Do you fear God?

[Anguille]

Oh, excuse me folks!!!! I forgot that this is the thread I'm not supposed to post in.

 

[Sky Dancer]

I didn't know Buddha was a god. That's interesting. Here's something else that's interesting:



That's from The religion of Buddhism

As for the rest, this isn't about what I know about anything, I expressed myself on the subject at hand in the OP and I'm wanting to hear others views about fearing God, not very special kinds of human beings. If you think it's an important topic maybe you should start a thread about it instead of continuing to try to derail this 1.

Like I said, you'd rather argue Buddhism with a Buddhist, find another Buddhist to do it with lol. I wouldn't dream of debating bible teachings with a Jew or a Christian because I have too much respect for people who practice those faiths.

That's what I mean about your lack of respect. It's one sided only.

You can find whatever links you wish to, but I am offering a point of view as a person practicing in a specific tradition of Buddhism, one that looks for ways to connect with others--rather than descend into sectarianism--which always leads to war.

I have offered a way to find common ground--you reject it. That's fine. It's your choice. I'm suggesting you look at what God is in the most expansive way possible. When that happens, concepts about God (which are not God) labels and names fall away and all that remains is resting in equipoise in the present moment, 24/7. It's a possibility when you think outside narrow sectarianism.

Sectarianism, fundamentalism, the kind of Christianity you practice as a Baptis, all have their place, and are useful. I respect your choice.

I assert my interest in theological and religious discussions, and I will participate to the best of my ability in these discussions. I'm looking for common ground. Buddhist teachings say that Buddha is always present--but rarely seen and in every being. Christians say all are God's children. I hear common ground in those statements. Do you miss it?

If you'd rather not consider my comments or questions, it's your choice. I'm also communicating with other members.

It's extremely disrespectful of others to ask them questions and then provide your own argumentative answer which has nothing to do with the teachings I've recieved and practiced. If you want to be respected, learn to be respectful.

Buddha refers to two things--a state of consciousness or being--(is God not called Being?) and the historical figure who had realization of that state and who taught the path leading to it's moment to moment experience. The historical Buddha was indeed a special being, like Jesus is to you, and Mohammed is to Muslims.

WTF are you talking about?

You said Buddha is a god, so is Buddaha a god or not?

It is not disrespectful to provide an opinion, it's common message board etiquette.

What is the way you tried to find common ground?

I wrote a thoughtful post, and you've chosen to ignore it. Fine. Your choice. Express whatever opiniions you like. I'm just saying that I don't challenge Christian beliefs out of respect for them. I'm not here to challenge Christians about their beliefs, and to find links to contradict their own understanding of what God means to them. There are tons of scriptures in the Bible that appear to contradict one another, but it is up to Christians to resolve those contradtions through their spiritual methods.

Or you can offer opinion about the content of the post, and ask how it relates to the topic, "Do you fear God?"
From my own experience in practicing meditation, which is the art of connecting in the present moment with what is a transcendent state of being, (perhaps you label transcendence as God?) I find there is fear present. Because to do so is to lose that solid sense of ego identity.


Is Buddha a god or not? That depends on what you think 'God' is. You've said you think God is love, if that is your belief, then by your definition, Buddha is like God. Love is not solid, it is a state of consciousness, it is a mental factor. In that regard, Buddha is like God in that both by these definitions are states of being or consciousness.

The opening question "WTF are you talking about?" doesn't seem particularly respectful in a conversation about God or Buddha.

I remember my catetchism, as a child.

What is God? The answer was: "God is a supreme being who made all things."

Now, asking questions about what that actually means was a dissatisfying experience for me as a child. I was told to not ask questions and to take everything on faith.

Now when I read that catetchism Q and A, informed by 30 years of Buddhist teachings, contemplations and training, I have a way to translate that question and answer that I find deeply satisying.

If you scratch beneath the surface of spiritual teachings in all the great traditions, you can find common ground.

 

[Sky Dancer]

Oh, excuse me folks!!!! I forgot that this is the thread I'm not supposed to post in.

Get the heck out of here, you heathen! If you're not a Muslim, Jew or Christian you have nothing worthwhile to contribute!

 

[Sky Dancer]

It's totally lame that kalam and others are using the same old tired argument that their religion isn't violent, that it's a small group of hard core militants, that most people aren't like that...

Why is that lame when it's true?

http://www.muslimwestfacts.com/mwf/File/109477/Mainstream_Extremist_Views.pdf

Don't let factual data get in the way of your preconceptions, though. By all means, continue your pitiful attempts to degrade my religious beliefs without having actually read the Qur'an. You'll have much better luck among the "everything my holy book says is literally correct" crowd, but you do what you want.

This is the point I was trying to make to Amanda. I wouldn't dream of challenging a Muslim about teachings in your holy book, the Qu'ran, because I haven't studied it, and I have no personal experience practicing Islam.

Do you think it's possible that the God of the Qur'an and the God of the Christian and Jewish holy books is the same God?

What is Allah, to you?

How is Allah conceived of and thought about? Is Allah solid? Can Allah be found within your own heart and mind this very moment?

If so, that Allah and Buddha have some things in common.

 

[HUGGY]

There is no god therefore this thread does not exist.

 

[Sky Dancer]

Yes, it is irrational. It also does little to increase tolerance and understanding of the ways we differ and are similar in our beliefs.

 

[AllieBaba]

It's totally lame that kalam and others are using the same old tired argument that their religion isn't violent, that it's a small group of hard core militants, that most people aren't like that...

Why is that lame when it's true?

http://www.muslimwestfacts.com/mwf/File/109477/Mainstream_Extremist_Views.pdf

Don't let factual data get in the way of your preconceptions, though. By all means, continue your pitiful attempts to degrade my religious beliefs without having actually read the Qur'an. You'll have much better luck among the "everything my holy book says is literally correct" crowd, but you do what you want.

If it were truly a primarily peaceful religion, the peaceniks would have the advantage of numbers, and instead of pissing and moaning about being unfairly targeted by the people your nuts are slaughtering, you would take care of the issue yourselves.

But you don't. You instead support them, financially, emotionally, and geographically.

Besides which, all one has to do is look at the Koran to know it's not a peaceful religion. It's the religion of "Lying to your face if it gets you what you want".

Great religion.

 

[Sky Dancer]

There is no god therefore this thread does not exist.

That's funny.

It's also true in the ultimate sense, but that would be an entire inquiry on its own. Existence and non-existence, both or neither.

What I'd call the four extreme views.

Does God exist? Yes and No.

That's what fundamentalists cannot do. Be comfortable with yes and no answers. Sometimes, both yes and no answers are true. It depends on how you look at it.

 

[Sky Dancer]

It's totally lame that kalam and others are using the same old tired argument that their religion isn't violent, that it's a small group of hard core militants, that most people aren't like that...

Why is that lame when it's true?

http://www.muslimwestfacts.com/mwf/File/109477/Mainstream_Extremist_Views.pdf

Don't let factual data get in the way of your preconceptions, though. By all means, continue your pitiful attempts to degrade my religious beliefs without having actually read the Qur'an. You'll have much better luck among the "everything my holy book says is literally correct" crowd, but you do what you want.

If it were truly a primarily peaceful religion, the peaceniks would have the advantage of numbers, and instead of pissing and moaning about being unfairly targeted by the people your nuts are slaughtering, you would take care of the issue yourselves.

But you don't. You instead support them, financially, emotionally, and geographically.

Besides which, all one has to do is look at the Koran to know it's not a peaceful religion. It's the religion of "Lying to your face if it gets you what you want".

Great religion.

In terms of finding common ground, I think we can all agree, that we want to put an end to terrorism and war and evil done in the name of religion.
All you're doing is pointing the finger at someone else. Do you have control over every Christian on earth? Why not use your own religion to work on yourself?
That's the purpose of religion. To completely tame your own mind--not to engage in war with others.

Why not use your posts to demonstrate your Christ-like qualities if you're a Christian?

 

[AllieBaba]

No, that's your opinion of the purpose of religion.

Not mine.

My motive in pointing fingers is to halt a religion which is also a political machine, whose sole objective is to take over the world, and to either convert or kill all those who don't fall in.

 

[Sky Dancer]

No, that's your opinion of the purpose of religion.

Not mine.

My motive in pointing fingers is to halt a religion which is also a political machine, whose sole objective is to take over the world, and to either convert or kill all those who don't fall in.

What is the purpose of religion to you? Isn't it about being less harmful?

Aren't you trying to convert or win over Kalam to your point of view? Aren't you in favor of killing Muslims?

Don't some Christians also have a world domination agenda? Aren't Christians in the US a political machine? Of course they are. Bush wouldn't have been elected without the Christian right.

Didn't Bush consider Iraq evil and start a war inspite of the fact that the terrorists were in Afghanistan?

If you're trying to win someone over to your point of view, using hateful rhetoric doesn't usually accomplish your aim.

 

[AllieBaba]

No, the purpose of my religion is NOT to be less harmful, whatever the hell that means. The purpose of my faith is to praise God. And nowhere in my Bible does it tell CHristians to hunt down non-Christians and kill them. Nowhere in my bible does it tell us that it's okay to lie if it furthers the cause.

No, Christians are not a world domination denomination, what utter nonsense. If they were, the missionaries all over the world who suffer and die at the hands of Muslims would be fighting back, building stockades, shipping in weapons and blowing up cafes and trains, like the Muslims do.

You're sorely lacking on anything even approaching rationality on this (and anything else). You have created your own world. Go live in it. Let the grown ups deal with the really important stuff.

 

[AllieBaba]

And btw, every one of your posts is filled with hateful (and amazingly ignorant) rhetoric. You're as relentlessly stupid as Bobo and the others who think that just saying something makes it so, if it's you saying it.

You're wrong, and foolish.

 

[Sky Dancer]

No, the purpose of my religion is NOT to be less harmful, whatever the hell that means. The purpose of my faith is to praise God. And nowhere in my Bible does it tell CHristians to hunt down non-Christians and kill them. Nowhere in my bible does it tell us that it's okay to lie if it furthers the cause.

No, Christians are not a world domination denomination, what utter nonsense. If they were, the missionaries all over the world who suffer and die at the hands of Muslims would be fighting back, building stockades, shipping in weapons and blowing up cafes and trains, like the Muslims do.

You're sorely lacking on anything even approaching rationality on this (and anything else). You have created your own world. Go live in it. Let the grown ups deal with the really important stuff.

1. Doesn't Christ say love one another?

2. Praising God, doesn't that mean praising qualities of compassion and love? Wouldn't that also mean finding common ground, and finding the loving heart that exists in people of other religions--like Muslims. Wouldn't it mean praising goodness and looking for evidence of goodness everywhere?

3. Why do Christians establish missions if not to convert others. Isn't the goal to have every human being on earth be a Christian, or to bow in obedience to Christian dogma?

4. We all co-create our world together. Right now, we have co-created religious wars between Jews and Muslims. We have an equal responsibility to create peace in our world. Let's do that. Criticising an entire religion doesn't make peace. Having continual tantrums and continually using putdowns is not very grown up. I can't think of anything more grown up then peace making.

 

[Sky Dancer]

And btw, every one of your posts is filled with hateful (and amazingly ignorant) rhetoric. You're as relentlessly stupid as Bobo and the others who think that just saying something makes it so, if it's you saying it.

You're wrong, and foolish.

What's wrong and foolish is to make blanket statements like that. EVERYONE of my posts is filled with hateful rhetoric? Please demonstrate a hateful post I have made today. I must have posted about five to eight times by now.

Link please.

 

[AllieBaba]

No, the purpose of my religion is NOT to be less harmful, whatever the hell that means. The purpose of my faith is to praise God. And nowhere in my Bible does it tell CHristians to hunt down non-Christians and kill them. Nowhere in my bible does it tell us that it's okay to lie if it furthers the cause.

No, Christians are not a world domination denomination, what utter nonsense. If they were, the missionaries all over the world who suffer and die at the hands of Muslims would be fighting back, building stockades, shipping in weapons and blowing up cafes and trains, like the Muslims do.

You're sorely lacking on anything even approaching rationality on this (and anything else). You have created your own world. Go live in it. Let the grown ups deal with the really important stuff.

1. Doesn't Christ say love one another?

2. Praising God, doesn't that mean praising qualities of compassion and love? Wouldn't that also mean finding common ground, and finding the loving heart that exists in people of other religions--like Muslims. Wouldn't it mean praising goodness and looking for evidence of goodness everywhere?

3. Why do Christians establish missions if not to convert others. Isn't the goal to have every human being on earth be a Christian, or to bow in obedience to Christian dogma?

4. We all co-create our world together. Right now, we have co-created religious wars between Jews and Muslims. We have an equal responsibility to create peace in our world. Let's do that. Criticising an entire religion doesn't make peace. Having continual tantrums and continually using putdowns is not very grown up. I can't think of anything more grown up then peace making.

Christ tells us to love each other and our enemies. I do. THat doesn't mean I have to support them in what I know is wrong.

Praising God means praising God, the being. Not praising "compassion and whatever". It means praising God, personally, with my actions and my voice.

Christians establish missions to save others. However, those missionaries don't consider themselves on a holy mission to kill all those who won't be converted.

Your co-creations crap is simply ridiculous gobbledygook that doesn't even deserve an answer. Answer it yourself, you're the only one who gives it any merit.

 

[AllieBaba]

Why is that lame when it's true?

http://www.muslimwestfacts.com/mwf/File/109477/Mainstream_Extremist_Views.pdf

Don't let factual data get in the way of your preconceptions, though. By all means, continue your pitiful attempts to degrade my religious beliefs without having actually read the Qur'an. You'll have much better luck among the "everything my holy book says is literally correct" crowd, but you do what you want.

If it were truly a primarily peaceful religion, the peaceniks would have the advantage of numbers, and instead of pissing and moaning about being unfairly targeted by the people your nuts are slaughtering, you would take care of the issue yourselves.

But you don't. You instead support them, financially, emotionally, and geographically.

Besides which, all one has to do is look at the Koran to know it's not a peaceful religion. It's the religion of "Lying to your face if it gets you what you want".

Great religion.

In terms of finding common ground, I think we can all agree, that we want to put an end to terrorism and war and evil done in the name of religion.
All you're doing is pointing the finger at someone else. Do you have control over every Christian on earth? Why not use your own religion to work on yourself?
That's the purpose of religion. To completely tame your own mind--not to engage in war with others.

Why not use your posts to demonstrate your Christ-like qualities if you're a Christian?

I am demonstrating my Christ-like qualities. If that doesn't jibe with your wrong imagination of what it means to be Christian, that's not my problem.

THe purpose of religion is not to tame one's mind. THat may be the purpose of your religion. I'd say you need to work on it, though, since you are less than a perfect Buddhist yourself, given your sexual orientation. I don't think you're really the person to be preaching about "taming one's mind".

There is only one true religion. It's purpose is to praise and glorify God, to protect the weak, to stand up for what is right. Despite criticism, despite attack, despite torture, despite death. So when you try to bastardize God and morph him into something palatable to your personally, when you try to demonize my religion and imply it's no different that any other, it is my duty to stand up and say "this is who God is, and this is what it means to be a Christian".

Despite your attempts to convince me I'm wrong and you somehow have an insight, as a non-believer and anti-Christian, that I lack.

Read the bible and then get back to me about what it means to be a Christian.

 

[Gurdari]

Right, I don't care what atheists or other non-believers have to say on the subject. if I was going to buy a Toyota Camry I'd want to talk to people that owned them, not people that drive Chevy Suburbans.

You couldn't derail what was derailed since the 1st page. Thanks to all the atheists and non-believers for being respectful. Oh wait, you weren't, nm.

I thought I answered your question, and was respectful - how did I derail anything?

As for picking out a new car - why not ask those who refused to buy the Camry what their reasons were?

Isn't more information better than less?

 

[Gurdari]

Nice, Tofu Brains.........you have managed to butcher and fuck up yet another thing.........

The SaTan isn't so much an evil person as he is a prosecutor. If you'd actually bother to read the Bible, you'd understand that.

Whenever a person sins, the SaTan is there to go tell God what happened and that is what sets you up to be judged.

Like I said.......prosecutor, or district attorney if you will.

So, God had his DA tempt Jesus? And Job? And Adam/Eve? Is that entrapment?

 

[Gurdari]

Here's a novel idea... why don't you go join a muslim board and tell all your kind to KNOCK IT OFF... then maybe the world could see some peace. Oh that's right, you people have been KILLING each other and INFIDELS for THOUSANDS OF YEARS.... fat chance the world will EVER see you people stop the killing.

Pesky Muslims and their army bases in our lands... so aggressive! And when we try to make UN resolutions protecting people, they just veto them!!!


I'm right there with ya, Pale.