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

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

Post by Polar Bear »

Cittasanto wrote: But a serious question. Is the USA the only country that think free nationalised health care is communist?

Probably.
"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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Modus.Ponens
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Re: The erosion of America's freedoms - its all our fault!

Post by Modus.Ponens »

Fortunately I didn't do extensive research on the honey boo boo. One episode is more than enough time thrown away.

And yes, the honey boo boo show seems to symbolise one third of USA.
'This is peace, this is exquisite — the resolution of all fabrications; the relinquishment of all acquisitions; the ending of craving; dispassion; cessation; Unbinding.' - Jhana Sutta
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mikenz66
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Re: The erosion of America's freedoms - its all our fault!

Post by mikenz66 »

polarbuddha101 wrote:
Cittasanto wrote: But a serious question. Is the USA the only country that think free nationalised health care is communist?

Probably.
Universal free health care is, ironically, something China seems to have abandoned, or at least, is in the process of abandoning (based on conversations with Chinese colleagues), and something most Asian countries never had. Not like the European and Australasian socialist paradises...

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

Post by SamKR »

Ben wrote:skip to 7.23.
"This land is born for the freedom of everybody. We welcome anybody in our country...which is great
but with that we paying the consequences coz we let them tell us you're gonna follow my religion because I don't believe in you...."

"Who are them you keep referring to them?"

"Ah... the the Buddhists...all there ...I am not...they are there...we all know" (hesitatingly).

"You think Buddhists have come into the country and taken over your religion?"

(fireworks...)
More specifically it seems to be the fault of immigrants who are also Buddhists.

Recently two Christian women came to my apartment to talk about how their religion deals with corruption and suffering of the world. However, I happened to talk more about Buddha's teaching on suffering than they about Christianity. Probably I scared them off. :embarassed: Seems like I should stop doing that for the sake of freedom of America.
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Ben
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Re: The erosion of America's freedoms - its all our fault!

Post by Ben »

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
“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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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

Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global ReliefUNHCR

e: [email protected]..
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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!

Post by Cittasanto »

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).

;)
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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
Buckwheat
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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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