Religion - Split from Going Back Home

[earthfriendly]

Continuing the discussion on religion. From Dalai Lama on the religion that he loves and grow up with.

Tibet was a Buddhist nation for many centuries. Naturally that resulted in Tibetans feeling that Buddhism was the best religion, and a tendency to feel that it would be a good thing if all of humanity became Buddhist. The idea that everyone should be Buddhist is quite extreme. And that kind of extreme thinking just causes problems.

And the President of this college specifically pointed out that he is not a Buddhist and they welcome all non-Buddhist. I am just saying .......... It is not in my place to tell people how to live their lives.

https://www.facebook.com/VistaLA/videos ... 422657216/

[x9200]

Continuing the discussion on religion. From Dalai Lama on the religion that he loves and grow up with.

Tibet was a Buddist nation for many centuries. Naturally that resulted in Tibetans feeling that Buddhism was the best religion, and a tendency to feel that it would be a good thing if all of humanity became Buddhist. The idea that everyone should be Buddhist is quite extreme. And that kind of extreme thinking just causes problems.

And the President of this college specifically pointed out that he is not a Buddhist and they welcome all non-Buddhist. I am just saying .......... It is not in my place to tell people how to live their lives.

Religions are made to tell people how to live, and what worse, to force them to do it as per specific believes. In that sense Buddhism seemed very different.
Note, if one follows a certain philosophy of life, there is hardly any enforcement (on the others) component. This is because it's mostly about learning, understanding and - as of the leaders - teachings. Philosophy of life - good. Religions (formal hierarchical structures with ruling, punishment systems and reinforcement) - bad.

[Wd40]

Religions had a part to play some 2000 years ago to transform humans from animals into civilisations. But in today's times they don't have a place.

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[Strong Eagle]

Religions had a part to play some 2000 years ago to transform humans from animals into civilisations.

That's a completely off the wall statement and shows that you know little of the historical development of religion.

If anything, religion turned humans into animals... no, that's not right, either... animals don't arbitrarily torture and kill each other... religion has turned humans into "them" and "us", with the "them" being outsiders, less than human, and to be treated in loathsome ways, the teachings of Jesus and Buddha, notwithstanding.

[earthfriendly]

Note, if one follows a certain philosophy of life, there is hardly any enforcement (on the others) component. This is because it's mostly about learning, understanding and - as of the leaders - teachings. Philosophy of life - good. Religions (formal hierarchical structures with ruling, punishment systems and reinforcement) - bad.

It has frequently been pointed out that Buddhism is a philosophy, rather than a religion. But many have turned it into a religious practice, being fixated that certain rituals / rules strictly be followed. Just like any "tools" out there, it is how one utilizes it.

[earthfriendly]

religion has turned humans into "them" and "us", with the "them" being outsiders, less than human, and to be treated in loathsome ways, the teachings of Jesus and Buddha, notwithstanding.

I am not sure how much of it is nature vs nurture.

other research has found that nearly everyone past the age of 3 reveals an implicit preference for his or her own ethnic group.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-is-it ... counts-wsj

[Strong Eagle]

I am not sure how much of it is nature vs nurture.

other research has found that nearly everyone past the age of 3 reveals an implicit preference for his or her own ethnic group.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-is-it ... counts-wsj

That may be true from the reptilian brain stem perspective but as humans we have been gifted (I think) with a cerebral cortex. We have the ability to overcome instinctual behavior, and indeed, must overcome instinctual behavior if we are to survive as a social species.

But religion (and that pathological liar Trump) use our basest instincts to turn one against the other. Just look how many splintered protestant "christian" churches there are because someone doesn't believe the "correct" doctrine. It's all so much bullshit.

Jesus and Buddha had a message that is sorely missing in this world today... love your neighbor. Practice that love through compassion, justice, charity. The world is going to hell because of greed, ignorance, and hate, and far too many so called Christians, along with the majority of Trump supporters (who are often one and the same) exhibit none of the traits of compassion, justice, and charity, while wearing their greed, ignorance, and hate as proud badges of making America great again. I could puke.

[x9200]

other research has found that nearly everyone past the age of 3 reveals an implicit preference for his or her own ethnic group.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-is-it ... counts-wsj

I can not access this article and I miss the point of the above quote, please explain.

[earthfriendly]

The article is about a genetic disorder called Williams syndrome that afflicts about 30k Americans. They have abnormally high oxytocin level due to the lack of regulator (gene GTF2I , for those interested in this kind of stuff). And since they are such happy people, they are nice to everyone .

In fact, a groundbreaking 2010 study found that people with Williams showed no signs of racial bias, making them the first group ever to demonstrate a complete lack of prejudice; other research has found that nearly everyone past the age of 3 reveals an implicit preference for his or her own ethnic group. Researchers concluded that people with Williams simply didn’t have the social fear that drives most of us to distinguish between in-groups and out-groups.

I am not sure how much is the percentage of the human population who has overcome their reptilian nature. Maybe an injection of this gene GTF32 will help ? On a personal level, I find that it takes effort on my part. I mean we, humans are not all good. Neither are we all bad. The angel and the beast, both of which reside in all of us. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The more I am able to see and acknowledge my own darkness, the more lightness I am able to admit into my own life. Whatever we resist, persist. Yin and yang. They both coexist alongside each other.

[x9200]

Got it. Thanks.
But isn't overcoming this reptilian nature what we actually think that makes are humans in the civilized meaning of this word? I am not sure if changing any species including ourselves hard-wired, would do longer term any good. We are preconditioned (including racial affinities) to be able to control/monitor certain situations on subconscious levels.

[earthfriendly]

The dark side of oxytocin. Our craving for oxytocin also make us reject people who are different or hold opposing viewpoints from us e.g. Hilary vs Trump, Republican vs Democrat, PAP vs Workers Party.........damn, I just can't get over the autocratic PAP and how they try to kill all their competitions


https://www.facebook.com/BigThinkVideo/ ... 398751215/

[earthfriendly]

"that everything can be endlessly constructed and deconstructed. So much fun. And yet............."


https://aeon.co/ideas/philosophers-have ... filmmakers

[PNGMK]

Relevant:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion ... e52d2a20ee

“The preciousness and equal worth of every human life is a Christian idea.”

[Strong Eagle]

Relevant:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion ... e52d2a20ee

“The preciousness and equal worth of every human life is a Christian idea.”

Except that's not true at all. Many religions, most superseding Christianity, had the same idea in mind.

Besides, while Jesus may have preached the equality of every human, the Imperial Christian church that grew out of Rome's appropriation of Jesus' teachings, has failed miserably to support that precept.

Just look at how US Christian churches have used the bible and their dogmatic teachings to support slavery, the subjugation of women, and the vilifying of gays.

Just look at the so called "evangelicals" who support Trump... they are really fearful racists and bigots... with no notion of the "preciousness and equal worth of every human life".

[PNGMK]

Relevant:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion ... e52d2a20ee

“The preciousness and equal worth of every human life is a Christian idea.”

Except that's not true at all. Many religions, most superseding Christianity, had the same idea in mind.

Besides, while Jesus may have preached the equality of every human, the Imperial Christian church that grew out of Rome's appropriation of Jesus' teachings, has failed miserably to support that precept.

Just look at how US Christian churches have used the bible and their dogmatic teachings to support slavery, the subjugation of women, and the vilifying of gays.

Just look at the so called "evangelicals" who support Trump... they are really fearful racists and bigots... with no notion of the "preciousness and equal worth of every human life".

But they are not followers of the gospel and you are correct for calling them out.