16 hours ago, rattlesnake said:

 

Here is an interesting empirical statistic: I have never met an atheist who was not an unwavering believer of the Science dogma. I am sure a few will want to forcefully explain to me why that is and/or what the differences are, and therefore illustrate my point for me.

You call science a “dogma “.

Hmm…..pots and kettles.

59 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

You left out Hinduism, which has likely produced the greatest number of saints in the last couple of thousand years. 

 

Indeed Mike, fair point. There is a reason for this.

 

Whilst I have the utmost respect for Indian Philosophy and Buddhism, surely among the deepest products of the human mind in all our history, with Hinduism I have to say it is just too alien to me.

 

Whilst the Vedas, Upanishads and Baghavad Gita make interesting reading, as does rebirth, the various deities just don't do it for me. It doesn't even seem like a religion, but more like contradictory custom and beliefs.

 

So I left it out for that reason, not something I could subscribe to.

 

 

Just now, Cameroni said:

 

Indeed Mike, fair point. There is a reason for this.

 

Whilst I have the utmost respect for Indian Philosophy and Buddhism, surely among the deepest products of the human mind in all our history, with Hinduism I have to say it is just too alien to me.

 

Whilst the Vedas, Upanishads and Baghavad Gita make interesting reading, as does rebirth, the various deities just don't do it for me. It doesn't even seem like a religion, but more like contradictory custom and beliefs.

 

So I left it out for that reason, not something I could subscribe to.

 

 

Yeah I could see where the deities could be off-putting to some people, but from what I've gleaned from my studies of Hinduism, it is that they are devotional manifestations of specific aspects of Divine creation, and it's the devotion itself that is the extraordinary aspect of the practice. Hinduism when practiced at a deeper level can be very profound, especially the meditation techniques and the devotional chanting. 

3 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Yeah I could see where the deities could be off-putting to some people, but from what I've gleaned from my studies of Hinduism, it is that they are devotional manifestations of specific aspects of Divine creation, and it's the devotion itself that is the extraordinary aspect of the practice. Hinduism when practiced at a deeper level can be very profound, especially the meditation techniques and the devotional chanting. 

 

Oh I have no doubt about that, it is probably among the deepest religions you can study, built as it is on the Vedas, Unpanishads, and folk custom from so many people,  

 

There is a lot of talk about Zen, Chan, but of course these are all mere refinements of the yoga meditation techniques. Just studying yoga could take a lifetime. And would be time very well spent.

 

Indeed if one looks a bit deeper the things these various deities represent are interesting. Indeed some aspects of Hinduism have become all pervasive, karma, samsara, moksha, and these aspects are fascinating.

 

I just could not bring myself to worship Vishnu or Shiva. It is too far removed and a step too far for me.

 

 

On 4/27/2025 at 5:21 PM, Mason45 said:

All religions especially Catholic are total crap.

I am not a Catholic but of all the Catholics I have known in my lifetime, I have never known any of them to be total crap or trouble makers, not like the religion I was born into.

Although none of my family or relations have been involved with the trouble making bigots of the Orange Walk, there are many more trouble making Protestants than Catholics.

I have found a great deal of benefit in learning and implementing the wisdom of those experts like Pope Francis.  Every aspect of my life is better for it. God bless Pope Francis.

 

 

 

 

8 hours ago, Red Forever said:

You call science a “dogma “.

Hmm…..pots and kettles.

 

You are making the big mistake of assuming I am religious (dichotomic thinking which flaws the premise and therefore the subsequent reasoning). I am not.

 

I see dogma and intolerance in both religious and atheist types, though the latter are more prone to it in my experience.

As soon as I saw the title, I was singing the song. 

On 4/28/2025 at 5:36 PM, Andre0720 said:

My point is that in this country, if you start talking about these concepts, people will look at you and wonder from what planet you are coming from.

And I repeat myself, I did not find any Buddhism here...

This was in response to :

"Known as the Tripitaka, the sacred texts of Buddhism are broken down into three sections known as baskets. Referred to in the West as the Three Baskets, the Tripitaka includes the Vinaya Pitaka, the Sutta Pitaka, and the Abhidhamma Pitaka."

 

I agree the average Buddhist doesn't know about all these texts.

But Buddhism isn't just what westerners read about in books.

Buddhism may just be what Buddhists think it is.

And a lot of Buddhists think it is amulets, and worship of Rama V, and spirit houses, and shrines to Ganesha and anything else they want to throw in the mix.

The thing is that monks in universities and professors of Buddhism have one idea but once the thing is out in the wild it morphs as people want it to.

 

Do all Catholics know that the Perpetual Virginity of Mary is Catholic doctrine?

Do theologians at the Vatican know that if you bury a statue of Saint Joseph upside down in the yard it will assure that you sell your house at a good price?

Which one of these is Catholicism? Both? Neither?

 

What religious intellectuals think and what the everyday believer thinks are two different things.

You didn't find any Buddhism here?

I'm sorry you were disappointed.

 

On 4/27/2025 at 4:30 PM, KannikaP said:

No-one writes such clever lyrics these days, shame.

unclear as to what makes this very simple satire clever?

8 hours ago, madone said:

unclear as to what makes this very simple satire clever?

It's simple and satirical.

A writer needs to be clever to keep it simple.

It's very funny as well if a person isn't overly uptight.