One would hope all of them did...
Did you mean to say theistic content? I think that is a bit questionable.
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Your religious beliefs are probably wrong
- Thread starter serp777
- Start date
Did you mean to say theistic content? I think that is a bit questionable.
Rick O'Shez
Irishman bouncing off walls
When I was involved in Tibetan Buddhism a lot of people thought of deities as real beings. Just saying.
dust1n
Zindīq
I've found that A = A, if I'm thinking logically. Never encountered an instance in which A =/= A
metis
aged ecumenical anthropologist
I don't think it's absolutely necessary to have religious beliefs, and I personally don't have any, but I do have some leanings that some might consider religious. It seems that if I were to have a set of religious beliefs, then I might be inclined to stop looking at things as objectively as I can, and I don't want to do that.
Desert Snake
Veteran Member
I don't really agree. My religious belief doesn't prevent me from looking at things objectively. I'm not exactly a strident 'religionist, but does that matter?
metis
aged ecumenical anthropologist
I think it could play either way with some people, but "confirmation bias" can be a real obstacle to objectivity, and it sorta goes a great deal with the territory, especially since it tends to work strongly at the sub-conscious level.
Desert Snake
Veteran Member
I agree, but don't you practice religion? I assume you have holidays, and you observe shabat etc., afaik, so that is what I consider 'religious belief'.
I'm certain that is true. Deities are often if not always real for those who believe in them. That is fine.
But my issue was with the implication that some Buddhist traditions somehow lack religious content.
Rick O'Shez
Irishman bouncing off walls
Well, obviously there is Secular Buddhism. It depends what we mean by religious content really.
I never heard of Secular Buddhism. What is it?
Rick O'Shez
Irishman bouncing off walls
It's basically Buddhism with all the religious content stripped out, including rebirth, kamma etc. Stephen Batchelor is probably the best known advocate of this approach.
See here for example: New to Secular Buddhism : Secular Buddhist Association
Twilight Hue
Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Guess it depends on whats real is to a person. It can be convincing enough where it goes in those directions i suppose, and run it until it cannot be run any more to complete exhaustion.
Twilight Hue
Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
I remember a podcast called Secular Buddhists that I listened to time to time. Interesting guests and pleasant yet seems to focus on intellectualism more so that
I liken it to academia and analysis of Buddhism rather than Buddhism in practice.
That said, a stripped down bare form of Buddhism seems to me a very effective approach. Straight whiskey with no chaser.
Rick O'Shez
Irishman bouncing off walls
From the discussions I've had they do come across as practitioners rather than armchair Buddhists.
Twilight Hue
Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Yea. Could be. It's been quite awhile since I last listened in. As a side note, even armchair Buddhists tend to fall in the deep pond givin enough time "armchair-ing" heh..
Such an understanding of religion is quite at odds with mine!
Rick O'Shez
Irishman bouncing off walls
Buddhist suttas should come with a health warning: "Reading this will change your perceptions in unpredictable ways".
Rick O'Shez
Irishman bouncing off walls
It's becoming very popular!
Well, it is not mine. It is religion. Blind belief is not supposed to be important to religion.
Rick O'Shez
Irishman bouncing off walls
Not supposed to maybe, but it often does seem to be a factor.