Comments on my April 6th Blog

Okee dokee. thanks for both of your comments. roadhzrd, it's nice to know that someone else senses the same feelings of dislike that i sense. i tell you, if an arabic driver held the door open for me or put out his hand to shake mine i think i'd crap my pants! truly, they have an entirely different set of rules. they seem to place a very low value on human life and especially the lives of women and children. They often seem very arrogant and disrespectful. You say "the different sects have been killing each other since the start of different religions." That's so true! Do you know what the difference is between the Sunnis and the Shia? The only difference is that each group had a different opinion about who should be the successor to Mohammed. That's it! That's what all this damned fighting that has gone on for centuries is about! American soldiers are getting killed in Iraq because of a disagreement that Muslims had hundreds of years ago. Kinda sad, ain't it? Really, we don't even live in the same world as these people, and so i agree with you that we have no business being in that country (as atriz256 probably agrees:)

Now atrix256, you have some great bytes of wisdom. i gather from what you say that you believe people often use religious differences as an excuse to hate others. this is true. when it comes down to it, i think we'd both agree that it's not so much what people *say* they believe as how they treat their neighbors. (and in this respect i think many of us fall way short. i myself very much, at least...) you cite buddhism as a religion that doesn't judge others and so it would be a good way to bring about peace among the nations of the world. the one great truth about buddhism is that it recognizes that desires are the root of suffering in this world. but the one great downfall of buddhism is that it seeks to eliminate desires. you speak about not judging, but the ironic fact is that buddhism is based on judgement at its very foundation. what is the noble eightfold path of buddhism?

Right Speech
Right Action
Right Livelihood
Right Effort/Exercise
Right Mindfulness/Awareness
Right Concentration
Right Thoughts
Right Understanding

these are noble goals indeed, but they all require *judgement*. what is *right* in any of these cases? right speech, right action- aren't these things incredibly subjective from our pov? who can say what is right? when we do this, aren't we making a judgement?

Furthermore:



I've never met a buddhist monk. but I have to question this, young paduwan. Jesus taught that if you look upon someone with anger in your heart you are guilty of hurting them. Do you believe this is true? I believe it because it comes from the Tao. And so the thought that *any* buddhist monk *never* had a bad feeling toward *anyone* is quite inconceivable. oh yes, i'm sure there are many monks who have abstained from doing violence to others. but then again, there are many monks who have taken up arms against their enemies.

frankly, i don't have the good of humanity in mind. i'm too busy trying to work out how to live each day in peace with my neighbors. it's a very difficult job. it's not so hard with buddhists, though. atheists aren't really that hard because you just have to avoid talking about god. mormons and jehovah's witnesses are pretty easy too. christian scientists are another matter. and fundamentalists can be a complete pain in the ass at times! muslims and hindus live in a different universe altogether. scientology isn't even a subject. blah blah, blah blah. and so we leave you all with one last question. Do you believe there are no absolutes? Are you *absolutely* sure??!!

Category Posted: General