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The Forum > Article Comments > Followers or thinkers? > Comments

Followers or thinkers? : Comments

By Ian Nance, published 14/3/2018

But isn’t Australia battling to choose between freedom of religion, and freedom from religion? Holy Guacamole! Just what in heaven’s name do you believe in?

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To Ian.

In your first page you mention teleology and explain it in the second page. But though you mean it as a criticism for religions with deities, you still hold it as true with the introduction of karma in page three. Or am I wrong and karma is not a form of teleology?

Honestly I see a good purpose of hearing out the wisdom of other people. Expecially if that wisdom has been distilled through history. With the good parts surviving through time, and the less wise or unwise parts either being forgotten or turned away from because through history those parts showed error or caused harm.

The wisdom of men distilled through history is not the greatest form of wisdom in my opinion, but it is a really good standard to consider none the less. By this I would consider certain creeds to be on the same level as Buddhist precepts, or even from the Budha himself.

However there is one other area worth considering too. History of religious people matching the more current history of Buddhist rulers. And that leads to certian Buddhists to seek closer to their roots. A simular behavior taken by Christians as well.

Though the precepts of Buddhism aren't that well known to me, I can say the teachings I know through Jesus in the gospels are of great merrit. I hope the precepts of Buddhism has good direction as well. However by your own article I can gather one thing those precepts lack. They lack God. In the end that is a very needed element. Though you might disagree consider the points observed above. Teleology in a deity and teleology in karma being simular. Wisdom from creeds of studied Christians and wisdom from studied Buddhists are probabley more on par then not. And finally the critism of history is shared by both Christian and Buddhist who failed to follow their own teachings.

I can look at much the same you have, but come to just the opposite conclusion. Thank God that I know God.
Posted by Not_Now.Soon, Saturday, 17 March 2018 6:03:43 PM
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Dear Not_Now.Soon,

«However by your own article I can gather one thing those precepts lack. They lack God.»

Buddhism only lack god(s), with a small 'g', not God.

Buddhism is an offshoot of Hinduism.
Hinduism uses gods as a means to focus one's devotion to God.
Judaism, Christianity and Islam use a specific god to focus on God, while rejecting all other gods.
Buddhism does not use any gods, it simply is not concerned with gods because it uses other means to focus on God.


Please read this beautiful story: http://aumamen.com/story/does-god-exist-a-story-of-buddha

I have some reservations about the conclusion of the above link:

"Moral of the story: Belief that there is God or belief that there is no God are both equally useless, one has to realize the truth in himself with diligent self-effort. Enlightened one had told each of them what they had to know in order for them to get stronger on their spiritual quest"

While I agree that belief in god(s) is useless when adopted merely as an intellectual exercise, in my view it CAN be beneficial when it is incorporated within a right system of practical teachings.

That page also points to other beautiful links, such as:

http://aumamen.com/story/only-experience-can-remove-pain
http://aumamen.com/story/four-holy-men-from-four-different-religions
http://aumamen.com/story/six-blind-men-who-come-to-find-out-what-an-elephant-is
http://aumamen.com/story/beyond-atheism-and-theism
Posted by Yuyutsu, Monday, 26 March 2018 7:33:57 PM
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Dear Yuyutsu,

A very interesting post that I can wholeheartidly agree with. Thanks for the link to aumamen that I did not know of.
Posted by George, Tuesday, 27 March 2018 12:22:38 AM
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