Sabine Grant

Starboy... one more thing. Actualy you ought to go tickle a few christians in christian forums. You will discover how diverse the christian spectrum is. I discovered how diverse the atheist/agnostic spectrum is thru this forum. Plus you might contribute to softening the dogmatic aspect of christianity.

Starboy

Hi Sabine,

I am glad that you recognize that an atheist can be a supportive member of society. But as an atheist I have no wish to promote my atheism. I have been the victim of too many attempts at indoctrination to wish that on anyone. I very much appreciate a theist that considers religion to be a private matter. Of course I express concerns for the mental health of anyone that insists something exists when the only place it can be found is in the minds of its believers. And I bet you would feel the same way if it involved a belief that you did not hold yourself. Now of course people have always been involved in such beliefs for as long as we have been human and in and of itself it doesn't alarm me. But all too often these believers can become dangerous to the rest of us. When you start to confuse reality with fantasy it can be very easy to harm others in the name of whatever. It is this aspect of unreality believers that alarms me.

I have never read "Little Prince".

Starboy

Sabine Grant

The book has been translated in English... it does explore the ability the mind of a child has to express altruistic concepts thru fantasy. I found my copy in English at Barnes and Nobles. Written by Antoine de Saint Exupery, a full grown man who also was a plane pilote. The tale is exquisite and philosophical. You might appreciate its central theme as our Little Prince undertakes to leave his tiny planet in search of other truths outside his reality.

He is an explorer of the universe in some ways. I thought of you mainly as he contemplates the stars one night in the desert and finds himself loving all of them just because one of them harbors his beloved rose. ( star connection.. I guess).

Infidelettante

Whispers, you there? I'm wondering why you began looking around for somthing other than Buddhism.

JT

GeoTheo

If putting ones beliefs into action makes one a better person, I think it validates the belief system. Hypocritical Christians don't invalidate Christianity because they don't put their beliefs into action. I think that is clearest I can put it.

livius drusus

So you don't think Fred Phelps puts his beliefs into action? I would consider his vehemence and cruelty to be very poor examples of human behavior, and yet, I am certain he could support every last one of his actions with a litany of Bible quotations. The same thing could be said for Andrea Yates.

They simply have chosen different parts of a vast and frequently contradictory scripture as the basis of their belief system than you. They still have the Bible on their side. They still believe it. They still base their actions on it. That's not hypocrisy. It may be delusional and misguided to a hideous degree, but you can't say it's not internally consistent with their religious beliefs.

Starboy

Okay fine. What all those fine Buddhist, Hindus, Muslims, atheists and so on that live great lives? Does the act of putting their beliefs into action validate their religions, philosophies, ethos and so on? And what does that say about Christianity being the only way? Unless of course the point of Christianity has nothing to do with living life well and everything to do with getting into heaven in which case how do you know that those despicable Christians are not in heaven and those you admire are in hell?

Starboy

Bumble Bee Tuna

Demonstrably false.

I teach a child that he should be nice to others, but the reason he should do so is because the Invisible Pink Unicorn commands it, does this validate belief in the Invisible Pink Unicorn? Of course not. Beliefs are validated by evidence, and evidence alone.

-B

Whispers

Wow, this post is growing and expanding far more than I had previously expected.

I am still here and avidly following the replies and responses. I have much to learn and some of you will most definitely be able to assist me in my quest.

Starboy......would you care to meet in a chat room and question me "live" on Buddhism, to check whether I am real or not? Assuming I am guilty without any conclusive proof, is a little hypocritical, when you criticize Christians for believing what they do, without necessarily having conclusive proof.

Starboy

Whispers, I would prefer to conduct it here if you don't mind. Also for the record what Christians believe is fine with me. It is what they do that I take exception with.

It doesn't concern me that you are or have been a Buddhist. What concerns me is that you have the appearance of a person who is proselytizing under the guise of something else. You would not be the first to do this here and I suspect you would not be the last. Some Christians go berserk when it comes to proselytizing and become liars for Jesus.

Why didn't you go to a Christian board with your questions regarding turning to god?

Starboy