<p>I’m sure the Antgod will make a point of making my life miserable. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Megaman123: Thanks for your kind words.</p>
<p>DRab, one of the reasons Buddhism is seen as a philosophy rather than a religion as opposed to other world religions is that there is no ‘faith’ involved in Buddhism (or atleast in the type of Buddhism I practice; once again I stress the variety in Buddhist practices around the world). One word that is often used interchangeably with religion is ‘faith’. Christianity, Islam, Judaism or Hindhuism clearly can be called ‘faiths’, as faith in one thing or other is an integral part of each of these religions, for example, the belief and faith in a god or gods (note I am not saying that having faith is a bad thing - on the other hand having strong faith in something can be quite healthy). However, in Buddhism, there is no such faith, or belief that a follower must have. In fact, the Buddha criticised blind faith in him, and in one famous sermon he said that if we just ‘believe’ in everything he said he would not have served his purpose. Instead, we are told to practice ourselves and find out for ourselves whether there is any truth in Buddhism. Hence, Buddhism is not a faith, or religion, so it is (for better or worse) labelled a philosophy. Of course you could argue that other religions are philosophies too, but they would be “religious philosophies” as they entail faith. This is exactly what we mean by the word “religion” anyway so iit would actually be redundant to describe a religion, for example Islam, with those words. </p>
<p>oh, and The Spank King, if you see Buddhism as a joke, and have a few nice laughs at it, I’m happy for you, as you seem to find happiness in laughing at it. In that way, Buddhism serves its purpose in making your life just a little better. :)</p>
<p>Icicle,</p>
<p>Do you practice a form of Theravada or Mahayana Buddhism?</p>
<p>Well i follow Theravada Buddhism, but perhaps saying “practice” would be too generous. After all, if i was truly practicing Theravada Buddhism, I would be in some forest monestary meditating (Theravada Buddhism does not really leave much for lay people). Though my life and my thoughts are dominated by Buddhism, I am yet to take that step away from attachment and suffering. What can I say?, I’m trapped in life, that illusion. :)</p>
<p>Oh and something i should have said earlier when i was talking about religion and philosophy: in my view, all religions are, by definition, philosophies, but all philosophies are not religions (for reasons given in my earlier post). Therefore certain forms of Buddhism cannot be called religions, but the “philosophy” label fits.</p>
<p>I have a hypothetical question. If God were to not exist, then why does the human race have a natural curiosity of a God? If we were just animals in this evolutionary chain, then surely we would not have the mental capabilities to even comprehend aod. How did the idea of God come to being? Indeed, atheist or not, we have at some point asked the question of a theological presence.
Ug the caveman worshipped the sun because he knew a God was behind all of this. Natural curiosity, anyone?
John Dewey, a progressive educator, said we should follow our “animal” instincts and forget ideals and morals. I wonder how he can explain a curiosity of a higher being.
I want to add a new religion here to discuss. This religion is called humanism. What are the doctrines of humanism, y’all?</p>
<p>Humanism isn’t really a religion, per se; most secular humanists would actually consider themselves atheist. A humanist would probably spend more time helping people than she would in a church.</p>
<p>Justinian 1-- your questions have actually been used by philosophers and theologians to prove the existence of God.</p>
<p>C.S Lewis goes further and explains our curiosity for God/meaning in terms of a desire for God/meaning; we wouldn’t desire something if it didn’t exist (think of hunger as the desire for food, for example). Therefore, God exists.</p>
<p>Little kids wonder about Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy…Thus, they must exist.</p>
<p>I also wonder about unicorns, Tooth Fairies, and Santa, but they don’t exist. </p>
<p>It’s desire that Lewis is talking about. And it’s no good to say that children “desire” Santa etc, because you’re exactly right, they “wonder” and think about them. </p>
<p>To desire is to want, to wonder is to consider. </p>
<p>In any case, this is Lewis’ argument for the existence of God. Personally, I prefer Pascal’s practicality when it comes to God.</p>
<p>Pascal’s wager has too many flaws to be taken seriously.</p>
<p>You’re right. Good thing there’s C.S Lewis, Aquinas, Aristotle, Augustine, Descartes, Anselm etc…to fall back on.</p>
<p>And good thing there are Hume, William of Occam, Sartre, Dawkins, Diderot, Popper, Russel, The Bible, The Quaran, reason and logic to fall back on as well.</p>
<p>That’s right, so get reading (and include a bit of what you’ve learned in your future posts–it will give them a little shizzle).</p>
<p>It may even be a bit of help if you read some scholarly material from the theological/philosophical perspective:</p>
<p>1) Seyyed Hossein Nasr
2) Marshal G. S. Hodgson
3) G. K. Chesterton
4) Richard Swinburne
5) Alvin Plantinga
6) Etienne Gilson
7) William Chittick
8) Martin Lings
9) Huston Smith
10) Jaroslav Pelikan</p>
<p> to name a few of those I have relied onall of whom were Professors from elite universities scholars.</p>
<p>Im currently reading Daniel Dennetts Breaking the Spell, because I like to know both perspectives. How about you?</p>
<p>Nothing philosophical…Saddam’s Bombmaker and The Skeptical Environmentalist.</p>
<p>I should have elaborated, Fountain Siren. I am a devout theist. I was just trying to challenge the atheists by presenting them with this question.</p>
<p>1.) Jesus was a Jew, so why a whole new faith?</p>
<p>Jews don’t believe the New Testament. No revelation, no dying for your sins, just laws given by God for life on earth. People used to gain entrance to heaven by obeying laws and sacrifice, but after Jesus died on the cross for us, that is no longer the case. Jews don’t believe this.</p>
<p>2.) Why are there so many sects when the doctrine in the Old and New Testaments is fixed?</p>
<p>Thats just like asking why there are republicans and democrats when we’re in the same country and under the same constitution. There are different interpretations of the Bible. For example, old school catholics thought transubstantiation was real, whereas Baptists didn’t. Same faith (christians), different views.
4.) Mormons dont belive Jesus is God’s son. Does that mean they’re not really Christian?</p>
<p>The word christian is thrown around way to often these days. People now think just a basic belief in Jesus means you’re a christain. If they don’t believe Jesus is God’s son, then it’s impossible for them to get into heaven because you need to believe in your heart that Jesus died for you, and accept Him as your Savior. (somewhere in acts thats found).</p>
<p>5.) Tell me more about the Christian’s perception on the Day of Judgement.</p>
<p>Book of Revelation - it’s in the New Testament, so Jews don’t believe it. All who have accepted Jesus as their savior will be instantly raptured to heaven, as well as those who are too young to be able to understand all of this. This also includes some people who have a mental disorder of some kind and can’t comprehend the Bible. Long story short, we get raptured, antichrist comes, 7 year peace treaty, 3 1/2 peaceful, 3 1/2 not so peaceful, you got these 2 prophets who get killed and lay in the streets for a while, antichrist defeated, satan sent to bottomless pit for 1000 years, New Jerusalem, etc. Kinda complicated, but its all there in Revelation. Pretty easy to find, just about 15 pages in the back of the Bible.</p>
<p>6.) Christian doctrines are contradictory to the theory of evolution, so why do Christians believe in the theory? Does that mean that the Word of God is unreliable?</p>
<p>Any “christian” who believes in evolution is no christian at all. The Bible clearly states that God created the world in 6 (not 7 justinian 
) days, and if you’re not going to believe in the first chapter of the Bible, why believe any of it. Christian evolutionists are a joke.</p>
<p>People love stuff like Buddhism because not only does it preach peace, but throughout history we’ve seen nothing but peace. Christianity and Islam have always been fighting, and it won’t stop anytime soon.</p>
<p>Elitism, the Bible clearly states a lot of things, but what if one were to interpret it as metaphor and figureative speech in parts, and not all literal? That would to you, as it were, make one un Christian?</p>
<p>The only reason Christianity has supposedly “caused” wars is to justify an act of an unscrupulous politician, king, or prince. The fault does not lie upon the Bible, but the person who used the Scripture as a tool to benefit himself.
True, the Crusades were declared in the name of God, however the true epicenter of the war lay again upon man’s desire to conquer more. Even today, the Scriptures are used injustly by politicians to better themselves. Must we blame the Bible upon this wrong doing? The Bible is a very peace loving book.</p>
<p>Elitism, I couldn’t agree more with you in regards to evolution and Christianity. Theistic evolution is a “joke”. I am glad someone finally agrees with me with regards to this issue.</p>