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DaisyDeadhead · (This post was last modified: 10-10-2011 04:35 PM by DaisyDeadhead.)

(10-10-2011 04:11 PM)steve95054 Wrote: Given that the Buddha lived and died before Christ (as did Lao Tzu, for Taoism, which is roughly in the same boat re: Christianity), this is not surprising. I think he was a good man who, like Lao Tzu, Plato, etc., got as far as he could given his circumstances (being outside of Israel before Christ came). He was wrong on a few things.

And I understand a lot of the modern desire to ditch "Christianity" -- that is, fundamentalism in it's various forms co-opting the name of Christ for something completely anathema to Him -- in favor of Buddhism.

I was never a fundy, so I didn't ditch it. I was Catholic.

(10-10-2011 04:11 PM)steve95054 Wrote: Popular Buddhism is actually a lot closer to Christ.

You'll have to explain that one to me.

If it was, jumping ship would not be so hard for me and for others. It is wrenching in many ways, as is leaving fundamentalism for many of you. I finally had to face up to the fact that I was joining a minority religion/philosophy, when before, I was on the Big Team, LOL.

(I hadn't known until that point, that being on the Big Team really did matter to me.)

**senda wales** · 10-10-2011, 04:39 PM

I am exploring religions to an extent but I don't feel a strong desire to jump to Buddhism. Maybe part of it is that I AM culturally Buddhist, in a way, so it would seem silly to jump over to a Western-adopted Buddhism.

**senda wales** · (This post was last modified: 10-10-2011 04:43 PM by senda wales.)

(10-10-2011 04:26 PM)DaisyDeadhead Wrote: I love the idea of honoring ancestors and have only recently begun to do so. On my blog, my obituaries are some of people's favorite pieces, and that is what first gave me the idea, that I could contribute in my own way. Writing about people is a way of honoring them also.

We have a couple of designated days/weeks every year where we all visit the cemetery (even after death our racial heritages influences where we're buried in America), clean up the gravestones, burn incense, light firecrackers, and eat food. Afterwards many families will go out for lunch or dinner in Chinatown or wherever. It's more like a big party than a mourning. It's a little bit like the Day of the Dead, I guess.

DaisyDeadhead · 10-10-2011, 04:49 PM

(10-10-2011 04:43 PM)senda wales Wrote:
(10-10-2011 04:26 PM)DaisyDeadhead Wrote: I love the idea of honoring ancestors and have only recently begun to do so. On my blog, my obituaries are some of people's favorite pieces, and that is what first gave me the idea, that I could contribute in my own way. Writing about people is a way of honoring them also.

We have a couple of designated days/weeks every year where we all visit the cemetery (even after death our racial heritages influences where we're buried in America), clean up the gravestones, burn incense, light firecrackers, and eat food. Afterwards many families will go out for lunch or dinner in Chinatown or wherever. It's more like a big party than a mourning. It's a little bit like the Day of the Dead, I guess.

I always go to Mass on Day of the Dead (All Saints Day) and sign the book, entering the names of the dead for All Souls Day prayers. I could *never* skip such a thing! (Especially as I get older, and more and more people I know have died in the past year.)

I think these things remind us of who we are. Cool

PS: When fundies tell me ____ is pagan (pick something, as you know, there is never-ending stream of things), I tellem fireworks are pagan-derived too, did they know that? Do they go to fireworks displays on the 4th of July? Busted! Big Grin

DaisyDeadhead · 10-10-2011, 04:59 PM

(10-10-2011 04:39 PM)senda wales Wrote: I am exploring religions to an extent but I don't feel a strong desire to jump to Buddhism. Maybe part of it is that I AM culturally Buddhist, in a way, so it would seem silly to jump over to a Western-adopted Buddhism.

There are lots of Asian Buddhists here in the USA, but a there appears to be a rift between the two categories, as well as rifts between various schools in general. Its hard to quantify and describe it, but its there for sure. ("School" would be the word for denomination in Buddhism) As you undoubtedly know, unlike Christianity, it is decidedly *not cool* to be outwardly aggressive and critical, so you have to learn to READ BETWEEN THE LINES! Big Grin

You know what's weird? Well, not WEIRD I guess, but very notable and interesting... lots of lots of Western Buddhists are Jews. Some of the best texts and translations are by Jews. Allen Ginsburg and that whole crowd pioneered it here in the USA...

Not sure why that is. Anybody got any ideas?

amyrose5 · 10-10-2011, 05:03 PM

(10-10-2011 04:02 PM)DaisyDeadhead Wrote: You reminded me: I once gave this class at a local health food store on weight loss and every time I would say "we evolved to crave fat and carbs" (note: we did) --some fundies in attendance would pipe up, "CREATED!" and keep correcting me every time I said it. I ignored them but kept saying it... hey, this is *my* class, you know? I can say what I want... but they clearly wanted to hear about the issue but not on MY terms, so they stayed in the class.

Totally off-topic....but when I taught at the Christian school, I was introducing a section on the history of the English language and told my class that languages "evolve" over time.

It set off a major incident with complaining students, angry parents and a meeting with the principal, two school board members, five parents and two students confronting my worthiness to teach there.

DaisyDeadhead · 10-10-2011, 05:07 PM

(10-10-2011 05:03 PM)amyrose5 Wrote:
(10-10-2011 04:02 PM)DaisyDeadhead Wrote: You reminded me: I once gave this class at a local health food store on weight loss and every time I would say "we evolved to crave fat and carbs" (note: we did) --some fundies in attendance would pipe up, "CREATED!" and keep correcting me every time I said it. I ignored them but kept saying it... hey, this is *my* class, you know? I can say what I want... but they clearly wanted to hear about the issue but not on MY terms, so they stayed in the class.

Totally off-topic....but when I taught at the Christian school, I was introducing a section on the history of the English language and told my class that languages "evolve" over time.

It set off a major incident with complaining students, angry parents and a meeting with the principal, two school board members, five parents and two students confronting my worthiness to teach there.

OMG, that is awful! And you were only discussing language! Sad

you get a point for that!

Elijah Craig · 10-10-2011, 11:05 PM

(10-10-2011 12:25 PM)senda wales Wrote: 3. For whatever reason I work well with drunk nerds.

This is what Francis Shaeffer would call "true truth."

steve95054 · 10-13-2011, 09:04 PM

(10-10-2011 04:34 PM)DaisyDeadhead Wrote:
(10-10-2011 04:11 PM)steve95054 Wrote: Popular Buddhism is actually a lot closer to Christ.
You'll have to explain that one to me.

I think a pretty good breakdown of it is here.

This comment on that post is especially good. Smile

**senda wales** · 10-23-2011, 12:16 AM

I read an interesting post on Quora discussing why/whether Steve Jobs chose to avoid conventional medicine and rely on alternative medicine instead, which made for ineffective cancer treatment. It reminded me of this discussion - perhaps the dark side of Buddhism or whatever particular spiritual ethos Jobs chose to adopt?

I am supportive of exploring alternative medicine when conventional medicine does not work. I think that there can be an overreliance on conventional/science-based medicine to the dismissal of alternative treatments. Modern medicine is too often used as the panacea to social, structural, or lifestyle problems. That said.... if I have cancer, I want hospitals and doctors treating it.