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jesus i need YOUR help..like..NOW!!
I'm playing this online game right...
And I see a room name (a guy is hosting a game)
and the game name is "Christian Chat"
So i join,
first of all there's these guys who instantly join and start cussing this creator, (creator of the game) out.
lol they are belligerent anti-christians you know, but I'm you know ...neutral/buddhist
so i take it easy and start asking him about christ, god, ETC. we end up chatting in game chat room for....one and a half hours maybe 3 hours?
I was able to profile him as such:
This unsub's between the ages of 14-25,
he's a white male,
his parent were VERY christian and possibly abused him.
his slightly older brother named "DAVID" died at age 14 of cancer,
at the time this unsub was 12-13... which is a possible cause of his fanatical christianity..or religious attachment/fixation
This guy knows the bible..very well..
He absolutely believes that Jesus is the way to heaven, etc,
God is eternal,
sinners go to hell,
he repeats a kind of well versed rhetoric ....you know
but he also leaves a bit of room for his own interpretation..
he does believe that we are all doomed to hell, and only through jesus can we ascend to heaven,
the whole time I gave the impression I was christian.
because I am..in terms of what I agree with philosophically..
Anyway I befriended him, and I think I have a slight influence over this guys religious path,
NOW
I need your help..this will sound terrible, but:
How do I trick him into being a Buddhist
OR
How do I make his fanaticism into a benefit of mankind?
Because..comon...if you are in an old multiplayer game from the 1990's
hosting a game called "christian chat"
trying to find other people whom you can connect with, or...praise jesus with..
isn't that weird? weird enough to warrant immediate psychological aid?
And I see a room name (a guy is hosting a game)
and the game name is "Christian Chat"
So i join,
first of all there's these guys who instantly join and start cussing this creator, (creator of the game) out.
lol they are belligerent anti-christians you know, but I'm you know ...neutral/buddhist
so i take it easy and start asking him about christ, god, ETC. we end up chatting in game chat room for....one and a half hours maybe 3 hours?
I was able to profile him as such:
This unsub's between the ages of 14-25,
he's a white male,
his parent were VERY christian and possibly abused him.
his slightly older brother named "DAVID" died at age 14 of cancer,
at the time this unsub was 12-13... which is a possible cause of his fanatical christianity..or religious attachment/fixation
This guy knows the bible..very well..
He absolutely believes that Jesus is the way to heaven, etc,
God is eternal,
sinners go to hell,
he repeats a kind of well versed rhetoric ....you know
but he also leaves a bit of room for his own interpretation..
he does believe that we are all doomed to hell, and only through jesus can we ascend to heaven,
the whole time I gave the impression I was christian.
because I am..in terms of what I agree with philosophically..
Anyway I befriended him, and I think I have a slight influence over this guys religious path,
NOW
I need your help..this will sound terrible, but:
How do I trick him into being a Buddhist
OR
How do I make his fanaticism into a benefit of mankind?
Because..comon...if you are in an old multiplayer game from the 1990's
hosting a game called "christian chat"
trying to find other people whom you can connect with, or...praise jesus with..
isn't that weird? weird enough to warrant immediate psychological aid?
0
Comments
Answer (b) - You don't.
It isn't your business or job to do either.
For the first, he can only make this decision for himself.
For the second - he can only do that himself.
Lol. His belief in God is so farfetched and yet your belief that you are one is perfectly normal?
And look, Fede still believes your posts are genuine and not just trolling and that you actually come back to read the responses. She has a kind heart huh?
I bracket him under the same label as another poster.
Mildly desperate, somewhat lost, mostly posts inane and pointless questions, but at least it gives us something to do.....
He is simply following his own finger which points at the moon... Who are you to say if the finger you follow is pointing in a better manner to the truth than his?
I don't believe in Buddhist Evangelism, lets leave that to others... Simply live your Buddhism and be an example to all you come across and if they see something they like it is then up to them to either continue in the same path or look for another...
The Blessed One: "preach it, make it known, establish it, open it, minutely explain it, and make it clear-until they, when others start vain doctrines, shall be able to vanquish and refute them, and so to spread the wonderworking truth abroad. I shall not die until the pure religion of truth shall have become successful, prosperous, widespread, and popular in all its full extent-until, in a word, it shall have been well proclaimed among men!"
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Citation?
Ditto....?
Sutta source would be more appropriate.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/btg/btg15.htm
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That's just a web page that does not really say where the quote is from. Is this from a sutta? That web address doesn't tell me anything about whether it's an authoritative text or not.
BUDDHA, THE GOSPEL
By Paul Carus
Chicago, The Open Court Publishing Company,
[1894]
You need to provide direct sutta references to quotations you use, because as I pointed out to you, flowery and verbose interpretations are often inaccurate and non-representational.
Please locate the correct sutta/sutra reference to this paraphrased passage and present it here.
Many thanks.
Where does the book say the quotation is sourced from?
Here's the Preface:
http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/btg/btg01.htm
Not good enough, Transmetaphysical.
Please refrain from using this as a reliable source of accurate information when discussing what the Buddha is supposed to have taught, from now on.
If others can and do find Sutta sources and references, I would request you do the same.
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Um... I see you capped "REFUTE THEM" in your signature lines... Refute does not mean to seek out and convert... unless refute has some other definition in Buddhism that I'm not yet aware of...
My understanding of Mahayana, and more so Vajrayana, is that refutation of incorrect philosophical views within Buddhism is permissible and even encouraged to an extent, but I have never read or heard anything about refuting other religious beliefs outside the context of discussions internal to Buddhism... as Johnathan appears to be pointing out.
No, my sig bolding is not directed at this thread. I am a formal debater and I liked that passage because it made clear to refute false doctrines. I usually get criticized for being argumentative, but i think the passage justifies my tendencies.
Edit: Btw, I have no intention or desire to convert people. I simply like sharing Buddhist philosophy with others.
I don't want the whole world to follow the same path. I like there to be a great diversity of philosophies and as such, I appreciate even the philosophies and religions I disagree with.
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1. Why would you transform a fanatical christian into a buddhist ?(I want to hear your answer to this one The Found)
2. You simply direct his fanaticism to that purpose. Make him a true soldier who fights for a noble and just cause.
The Buddha spent many discourses refuting Hindu Brahman philosophies. Buddha said to refute vain doctrines so I see no reason to think religions were exempt from criticism. I think it is especially other religions that he intended to refute.
I read somewhere that Buddha predicted that new religions would arise and so he made arguments to refute future false religions.
Another reason why I like that quote as well is because other religions say to kill or crusade unbelievers (can be found in Abrahamic texts), whereas Buddhism suggests explaining why theyre wrong as opposed to killing them for disagreeing.
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Putting words in the Buddha's mouth isn't wise.
See?
If I hadn't laboured the point, we might never had known you misquoted the suttas.
Look carefully.
43. "Then, ânanda, I answered Mara, the Evil One, saying: 'I shall not come to my final passing away, Evil One, until my bhikkhus and bhikkhunis, laymen and laywomen, have come to be true disciples -- wise, well disciplined, apt and learned, preservers of the Dhamma, living according to the Dhamma, abiding by appropriate conduct and, having learned the Master's word, are able to expound it, preach it, proclaim it, establish it, reveal it, explain it in detail, and make it clear; until, when adverse opinions arise, they shall be able to refute them thoroughly and well, and to preach this convincing and liberating Dhamma. "
In 43, Buddha said those words, then, you posted 45 where Mara repeated the words and responded.
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but I don't see anything there about preaching or converting......
Just proclaiming.
I'm going back to study some more!
Part 5 verse six.
TheFound -By all means proclaim, but don't strive to convert or convince.
let your living be the testimony to your path.
You need to tell him you're Buddhist.
Otherwise, you're just lying to him.
I'm no sutta expert but I've observed the patterns that when someone speaks, everyone who responds to the words, repeats them before answering them.
Like I said earlier, I don't intend to convert or show that Buddha did either. I intend to debate and would actually be disappointed if i succeeded to convert the other person.
As far as I'm aware, and as the quote suggests, Buddha just wants his teachings preserved, spread, and preached. He probably doesn't care to convert.
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I believe that is directed to the OP... not you...
Thanks.
I also don't see how it is that his posts are not considered trolling. Why do you cut TheFound so much slack Fede and not so much with others? Just curious.
Haha, I didn't think about that. Those would be good reasons to keep him around after all those awful posts by him I've read since I joined the forum.
I understand your curiosity.
It's hard to explain what motivates a Moderator to let some things slide, and nip some things in the bud.
TheFound is a member with what I would term.... psychological issues.
I am attempting to be a little... 'lenient' with him, But I will just say that what you see so far of his, is by no means everything he's posted thus far.
See, I got flak when I stomped on an evangelist who became argumentative shortly after he came on forum, and was told I was being too harsh, acting in prejudice and being authoritarian.
Now if I cut people some slack, people want to know why I'm not stomping on them.
I can't win.:rolleyes:
Ok, that's it from me.
Back to topic please.
I wonder if TheFound has succeeded in his trickery, or has sallied forth crucifix in hand, proclaiming Biblical knowledge of epic proportions, having had the tables turned on him.....:D
TheFound - YOU did that! Lol
Laughed really loud when I read this. And so hilariously expressed. See, that's why we 'new worlders' love the Brits and their comedy so much. No one can turn an English phrase like the English. Except for maybe the Irish. Or the Scots. Oh, and definitely the Welsh! And the Cornish. Can't forget the Cornish. Anyway, you get the gist.