Hot Topics: Atheist Quotes

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Polar Bear
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Hot Topics: Atheist Quotes

Post by Polar Bear »

Hello there and thanks to all of you who help make, moderate, and administrate this wonderful website. This place is awesome and yields something new for me to read and learn about everyday. But you see, the other day I spent about 30 minutes locating and writing quotes out of my book "The Quotable Atheist" in the Atheist Quotes thread, ones I thought were rather funny as well, but they never showed up and it appears there has not been anything added on there in over a month, however, it doesn't say it's locked. So I was just wondering if that topic is dead and what happened to all that writing after it got submitted to moderation. Also, since that thread is already in the hot topics section, is there anyway you guys would consider having it free of moderation again because that thread has the potential to have loads of funny quotes in it? Thanks for listening and I hope this was the appropriate area to ask what happened.
"I don't envision a single thing that, when developed & cultivated, leads to such great benefit as the mind. The mind, when developed & cultivated, leads to great benefit."

"I don't envision a single thing that, when undeveloped & uncultivated, brings about such suffering & stress as the mind. The mind, when undeveloped & uncultivated, brings about suffering & stress."
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mikenz66
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Re: Hot Topics: Atheist Quotes

Post by mikenz66 »

Hmm, somehow we missed that. Sorry!
See: http://dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f= ... 65#p185465" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

:anjali:
Mike
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Polar Bear
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Re: Hot Topics: Atheist Quotes

Post by Polar Bear »

Awesome, thank you very much!
"I don't envision a single thing that, when developed & cultivated, leads to such great benefit as the mind. The mind, when developed & cultivated, leads to great benefit."

"I don't envision a single thing that, when undeveloped & uncultivated, brings about such suffering & stress as the mind. The mind, when undeveloped & uncultivated, brings about suffering & stress."
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Polar Bear
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Re: Hot Topics: Atheist Quotes

Post by Polar Bear »

Arghh, I just messed it up by editing it. I promise I will not edit it again. Feel free to get around to re-allowing it to post in your own time. My apologies
"I don't envision a single thing that, when developed & cultivated, leads to such great benefit as the mind. The mind, when developed & cultivated, leads to great benefit."

"I don't envision a single thing that, when undeveloped & uncultivated, brings about such suffering & stress as the mind. The mind, when undeveloped & uncultivated, brings about suffering & stress."
Nyana
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Re: Hot Topics: Atheist Quotes

Post by Nyana »

I will again voice my concerns regarding that Atheist Quotes thread (since there is no allowance for criticism in the thread itself): What is the value of this Atheist Quotes thread on a Buddhist discussion forum? Firstly, a thread in the Open Dhamma sub-forum that is forever closed to any open discussion is quite pointless. Secondly, the views of many modern atheists are antithetical to the Buddhadhamma and having a thread which is not open to free discussion of the issues involved could be seen by onlookers as lending tacit support to such antithetical views.
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Kim OHara
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Re: Hot Topics: Atheist Quotes

Post by Kim OHara »

Ñāṇa wrote:I will again voice my concerns regarding that Atheist Quotes thread (since there is no allowance for criticism in the thread itself): What is the value of this Atheist Quotes thread on a Buddhist discussion forum? Firstly, a thread in the Open Dhamma sub-forum that is forever closed to any open discussion is quite pointless. Secondly, the views of many modern atheists are antithetical to the Buddhadhamma and having a thread which is not open to free discussion of the issues involved could be seen by onlookers as lending tacit support to such antithetical views.
Agreed.

:namaste:
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DNS
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Re: Hot Topics: Atheist Quotes

Post by DNS »

Ron-The-Elder,

I merged your atheist quotes posts in the real thread, this thread appears to be the meta-discussion regarding that topic.
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DNS
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Re: Hot Topics: Atheist Quotes

Post by DNS »

Ñāṇa wrote:
Firstly, a thread in the Open Dhamma sub-forum that is forever closed to any open discussion is quite pointless.
Not at all, it is quite open, just moderated since it is in the Open Dhamma, Hot Topics sub-forum, which I find quite appropriate so that it remains what the thread is titled and not off on endless meta-discussions, as this thread is doing.
Secondly, the views of many modern atheists are antithetical to the Buddhadhamma and having a thread which is not open to free discussion of the issues involved could be seen by onlookers as lending tacit support to such antithetical views.
I disagree, as do many other Buddhists. You have had your discussion on this topic here: http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?t=11852" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; where you currently have 89 posts made by you. That thread has 398 posts. How many more do we need discussing this topic?

I actually find the compatibility with skeptical atheist thought good. Many convert Buddhists have come to the Buddha-Dhamma through a healthy amount of agnostic-atheist-skepticism; call it skillful means, but it has been all good.
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Re: Hot Topics: Atheist Quotes

Post by Nyana »

David N. Snyder wrote:I disagree, as do many other Buddhists.
This recent addition to the thread is a good example:
Ron-The-Elder wrote:
Faith means not wanting to know what is true. — Friedrich Nietzsche
This is completely erroneous from a Buddhist perspective.
David N. Snyder wrote:I actually find the compatibility with skeptical atheist thought good. Many convert Buddhists have come to the Buddha-Dhamma through a healthy amount of agnostic-atheist-skepticism; call it skillful means, but it has been all good.
There's nothing skillful about atheistic materialism. Moreover, a thread which is de facto dedicated to highlighting statements ridiculing the beliefs of all other world religions is unseemly at best.
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Re: Hot Topics: Atheist Quotes

Post by rowboat »

Ñāṇa:There's nothing skillful about atheistic materialism. Moreover, a thread which is de facto dedicated to highlighting statements ridiculing the beliefs of all other world religions is unseemly at best.
Unseemly at best. Many of these quotations popular with today's atheists are in fact highly caustic and contemptuous, and as such they are entirely indefensible, and anathema to a committed Buddhist practice.
Rain soddens what is covered up,
It does not sodden what is open.
Therefore uncover what is covered
That the rain will not sodden it.
Ud 5.5
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Re: Hot Topics: Atheist Quotes

Post by DNS »

That thread is in the Open Dhamma, Hot Topics sub-forum. That sub-forum is not for everyone. Some may find the Buddhist rejection of a soul and other doctrines offensive too. This is a Buddhist board.

"If you don't like the heat, get out of the kitchen"
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Nyana
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Re: Hot Topics: Atheist Quotes

Post by Nyana »

David N. Snyder wrote:That thread is in the Open Dhamma, Hot Topics sub-forum. That sub-forum is not for everyone. Some may find the Buddhist rejection of a soul and other doctrines offensive too. This is a Buddhist board.

"If you don't like the heat, get out of the kitchen"
Harry S Truman
Yeah, I thought it was a Buddhist board, not a New Atheism board. And I'm no shrinking violet -- I have no problem with hot topics. What I find most unhelpful is statements which are completely erroneous from a Buddhist perspective being asserted as somehow compatible with Buddhism. Atheistic materialism is a parasite which has successfully infected the Western imagination, and is now trying to infect Buddhism, primarily Pāli Buddhism, in the guise of myopic scientism. And if this weren't cause enough for concern, as Rowboat has already indicated, the views and expressions of the proponents of New Atheism are every bit as caustic and contemptuous as the views of the religious extremist which they are attempting to criticize.
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Re: Hot Topics: Atheist Quotes

Post by daverupa »

Ñāṇa wrote:Atheistic materialism is a parasite...
Ñāṇa wrote:expressions...every bit as caustic and contemptuous...
:thinking:
  • "And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting oneself one protects others? By the pursuit, development, and cultivation of the four establishments of mindfulness. It is in such a way that by protecting oneself one protects others.

    "And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting others one protects oneself? By patience, harmlessness, goodwill, and sympathy. It is in such a way that by protecting others one protects oneself.

- Sedaka Sutta [SN 47.19]
Nyana
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Re: Hot Topics: Atheist Quotes

Post by Nyana »

daverupa wrote:
Ñāṇa wrote:Atheistic materialism is a parasite...
Ñāṇa wrote:expressions...every bit as caustic and contemptuous...
Contrary to the New Atheists assertions that all religious beliefs are in some way equivalent to the beliefs of terrorist extremists, I don't try to draw an equivalency between the beliefs of atheistic materialism and, for example, the everpresent possibility of the mass annihilation of thousands of human beings from the detonation of a nuclear bomb, or any of the other horrors that Western science gave to our species in the 20th century.
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Polar Bear
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Re: Hot Topics: Atheist Quotes

Post by Polar Bear »

This thread should be locked. It has fulfilled its purpose. Thank you for your help.
"I don't envision a single thing that, when developed & cultivated, leads to such great benefit as the mind. The mind, when developed & cultivated, leads to great benefit."

"I don't envision a single thing that, when undeveloped & uncultivated, brings about such suffering & stress as the mind. The mind, when undeveloped & uncultivated, brings about suffering & stress."
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