Conspicuous absence

[seekandlisten]

..A little bit of looking at the big picture would go along way and respecting the religious rights of another. A look in your bible says;
'Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.' (Proverbs 13:10)

What wisdom can Buddhism or any other nonchristian religion give us that Jesus can't?

It can't teach you anything if you are not open to learning. Remember what is taken in won't harm you it's what 'comes out of your mouth' according to Paul in the bible. Buddhism is all about the removal of worldly desires. There is actually little to no theology involved with its teachings. Look up the '4 Noble Truths' or the 'Noble Eightfold Path' if you are actually interested.

 

[Waymarker]

..Now, since I've shown that your argument really isn't an argument at all, what else do you have?..

Just because other religions claim to have sons of god in them doesn't mean they really ARE sons of god.
That's why the REAL Son of God (Jesus) has become the central figure of the world's biggest religion, while they haven't..;)
And incidentally, many nonchristian religions are just plain bad in one way or another, with nothing godly about them even if they claim to have their own sons of god in them.

PS-You name any nonchristian religions and i'll tell you why they're not good..;)

 

[Waymarker]

..It can't teach you anything if you are not open to learning..

What makes you think I haven't already learnt about Buddhism and all the other nonchristian religions?
What I saw made me reject them out of hand..;)
Buddha was a great thinker, but remember he was only a human giving us HIS OWN thoughts, ideas and philosophies, whereas Jesus gave us GOD'S thoughts, spot the difference?
"The Father who sent me gave me a command, what I should say and what I should speak" (John 12:49)

 

[Spectator]

I understand what you are trying to say, but your aprouch seems a little harsh.

You're not harsh and stating that the religions are different, but you are harsh in your way of conveying Jesus's Message. ;)

Jesus didn't hold his position over flock, but merely spoke to them and offered his position in a peaceful way. When Jesus told the story of the Prodigal Son, he didn't condemn the pagans, but told them a parable of the lengths of God's untiring love.

That is how we should engage each other, not in pride, but in love. :yes

 

[Waymarker]

..I never said anything about looking inward for 'truths'..

Good mate, we'll make a Christian out of you yet..;)
Now that we've established we must look outside ourselves for the truth, I nominate we look to Jesus the Son of God himself who made us an offer no sensible person can refuse-
"I'll tell you things hidden since the creation of the world" (Matt 13:35)

Know anybody better?

 

[Waymarker]

..I understand what you are trying to say, but your aprouch seems a little harsh..

On the other hand we don't want to set a wishy-washy bad example that makes Christians look like wimps..;)
"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of selfdiscipline" (2 Tim 1:7)
"Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should" (Eph 6:19/20)

 

[Brokendoll]

..Now, since I've shown that your argument really isn't an argument at all, what else do you have?..

Just because other religions claim to have sons of god in them doesn't mean they really ARE sons of god.

That argument can also be turned around the other way.

"Just because Christianity claim to have the son of god in it doesn't mean he really IS the son of god."*

In other words, a non-argument.

That's why the REAL Son of God (Jesus) has become the central figure of the world's biggest religion, while they haven't..;)

So are you claiming that NUMBERS in it self is evidence of truth?
If so, then the Catholics, easily the largest denomination of Christians on the planet are the ones who are right.

Are you a Catholic by any chance?

And incidentally, many nonchristian religions are just plain bad in one way or another, with nothing godly about them even if they claim to have their own sons of god in them.

Again, this argument can be turned the other way just as easily, making it a non-argument.

"Christianity is just plain bad in one way or another, with nothing godly about it even if it claims to have the son of god in it". *

PS-You name any nonchristian religions and i'll tell you why they're not good..;)

Sure. Give me the specs on Buddhism. Why is Buddhism not good?


*Disclaimer: I'm not making these arguments. I'm merely using them as examples to show that the arguments given aren't really arguments at all.

 

[Waymarker]

.."Just because Christianity claim to have the son of god in it doesn't mean he really IS the son of god."*
In other words, a non-argument..

You're forgetting something mate, only Jesus did stuff like this..-

Bringing little girl back to life
Bringing widows son back to life
Bringing Lazarus back to life
Stilling the storm
Feeding 4000
Walking on sea
Feeding 5000
Coin in fishes mouth
Withering fig tree
Big catch of fish
Water into wine
Another big fish catch
Healing leper
Healing Centurions servant
Healing Peters mother-in-law
Healing sick at evening
Healing paralysed man
Healing haemorraging woman
Healing two blind men
Healing mans withered hand
Healing Canaanite womans daughter
Healing boy with seizures
Healing blind man
Healing deaf and dumb man
Healing another blind man
Healing crippled woman
Healing man with dropsy
Healing 10 lepers
Restoring a cut-off ear
Healing noblemans sons fever
Healing crippled man at Bethesda
Healing a born-blind man
Casting out demons into pigs
Curing a mute lunatic
Casting out dirty spirit
Curing a possessed blind-dumb man
Appeared to his followers after his death.

"..even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father."- John 10:38

 

[Spectator]

..I understand what you are trying to say, but your aprouch seems a little harsh..

On the other hand we don't want to set a wishy-washy bad example that makes Christians look like wimps..;)
"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of selfdiscipline" (2 Tim 1:7)
"Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should" (Eph 6:19/20)

Oh, I wholly agree. Though to speak without fear also dosen't mean we should taunt our fellow man.


Jesus was special yes, but so is the rest of the world. How may we expect them to listen and respect our position, if we can't return the same hospitality.

 

[Waymarker]

[are you claiming that NUMBERS in it self is evidence of truth?
If so, then the Catholics, easily the largest denomination of Christians on the planet are the ones who are right. Are you a Catholic by any chance? ..

Cliff Richard, Barry Manilow and Bruce Springsteen have sold millions of records around the world but their music doesn't appeal to me. Same with religions, all of them mean nothing to me except Christianity, and the fact that its the world's biggest religion is coincidental, I personally like it, so that's the one for me..
PS- no I'm not a Catholic, nor am I a member of any other organised religion, i don't need them to do my thinking for me, that's why I call myself a 'Free Christian'..;)

 

[Waymarker]

..Jesus was special yes, but so is the rest of the world. How may we expect them to listen and respect our position, if we can't return the same hospitality.

I respect everyone of any colour or creed, but we have to be careful not to give them the false impression that we respect their religion. That's why the Bible is quite clear that we can't overdo the hob-nobbing and rubbing shoulders with them-

"He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm" (Provs 13:20)
"Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord, I will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters" (2 Cor 6:17/18 )
"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" (2 Cor 6:14)
"Bad company corrupts good character" (1 Cor 15:33)
"Withdraw from disorderly unbelievers" (2 Thess 3:6)
"Don't mix with unbelievers" (2 Thess 3:14/15)
"Keep away from profane babblers" (1 Tim 6:20/21)
"Don't receive unbelievers into your house nor greet them" (2 John 1:10)

I know a so-called Christian Evangelist in england who disobeys all the above verses and his life is a complete mess, as if the bad vibes given off by his heathen friends are weakening him just as Kryptonite weakens Superman.

"If you hang around with losers, you become a loser"- Donald Trump

 

[Brokendoll]

[are you claiming that NUMBERS in it self is evidence of truth?
If so, then the Catholics, easily the largest denomination of Christians on the planet are the ones who are right. Are you a Catholic by any chance? ..

Cliff Richard, Barry Manilow and Bruce Springsteen have sold millions of records around the world but their music doesn't appeal to me. Same with religions, all of them mean nothing to me except Christianity, and the fact that its the world's biggest religion is coincidental, I personally like it, so that's the one for me..
PS- no I'm not a Catholic, nor am I a member of any other organised religion, i don't need them to do my thinking for me, that's why I call myself a 'Free Christian'..;)

So you are going back on the "Christianity is the largest religion on the planet so it must be true" argument. That leaves us back at square one. What then, is it that makes Christianity the most important religion? Again you are reffering to your personal opinion as if that constitutes an argument, which it doesn't.

I'm afraid I'm going to need more than that... ;)

 

[Waymarker]

Again, this argument can be turned the other way just as easily, making it a non-argument-"Christianity is just plain bad in one way or another, with nothing godly about it even if it claims to have the son of god in it..

Jesus said people are like trees, if they produce rotten fruit, then they're rotten. It's the same with religions, we look at them and decide whether they're rotten.
Here's Christianity in a nutshell, it seems pure and wholesome to me..;)-
"Love God, love one another, feed the hungry, house the homeless, clothe the destitute, tend the sick, visit the prisoners, look after the poor"-Jesus of Nazareth

 

[Waymarker]

..So you are going back on the "Christianity is the largest religion on the planet so it must be true" argument..

I never said that, this is what I said-
"the REAL Son of God (Jesus) has become the central figure of the world's biggest religion.
See, it's a plain statistical fact.
I mean, nobody in their right mind would dismiss him, and thankfully most people in the world are in their right minds..

 

[jasoncran]

Brokendoll i will answer.

I was once lost, in that i needed to have some self-acceptance and would look for that anywhere and made some bad decsions.
I also was a bisexual , this was always there. i never acted on it till one day. I was going to church and i answered the call to repent. but i was off guard when i found myself with a man. I repented and was delivered.

I tried the zen thing (though, not very heavily), i did martial arts and that was my god. it has a lot of panthiesm,buddhist influence if you look for it. I took that stuff in and found myself lacking.

i will add more if you are interested.

 

[Brokendoll]

You're forgetting something mate, only Jesus did stuff like this..-

Bringing little girl back to life
Bringing widows son back to life
<snipped list of miracles>
Curing a possessed blind-dumb man
Appeared to his followers after his death.

You can find miracles in any religion, so that doesn't constitute an argument either. Also, the only source we have for these miracles is the Bible, which is the same for the other religions, i.e. that the only source for their miracles are their holy books.

 

[Brokendoll]

..So you are going back on the "Christianity is the largest religion on the planet so it must be true" argument..

I never said that, this is what I said-
"the REAL Son of God (Jesus) has become the central figure of the world's biggest religion.
See, it's a plain statistical fact.

Then we can at least agree that the number of followers alone does make a thing more right. Sorry if I misunderstood you. ;)

I mean, nobody in their right mind would dismiss him, and thankfully most people in the world are in their right minds..

I'm an atheist. Does that make "not in my right mind" i.e. crazy? In what way am I crazy except from the part where I do not believe in any god or gods? Surely there must be more to it than that?

 

[Brokendoll]

Brokendoll i will answer.

I was once lost, in that i needed to have some self-acceptance and would look for that anywhere and made some bad decsions.
I also was a bisexual , this was always there. i never acted on it till one day. I was going to church and i answered the call to repent. but i was off guard when i found myself with a man. I repented and was delivered.

I tried the zen thing (though, not very heavily), i did martial arts and that was my god. it has a lot of panthiesm,buddhist influence if you look for it. I took that stuff in and found myself lacking.

i will add more if you are interested.

The question was; what makes Buddhism not good, i.e. bad?
Please make an argument from Buddhist doctrine and scripture instead of personal anecdotes.

 

[Waymarker]

Sure. Give me the specs on Buddhism. Why is Buddhism not good?.

Well it rejects Jesus, so that sets the alarm bells ringing for a start.
And although Buddhism pre-dates Jesus, why did God send Jesus to found the dynamic new religion of Christianity if Buddhism (and other ancient religions) were all we needed?

As regards the teachings of Buddhism, there's a whole truckload of odd stuff, for example-

"Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense"- Buddha
See, Buddha's saying believe nothing, even if he himself said it!

"He who loves 50 people has 50 woes; he who loves no one has no woes"-Buddha
So Buddha's saying adopt an "I'm all right Jack" mindset and don't get involved with anyone else's problems. Tut-tut, that's very unchristian!

"No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path"- Buddha
"Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without"-Buddha
In other words Buddhism teaches we don't need Jesus, that's a satanic doctrine.

"The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart"- Buddha
"Depend on no one. Only the moment you reject all help are you freed"- Buddha
Here again, Buddhism urges us to look within our own imperfect sinful selves rather than outward to Jesus, tut-tut

"You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection"- Buddha
Ha ha what a selfish doctrine!

 

[jasoncran]

Brokendoll i will answer.

I was once lost, in that i needed to have some self-acceptance and would look for that anywhere and made some bad decsions.
I also was a bisexual , this was always there. i never acted on it till one day. I was going to church and i answered the call to repent. but i was off guard when i found myself with a man. I repented and was delivered.

I tried the zen thing (though, not very heavily), i did martial arts and that was my god. it has a lot of panthiesm,buddhist influence if you look for it. I took that stuff in and found myself lacking.

i will add more if you are interested.

The question was; what makes Buddhism not good, i.e. bad?
Please make an argument from Buddhist doctrine and scripture instead of personal anecdotes.

doenst work for me,and i know others that were buddhists that say this. look one can find anything and not believe christianity

From my expercience, one can try to change the evil , bad in the thyself is forever and it will always reappear. this is why i found it lacking. i couldnt simply shake off the habits or really improve myself.

sure a little here or there but no real gains. this isnt to say that all that buddhism has is false, but a half truth is still a lie,


you dont believe in salvation and buddhism doenst save. when you die that's it end of story. no matter whether good or bad the grave is the same. unlike christianity.