Why I Don't Dig Buddhism

@oristarA,

oristarA wrote:

contrex wrote:

Move the words "Buddha supposedly said" to the start of the sentence.

Got it!
So "Don't take my word for anything" mean "Don't compare my word to anything"?

"Don't take my word for [something]" means "don't just accept [something] just because I say it".

0 Replies

Quote:

From the link:
One of Buddhism's biggest selling points for lapsed Catholics like me is that it supposedly dispenses with God and other supernatural claptrap. This claim is disingenuous. Buddhism, at least in its traditional forms, is functionally theistic, even if it doesn't invoke a supreme deity. The doctrines of karma and reincarnation imply the existence of some sort of cosmic moral judge who, like Santa Claus, tallies up our naughtiness and niceness before rewarding us with nirvana or rebirth as a cockroach.

I think hypocrisy is as close to a universally disliked characteristic as you can find.

Clearly he means he doesn't like it for this reason.

1 Reply

@Leadfoot,

How do you figure?

1 Reply

@oristarA,

oristarA wrote:

So "Don't take my word for anything" mean "Don't compare my word to anything"?

no

Take my word for it - is an idiom for believe me/trust me.

In your example, don't take my word for anything means that people shouldn't believe/trust in what someone (a buddha) says - they should have the experiences themselves and learn the truth.

0 Replies

It's raining outside, but don't take my word for it, look out of the window!

0 Replies

@InfraBlue,

I thought it was obvious..

How would you get reincarnation without something supernatural?

Without the 'unlimited chances for enlightenment', I think Buddhism's popularity would crash.

1 Reply

@Leadfoot,

Leadfoot wrote:

I thought it was obvious..

How would you get reincarnation without something supernatural?

Without the 'unlimited chances for enlightenment', I think Buddhism's popularity would crash.

Don't assume people know what's going on in your head.

Buddhism, contrary to Horgan's assertions, doesn't claim to dispense with supernatural claptrap, at least as far as Western scientific thought regards ideas of the supernatural.

Horgan approached Buddhism with this unfounded preconception of it. It's Buddhism's suprenatural quality that he dislikes.

As far as your perception of hypocrisy in the belief in Buddhism, you'd think that there would be many, many more murderers, rapists and thieves among them, but they're just as moral as the next theist or atheist. Threats of just deserts, death or eternal torture are unnecessary.

1 Reply

@InfraBlue,

Quote:

Horgan approached Buddhism with this unfounded preconception of it. It's Buddhism's suprenatural quality that he dislikes

I was just commenting on his article and it was clear in the excerpt I posted that hypocrisy in Buddhism was what he objected to. If you want to assert that Horgan is in denial, that's another discussion.

There are as many versions of Buddhism as there are of 'Christianity' so it's hard to nail their beliefs down and I'm not an expert on the subject. So tell me, what precisely are Buddhism's supernatural beliefs?

2 Replies

@Leadfoot,

I guess reincarnation is the biggie for me.

1 Reply

@cicerone imposter,

Yes, but reincarnation requires something 'supernatural' to underpin it. Or are you saying you can reincarnate via some ability that humans possess? If that is something like a soul or spirit, where did you get it?

Just saying 'yeah, we reincarnate' without explaination requires the 'faith' that you as an atheist find groundless.

2 Replies

@Leadfoot,

Leadfoot wrote:

reincarnation requires something 'supernatural' to underpin it.

How do you know that? seriously

I don't believe in reincarnation, but I don't know it happens or not. I also don't know what its origin/basis would be if it does happen.

You have made a statement of fact and I'm curious about your source of information for that.

1 Reply

@Leadfoot,

Horgan said nothing about hypocrisy. You're reading into what he wrote.

I am not asserting that Horgan is in denial. I am asserting that Horgan mischaracterizes Buddhism.

Among others, a supernatural belief within Buddhism is reincarnation. Supernatural beings also play into the mythologies of the Buddha, e.g. Mara.

0 Replies

@Leadfoot,

Leadfoot wrote:

Yes, but reincarnation requires something 'supernatural' to underpin it. Or are you saying you can reincarnate via some ability that humans possess? If that is something like a soul or spirit, where did you get it?

Just saying 'yeah, we reincarnate' without explaination requires the 'faith' that you as an atheist find groundless.

Reincarnation is something supernatural. It's as eternal as your god.

1 Reply

@ehBeth,

Beth et al,
To assert that reincarnation just is and is by itself 'supernatural' is the most absurd idea I can think of, and that's comming from a guy that believes he has invisible friends.

Theists believe that you can have life after death but at least they have something as a cause for it.

To believe in 'causlessness' is just - nutty.

@blue. The word Horgan used for Buddhism was 'disingenuous'. Look it up.

1 Reply

@Leadfoot,

Right, Horgan used the word disingenuous to describe what is actually his misapprehension of the supernatural aspect of Buddhism. There is no disingenousness, or hypocrisy for that matter, about the supernatural aspects of Buddhism.

So you don't dig reincarnation's supernaturalness, understood, that's irrelevant to Buddhism's supernaturalness, however.

1 Reply

@InfraBlue,

InfraBlue wrote:

Reincarnation is something supernatural.

and how do you know that?

1 Reply

@InfraBlue,

Ok, like I said, I wasn't defending Horgan or attacking Buddhism, just commenting on the OP.

But I guess you do dig Buddhism.

1 Reply

@ehBeth,

ehBeth wrote:

InfraBlue wrote:

Reincarnation is something supernatural.

and how do you know that?

Episemologically speaking, I know that reincarnation is something supernatural like I know that the spirit/soul is supernatural. I haven't come across empirical natural or physical evidence of either, merely apocryphal assertions of their existence.

0 Replies

@Leadfoot,

Leadfoot wrote:

Ok, like I said, I wasn't defending Horgan or attacking Buddhism, just commenting on the OP.

But I guess you do dig Buddhism.

"Nutty" isn't just a commentary word.

I understand it better than Horgan or you do, at least.

1 Reply

@InfraBlue,

Of course 'nutty' is a commentary word. I used it only when the thread crept away from the OP article. (How many commentaries have I read about Trump where that word was used?)

And I'm sure you do understand Buddhism better than I. I lost interest as soon as I saw the causlessness in the belief of reincarnation. It just seemed like a tacked on part of the system in order to give it something other than a dead end.

If there is something of value in Buddhism that I missed, I'm always open to that.

0 Replies

Why I Don't Dig Buddhism

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know