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Yes, a few Christians are boobs
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We also have to consider that the 'failure' of these should -be-instant- moments also depends on the denomination/specific church. A southern Baptist will tell you in a NY minute that the devil stepped in for some reason and to keep the faith....that you don't let the devil win". Alot of possible reasons....like I said...the outcome of 'his' will may or not be revealed to you...thats like questioning God. Their 'imponderable'..
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I can understand the point of view of, "My loved one is spared because that is God's will and He has a plan for my loved one." I don't agree, but I understand it. What I don't understand it the veiled judgements of others as bad Christians if God isn't blessing them. They will never say that of course. But it is often implied that "WE are blessed because we love God!" which then seems to follow that others are not blessed. They use good things in their life as a validation that their love for God brings blessings to their lives but they can't look at why when things don't go right. It's like they are willing to accept what they perceive as good as a blessing from God, but cannot look at things they perceive as bad as also a blessing from God. They apply their perceptions of good to God, but how can they think to assume that what THEY think is good, is what God thinks is good? How many times have we been in situations where we were hurting, suffering, and then later, we could look back and see how that event helped us in many ways? Yet many Christians will attribute the ill feelings at the time of the event as the work of Satan or just imponderable then attribute the good that comes of it later, to God.
^^^ I hear you...... You're preachin' to the choir on that one. lololol
In other words, you prefer running away. Your choice.
There's a difference between running away and not purposely subjecting yourself to an environment that you seem to see as troublesome and toxic. I wouldn't subject myself to a drug den, or prison or a labor camp under some idea that I was forcing myself to learn something. You get out of any experience what you put into it. If all you see is hellhole then maybe you should think about your contributions.
^^^ .. :bowdown: ...
There's a big difference between "running away" and choosing a more conducive place to interact.
Maybe instead of NewBuddhist being a "hell hole", you're in a hell realm.
@karasti said:
I should have been more clear about what I was thinking when I wrote that in my post to @betaboy. I know Christians are admonished to correct each other, and I was pretty sure Muslims are to do the same when they see wrongdoing amongst their own.
I wasn't talking about some amorphous touchy-feely 'obligation' outside the context of being 'brothers' or members of a religious tradition.
In that vein, I have heard and seen (or read) a little here and there from both Muslim and Christian speakers who make a public statement against the Westboro Baptist Church for instance. I've heard and read Buddhists condemning the crap going on by Buddhists in Myanmar. I've heard a lot more one on one as @vinlyn had happen to him after 9/11, but as for public remonstrations of Muslims by Muslims against a terrorist act, um, nope, haven't heard much at all. I wonder why that is?
Would a person feel like, or be seen as a 'bad' Muslim or 'bad' Buddhist to speak out publically against one of their own?
PS I see that Jason posted some links regarding this on the first page, which I appreciate. Still, it's interesting that I first read this kind of thing on a Buddhist forum when I am well read and keep up with current events. Shame on us and our major media outlets.
You often refuse to or avoid directly answering questions. Instead you toss in a little hyperbolic bomb (right wing hell-hole??) and run away yourself before the smoke clears. However you hope to impress or astound, it comes across as cowardly. I couldn't help but remark on this as you accuse someone else of doing what you constantly do on this forum. I'm not telling you this is what you are, I'm saying the behavior is chickenshit, whatever you mean it to be.
The rest of the world thinks so
Yes I do expect Caucasians to. I've done so in the past and taken the flak when I've copped it. Especially in regards to our Indigenous people. I vocally and wholeheartedly support them - even suffering attacks from "my peeps".
Yes I do. It's called respecting life. The evidence I'm looking for is right here in my own backyard (Australia). Google "Sydney riots over American movie" if you're interested in understanding my views and not just doing your usual stirring the pot. Or is that infringing on your rights to be ignorant?
Mr Cushion is responsible. Sorry!
@lobster - I love your cushions almost as much as you
I'm a Buddhist, veteran, American Indian and a recovered addict amongst other things. I'm always a bit uncomfortable when someone asks me, for instance, "What's it like to be Native in the military?" I can only share my experience, which is going to be different than every other individual. I am not the spokesperson for every vet or addict or...anything. My discomfort stems from my experience which tells me that the majority of the time, the person asking me such a question is looking to me as the authority on such matters. I don't speak for Buddhism, my tribe...I certainly don't speak for my entire race.
Not for good or ill. Just as I think it would be arrogant for me to try and explain from my singular perspective what it means to be an addict in recovery that will shape this person's entire view on the matter - it would be equally arrogant of me to apologize for my race - or, to take credit for something positive my race has done.
I have long been intrigued by the duality of God answering my prayers, I'm a good Christian; God not answering my prayers, it's part of a larger (invisible) plan and not a reflection on me or my quality of Christianity. I think there are two ways to look at it. It could be a contrived win/win, that is, a deliberately strategized teaching of the church (or The Church) that no matter the outcome, it can be spun to demonstrate the glory of God one way or the other. But it could also be entirely innocent and sincere. Let's say I truly believe in God. Let's say my mother, or my gerbil, or my preacher become sick. If I truly and sincerely believe in God, and in prayer, what am I going to do? I'm going to pray of course, and I'm going to pray sincerely and passionately. And if I truly believe, then I'm going to accept the outcome as glorifying God in some way.
You can't see the outside surfaces of the box from the inside.
But if God is going to do whatever he wants to do anyway, what's the use in the prayer?
Good question, @vinlyn Do you have any thoughts? If God exists, he either hears pleas, or he does not. If he hears them, he makes a decision to make some people's lives better, and some worse. Or so that is how things are perceived. God does what we hope, we revel in his blessings, grateful he has chosen to help us. If he doesn't, we just shrug and say we don't know why God does what he does. So when God does "good" by us, we know his will. When he doesn't, we don't know his will.
(for clarity, I don't believe in God myself, most certainly not the standard Christian definition of God, I am just asking from that point of view)
It's not intended as God's perspective, what He might decide or respond to. It's intended as the person's perspective, and why (I feel) prayer is mostly sincere.
As I've said before, I don't believe God is a micro-manager. But, just in case I'm wrong, I still say a prayer now and then.
It always seemed to me that prayer was mostly a way to help us feel better as an exercise in letting go of our troubles. I know the saying is "let go and let god" but simply letting go is a good thing to do regardless. It would be very hard for me to pray in that manner without expectation though. I remember trying to make deals with God when I was very young and it seems a lot of people do the same. It was never presented to me as a means to let go of troubling feelings but it seems that way now.
Do you at least acknowledge that people are different and they have different ways of expressing what they feel? A person may be sentimental but she may make an outward show and thus convince everyone that she has empathy toward the victims.
On the other hand, there may be a truly compassionate man whose only crime is that he doesn't make an outward show - so people may get the wrong idea that he doesn't care. Point is, you're arrogant enough to set universal standards in subjective matters like these. I am not.
But then I am wasting my time. Most of you are right-wing nuts anyway, not smart enough to understand any of this.
Hiss and boo.
Wow! Nice Ad Hominem. It's so ....... logically ....... falacious!
You too, BB. Nice work! :eek2:
Yes people can feel differently, but, IMO, they are obliged to step in when there is a reason to - hurting innocent people and murdering, etc. "Right wing nuts" LMFAO - do you even KNOW where Australia is on a map, let alone it's demographics, outlook, on things etc without having rely on Murdoch's Fox News? Granted there's a plane missing nearby so you might know where it's located.
You sure are.
@chaz - why, fuck you very much bows
Really???? I thought all Buddhists were lefties like me......man, did I read this crowd wrong!
Off topic but as an attempt to add some levity to this thread I just want to say I like ducks.
Sheesh things are really spiky round here lately.
By sheer coincidence someone sent me this pic today (I kid you not!)
Back to the OP. I think he had the right idea, but he's not a holistic and perhaps not enough or no meditation.
Spikey is OK. Just don't get attached to the location.
I bring pin cushions when picnicking in the hell realms (they like that sort of thing).
Ducks eh? A good plan . . what no barbecue sauce?
You ready Mr Cushion - for picnic?
If I had a cushion, I think I would call it Paddington. So fitting
>
Indeed.
We have to protect the baby Buddha bears, mostly from themselves . . .
Picnicking with rednecks, Zoroastrians, democrats, Zen mistresses, our mad mad world, or denizens from the 'my little pony purelands' is a practice we may all have to contend with . . . I think them Buddhists have a name for it - samsara . . .
The assholes that sit on cushions I am reliably informed, are not so different. Some are us. Some of the 'us' are Buddhas.
Samsara = Nirvana. Emptiness is form, form is emptiness.
Who would have guessed? Time for a marmalade sandwich?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7002615.stm
What they expect to happen is what they were told would happen. Absolute faith in anything leads to a lot of rationalizations.
For example: Does the loosing team of a sport's game ever feel that they didn't pray hard enough for victory?
These people like to say that everything is apart of God's plan - except for the things they, and thus God, disagree with.
I have taken many college classes trying to understand God a bit more - If HE is a perfect being, doesn't that mean everything he makes is perfect? Since God created everything, including time does he exist within the boundaries of time, or does he exist "outside" of time?
Women in Religion, American Religious Traditions, Philosophy of Ethics, Death and Dying, many classes in Psychology, and one in Sociology.
I could probably take courses for the rest of my life and not discover what makes faith tick. I don't mind very much.
What I've learned, both personally, from observing others, and what I've read in my classes is simply this:
People will believe with whatever they agree with at any given time. Any given situation, and how that person feels about it, will, usually, override any ethics of religion. Because it is how they feel - and people tend to agree with their feelings on a very primal level - after all, if they didn't have cause for feeling a certain way, why would they feel that particular way?
And this is why we have to put up with being "not-healed" in Jesus' name. They think/feel it will work and they act accordingly. If a Christian sins, he/she is covered, automatically, because Jesus died for their sins. Christians are covered - it's everyone else who has the problem. (And they say atheism is about not being "responsible.")
(While on that subject, wouldn't that make you want to sin more? If you don't sin at all - impossible I know, but stay with me - wouldn't that make Jesus' sacrifice pointless?)
What most Christians seem to lack, even in these instances of "healing" is some empathy. They think "Oh, I'll heal them and they'll be well, and it will be thanks to the Lord, and I, His willing instrument!" instead of thinking "Maybe this person whom I don't know wouldn't like being touched and told they're healed. After all, if God wanted them healed, why would He wait for me to grope them in His name?"
A little forethought would really help Christians become more popular - if they keep behaving like lemurs, the faithful will keep dwindling in number.
@betaboy you've explained a lot about yourself over the past few posts you've made. I appreciate the insight!
I find it kind of funny that the most popular thread the past few days, by far, has been this one. Samahita posts teachings, and we have no comment, but we find out some Christians can be boobs, and boy howdy look at us go!
I had something similar happen to me.
I was on solo retreat down in Crestone a few years ago. There was a Kagyu (?) nun from Albequerque in retreat too. Nice lady.
After lunch one day, she confided in me that she had a sense that I was in some pain or was living with a possibly terminal disease. I admitted that yes, she was right on the disease. She asked if she could touch me and if I could tell her where the disease was localized. She put her hand over the area and concentrated in a way I thought was similar to how new age "energy" workers do their thing.
I can't say that it helped. My last CT scan showed that the cancer is still present, but that it hadn't grown in the last year. Purpose? Coincidence? I don't know that it matters.
Was this woman a "boob"?
This thread has got badly out of hand, and frankly, the views and language of some participants are beyond the pale.
Enough is enough.