I am a Buddhist and if anyone wants to question my beliefs then they are welcome to do so...

@Frank Apisa,

Frank Apisa wrote:

If you KNOW what the REALITY is...if you KNOW anything about the true nature of REALITY...

...share it with us...

...AND SHARE HOW YOU KNOW YOU ARE NOT DELUDING YOURSELF.

I've said I know something about it and I've said you need to follow the Buddha's path to know it yourself i.e. I can't explain it to someone in a post. That should be enough for you. You should say 'I guess you're wrong' and leave it there... why don't you?

3 Replies

@igm,

Quote:

I've said I know something about it and I've said you need to follow the Buddha's path to know it yourself

This is no different then what fundamentalist Christians say. You need to follow Jesus to know it for yourself.

To me that is the real issue in this thread. Christians have one view of the truth, Buddhists have a different view of the truth. For Christians and Buddhists, the truth is so clear to them that they can hardly understand why everyone doesn't just fall into line.

For those who don't accept either version of the truth, neither has any real validity.

It is the arrogance that Buddhists display, that their way of looking at reality is so wise and valid that none can challenge it, that really gets under my skin. This thread is still a perfect example of that.

Frank is displaying the patience of a saint. Let me tell you all the truth. The reality is that Buddhism is valid just as Christianity is valid. They are valid for the same reasons, they have the same claim to experience and to reason and they have the same effect on their followers.

2 Replies

@maxdancona,

maxdancona wrote:

It is the arrogance that Buddhists display, that their way of looking at reality is so wise and valid that none can challenge it, that really gets under my skin. This thread is still a perfect example of that.

Frank is displaying the patience of a saint. Let me tell you all the truth. The reality is that Buddhism is valid just as Christianity is valid. They are valid for the same reasons, they have the same claim to experience and to reason and they have the same effect on their followers.

Easy for you to say... but no evidence from you... I disagree. Show your evidence, I don't think you know anything about the differences between Buddhism and Christianity... you seem to be prone to emotional outbursts with no valid reasoning to back it up. But thanks for your unsubstantiated opinion... you do have that in common with Frank.

1 Reply

@igm,

igm wrote:

I've said I know something about it and I've said you need to follow the Buddha's path

He just said he was going for an endoscopy.

0 Replies

I said I'd try to explain what the Buddha taught using my own understanding when I first created this thread. There have been many posts from people who are not interested in what the Buddha taught. My advice is register that fact in a post and leave it there... what more is there to say? If you have no interest then that is fine by me but stop banging on about it... Frank, Max, etc.. etc.. I don't wish to explain anything about Buddhists only about what the Buddha taught.

So, for those not interested in Buddhism... thanks for your contribution... but why not leave it there i.e. stick to the theme of the thread... we get it, you don't like Buddhism... ok.... peace.

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@igm,

I am saying that I see no evidence that the truth of Buddhism is any more valid than the truth of fundamentalist Christianity. I am saying there is no evidence (which is why I can't show you any evidence).

The point is that every argument you have made on the validity of Buddhism... the reasoning, the experience in practicing Buddhism to the absolute certainty you feel following your beliefs.... every one of these things is just as true about Christianity.

I am looking as an outside observer. Of course Buddhists are going to feel that Buddhism has the truth the same way the Christians feel that Christianity has the truth. It is common that people are certain that there religion is truth.

All I am saying is that to outside observers... there is no evidence that Buddhism has any greater claim to truth or wisdom than Christianity (or any of a number of other religions).

1 Reply

@maxdancona,

What do you know about the Buddha's teachings? You need to know what they are to compare them to Christianity... you haven't shown in all of your posts so far that you know anything about the Buddha's teachings.

If a scientist wants to compare two things do you think that only knowing about one of them is going to lead to any valid conclusions?

You just keep repeating yourself in every post that you make... to summerize you know nothing about Buddhism but you don't like it or Buddhists because of some negative feelings you have towards it/them.

My advice... show you know something about Buddhism, contrast it with Christianity (try to leave out the emotive term fundamentalist)...

maxdancona wrote:

This is no different then what fundamentalist Christians say.

..and we can talk...otherwise again... just leave it there.

1 Reply

@igm,

I assure you I don't have any negative feelings towards Buddhists that I don't also have towards Christians. I have no problem if someone is a Buddhist. My "emotional" reaction is to the assertion that Buddhism has any better grasp of "truth" then any other religion.

I am not comparing the Buddha's teachings to Jesus's teachings. I am instead comparing Buddhists to Christians.

I can tell you with certainty that my experience interacting with Buddhists (particularly on this thread) is very similar to my experience interacting with fundamentalist Christians.

This thread now has 23 pages of you insistently trying to sell Buddhism. It is rather ironic that you started this thread insisting that Buddhists don't proselytize. It is also interesting that the threads started by Christians and Muslims selling their religions tend to be shorter and less contentious.

1 Reply

@maxdancona,

maxdancona wrote:

This is no different then what fundamentalist Christians say. You need to follow Jesus to know it for yourself.

It is the arrogance that Buddhists display,

maxdancona wrote:

I am not comparing the Buddha's teachings to Jesus's teachings. I am instead comparing Buddhists to Christians.

Then start a thread about it... this thread is not about that and the OP made that perfectly clear... I believe you know that but you just want to talk about your personal negative feelings towards Buddhists... do that somewhere else... please. This isn't the first time you've done this... but this is not the thread for it.

1 Reply

Buddhism is about seeking "Happiness"-

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/PoorOldSpike/The_Art_of_Happiness.jpg~original

but Christianity is about how to roll with the punches life throws at us.. Smile

"All creation groans in pain from the beginning til now" (Rom 8:26)
"God didn't spare his own son" (Rom 8:32)
Jesus said:- "To follow me you must carry your own cross daily" (Luke 9:23)
"We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22)

Waddya say Bob?
"Take the pain! TAKE THE PAIN!"

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/PoorOldSpike/Barnes.jpg

1 Reply

@igm,

My negative feelings aren't towards Buddhists. My negative feelings are toward religious superiority. When Christians write posts about the superiority of their religion over all others I have the same reaction.

This is a perfect thread to express my distaste for religious superiority.

1 Reply

@igm,

igm wrote:

Frank Apisa wrote:

If you KNOW what the REALITY is...if you KNOW anything about the true nature of REALITY...

...share it with us...

...AND SHARE HOW YOU KNOW YOU ARE NOT DELUDING YOURSELF.

I've said I know something about it and I've said you need to follow the Buddha's path to know it yourself i.e. I can't explain it to someone in a post.

Back from the endoscopy.

I understand all that you have explained above.

For the third time in two pages: How do you know that you are not deluding yourself?

I can even help you with the answer to that: It is almost impossible to KNOW that you are not deluding yourself...just as it is almost impossible for Christians to KNOW they are not deluding themselves on the stuff they assert they KNOW but cannot explain.

You MAY BE deluding yourself.

Quote:

That should be enough for you. You should say 'I guess you're wrong' and leave it there... why don't you?

Well, I have NEVER guessed that you are wrong...and I have mentioned that several times...so I would never say that and leave it at that.

I can guess that you MAY BE deluding yourself...and I have.

As for "leaving it at that"...and the "why don't you"...

...it probably is the same reason that you are unwilling to even acknowledge that you MAY BE deluding yourself.

Why not simply acknowledge that, igm...and leave it at that? Then we both can "leave it at that."

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@Romeo Fabulini,

Quote:

Buddhism is about seeking "Happiness"-

I don't see how that squares with Buddhist monks setting themselves on fire.

1 Reply

@maxdancona,

Make the case for Buddhism not being superior to Christianity (I'm not saying Buddhism is superior). You make these statements but don't back them up with facts... otherwise you could be seen as being emotional for no good reason.

0 Replies

@maxdancona,

maxdancona wrote:

Quote:
I've said I know something about it and I've said you need to follow the Buddha's path to know it yourself

This is no different then what fundamentalist Christians say. You need to follow Jesus to know it for yourself.

To me that is the real issue in this thread. Christians have one view of the truth, Buddhists have a different view of the truth. For Christians and Buddhists, the truth is so clear to them that they can hardly understand why everyone doesn't just fall into line.

For those who don't accept either version of the truth, neither has any real validity.

It is the arrogance that Buddhists display, that their way of looking at reality is so wise and valid that none can challenge it, that really gets under my skin. This thread is still a perfect example of that.

Frank is displaying the patience of a saint. Let me tell you all the truth. The reality is that Buddhism is valid just as Christianity is valid. They are valid for the same reasons, they have the same claim to experience and to reason and they have the same effect on their followers.

Thank you, Max. This kind of discussion can be frustrating, but discussions of this kind HAVE TO BE HAD. In some areas of the world, discussions of this kind are frowned upon to the point where lives are lost for having them. I am happy we are not in that area.

I have no quarrel with Buddhism...or with Christianity. But it is folly to allow them to assert that they have answers to the essential nature of REALITY...without challenging them. I'm trying to do the challenge in a decent way...and I think you are also.

Lots of resistence.

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@maxdancona,

I've told you that Buddhists are not the subject of this thread... I'd like you to leave or talk about Buddhism.

1 Reply

@igm,

Quote:

I've told you that Buddhists are not the subject of this thread... I'd like you to leave or talk about Buddhism.

That's funny. This thread is titled "I am a Buddhist....".

You want to sell your religion without being challenged. I am sorry, but public forums don't work that way. Once you start a discussion, you don't get to dictate who participates or how.

0 Replies

Please, ask me about the Buddha's teachings and try to avoid other questions which are not relevant to this thread, as explained in the OP.

This thread has be hijacked by Frank mainly and Max, even though they know next to nothing about Buddhism and certainly don't want to know anything about it... they just want to vent their rhetoric to get attention... without referencing those teachings at all... somewhat like children when they are attention seeking.

1 Reply

Romeo said- "Buddhism is about seeking "Happiness""
------------------------------------------------------------------
Maxdancona replied- "I don't see how that squares with Buddhist monks setting themselves on fire"
------------------------------------------------------------------
They also run riot through the streets (below).
If burning and rioting are signs of "enlightenment", I don't want to be enlightened.. Wink

By contrast, Christianity is about being ultra-kool and distancing yourself from the world "In the world but not of it"

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/PoorOldSpike/budd-riots.jpg~original

0 Replies

It's all about what the Buddha taught.. not about how some people can't understand or don't want to understand what the Buddha taught...

... or temporarily lose their way... we all do that... before enlightenment is attained.

1 Reply

I am a Buddhist and if anyone wants to question my beliefs then they are welcome to do so...

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