Phoenix University of Theology

I'm OK with that. Don't like hypocrites - regardless of faith or complete lack thereof. (Sigh). I try to avoid being one, insofar as it's humanly possible. :smile:

I like to think of hypocrisy and religion as unrelated --- but with some people, I'm not entirely sure...

J.

 

That pretty cool. My first MA Master/teacher was a Jesuit priest, and we had a cross on our gi patches. We were also taught about confucianism. Both can be observed in unison. In the old days, MA study required some form of religion or spiritual way/observance. That is starting to die off now. Believe it or not, I was once an altar boy as well, and in those days, bible study was required for 3-4 years before becoming altar. They even taught us some Latin back then.

Thanks for the link.

 

Yes - I've noticed the same thing with Buddhism. You can be Buddhist and something else, at the same time. I remember reading a copy of "Tricycle" - a well-known Buddhist magazine. I noticed one contributor was a Jesuit priest, another a Rabbi. Lots of Rabbis and Jewish scholars writing for the Buddhist press!

I'm not much on religion, but I do think such inclusivity always leads to good things.

So, they taught you some Latin? Good. I'm an anomaly, I guess. Raised Protestant (now no religion) but FIVE YEARS of Latin, in school. My Dad's orders. He had some weird idea that all doctors, lawyers and priests could speak Latin - and so if I learned it, I could talk to them and get out of trouble anywhere in the world. I was twelve - what could I say? Strangely, it turned out to be the greatest favour he ever did me - Requiescat in pace. :wink:

Latin helped get me interested in lots of other languages.

J.

 

Johann:

Requiescat in pace.

Abner:

Certus sum ipse requiescit in caelo

 

I just think of it as a way of life.

 

Nescio. :sad:

J.

* We really weren't on great terms... that had nothing to do with Latin, of course.

 

Yes. I've always heard that (and I believe in what Kizmet said, too.) There's a lot of evidence to support that view - e.g. I've been told it's OK for Buddhist purposes if you believe in a Supreme Being - or not. Not important. Wow. That makes them more inclusive than Freemasonry. The Masons require that belief.

One thing, though. There are plenty of Buddhist temples. To me - if they build temples, it's usually a religion. I guess exceptions can be made. :smile:

J.

 

Some definitions of religion do not require a God(s).

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/religion

 

Confucianism and Christianity

I mentioned something about this in an earlier post:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucianism

"Ever since Europeans first encountered Confucianism, the issue of how Confucianism should be classified has been subject to debate. In the 16th and the 17th centuries, the earliest European arrivals in China, the Christian Jesuits, considered Confucianism to be an ethical system, not a religion, and one that was compatible with Christianity.[82] The Jesuits, including Matteo Ricci, saw Chinese rituals as "civil rituals" that could co-exist alongside the spiritual rituals of Catholicism.[82]"

 

Maybe it's the Latin origin of the word "religion" that makes me uncomfortable. Literally, "religio" means "tied to" or "bargain."

As in "G*d - please send us good crops and help us destroy our enemies - and we'll make You a great sacrifice - a whole ox will go up in smoke on the altar."
(Cue music - "Smoke on the Altar" (?) by Deep Purple :smile: )

That's the way it was in Roman and pre-Roman times and I think there's still a lot of it - somewhat modified, maybe - in the world today. Still not a good time to be an ox.

And as for religions without a God - there are mostly metaphors listed - cooking, football etc. as religions because people devote themselves completely to these activities - not the same thing. Yes - it seems in principle, Buddhism is not a religion. Still, they have temples. Confuses me. But that's OK.

I believe our late, much-esteemed Uncle Janko wrote his Doctoral dissertation on aspects of the connections between Confucianism and Christianity.

J.

 

Besides temples, there is one other similarity between Buddhism and religions: SECTS! Lots of them. As I find with most basic concepts of religion, sects are man-made, not God-made. Then again, most religion is man-made - teaching it seems to involve so many man-made ideas and rules. As I see it, God makes 'way better stuff than man does. Don't like clerics' various interpretations of Him. All man-made.

I can wait...

J.

 

Yes, Abner, it did. But the quotes didn't - you missed a square bracket. :smile: No biggie! You're catching on well.

J.

 

Personally I consider Buddhism to be a religion and I'll bet that any book on the world's religions includes Buddhism. Like any ancient religion it has an interesting history and one of the interesting aspects of Buddhism that distinguish it from some other religions is the existence of lineages and lines of succession

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lineage_(Buddhism)

Lineage - Dictionary definition of Lineage | Encyclopedia.com: FREE online dictionary

 

I'm OK with that. It has sects and temples etc... Not meaning to be disrespectful here, but it walks the walk, etc.

Yet - (dis)belief in God / Gods is not important. For a religion, it "plays with others" better than any I know. Confucianism is at least part-way down that road, as Abner says. It gets along great with some aspects of Christianity, but I'm not sure about how it does with other faiths.

Just wondering how Buddhism can be a religion and not a religion at the same time. It can be a religion AND something else, but how can it be a religion and NOT one? That's a Koan for goodness' sakes. Too "Zen" for me.

I'm really confused. Not about the temples - if it's a religion, I guess they belong. But Steve Foerster (and a lot of other people) say (and I quote Steve):

"It helps a lot that Buddhism is a philosophy, not a religion per se."

Doesn't help me much Steve. And before y'all get started, I know what "per se" means. Five years of Latin, remember? :smile:

I am alone in the computer lab. No one to hear me scream. What is the sound of me logging off? :smile:

J.

 

To sleep, per se, to dream.

 

I looked it up. There are several. Here's one: चेतिय ; cetiyaṃ ; A religious building or shrine , a temple ;

So - Buddhism has temples, sects, monks (and some orders of nuns, I believe) and CLERICS - e.g. the Dalai Lama. Religion? Yeah - it walks the walk 100%. Probably not designed as a stand-alone religion, but converted into one by early adopters. Like Christianity -- and possibly Facebook.

J.

 

Before some dyed-in-the-wool Christians get after me for my last remark - why do I include Christianity as "not designed as a stand-alone religion?"

Matt. 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter you not:

Matt. 15:24 I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

I have read previously that in Jesus' time and place, not all the population was Jewish. Almost half had no religion at all. From Matthew's verses, I take it Jesus meant his teachings to be reserved for Jews - and not to replace their existing faith, either. But ... well, you know how the story goes...

J.