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m0rl0ck wrote:
Im not sure if I beleive in reincarnation or in what sense. Im not sure its pertinent to the problem of living a human and humane life.
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>>>>>Hey you're the one who said you believed in Buddhist teachings. Maybe you should know what you're talking about before making statements.
If you want the traditional answers of instutionalized buddhism on reincarnation there are alot of places on the net where you can find it.
When I said I followed buddhist teachings I meant that I follow the teachings of buddhist practice, the four noble truths, the eightfold path etc. The buddha when asked about an afterlife or a soul maintained a "golden silence". His reason for this was probably that, for one its hard to explain in words because buddhist practice gives you a chance to directly experientially verify your real nature and that of the universe and that direct experience is neccessarily beyond words because it encompasses a totality that trancends mere rational thought, also questions about an afterlife dont directly address or contribute to a solution to the real and central human problems of "who am i, why is there suffering?, what is my place in the universe?". As far as knowing what Im talking about, I know only what ive experienced. Buddhism asks you to believe almost nothing on faith. The buddhas last words were supposedly "Seek your own light with diligence". If there were a true religion, all it would tell its followers would be "go out and find the truth", buddhism is the only organized religion that even comes close to actually doing that. If you were asking if I believed if something of us survived death, and if that something were subject to the laws of cause and effect (karma) I would say yes, based on my perception and experience. If you asked me if the personal ego survived death and youd still like banana splits and your favorite color would still be blue, I'd have to say (based on what I know) no. In fact the notion seems childish, ridiculous and vain. Thats the long version of what I believe about an afterlife and if you want it in more detail you wont get it. Sit down on a meditation cushion and do the work for yourself
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m0rl0ck wrote:
Look at the text under your avatar.
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>>>>>The only things I've had under my avatar is "Jesus is Lord" (I believe he is), and "Christian Spear-Catcher" (I am regularly attacked and impugned not for what I believe, but for what I am).
More likely youre attacked for your hypocritical attempts to draw people into a dicussion that will allow you a soapbox to expound your beliefs and attack theirs.
You post under the guise of asking frank simple questions and the use the answers you elecit (sp?) to pursue your real agenda.
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m0rl0ck wrote:
Even by themselves these questions display a belief in the christian god as opposed to nothing. Typical christian arrogance.
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>>>>Opinion.
Possibly. It could also be that your faith has blinded you to your own bias or that the bias is intentional on your part to guide the respondents into giving you an opening for prostelyzation.
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m0rl0ck wrote:
Also ive read some of your other posts, they are transparent attempts on your part to provide you a platform for prostelyzation (sp?), they are just disingenuous bullshit.
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>>>>>That makes you feel better doesn't it?
Well... yes
it does, exposing someones real agenda gives me a little kick.
>>>By the way, why be offensive? What is so hard about saying "I disagree with you"? Why do you all imediately leap to ad hominem attacks and slanderous language? Cris is good about not doing that, and so is Xev. There are a couple others who keep things "above board". But the majority are quick to mischaracterize and impugn the Christian.
If naming disingenuous bullshit for what it is, is an ad hominem attack im guilty, but i wasnt talking about you, just your posting style. I dont really care what you believe as long as it makes you happy and causes you treat your fellow humans with respect and compassion, but you use your beliefs as a club to attack what others believe and you do it with calculation and hypocracy. If by slanderous language you mean my remark about christian arrogance, it is an arrogant faith, it has "jealous" god, its stated mission is to bring everyone under the yoke of that god, by whatever means possible, the christians believe they are right and every one else is wrong. The very tone of a christian expounding his views to unbelievers is one of condensencion.
