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When you call a river by its name shouldn't you include all it empties into? What's a name anyway but a way to divide further?

I shouted at the ocean. It just waved.

@Jason said:

@Jeroen said:

@Jason said:
The history of Christianity, along with Buddhism and every other ism, is the history of people arguing about what shit you can and can't believe, what is and isn't truth, etc.

Very true. The whole idea of a schism basically comes from disagreement over a point of doctrine, and when it comes down to the individual you can either make the decision political, or you can make it based on principle, but even then what you are doing is splitting hairs about a single point, where many other points are left undebated.

You certainly have the freedom to call yourself whatever you wish, though. As long as other people don’t object, I guess.

Even if they object, I think. Others may disagree and try to label others by their own criteria, but that doesn't make someone inherently any less of something they believe they are. If I consider myself a follower of the Buddha and Jesus, do I stop becoming one if someone says that's not true because I don't believe x? Maybe in their minds, but I'll claim the labels nevertheless. Maybe that would be different if I were excommunicated, but probably not then either. Personally, I think the world would be better off if people were a little bit less sectarian.

I'm generally of the same attitude, march to the beat of your own drum and all. I've come to the conclusion though that while as much as I tend to balk at sectarianism and more fundamentalist interpretations, traditions that keep a tighter ship also tend to be able to maintain the important aspects of the teachings for longer periods. A Buddhism maintained largely of people like myself would quickly deteriorate and lose the core of what makes them valuable.

Came across this earlier. Thought of this thread.

Luckily for me, I have the right to call myself whatever I want and don't have to subject myself to the whims and strict criteria of others and what they deem to be necessary. Not only because I'm a rebellious free spirit, but because even strict doctrinal traditions have their rebels and outliers and even outright heretics. Nothing is ever as black and white as we try to make it.