Atheism

I know very little about Buddhism so I don't think it is appropriate for me to comment. It seems likely that some eastern ideas were reaching the areas where Christianity arose and developed.

The notion that Buddhism might replace Christianity in the west seems more than a little fanciful to me.

It may well be remiss of me but I cannot help feeling that the sporadic appearance of Buddhism in the west is something of an affectation and were it to become more than that we should all be the worse for it.

I have a boundless admiration for the achievements of Christian society which can only be undermined if the eventual outcome was a wrecking of the social environment. The idea that we might wreck the environment itself seems to me to be grossly arrogant and not something evolutionists would feel comfortable even considering unless subjectivity caused them to take off their scientific hat for a spell and start grunting: which cod evolutionists have a distinct propensity to do. Much to my amusement.

I can see Prof Dawkins trying to render respectable his being on his third wife in every syllable he utters. And I can see that those who fawn over them are likely to be eager to embrace it all. And the more there are of people with good reasons to reject the Christian moral teachings the more popular he ought to become. It amazes me, after taking in what I see and hear, that he has not yet been proclaimed Leader of the Western World and that those who are leaders take some pains to be seen in church from time to time.

One senses that there must be some significant reservations about his spiel in the broad mass of the population.

I've met cod socialists a good few times. I suppose there must be cod Buddhists. One who, say, would convert to the Cicero Bible Church, on the instant, were the drop dead gorgeous only child of wealthy fundamentalist evangelicals to make sheep's eyes at one across a crowded room.

I knew a long time communist militant who used his compensation for being made redundant to start a business. He was very successful and within three years was treating his staff like Bradley Hardacre did in Brass. Had a gardener to tend his grounds. On the minimum wage of course.

Obviously I admit there are cod Christians.

Fair enough! I must have led a sheltered life but I only know of two acronyms which are 'cod' and they don't exactly help me to understand the use of it as a prefix/adjective as used in your post, perhaps you could illuminate me?

I doubt that Buddhism will become dominant in the West either but for some it offers an alternative to... God our father and guilt etc...

I think the "slow" trend seems to be that most people who change religions go from christianity to buddhism, and not the other way around.

I remember some years ago when my wife and I did a Buddhist Pilgrimage in Japan, and found caucasian monks working in the temple ryokans.

Yes, that could well be true I'd say... rise and fall and... never say never... come to mind...

I think that's the buddha in Kamakura.

One meaning of "cod" is a trick, a joke, a put on. As in "he wore a complaisant cod-piece." I suppose that Cape Cod might have been seen as a trick of the land which led early mariners to think they had sighted the mainland. Or it might have been that codfish could be caught there.

An old use of the word is for an empty bag. Which Cape Cod does look a little like.

Experts in the use of cod, such as Mr Obarmy, are codologists and practice codology. Dress makers are engaged in making the best of a bad job.

A somewhat louche minister once opined that there was a fishy smell to No.10 Downing Street.

Do you think that the general rejection of the Christian self-denial ethic might be a factor in the obesity epidemic and other diseases of diet. Or even global warming.

How many Caucasian monks did you see ci?

As a percentage of the Caucasian population generally.

To take it further along the same lines, this conclusion is neither here nor there because invariably, there are many atheists and agnostics who are afraid of death as well, and the question remains of those atheists and agnostics who seem that in near death situations would break down and pray to some god for help.

Ahh.

Yeah, but it is not reasonable to suppose those people are atheists and agnostics because of any fear of death they might have.

In the case of theists, however, it is not unreasonable to suppose that is the reason for their theism. In fact, that sorta is the point of the "There are no atheists in foxholes."

Wanna try again?

It seems reasonable to me if they are dreadful sinners. Unbelief rules out eternal punishment.



The real thing theist would embrace death believing that Heaven is next. You're having sinning theists to suit your argument.

And the fear of death is almost as widespread as having two legs and I daresay that theists and atheists have it in similar proportions.

Wanna try again?

Yep and they all have different visions of this heaven.

Example: Some theist may think after flying a jet full of passengers though a building would end them up with God giving them 72 virgins on the opposite side. The opposite side of reality is heaven isn't it?

Due to getting sick to the back teeth of that sort of drivel philosophers came to a general agreement to define atheism as unbelief in the Christian God.

And I was being ironic. Obviously.

Maybe you just enjoy typing or saying "72 virgins".

Had you not even taken the trouble to see that the discussion was about atheists not having a fear of death and the theists being all lily-livered, gibbering white flag wavers?

Really!!!??? Is that written somewhere?



Nonsense...and I suspect you know it. But you are compulsive about disagreeing.



I never said that is not the case...in fact, if you took the time to read what I wrote, you'd see that I mentioned that myself.

But people don't embrace atheism because of fear of death...where many theists embrace theism for exactly that reason. And that is why some suggest that there are no athesits in foxholes.

Your turn. But try to give me a better run for my money.

You're probably correct... but it looks like Obama to me

Well sure spendius I seen something similar to what you are saying but my view is coming from a different angle.

Sure I see them waving the white flag because they are unable to be logical and need a crutch of some sort "God" and then they are not only right but they also have the God that their brain thought up on their side as well.

Ok, thanks for the 'cod' explanation for some reason that has evoked the image of Blackadder in an Elizabethan Ruff.

Rejection of self-denial must lead to excess of course but do all or even most Christians adhere to it? No, is my guess. Have they cornered the market on it? That's also a no but self-denial is uncommon I'll give you that and the cause of problems such as those in your list above... very probably.

Me too.

I can ignore Spendi and still see his posts, as people quote him a lot. What a delight.

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Not a big gripe - more a small whine.