Being estricts only Theravada can be considered as atheistic, but yes, buddhism is not about a creator, omnipresent, powerful God, but it's a religion with their non-proved believes and it's moral guides, etc... (sorry if I can't be more accurate in what I want to say... not so much level of english for it ).
The thing with Buddhism these days is that over the many centuries and the great distances it's traveled, it's split into so many different schisms and schools of thought, it's really difficult to pin it down as to what it's true meaning is and what direction it's taking.
I dabbled with Buddhism for about 5 or 6 years in my late teens/early 20's (although i should point out that my main objective within the religion was to get inside a particular womans knickers ! and before anyone asks, yes i did, and it was a very nice place to be, thank you very much :tilt
But the one question i never got a satisfactory answer too was, "If there is no God, then who exactly decides who or what you're gonna be when you get reincarnated ?" Apparently, if you've been a good person in this life, you'll be born into a nice peaceful wealthy family in the next. But if you've been a bad person, you'll come back as a dung beetle or a slimy slug or something in the next. Well, who or what is it that decides if you've been good or bad ?
If you believe in god then maybe you believe in reincarnation too - but chances are if you don't belieive in god then you probly don't believe in reincarnation too - since they are both unatural.
Well yeah, that's the very paradox within Buddhism itself, or at least the particular branch i was in.
And i must admit i sometimes wonder what she's doing now (even after all these years, 15 or so) She was a real babe, kinda like, a good looking version of Cate Blanchette
Interestingly enough, the leader of the group i was with was Hilton Valentine. You being an old timer will know who that is Polyracer
I've read an article in Scientific American this month concerning evolution. about "switches within DNA that enable where and when genes are turned on that make the genomes generate diversity in animal forms from similar sets of genes" (sorta quoted from the header)
It has something in it that is a better example of Devolution than what I put out earlier in this thread.
Anyways, it makes me wonder something, do we have a "God-gene"?
Is our belief in a God or not regulated by one of these Gene switches?
I know most would think that it would be more of a pschyological matter, and not controlled by Genetics, but IS IT? We know a good deal of our individual dispositions are regulated by these "switches", but what about that?
And if there is a God Gene, could there be a... a messiah gene? You know, something in the strand area that determines leadership potential and charisma (dominating traits) that would be different from just the plain old leadership qualities?
I don't want people to think that Christianity is in any way comparable with Islam because in more recent generations, they have celebrated their religion by mass killings of non-believers, which is not true of modern Christians. Think about if the bible had very specific verses in it about killing all non-christians, and they actually went out and killed thousands of them, do you think it would last very long in the U.S. or the U.K.? Thats why I don't see why Islam has lasted so long or is even called a religion because they are blatantly NOT the religion of peace as they would have you believe, but are dead set on having Islam be the only accepted religion and the law in the entire world. Thats why I don't like to hear "religious people believe..."
Not true. Christians have killed doctors of abortion clinics (USA), and anybody who thought socialism was a good idea (Chile, Argentina). Not that other religions are any better: Hindus have killed Muslims (India), and Shintoists and atheists killed anyone else (Japan and Germany, WW2).
Stupid generalizations? Yes, and so is yours. If you think Islam is such a violent religion, then please explain the centuries of non-bloodshed that preceded 9/11.
I'm sorry I don't consider the circumstances that led to the gulf war and the war itself to be a time of non-bloodshed. I don't consider genital mutilation and honor killings to part of a religion of peace, both of which are highly accepted by muslims in the middle east and also preceded 9-11 by hundreds of years. Being French, I would imagine you to be as against Islam as I am, especially considering that they basically waged war against Paris by torching cars and businesses and shooting at policemen. Sounds peaceful to you? http://www.frontpagemag.com/Ar ... 64-499A-B289-47134007550F
For crying out loud, Mike, get a grip on your sources! For crying out loud!! Did THIS not start waving red flags in your face about that AIPAC-sponsored craprag?
Sam, in a swift thread-steal: Check uploads, I'll upload the most current in a folder called IGTC there.
Also, for a nice addition: If there is a god, it's ourselves because ultimately we have exclusive rule over our lives. We can decide what we do, and if we want to be retarded gang-bangers: we can. If we want to be be chip eating, redhead-fetishing sexy hunks of men, I can be.
If it were a far left source you wouldn't say a thing about it. Sorry its not politically correct enough for your sensitive eyes.
I looked at sources such as the BBC, but they don't have the balls to say who the real perpetrators are, they simply say "frustrated young minorities" are burning down Paris.
No, Mike, the problem is that you just blew your credibility.
On the subject of the BBC, it is an established fact that it is constantly and successfully being pressured by Israel to taint its reporting in a pro-Israeli fashion. This level of foreign government interference is unprecedented and unacceptable, and while it continues, certainly undermines the credibility of the BBC. I agree, they don't have the balls to tell the truth about who the perpetrators are, and are failing in their remit as a result.
Oy vay - the search for the Kwizats Haderach! You should read the very excellent "Dune" series by Frank Herbert - if you like your scifi with a big healthy dose of selective breeding for supreme beings. Sounds right up your alley
Seriously though, you're gonna be have to be a lot less vague about these "god" and "messiah" genes. What are god/messiah qualities anyway? How are we to recognise them? There have been some incredibly charismatic & intelligent people through history and some undoubtedly great leaders - were they gods, in full or on part? Or just born with amazing, but still human, minds?
"Messiah" translates to "anointed". You could liken it to "chosen" or "blessed" I suppose. How would you search someone's DNA to find if they've been "blessed" or "chosen"? Chosen by whom? For what? Do we need to be saved? Are we that screwed as a species that we can't possibly think ourselves out of it and need a freakin superman, an ubermensch, to save us from ... something? Sorry if I seem to be picking you to bits here, but your questions just beget more questions
@flymike - Frontpagemag? Sheesh. Have mercy. Distrusting the media is one thing (the BBC & most mainstream outlets certainly deserve a healthy mistrust), but if you think any magazine that plugs that freakish, vicious, bafflingly ignorant Ann Coulter (her memorable quote regarding muslims: "We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity" - google it), uses the laughable term "islamofascism" repeatedly on its front page and regards war with Iran as a done deal has any credibility, you really need to do some wider reading.
That's not true. Islam has tried to conquer the world many times. They took Constantinopel (Istanbul?), they conquered Spain, and the rest of the Arabic world. In fact, the muslims still see Spain as their territory.
I think the crusaders were simply fed-up with Islam because of their attacks. Islam must've triggered a reaction of the Christian community. Well, that's what I saw in a documentary.
"Seriously though, you're gonna be have to be a lot less vague about these "god" and "messiah" genes. What are god/messiah qualities anyway? How are we to recognise them? There have been some incredibly charismatic & intelligent people through history and some undoubtedly great leaders - were they gods, in full or on part? Or just born with amazing, but still human, minds?"
What I meant was about the "god gene" was an inclination to believe in a God. LOL Not a gene that determines Godhood.
And I guess Messiah was the wrong word to use. I didn't mean that
people with it were "God-like", but more inclined to be viewed by others or believed by others as a prophet or something.
And the only thing I really liked about Dune was Sting got killed.
Its not so much a "god" gene as a gene that makes you behave as your parents and peers do which is learned from birth as a survival mechanism.
In as much as you are conditioned to behave without conscious thought. - at one time it would have been stay in the cave near the fire at night to stay safe from predators.
Plus we are naturally a pack animal anyway, so substitute pack leader for "god" and you start to see things a little more in perspective.
We as humans assume control of a pack of dogs as pack leader in a similar way.
At the bottom of it all is basic primal survival instinct, and it is this that has become or has been utilised as the "god" gene.
Everybody want to "belong" to a larger group because this gives them a feeling of safety in numbers, which also reinforces their own beliefs.
Well, what can I say to that? Your assessment of the nature of Islam seems to be on par with your assessment of my nationality. (In other words: if you turn everything by 90 degrees, you're getting close.)
Thanks for the link to FrontPageMag. Hadn't heard of them before. I still prefer The Onion as my news source, tho. They're more realistic.
I think the crusaders were clairvoyant, because they conquered Constantinople in 1204, some 250 years before the Muslims got there.
I am reading since the beginning of the thread, you guys are brave, one of the oldest and hardest problem you are dealing with here.
But, still good to see some people still care about to learn more, sharing info, thats nice.
I am following you..
It seems that if you wanna get a subtle message across to a neo-con, you have to wrap it around a brick. My own subconscious has been telling me this for a long time because I've had a strong desire to throw bricks at neo-cons for some time, now.
).
:elefant: Come on man! Stop this, you're about to kill me laughing 
