And therefore, God does not exist!

[Shaswata_Panja]

God may exist and maynot....God may answer your prayers and maynot..I have heard and seen too many conflicting testimonies to be sure about it....

Work hard, be disciplined, be celibate (it helps but itsnot a must), and focus,focus, focus...donot get distracted in mindless things...that way you can build up your material and spiritual prosperity and build a good life for yourself

I am happy with that much

[mikenz66]

indeed the Sangha is very useful for those fortunate enough to have access one. However the community follows the teaching, the teaching doesnt change to accomadate different member. when this occurs new traditions and religions are formed.

I think that Binocular's point was that if you are isolated and don't have a community of some sort (not necessarily physical) then selective interpretation can be a problem.


Mike

[Babadhari]

indeed the Sangha is very useful for those fortunate enough to have access one. However the community follows the teaching, the teaching doesnt change to accomadate different member. when this occurs new traditions and religions are formed.

I think that Binocular's point was that if you are isolated and don't have a community of some sort (not necessarily physical) then selective interpretation can be a problem.


Mike

indeed, a reason why Dhammawheel is so valuable.

[tiltbillings]

indeed the Sangha is very useful for those fortunate enough to have access one. However the community follows the teaching, the teaching doesnt change to accomadate different member. when this occurs new traditions and religions are formed.

I think that Binocular's point was that if you are isolated and don't have a community of some sort (not necessarily physical) then selective interpretation can be a problem.

A community can present its own set of horrifying problems.

[Sherab]

Here's a pretty good video that is relevant to this thread.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew_cNONhhKI

[alan]

I think it comes down to psychology. Those who insist on God feel the need for absolute authority, and will not let pesky things like facts or rational thought get in their way. They're basically fearful.
No surprise to see that most authority-seekers are also conservatives politically.

[chownah]

I think it comes down to psychology. Those who insist on God feel the need for absolute authority, and will not let pesky things like facts or rational thought get in their way. They're basically fearful.
No surprise to see that most authority-seekers are also conservatives politically.

Interesting post......replace "God" with "rebirth" and I think it still makes sense.
chownah

[tiltbillings]

I think it comes down to psychology. Those who insist on God feel the need for absolute authority, and will not let pesky things like facts or rational thought get in their way. They're basically fearful.
No surprise to see that most authority-seekers are also conservatives politically.

Interesting post......replace "God" with "rebirth" and I think it still makes sense.
chownah

That would be assuming that rebirth is a comforting thing, and assuming that politically conservative folks are partial to rebirth.

[alan]

Comfort is what they want. That desire overrides reason. They're comforted by authority (as long as it isn't a black President). Change in the existing social structure is what they fear, they are driven to ridiculous positions to avoid it.

[tiltbillings]

Comfort is what they want. That desire overrides reason. They're comforted by authority (as long as it isn't a black President). Change in the existing social structure is what they fear, they are driven to ridiculous positions to avoid it.

Rebirth is not comforting nor a ridiculous position within a Buddhist context.

[alan]

Of course not, but that was not was I was saying.

[cooran]

Rebirth is scary and not comforting. I would much rather that " I " was annihilated at death. But I have to work with things as they really are.... Kamma and Rebirth.

With metta,
Chris

[tiltbillings]

Of course not, but that was not was I was saying.

So, what were you saying?

[Dan Rooney]

I think it comes down to psychology. Those who insist on God feel the need for absolute authority, and will not let pesky things like facts or rational thought get in their way. They're basically fearful.
No surprise to see that most authority-seekers are also conservatives politically.

Comfort is what they want. That desire overrides reason. They're comforted by authority (as long as it isn't a black President). Change in the existing social structure is what they fear, they are driven to ridiculous positions to avoid it.

The world does not end at the borders of the United States. If you head south, you'll find priests who are the polar opposite of what you seem to imagine Christians to be and if you head east you can find monks who are among the most blindly faithfully, wildly superstitious, reactionary, conservative people you could ever hope to meet.

Really, this is a Buddhist forum so it can probably be taken as read that you don't spend your evenings worrying over the finer points of Scholasticism but is it really necessary to engage in god-bashing from the comfort of a forum like this? You don't believe in God. Fine. Why not leave it there? This kind of my-one's-bigger-than-yours. Sorry, my-one's-more-rational-than-yours grandstanding is seriously lacking in grace.

[chownah]

Rebirth is scary and not comforting. I would much rather that " I " was annihilated at death. But I have to work with things as they really are.... Kamma and Rebirth.

With metta,
Chris

cooran,
In another thread (perhaps the rebirth debate) some posters or at least one expressed that for them rebirth was comforting in that they saw annihilation as the alternative.....before they were Buddhist they were worried about annihilation at death and now they are comforted because they believe in rebirth and they don't worry about being annihilated.
chownah