All religions are Hocus Pokus to me and many other. There is no proving and disproving their origins. What worries me about Thailand, more so with the Junta in charge, is the promotion of the 3 virtues, nationalism, monarchy and Buddhism. The classic 3 legged stool, and we all know what happens if a stool leg breaks...sure it collapses.

Religion has always been used to control the masses, I suspect the junta is simply

carrying on this same magnificent tradition....

That's the twisted Buddhism most monks are practicing and preaching now days, if you give us

enough money i.e donations, this will atone for your worldly sins, and you're assured of heavenly

after life, and the more you sin, the more you have to give... win win situation...

Yup! IT is all about getting "big face" at the temple on promises of paradise at the end of this life without having to come back to "suffer" again. Sounds just like the Catholic Church, or any church actually. They are all in the (next-life) " insurance business". That is the card they all play. That is the promise almost all mankind wants to hear. Eternal life of some sort, in some sort of hereafter, somewhere. Anything but "this is the only life we get and after it Zip! Nothing! Nado!"

Suckers believe it in the millions, no; billions!!!!! Watch the responses, Now I have said this, it will bring out the God-botherer trolls..... "But my god promises everlasting life. It is written in the............. (name a holy book)"

This is new

Monks not only rape children, they steal the money stolen for children

My thoughts too, and that is why they don't want to be monitored by the government, the dirty creepy scum

That's the twisted Buddhism most monks are practicing and preaching now days, if you give us

enough money i.e donations, this will atone for your worldly sins, and you're assured of heavenly

after life, and the more you sin, the more you have to give... win win situation...

Yup! IT is all about getting "big face" at the temple on promises of paradise at the end of this life without having to come back to "suffer" again. Sounds just like the Catholic Church, or any church actually. They are all in the (next-life) " insurance business". That is the card they all play. That is the promise almost all mankind wants to hear. Eternal life of some sort, in some sort of hereafter, somewhere. Anything but "this is the only life we get and after it Zip! Nothing! Nado!"

Suckers believe it in the millions, no; billions!!!!! Watch the responses, Now I have said this, it will bring out the God-botherer trolls..... "But my god promises everlasting life. It is written in the............. (name a holy book)"

No you are right, The Catholics molest your sons, the monks rape your daughters, The Muslims kill your family, the Mormons steal your money, The list goes on, Religion will kill us all, and all in the name of something that does not exist, only in the minds of the stupid

This is the anti-Buddhist thread, is it?

Beware dragging Thai Buddhism through the mud whilst living in Thailand its as taboo as talking about you know who.

Mud dragging, or simple reality ? Here are the five precepts that

are the cornerstone of Buddhism. Do they look like they are being

closely followed in Thailand ?? :-)

1. To refrain from killing.

Well, Thailand has one of the top gun homicide

rates in the entire world. So big miss here.

2. To refrain from taking things not given.

Thailand is often referred to as the Land

of Scams, all set up to make you part with your money. So a miss here..

3.To refrain from sexual misconduct.

Hmm, country seems to be wall to wall with massage parlors, bars and karaoke bars full of prostitutes, so a really big miss here...

4.To refrain from lying. Truth seems to be a rare commodity in Thailand, to the point

that Singaporeans call it LieLand, so another miss...

5. To refrain from taking intoxicants. Lots of drinking going on here in the endless

bars everywhere, with the main god being worshipped is Johnny Walker Black Label.

It's not really Buddhism that's the problem as the five precepts are fine ideals to aspire to. Unfortunately they aren't in so many cases that I sometimes wonder if many Thais know what they are. I've never seen monks spreading the word about them only collecting. You don't even need to know the homicide rates to see how the first precept is ignored. just go to a market or restaurant.

From what I've read about Buddhism it has nothing to do with monks, temples or Buddha images.

I'm sure many monks are well intentioned and do a lot of good but there does seem to be a lot of misuse of the position of monks. My mother in law's cousin is a monk and a very nice guy. I've no idea what he does though that's of any use.

Generals and other elite Thais launder their money thru big monks at the temples. Nobody usually investigates the big monks.

The monks we see being busted now are on the wrong side of politics.

We are witnessing the junta & elite cutting off their political enemies.

Nobody usually investigates, but now they do. And this is bad, because.......?

It's called doing the right thing for the wrong reason.

Typical third world, banana republic, junta payback time. Mafia wars.

Hmmm..........well doing the right thing for the perceived "wrong reason" seems to be far better than doing nothing, and I'm not sure there is a right reason for doing nothing.

Generals and other elite Thais launder their money thru big monks at the temples. Nobody usually investigates the big monks.

The monks we see being busted now are on the wrong side of politics.

We are witnessing the junta & elite cutting off their political enemies.

Nobody usually investigates, but now they do. And this is bad, because.......?

It is mostly because the main temple that is being investigated has been linked by the red leader Dr Weng to Thaksin, his political parties and the reds.

As those who complain are supporters of the aforementioned they have to say that it is all politically motivated.

That it is in fact about the embezzlement of ordinary peoples money and the resulting downstream corruption has nothing to do with it......According to them.

True Robby nz, but a donation is a donation, how was the temple to know that the money was embezzled? Who is in the wrong the donator or the reciever of the donation? Seems very politically motivated to me. Why not ask the mad monk Issara if its politically motivated?

True Robby nz, but a donation is a donation, how was the temple to know that the money was embezzled? Who is in the wrong the donator or the reciever of the donation? Seems very politically motivated to me. Why not ask the mad monk Issara if its politically motivated?

How on earth is it politically motivated to follow the trail of the embezzled money and want to get that money back for its rightful owners.

It has been made perfectly clear that the abbot and the temple knew the money had been embezzled and they refused to return it even after knowing it was the savings of ordinary people that had been stolen.

As well there was money given to several organisations connected to the temple, a company owned by the temple, a credit union run by the temple and several monks personal accounts. It was reported elsewhere that in total the temple and its affiliated received 11.3 billion baht.

This topic is about an entirely different temple to which money was given for a specific purpose and that has not been expedited, how is following that up politically motivated.

No it is you and your like who are politically motivated, your last little bit of stupidity proves that.

800 million baht is a lot of money for monks who don't need money. Where did it go?

oops - wrong Quote button. comment removed.

Stolen money

Monks with bank accounts

Companies owned by temples

I rest my case...

Went to a big super ceremony today, for a Thai frien'ds son.

The monks were all sat down, happily smoking in their robes and in the grounds of the temple...Thought this was a no-no but nevermind...TIT...