Search results

Vajradhara, thank you as well for your wonderful answer. I found it very useful. I think this has been my issue - that I had come to Buddhism in search of ways to expend my compassion, but need more wisdom. Excellent summary. -Daniel

Thank you Toujour for this personal testimony - it has been very illuminating to me in my question!

Thanks for your responses Thomas. I'm not sure why or how many of them have anything to do with the quoted sections to which they seem to be referring, but I shan't go into them in detail at this time. You also seem to be opposed to the approach of looking at pieces and parts of scriptures...

Thomas, When you have the time, I do hope you'll have a chance to list the erroneous assumptions to which you referred in the "Christianity Without God" book. Thanks :) -Daniel

Thanks - Please do Thomas :) -Daniel

This thread's topic isn't as much of an oxymoron as many may think. Wil (and all), you should read a book called, "Christianity Without God" by Lloyd Geering. I gave a review of some of its points on my philosophy blog - here is the link... DT Strain Philosophy Blog: Notes on "Christianity...

StarshipEnterprise, That's very interesting. I have heard of a lot of people like you who moved up the branch from most specific, to the more general (theist) then looked around their for a bit before moving along the branch more and then coming back up on the atheist side. For me, however...

Good Dauer, thanks :) I don't normally check these messages, so please feel free to contact me through my website.

Coming from a Christian background, about 6 years of intense, sequential thought on the matter established the beginnings of my current position. Since that time, I have continued to think and develop from mere atheism, to secular humanism, to Humanism, to what I call humanist contemplative...

Answering the original post in this thread: It's very simple, whether you're talking about gods, spirits, electricity, magnetism, ESP, bigfoot, cold fusion, life on mars, etc - the same principle applies: Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Or, to put it another way, the degree...

Yes, thank you Zenda71 for your response. These are good points. I suppose we can address our 'empathetic' suffering in the same way we address our own direct suffering. Perhaps part of the key lies in the fact that, once we open our hearts to the suffering of others, and then feel empathetic...

Well said AndrewX. It would be interesting to see what the world would be like if there were a major religion whose adherents lived by the teachings of Jesus.

Thanks Seattlegal, That is certainly a good suggestion. But I'm not sure it speaks to the element of Buddhism I'm trying to understand. The very purpose of Buddhist practice should be to end suffering. Yet, given that there will always be ongoing suffering of others (even if we do try to help...

I think I understand how the lessons of no-self, mindfulness, and meditation can lead to a relief of our own suffering, and also make us more compassionate because we then have room to be more in tune with the suffering of others. However, once we become more perceptive to the suffering of...

Thank you for your response Vajradhara. I will investigate the link you provided as well! :) -Daniel

Thanks Path, I've only recently learned of the term myself. It can be read about on Wikipedia, and there are some videos about it on YouTube as well.

I have read something recently that seemed to suggest that the concept of Nirvana is found in Mahayana Buddhism, but not a part of Theravada Buddhism - is this true or have I got the wrong impression? Secondly, it does seem that Liberation is a concept in Theravada Buddhism. If so, then what is...

The argument would indeed logically apply if the words of the gospels were taken literally, as inerrant reports of history, and as one sequential whole. However, many of those who look into the origins of the biblical source material in an archaeological sense, who do not have a predisposed...

Suppose there was a religion that is agnostic with regards to God and an afterlife, and even with respect to whether or not Jesus was a literal historical person. But they call themselves Christians because they follow many of the ethical and lifestyle teachings of Jesus. This, to me, seems...

I think we too agree on these matters Muslimwoman :) As for the Michael Richards (Seinfeld comedian) incident, let me see if I can analyze this from the point of view I've been discussing... Normally, a person can use the N-word or say what they like. Commonly accepted exceptions would be...