Is Budhism a religion or philosophy?

Is Budhism a religion or philosophy? [+ favourites]

Can you be christian and buddhist ? ( sorry if i make some falts )

[  Edited by Decius at   ]

The semantics are not really important... Budhism, in its widespread average use is as much a religion as Christianity is. They have rituals and priests and customs.

However you cannot be both a Budhist and a Christian because Christianity is exclusive. Budhism is not.

You can be both Budhist and Hindu, or Budhist and Taoist because those religions are not exclusive: they do not claim to be the one and only truth, only one of the possible truths.

Christianity, Islam and Judaism do. Also, all three of those religions are linked in that they are Abrahamian religions that believe some variation of the Old Testament.

"Hating everyone protects me from elitism."

Buddhism is both a religion and a philosophy. I consider myself buddhist as far as the philosophy goes. A true buddhist imoo is not one who believes in practices but is simply on the way and knows he/she is on "the way". The way being a path to enlightenment which imoo is like taking a round trip to nowhere. This requires nothing at all other than the believe you are trying to become enlightened. You leave on a quest for something only to end up back where you were a little more experienced.

"Dark and silent and complete."

Can philosophy be a religion?

I think it can be.

"A fool says I know and a wise man says I wonder."

I was baptized a christian, but i follow the hindu beliefs...in that way, i guess i would be both...although i do not see myself as christian...

In a book i am reading, "Living with the Himalayan Masters" by Swami Rama, Swami Rama is a Hindu, but he believes in all the Gods from all religions...i like that idea. The Supreme Reality shows itself in many different forms. So i dont think it matters if someone wants to follow two, or more religions...

Those are just my personal beliefs though.

"\"The eternal silence of these infinate spaces frightens me\" -Blaise Pascal"

That is a great way to think.

"Hating everyone protects me from elitism."

This was the perfect thread for me, rang lots of bells. I love the way you guys are thinking.

I have a very interesting religious background, my mum is Jewish , brought up in a very strict Jewish childrens home in Norwood, London, my dad isn't particularly anything but his family background is church of england, my husband is a Catholic from Cork in Ireland and me? Well, I have looked into pretty much everything since I was a teenager and still am but I was baptised by my local baptist church a couple of years ago and have considered myself a Christian for many years.

However I use meditation as a personal relaxation and contemplative state and am very interested in studying all religions, philosophies and also ancient myths and legends and basically anything that is unexplained, interesting etc. hence the reason this site fascinates me so much.

I don't preach or try to convert anyone to Christianity but if I have a quote from the bible that ever springs to mind as relevant or helpful I may mention it. I am equally likely to quote things from scientific journals or other religious texts.

I suppose in the end I consider myself an open minded Christian. I know I won't make much sense to most people but that's my complex religious beliefs in a nut shell.

""Each child holds the world in an open hand to mould it into any shape they choose.""

You can't be open minded and Christian. That's against Christian dogma.

This is why Budhism and to a large extent Hinduism are not religions. They do not punish you for open mindedness. Christianity does, as does Islam as does Judaism.

So, in continued response to the thread topic, first you must define religion and then you can answer it. If religion is dogmatic rules that encompass a group of shared beliefs, then Budhism is not a religion.

If religion encompasses a group of shared ideals with no retribution for deviation from these ideals, then it's a system of thought... which can be considered philosophy.

"Hating everyone protects me from elitism."

l.o.l Decius, I find this quite insulting because by saying you can't be open minded and a Christian, you are in fact saying that I can't be open minded and a Christian. You are not in my mind so you have no idea how open it is. Believe me its prety open. OK YOU can't be a Christian and open minded, that's you not me. "There are more things in heaven and Earth..."

""Each child holds the world in an open hand to mould it into any shape they choose.""

I find it interesting that you laugh when you're insulted. That is a very typical defense mechanism (to imply that you are not affected by it, you must over-exert a response that supports this).

The limitation of Christianity and being open minded is not your or my limitation... is it the limitation of a dogmatic monotheistic religion (one god, the god, no other gods). So either you are open minded, or you are a Christian. You cannot be both.

A religion such as Budhism does not have this concept, which is why it is perfectly viable to be Budhist and love Buddha and also love Jesus and believe in the possibility of Christianity being correct. Christians cannot believe that Budhism is correct, because Budhism contradicts Christianity.

"Hating everyone protects me from elitism."

Oh well, we'll just have to agree to differ here Decius, I can't find a convincing enough argument, I'm obviously not that intelligent. You'd make a great lawyer, or are you one?

""Each child holds the world in an open hand to mould it into any shape they choose.""

If you can't find a convincing enough argument, perhaps you should consider the possibility that I am right. I'm not arguing to make you wrong... I'm sharing with you my logical understanding of reality. Its in your best interests to be open minded about that. If I couldn't provide you with a logical argument, I would definitely contemplate the possibility that you are right. Or, I would research the hell out of it to support my feeling that I am right. In the end, agreeing to dissagree wouldn't help me.

"Hating everyone protects me from elitism."

if you walk the talk it is religion,if you debate it is philosophy

"chill out"

All I'm trying to say is that I consider myself a Christian, I like to read the bible although I do not consider it the be all and end all of how my life should be because of its historical social context, it was written at a particular time that is not completely relevant for modern life, especially modern family life and modern western women. I do however stick closely to the moral threads, I believe the parables and the beautitudes etc. are good teachings by Jesus and stand whatever time period we are in.

But... and this is where I am saying you can't dismiss my beliefs as not relevant to the question, I do like the ideas of Buddhism. I have not studied Buddhism and so do admit I cannot argue stricktly about its philosophies, but I know it has something to do with finding peace within onesself and with ones environment and uses meditation as a tool to this kind of enlightenment and that is what to some extent I do.

Therefore if that is how I lead my life, how can you say that they don't sit well with one another. I am trying to give you a working example of how I use parts of both in my life, surely that in itself is an argument. Ok its not for everyone and probably most fundamental Christians would say its against Christianity, but we are all individuals who live different lives in different ways and certainly many people nowadays incorporate many different belief systems into their daily lives much as I do.

""Each child holds the world in an open hand to mould it into any shape they choose.""

I agree with Decius here, simply because what he's saying is, and in fact, rather than opinion, true.

Buddhism teaches learning as a process. Its more of a series of books of knowledge to be expanded upon. Whereas Christianity, particularly the Old Testament, assumes itself more as THE book of knowledge. The first teaches the hunt for knowledge the latter teaches the following of knowledge. In that sense Buddhism is more philosophical and Christinaity is more religious.

As for the effectiveness, numerically there are more christians than buddhists so Christianity is more popular. Whether the one is better than the other, I propose three counts :

quality or

spirituality

or living life

Is up to you. I prefer the Buddhist message on the first and second count. The Christian message on the third count.

""No words""