Faith... to what/whom?

[Carbonated_Brains]

"God Shuffled His Feet"
--Crash Test Dummies

After seven days
He was quite tired so God said:
"Let there be a day
Just for picnics, with wine and bread"
He gathered up some people he had made
Created blanket and laid back in the shade

The people sipped their wine
And what with God there, they asked him questions
Like: do you have to eat
Or get your hair cut in heaven?
And if your eye got poked out in this life
Would it be waiting up in heaven with your wife?

God shuffled his feet and glanced around at them;
The people cleared their throats and stared right back at him

So he said:"Once there was a boy
Who woke up with blue hair
To him it was a joy
Until he ran out into the warm air
He thought of how his friend would come to see;
And would they laugh, or had he got some strange disease?

God shuffled his feet and glanced around at them;
The people cleared their throats and stared right back at him

The people sat waiting
Out on their blankets in the garden
But God said nothing
So someone asked him:"I beg your pardon:
I'm not quite clear about what you just spoke
What that a parable, or a very subtle joke?"

God shuffled his feet and glanced around at them;
The people cleared their throats and stared right back at him

[lookout123]

if we find the person who gets all the jokes does that prove the existence of God?

Originally posted by perth
Speaking of Buddha, do we have any Buddhists here?

Well, there's me, but I am the humblest of "stream entrants."

Originally posted by xoxoxoBruce
Nonsense, I'm right here.

"Namaste'", Bruce. The Buddha Nature within me salutes the Buddha Nature within you.

[warch]

faith in humanity...but the damn power hungry religious zealots and evangelists keep warping it.

[xoxoxoBruce]

And the Flames.

Originally posted by perth
Jag, out of curiousity, from what I'fe read of Buddhism it seems to me that it's more of a philosophy than a religion. Is that accurate?

I imagine Christianity can be argued to be a philosophy as well, but the distinction I'm trying to make is that my understanding of Buddhism indicates that there is no faith in a diety required. That Buddha is treated as more of an enlightened man, deserving of admiration and respect, but no more so than any other "good" person.

Since Jag has probably gone to sleep and I have nothing better to do, I'll attempt to answer your question, Perth.

Buddhism in its purest form is very akin to philosophy. The Buddha himself never claimed to be a deity. When asked what he was, the Buddha merely replied, "I am awake." In one of the Buddhist teaching stories the students of the Buddha asked him about God and the after life. The Buddha replied, "Some things are unknowable by man. What you must concentrate on is what you are doing now, in this moment. You worry about this or that. This may happen, now that. This may be the afterlife or that. A man who occupies his mind so throws his life away because he no longer lives in this moment. It is in this moment which we live. Nothing else need concern you."

There are no Buddhist equivalents to our Christian missionaries. Buddhists believe that if you wish to follow the Buddha's teachings (the dharma), you may do so. If you wish to follow some other path that's fine also. Buddhist monks did travel in much of India and China and Japan. The people of these regions altered Buddhist thought to meet their own needs. Tibetan Buddhism, for example, is very mystical with many Bodisattva's (Saints - sort of) and different manifestations of the Buddha which are worshipped as deities. Even Tibetan Buddhism, however, adheres to the basic Buddist teachings of the "4 Noble Truths" and the "Eightfold Noble Path" and "anhimsa" or non harming of all living beings.

End of lecture. If you want to know more than that its readily available thru a google search on the internet.

[perth]

Thanks Mari.

[wolf]

Thou art god.

Drink deeply.

[jaguar]

marichiko is right, I had gone to bed and she's done a good job of answering the question too.

I find buddhist philosophy rather enlightened (not intended as a bad pun or sorts) and have found it helpful in dealing with the world, to date the happiest/most content people I have met have been buddhist monks.

[xoxoxoBruce]

The vibe I get from Buddists is, don't worry, be happy, take everything in stride and it will be what it will be.
Bet the Gumint would like us all to be Buddists.

[lumberjim]

Originally posted by Radar
Bigfoot must exist. I know there are no bigfoot bones, and no proof, but there are trees and rocks and mountains and only bigfoot could have made them so that proves he must exist. Look at the perfect shape of a pinecone and tell me there's no bigfoot to create it.

How else could we have trees and rocks and mountains if bigfoot didn't create them?

NICE!

but i bet bigfoot won't condemn you to an eternity of tortuous damnation if you fail to believe in him in this life.

tom, your post is indicitive of the idiocy of most christians that give their religion a bad name.

not to say that there aren't any christians that understand the personal nature of spirituality and respect other people's belief systems. there are several here that "get it". you, apparently are not among them. When you put up a poll like that, and then give us "the right answer".....what's the point of the poll?

the fact that you have faith in The Lord is fine and dandy with me....I hope you and God have a fine time up in heaven if you don't fuck it up in this 60+ years that you'll live on earth. But don't try to tell me that I'm wrong about what I believe and you're right. thats just stupid and hypocritical.

the natural phenomenon that you listed as proof could just as likely be coincedental. In fact, it's more likely that they are...mathmatically speaking. I mean, listing the constellations as proof? what are you retarded? we drew pictures around the stars, and wrote the stories to go with them.....and they only vaguely resemble the characters or GODS (non christian gods, of course) that they were originally named for. that's not proof! it's not even admissable as evidence......

[lumberjim]

sorry... i wasn't done yet....

if the natural world is proof enough for you, that's just super.

it's not for me. I think "god's" involvement in our planet ended when he/she/it created whatever went BANG in the big bang.....but i can't prove it.

[xoxoxoBruce]

But don't try to tell me that I'm wrong about what I believe and you're right. thats just stupid and hypocritical.

Jim, you have to understand, that to be a true Christian, a person has to have absolute faith. If they say “that’s what I believe, but I could be wrong and you could be right”, then they don’t have absolute faith, hence are not true Christians. While I do maintain that Christians that feel they must save everyone else’s soul, are the most obnoxious people on earth, I understand why they can’t accept that you *might* be right in your beliefs. It’s a catch 22. What you believe, you’ve derived by what you feel is a logical thought process and apparently are offended that they won’t say you could be right, therefore casting aspersions on your thinking ability. But that’s not true. Actually it would be hypocritical of them to say you might be right.

[lumberjim]

Originally posted by xoxoxoBruce
Jim, you have to understand, that to be a true Christian, a person has to have absolute faith. If they say “that’s what I believe, but I could be wrong and you could be right”, then they don’t have absolute faith, hence are not true Christians. While I do maintain that Christians that feel they must save everyone else’s soul, are the most obnoxious people on earth, I understand why they can’t accept that you *might* be right in your beliefs. It’s a catch 22. What you believe, you’ve derived by what you feel is a logical thought process and apparently are offended that they won’t say you could be right, therefore casting aspersions on your thinking ability. But that’s not true. Actually it would be hypocritical of them to say you might be right.

i can't beleive that that never dawned on me. what a razors edge to walk.....thanks, bruce

i understand better now. no, really. thanks