Is Buddhism a religion?

[only1]

Yes, Buddhism is a religion, just like all other organized religions on this planet. Religion is designed and used for the purpose of controlling the "dumb, driven cattle" masses of people, period. Buddhism is much older than The Roman Catholic Church. Catholism is considered to be the uneducated person's religion, in the western world. And, with one-billion active Catholics, world-wide, it is a very successful business enterprise

You are far behind. We have now discovered the difference. Bear in mind, Buddhism have nothing debunked by science or logic defying like those omnipotent God and,Adam and eve stories.

On your Catholicism comment, do you mean Christianity ? Or else, it doesn't makes sense to the Protestants or Muslims too.

[only1]

AYJAYDEE,

I never "accuse" anyone or religion but if I do discover any religion for cheating, I will share them.

[AYJAYDEE]

AYJAYDEE,

I never "accuse" anyone or religion but if I do discover any religion for cheating, I will share them.

yes you do

[camerata]

Stop the quibbling and stay on topic, folks: Is Buddhism a Religion?

[JoopJoop]

Stop the quibbling and stay on topic, folks: Is Buddhism a Religion?

Yes, it's a religion and also a scam like all others.

[only1]

Stop the quibbling and stay on topic, folks: Is Buddhism a Religion?

Yes, it's a religion and also a scam like all others.

Explain how Buddhism scam, if not, it proved you are trolling.

I can give many evidence that Christianity scam.

[Om85]

Stop the quibbling and stay on topic, folks: Is Buddhism a Religion?

Yes, it's a religion and also a scam like all others.

Agree, is just a religion, with some philosophy in it and use by the rich a priest to control and exploit the masses.

[VincentRJ]

Is Buddhism a religion? One answer is, both 'yes' and 'no'.

Is 40 degrees Centigrade hot? It depends on the circumstances. If one is referring to the weather outside, 40 degrees C is certainly hot. I don't think anyone would dispute that.

However, if one is referring to the temperature of the cup of coffee that has just been served in a restaurant, one might think that 40 degrees C is too cold, and one might complain to the waitress that the coffee is not hot.

Likewise, when one refers to the activity of worshiping supernatural spirits, the divine, or some representation of a so-called ultimate, transcendental truth, then that is a religion by definition. To the extent that the Buddhist system encourages such devotion and the acceptance of the supernatural, Buddhism can be described as a religion.

To the extent that Buddhism contains within its teaching and scriptures, instructions and practices of a practical nature that do not rely upon an acceptance of the supernatural, karma, rebirth, miraculous events and so on, then Buddhism is not a religion.

However, such a dichotomy could raise another question, as follows. Can a person who doesn't believe in the supernatural aspects of Buddhism, such as karma and the miraculous processes of physical rebirth, legitimately call himself a Buddhist?

Would that not be similar to an atheist calling himself a Christian because he believed in certain Christian principles such as 'Love your neighbour as yourself', which is described as the second most important commandment, the first being, "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength"?

[AYJAYDEE]

Is Buddhism a religion? One answer is, both 'yes' and 'no'.

Is 40 degrees Centigrade hot? It depends on the circumstances. If one is referring to the weather outside, 40 degrees C is certainly hot. I don't think anyone would dispute that.

However, if one is referring to the temperature of the cup of coffee that has just been served in a restaurant, one might think that 40 degrees C is too cold, and one might complain to the waitress that the coffee is not hot.

Likewise, when one refers to the activity of worshiping supernatural spirits, the divine, or some representation of a so-called ultimate, transcendental truth, then that is a religion by definition. To the extent that the Buddhist system encourages such devotion and the acceptance of the supernatural, Buddhism can be described as a religion.

To the extent that Buddhism contains within its teaching and scriptures, instructions and practices of a practical nature that do not rely upon an acceptance of the supernatural, karma, rebirth, miraculous events and so on, then Buddhism is not a religion.

However, such a dichotomy could raise another question, as follows. Can a person who doesn't believe in the supernatural aspects of Buddhism, such as karma and the miraculous processes of physical rebirth, legitimately call himself a Buddhist?

Would that not be similar to an atheist calling himself a Christian because he believed in certain Christian principles such as 'Love your neighbour as yourself', which is described as the second most important commandment, the first being, "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength"?

reject physical rebirth? yes. as for karma, modern science suggest that what we do in the present can influence what we experience in the future so i wouldnt agree that karma is supernatural. so I say yes he can call himself a buddhist.

[only1]

VincentRJ,

In Christianity, if you take away the supernatural or God part, you don't even have 10 commandments, according to your 2 examples.

In Buddhism, taking away rebirth, the fundamentals and core of it, the 4 Noble Truth and Noble 8 Fold Path are still there and there are still applicable to followers of many other religions eg Taoism, Hinduism. They have nothing conflicting or contradictory.

I don't call karma supernatural as it is everyday activities. Now you are reading this is your karma at this moment.

The biggest different in Buddhism compared to other religions, especially the Abrahamic ones is LOGIC. Like science, Buddhism have nothing that is logic defying.

[Om85]

VincentRJ,

In Christianity, if you take away the supernatural or God part, you don't even have 10 commandments, according to your 2 examples.

In Buddhism, taking away rebirth, the fundamentals and core of it, the 4 Noble Truth and Noble 8 Fold Path are still there and there are still applicable to followers of many other religions eg Taoism, Hinduism. They have nothing conflicting or contradictory.

I don't call karma supernatural as it is everyday activities. Now you are reading this is your karma at this moment.

The biggest different in Buddhism compared to other religions, especially the Abrahamic ones is LOGIC. Like science, Buddhism have nothing that is logic defying.

" Like science, Buddhism have nothing taht is logic defying"...

Hahahahhahaa what about rebirth, the stories of the conception and birth of Buddha c'mom, I don't like Abrahamic religions but like them Buddhism is full of myths and nonsense. Buddha's teaching in a nutshell: the origins of suffering is craving , stop craving and suffering will stop or what is the same stop being and you will stop suffering, is that the solution for our problems as a society or as individuals? Besides that we can't even be sure if that the teachings attributed to Siddhartha are really his teachings or not.

[only1]

OM85,

Go and understand the word logic before you act like a troll.

Society is made up of individual. Go think.

It doesn't matter whether Buddhism teaching came from Gautama himself. What is important is his knowledge. Just like no one needs to know who am I or anyone of you here. You need not know whether my knowledge is originally mine or not.

You should say maybe Sidhharta was fictitious but a sensible person will tell you that doesn't matter at all.

Go read up Noble 8 Fold Path which I can see you lacked in yourself. You will not comment so sillily if you know them.

[Om85]

OM85,

Go and understand the word logic before you act like a troll.

Society is made up of individual. Go think.

It doesn't matter whether Buddhism teaching came from Gautama himself. What is important is his knowledge. Just like no one needs to know am I or anyone of you here. You need not know whether my knowledge is originally mine or not.

You should say maybe Sidhharta was fictitious but a sensible person will tell you that doesn't matter at all.

Go read up Noble 8 Fold Path which I can see you lacked in yourself. You will not comment so sillily if you know them.

Hahaha, this is the best you can answer? Impressed. You don't like to here the truth, and when you hear it just accuse us of trolling.

Buddhism like all other religions doesn't offer any real solution for our problems, just look at what Siddhartha taught and you will see how useful it is:

Stop craving and you will stop suffering, dissolve your ego and you will eliminate suffering. This is pure nonsense. Like it or not the fact is that without rebirth there is nothing left in Buddhism.

[AYJAYDEE]

OM85,

Go and understand the word logic before you act like a troll.

Society is made up of individual. Go think.

It doesn't matter whether Buddhism teaching came from Gautama himself. What is important is his knowledge. Just like no one needs to know am I or anyone of you here. You need not know whether my knowledge is originally mine or not.

You should say maybe Sidhharta was fictitious but a sensible person will tell you that doesn't matter at all.

Go read up Noble 8 Fold Path which I can see you lacked in yourself. You will not comment so sillily if you know them.

Hahaha, this is the best you can answer? Impressed. You don't like to here the truth, and when you hear it just accuse us of trolling.

Buddhism like all other religions doesn't offer any real solution for our problems, just look at what Siddhartha taught and you will see how useful it is:

Stop craving and you will stop suffering, dissolve your ego and you will eliminate suffering. This is pure nonsense. Like it or not the fact is that without rebirth there is nothing left in Buddhism.

there are thousands of people who will refute that. Just because you can't or won't do it doesnt mean it can't be done.

[only1]

OM85,

Go and understand the word logic before you act like a troll.

Society is made up of individual. Go think.

It doesn't matter whether Buddhism teaching came from Gautama himself. What is important is his knowledge. Just like no one needs to know am I or anyone of you here. You need not know whether my knowledge is originally mine or not.

You should say maybe Sidhharta was fictitious but a sensible person will tell you that doesn't matter at all.

Go read up Noble 8 Fold Path which I can see you lacked in yourself. You will not comment so sillily if you know them.

Hahaha, this is the best you can answer? Impressed. You don't like to here the truth, and when you hear it just accuse us of trolling.

Buddhism like all other religions doesn't offer any real solution for our problems, just look at what Siddhartha taught and you will see how useful it is:

Stop craving and you will stop suffering, dissolve your ego and you will eliminate suffering. This is pure nonsense. Like it or not the fact is that without rebirth there is nothing left in Buddhism.

Again,I prove that you are a troll.

If you have decided, why the need comment so much and not leaving ?

[AYJAYDEE]

OM85,

Go and understand the word logic before you act like a troll.

Society is made up of individual. Go think.

It doesn't matter whether Buddhism teaching came from Gautama himself. What is important is his knowledge. Just like no one needs to know am I or anyone of you here. You need not know whether my knowledge is originally mine or not.

You should say maybe Sidhharta was fictitious but a sensible person will tell you that doesn't matter at all.

Go read up Noble 8 Fold Path which I can see you lacked in yourself. You will not comment so sillily if you know them.

Hahaha, this is the best you can answer? Impressed. You don't like to here the truth, and when you hear it just accuse us of trolling.

Buddhism like all other religions doesn't offer any real solution for our problems, just look at what Siddhartha taught and you will see how useful it is:

Stop craving and you will stop suffering, dissolve your ego and you will eliminate suffering. This is pure nonsense. Like it or not the fact is that without rebirth there is nothing left in Buddhism.

Again,I prove that you are a troll.

If you have decided, why the need comment so much and not leaving ?

he is here to denigrate other folks beliefs

[Om85]

OM85,

Go and understand the word logic before you act like a troll.

Society is made up of individual. Go think.

It doesn't matter whether Buddhism teaching came from Gautama himself. What is important is his knowledge. Just like no one needs to know am I or anyone of you here. You need not know whether my knowledge is originally mine or not.

You should say maybe Sidhharta was fictitious but a sensible person will tell you that doesn't matter at all.

Go read up Noble 8 Fold Path which I can see you lacked in yourself. You will not comment so sillily if you know them.

Hahaha, this is the best you can answer? Impressed. You don't like to here the truth, and when you hear it just accuse us of trolling.

Buddhism like all other religions doesn't offer any real solution for our problems, just look at what Siddhartha taught and you will see how useful it is:

Stop craving and you will stop suffering, dissolve your ego and you will eliminate suffering. This is pure nonsense. Like it or not the fact is that without rebirth there is nothing left in Buddhism.

Again,I prove that you are a troll.

If you have decided, why the need comment so much and not leaving ?

he is here to denigrate other folks beliefs

Nope, I am not trolling nor denigrating, I am discussing one topic that affect us all, if you don't have rational arguments but creeds then say it and be humble, accusing people to be a troll just because they disagree with you is at the best dishonest. Siddhartha himself said something like: "Don't accept anything that conflicts with your reason".

[AYJAYDEE]

you came to a buddhist forum to argue that it is an empty belief and a sham. why go to a discussion group that discusses a subject that you think is meaningless ? to denigrate the beliefs of the participants.

[Om85]

you came to a buddhist forum to argue that it is an empty belief and a sham. why go to a discussion group that discusses a subject that you think is meaningless ? to denigrate the beliefs of the participants.

This is not a Buddhist forum, this is a forum about Buddhism which is not the same And as I told here already I don't intent to denigrate anyone I just saying the truth, take a look around you and see how must of Buddhist temples here in Thailand work, what do they teach to the people? I honestly think that if Siddhartha were to come back from death and see what his "followers" do, he would be so upset that he might have a heart stroke and die again.

[AYJAYDEE]

you came to a buddhist forum to argue that it is an empty belief and a sham. why go to a discussion group that discusses a subject that you think is meaningless ? to denigrate the beliefs of the participants.

This is not a Buddhist forum, this is a forum about Buddhism which is not the same And as I told here already I don't intent to denigrate anyone I just saying the truth, take a look around you and see how must of Buddhist temples here in Thailand work, what do they teach to the people? I honestly think that if Siddhartha were to come back from death and see what his "followers" do, he would be so upset that he might have a heart stroke and die again.

yes a forum about a belief system that you dont agree with. you dont think buddhism exists without rebirth, and you dont believe in rebirth. so why come here but to argue with people that have these beliefs and tell them they are wrong to have them?

[Om85]

you came to a buddhist forum to argue that it is an empty belief and a sham. why go to a discussion group that discusses a subject that you think is meaningless ? to denigrate the beliefs of the participants.

This is not a Buddhist forum, this is a forum about Buddhism which is not the same And as I told here already I don't intent to denigrate anyone I just saying the truth, take a look around you and see how must of Buddhist temples here in Thailand work, what do they teach to the people? I honestly think that if Siddhartha were to come back from death and see what his "followers" do, he would be so upset that he might have a heart stroke and die again.

yes a forum about a belief system that you dont agree with. you dont think buddhism exists without rebirth, and you dont believe in rebirth. so why come here but to argue with people that have these beliefs and tell them they are wrong to have them?

not all the people in this forum are Buddhist, and I argue cuz I want to understand, I have ask the same question again and again and no one have been able to give a rational answer, you are the Buddhists here, you are the ones who are suppose to know so to you I ask my questions, I don't intend to hurt anyone, I was very polite until people here start to call me a troll etc when I am not, but this is not about me is about Buddhism so I ask again:

What do we have left if we strip Buddhism of the concepts of rebirth and samsara?

If you believe in rebirth, then what is to be reborn? Where are the proofs?

If you are firm in your believes you should be able to give your arguments and to debate, not just accuse other people of trolling and denigrating other people belief just because they are challenging them.

[AYJAYDEE]

Yes it is according to Merriam-Webster item b4 and Oxford items #1.1 and 1.2

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/religion

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/religion

[AYJAYDEE]

you came to a buddhist forum to argue that it is an empty belief and a sham. why go to a discussion group that discusses a subject that you think is meaningless ? to denigrate the beliefs of the participants.

This is not a Buddhist forum, this is a forum about Buddhism which is not the same And as I told here already I don't intent to denigrate anyone I just saying the truth, take a look around you and see how must of Buddhist temples here in Thailand work, what do they teach to the people? I honestly think that if Siddhartha were to come back from death and see what his "followers" do, he would be so upset that he might have a heart stroke and die again.

yes a forum about a belief system that you dont agree with. you dont think buddhism exists without rebirth, and you dont believe in rebirth. so why come here but to argue with people that have these beliefs and tell them they are wrong to have them?

not all the people in this forum are Buddhist, and I argue cuz I want to understand, I have ask the same question again and again and no one have been able to give a rational answer, you are the Buddhists here, you are the ones who are suppose to know so to you I ask my questions, I don't intend to hurt anyone, I was very polite until people here start to call me a troll etc when I am not, but this is not about me is about Buddhism so I ask again:

What do we have left if we strip Buddhism of the concepts of rebirth and samsara?

If you believe in rebirth, then what is to be reborn? Where are the proofs?

If you are firm in your believes you should be able to give your arguments and to debate, not just accuse other people of trolling and denigrating other people belief just because they are challenging them.

you have STATED that you dont believe in rebirth and you dont believe Buddhism has any value without it. You have staked out a position that you don't accept Buddhism. thats not a desire to understand. the fact of moment to moment rebirth is obvious to me, the concept of rebirth in another life is not of any importance to me and I am willing to accept the fact that it requires FAITH in the theory of linking consciousness for those who place importance on the concept. If YOU were trully interested in getting some understanding of this ttype of rebirth, there are dozens of sources you could read. To ask for PROOF of something that is taken on faith is like asking a Christian to PROVE there is life after death in heaven or hell. You know before asking that it cannot be proved and the only reason to ask is to denigrate that persons belief.

[only1]

you came to a buddhist forum to argue that it is an empty belief and a sham. why go to a discussion group that discusses a subject that you think is meaningless ? to denigrate the beliefs of the participants.

This is not a Buddhist forum, this is a forum about Buddhism which is not the same And as I told here already I don't intent to denigrate anyone I just saying the truth, take a look around you and see how must of Buddhist temples here in Thailand work, what do they teach to the people? I honestly think that if Siddhartha were to come back from death and see what his "followers" do, he would be so upset that he might have a heart stroke and die again.

I proved you are trolling here again. Buddhism never mention resurrection and you should know that. You should be ashame of what you are doing now. I suspect you are paid to do what you are doing now. I know what is going on in this world today.

As for what is left in Buddhism without rebirth, I told you 4 Noble Truth and Noble 8 Fold Path but you pretend and ignore. Now, I not only prove you are trolling but a dishonest person too. Buddhism is not for dishonest people. Dishonest people should follow a omnipotent God whom they think theirsins can be forgiven any time.

[VincentRJ]

Is Buddhism a religion? One answer is, both 'yes' and 'no'.

Is 40 degrees Centigrade hot? It depends on the circumstances. If one is referring to the weather outside, 40 degrees C is certainly hot. I don't think anyone would dispute that.

However, if one is referring to the temperature of the cup of coffee that has just been served in a restaurant, one might think that 40 degrees C is too cold, and one might complain to the waitress that the coffee is not hot.

Likewise, when one refers to the activity of worshiping supernatural spirits, the divine, or some representation of a so-called ultimate, transcendental truth, then that is a religion by definition. To the extent that the Buddhist system encourages such devotion and the acceptance of the supernatural, Buddhism can be described as a religion.

To the extent that Buddhism contains within its teaching and scriptures, instructions and practices of a practical nature that do not rely upon an acceptance of the supernatural, karma, rebirth, miraculous events and so on, then Buddhism is not a religion.

However, such a dichotomy could raise another question, as follows. Can a person who doesn't believe in the supernatural aspects of Buddhism, such as karma and the miraculous processes of physical rebirth, legitimately call himself a Buddhist?

Would that not be similar to an atheist calling himself a Christian because he believed in certain Christian principles such as 'Love your neighbour as yourself', which is described as the second most important commandment, the first being, "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength"?

reject physical rebirth? yes. as for karma, modern science suggest that what we do in the present can influence what we experience in the future so i wouldnt agree that karma is supernatural. so I say yes he can call himself a buddhist.

Can you point to any Buddhist scripture in either the Mahayana or Theravada tradition which states, or even implies that Karma is not a force transmitted from previous, physical lives to future lives, but is confined to, and applies only to the current life?

I think you are confusing modern, Western interpretations of supernatural phenomena, which tend to make the religion of Buddhism more acceptable to the atheistic mindset, and the traditional belief systems of Buddhism as described in the Pali Canon and the Tibetan and Chinese Canons.

We can all understand cause and effect. If I stick my hand in a fire, my hand gets burned. If I eat too much fatty and sugary food and take no exercise, I will become obese. We don't need the Buddhist concept of Karma to explain that.

The sorts of questions that the concept of Karma tries to answer are as follows:

1.What is the cause of the inequality that exists among mankind?

2.Why should one person be brought up in the lap of luxury, endowed with fine mental, moral and physical qualities, and another in absolute poverty, steeped in misery?

3.Why should one person be a mental prodigy, and another an idiot?

4.Why should one person be born with saintly characteristics and another with criminal tendencies?

5.Why should some be linguistic, artistic, mathematically inclined, or musical from the very cradle?

6.Why should others be congenitally blind, deaf, or deformed?|

7.Why should some be blessed, and others cursed from their births?

Modern science attempts to answer such questions using a combination of genetic disposition, inherited from the parents, which a person has no control over, and early conditioning which begins even in the womb, which the parents and the education system do have a degree of control over.

The concept of Karma goes beyond this scientific explanation which consists of a mixture of genetics and early conditioning, but also that concept does not deny the effects of Karma (or actions) in the current life, obviously. One reaps what one sows in this life, but the principle of Karma also claims that one reaps what one has sown in previous lives.

In other words, each person is born with an accumulation of the effects of moral and immoral behaviour during many previous lives. It's a concept that tends to give people hope, just like the concept of a reward in everlasting Heaven for good, moral behaviour in this lifetime, gives Christians hope and allows them to struggle through the vicissitudes of life.

Imagine a person, through no fault of his/her own, who is born with a serious disability in circumstances of poverty, that causes life to be miserable. Don't you think that a Karmic explanation for his condition, (that he acted immorally in previous lives, and if he behaves well in this life, his next life will be better), might free him from anger and the blaming of others for his condition, and give him a sense of purpose in this life?

This is what the Buddha is purported to have said on the matter (from the Anguttara Nikaya).

"If anyone says that a man or woman must reap in this life according to his present deeds, in that case there is no religious life, nor is an opportunity afforded for the entire extinction of sorrow. But if anyone says that what a man or woman reaps in this and future lives accords with his or her deeds present and past, in that case there is a religious life, and an opportunity is afforded for the entire extinction of a sorrow."

[Om85]

This is not a Buddhist forum, this is a forum about Buddhism which is not the same And as I told here already I don't intent to denigrate anyone I just saying the truth, take a look around you and see how must of Buddhist temples here in Thailand work, what do they teach to the people? I honestly think that if Siddhartha were to come back from death and see what his "followers" do, he would be so upset that he might have a heart stroke and die again.

yes a forum about a belief system that you dont agree with. you dont think buddhism exists without rebirth, and you dont believe in rebirth. so why come here but to argue with people that have these beliefs and tell them they are wrong to have them?

not all the people in this forum are Buddhist, and I argue cuz I want to understand, I have ask the same question again and again and no one have been able to give a rational answer, you are the Buddhists here, you are the ones who are suppose to know so to you I ask my questions, I don't intend to hurt anyone, I was very polite until people here start to call me a troll etc when I am not, but this is not about me is about Buddhism so I ask again:

What do we have left if we strip Buddhism of the concepts of rebirth and samsara?

If you believe in rebirth, then what is to be reborn? Where are the proofs?

If you are firm in your believes you should be able to give your arguments and to debate, not just accuse other people of trolling and denigrating other people belief just because they are challenging them.

you have STATED that you dont believe in rebirth and you dont believe Buddhism has any value without it. You have staked out a position that you don't accept Buddhism. thats not a desire to understand. the fact of moment to moment rebirth is obvious to me, the concept of rebirth in another life is not of any importance to me and I am willing to accept the fact that it requires FAITH in the theory of linking consciousness for those who place importance on the concept. If YOU were trully interested in getting some understanding of this ttype of rebirth, there are dozens of sources you could read. To ask for PROOF of something that is taken on faith is like asking a Christian to PROVE there is life after death in heaven or hell. You know before asking that it cannot be proved and the only reason to ask is to denigrate that persons belief.

Firstly, the fact that I don't share your believes doesn't mean that I can't understand why you hold them, in fact I understand very well why my fellows Jews still belief in god. Secondly I have read some books an articles and documentaries about Buddhism, I was once ordained as a Buddhist monk for three month and have had the opportunity of talking about this with monks and my teacher at Ramkhamhaeng uni, and the reason why I ask is bcuz all sort of people claim that Buddhism is compatible with science, different from all other religions, without superstitions, creeds, faith etc but what I have seen completely contradicts all this claims, and I don't see why would you think that coming to a forum about Buddhism and asking Buddhists to justify their believes is "denigrating other people believes" especially when those beliefs are the main reason why a number of different legislation are imposed in the whole of the population.

[Om85]

you came to a buddhist forum to argue that it is an empty belief and a sham. why go to a discussion group that discusses a subject that you think is meaningless ? to denigrate the beliefs of the participants.

This is not a Buddhist forum, this is a forum about Buddhism which is not the same And as I told here already I don't intent to denigrate anyone I just saying the truth, take a look around you and see how must of Buddhist temples here in Thailand work, what do they teach to the people? I honestly think that if Siddhartha were to come back from death and see what his "followers" do, he would be so upset that he might have a heart stroke and die again.

I proved you are trolling here again. Buddhism never mention resurrection and you should know that. You should be ashame of what you are doing now. I suspect you are paid to do what you are doing now. I know what is going on in this world today.

As for what is left in Buddhism without rebirth, I told you 4 Noble Truth and Noble 8 Fold Path but you pretend and ignore. Now, I not only prove you are trolling but a dishonest person too. Buddhism is not for dishonest people. Dishonest people should follow a omnipotent God whom they think theirsins can be forgiven any time.

Haha, really where did I talked about resurrection? Or jesus or following a god? Hahahaha, u'r a Buddhist troll?

[AYJAYDEE]

Well you finally admitted that youre not here to gain understanding but to inform others that their beliefs are erroneous. Thank-you. Carry-on.

[VincentRJ]

VincentRJ,

In Christianity, if you take away the supernatural or God part, you don't even have 10 commandments, according to your 2 examples.

Only1,

The general concept of 'Love your neighbour as you love yourself' is older than the 10 Commandments. It's sometimes referred to as the Golden Rule, which has a very long history. This is what Wikipedia states on the subject.

"The concept occurs in some form in nearly every religion and ethical tradition. It can also be explained from the perspectives of psychology, philosophy, sociology, and economics. Psychologically, it involves a person empathizing with others. Philosophically, it involves a person perceiving their neighbor also as "I" or "self". Sociologically, 'love your neighbor as yourself' is applicable between individuals, between groups, and also between individuals and groups. In economics, Richard Swift, referring to ideas from David Graeber, suggests that "without some kind of reciprocity society would no longer be able to exist."

In Buddhism, taking away rebirth, the fundamentals and core of it, the 4 Noble Truth and Noble 8 Fold Path are still there and there are still applicable to followers of many other religions eg Taoism, Hinduism. They have nothing conflicting or contradictory.

Likewise, taking away the First Commandment still leaves a lot of common-sense teachings on how to behave in a socially responsible and psychologically satisfying way. Christianity offers quite a few wise comments, such as, 'Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone'.

I don't call karma supernatural as it is everyday activities.

Of course it's everyday activity, in this life, in past lives and in future lives. The supernatural part is the carry-over of the accumulated effects of moral behaviour in previous lives. In case you missed my previous post, I'll repeat what the Buddha is reported to have said on this issue.

"If anyone says that a man or woman must reap in this life according to his present deeds, in that case there is no religious life, nor is an opportunity afforded for the entire extinction of sorrow. But if anyone says that what a man or woman reaps in this and future lives accords with his or her deeds present and past, in that case there is a religious life, and an opportunity is afforded for the entire extinction of a sorrow."

[Om85]

Well you finally admitted that youre not here to gain understanding but to inform others that their beliefs are erroneous. Thank-you. Carry-on.

Nope, I am here to understand, understanding doesn't mean to agree, but as you wish