i can't speak English..Like What..what you sayy...i Yes No Yes No...what what God?? ohh "Good" yes i know Good..Good Food i know Good Foooood..I Like a Hamburger and Potatta chippies..u like a potato chippies yes?...lol...they hand me a brochure and i try not to break out of character BUT MAN when their last attempt was to say things slowly like i'm a retard, G-o-d L-o-v-e-s Y-o-u.smirk......

I don't have a problem with different beliefs i just hate when they try to convert you and this sense of sense of superiority .. like this is the true path. ?? I mean I don't even put Buddhism on top of any other religion. I Just don't appreciate it when you try to convert someone.What makes them think one belief is better than the other..most of them are still young and haven't full dealt with life so just to see them accept things out of blind faith and getting carried away with their emotions, that over zealousness especially on the young ones who are eager to Work/Study/Sit their Exams for Jesus."Oh I believe in God because God is like air you can't see him but his there".(yeah well i believe it's time you came up with a better answer son).

;)
Life is preparing for Death
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Monkey Mind
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Re: The erosion of America's freedoms - its all our fault!

Post by Monkey Mind »

I just turned in my ballot. Needless to say, I voted for the "other guy".

Somewhere on my hard drive, I have pictures of President Obama & Secretary of State Clinton bowing respectfully to a Buddha statue, so I guess it it true that Buddhism really is undermining the core values here in the US. :tongue:

As to the Mormons... I was nice to them once, now they drop off their literature at my workplace monthly. I am undecided about showing up at their temple to drop off Buddhist literature.
"As I am, so are others;
as others are, so am I."
Having thus identified self and others,
harm no one nor have them harmed.

Sutta Nipāta 3.710
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Cittasanto
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Re: The erosion of America's freedoms - its all our fault!

Post by Cittasanto »

Monkey Mind wrote:I just turned in my ballot. Needless to say, I voted for the "other guy".

Somewhere on my hard drive, I have pictures of President Obama & Secretary of State Clinton bowing respectfully to a Buddha statue, so I guess it it true that Buddhism really is undermining the core values here in the US. :tongue:

As to the Mormons... I was nice to them once, now they drop off their literature at my workplace monthly. I am undecided about showing up at their temple to drop off Buddhist literature.
was it Rocky Anderson of the Justice Party?
Blog, Suttas, Aj Chah, Facebook.

He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
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Re: The erosion of America's freedoms - its all our fault!

Post by Buckwheat »

Stupid is as stupid does... I turned in my ballot today... apparently I voted for a muslim, atheist, christian, black, white, fascist, communist, racist, communicator that doesn't communicate well, healthcare with a death panel, and current president who hates America all with one tick of a box.

Let's remember that the "other guys" are human first and foremost. Let us have compassion for all.
Sotthī hontu nirantaraṃ - May you forever be well.
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Sambojjhanga
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Re: The erosion of America's freedoms - its all our fault!

Post by Sambojjhanga »

I do believe that, as TiltBillings said, that many Repbulicans/right-wing types absolutely dislike "people of color" and that this is what is behind this vehement hatred of Obama by the right. Personally, I'm disgusted by Obama's cow-towing to Wallstreet and the Corporatacracy, so I'm not really a huge Obama fan (though I did vote for him.) He's disappointed me a lot. I realize that much of what he ran into was a Repbulican wall in the Congress, but never-the-less, he could've done more. Should've done more.

Having said that, I am voting for him again as I believe that MItt Romney would be the worse president this country has ever seen (and that's saying a lot having lived through both Reagan and Bush.)
Sabba rasam dhammaraso jinati
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Re: The erosion of America's freedoms - its all our fault!

Post by LonesomeYogurt »

Sambojjhanga wrote:I do believe that, as TiltBillings said, that many Repbulicans/right-wing types absolutely dislike "people of color" and that this is what is behind this vehement hatred of Obama by the right. Personally, I'm disgusted by Obama's cow-towing to Wallstreet and the Corporatacracy, so I'm not really a huge Obama fan (though I did vote for him.) He's disappointed me a lot. I realize that much of what he ran into was a Repbulican wall in the Congress, but never-the-less, he could've done more. Should've done more.

Having said that, I am voting for him again as I believe that MItt Romney would be the worse president this country has ever seen (and that's saying a lot having lived through both Reagan and Bush.)
As they say, better disappointed than repulsed.

Of course, I live in a state where Satan himself could run as a Republican and he'd still get our votes, so I am at least in the somewhat more interesting camp of being able to vote without any possible consequence. There's a man in my county running who actually changed his legal name to "Pro Life" and I'm thinking of voting for him; hopefully some civil rights group will see that he actually got a handful of votes and send some much-needed reproductive rights funding to my poor little Idaho town.
Gain and loss, status and disgrace,
censure and praise, pleasure and pain:
these conditions among human beings are inconstant,
impermanent, subject to change.

Knowing this, the wise person, mindful,
ponders these changing conditions.
Desirable things don’t charm the mind,
undesirable ones bring no resistance.

His welcoming and rebelling are scattered,
gone to their end,
do not exist.
- Lokavipatti Sutta

Stuff I write about things.
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Monkey Mind
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Re: The erosion of America's freedoms - its all our fault!

Post by Monkey Mind »

Cittasanto wrote: was it Rocky Anderson of the Justice Party?
No, but once again there were presidential candidates on the ballot that I've never heard of before. I'd vote for a third or forth party in a heartbeat if I thought I wouldn't be wasting my vote.
"As I am, so are others;
as others are, so am I."
Having thus identified self and others,
harm no one nor have them harmed.

Sutta Nipāta 3.710
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Monkey Mind
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Re: The erosion of America's freedoms - its all our fault!

Post by Monkey Mind »

Warning- Spoiler Alert!
I heard from a reliable but schizophrenic psychic that this person will be president in 2017:
Image

She will save the world from total environmental disaster in 2017, but the world is ultimately destroyed from that same environmental disaster in 2018.
"As I am, so are others;
as others are, so am I."
Having thus identified self and others,
harm no one nor have them harmed.

Sutta Nipāta 3.710
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Dan74
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Re: The erosion of America's freedoms - its all our fault!

Post by Dan74 »

Monkey Mind wrote:Warning- Spoiler Alert!
I heard from a reliable but schizophrenic psychic that this person will be president in 2017:
Image

She will save the world from total environmental disaster in 2017, but the world is ultimately destroyed from that same environmental disaster in 2018.
Right. Six years to do what I really want. OK, that's reasonable - thanks, MM, this is exactly the impetus I needed!
_/|\_
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