Religion: Is Buddhism A Religion?

Is Buddhism A Religion?

Written by Helen Wyre

Buddhism is a teaching which has spread worldwide absorbing repparttar

culture of each country it arrived in, which has resulted in many expressions of Buddhism. Each strand, no matter how varied in nature and practice, holds a common emphasis on repparttar 149879

impermanence of human life. The worldwide spread of Buddhism means that it is now practiced by over three hundred million people worldwide, and thus, is generally considered to be a world religion. However, its authenticity as a religion has often come under scrutiny by intellectuals in repparttar 149880

Western world. To explore whether Buddhism can in fact be counted as a religion we must acknowledge that repparttar 149881

main problems arise when looking for a definition of what a religion is. Either, definitions have proved too narrow excluding many belief systems which people believe are religious, or they become too broad which means that any structure can be counted. When applying varying definitions of religion to Buddhism we come up with some very contradictory answers; some which say that Buddhism is simply a philosophy or teaching, whilst others will prove that it is in fact, a religion in practice.

To determine whether Buddhism is a religion or not, we must also note that we, as Westerners will have different views and concepts of religion to those practicing in repparttar 149882 East. We must ask repparttar 149883 question, is it even possible for Westerners to understand repparttar 149884 religious life of Asia? What we view as Asian religion and religious activity is for most of repparttar 149885 people practicing it a natural part of daily life; our ideas and concepts vary so greatly that perhaps someone observing Buddhism from a Western perspective may never truly grasp repparttar 149886 religiosity of repparttar 149887 group.

For one attempting to provide a definition of religion these practices would need to be described in a manner which did not exclude one religion from repparttar 149888 definition. There needs to be one thing that is attributed to all religions, a common factor. For many, repparttar 149889 common factor is God. However, if we conclude that God is repparttar 149890 focus of all religion then much of repparttar 149891 material found in Asia must be excluded because there is no God here, and occasionally not even Gods. From repparttar 149892 perspective that religion entails belief in a God, Buddhism is excluded from having repparttar 149893 title of religion. Many outsiders to repparttar 149894 Buddhist tradition may claim that repparttar 149895 Buddha held some divinity and is elevated to a Godly position, but repparttar 149896 Buddha himself refused to be regarded as divine. For repparttar 149897 Buddha, humanity is here to improve ourselves and achieve liberation rather than worrying about ultimate questions. Buddhists would argue that knowledge of a God or repparttar 149898 afterlife does not matter as neither help in repparttar 149899 quest for nirvana. If Buddhism is not counted as a religion then what is it? Buddhism can be thought of as a way of life, a philosophy, a psychology, a way of thinking through which we can take responsibility for our present life and lives.

EU to conquer Anglo-Saxons and Jews

Written by David Ben-Ariel

The heartfelt words still plead today, and ring true as ever: "Why will you die, O House of Israel?"

The Prophet Ezekiel informed his audience that it wasn't God's Will for them to suffer and die, but rather that they would turn from their self-destructive ways and live (Ezekiel 18:30-32).

For years I have written letters to The Jerusalem Post and elsewhere, decrying repparttar Israeli government's submission to foreign authorities, sacrificing their national security due to unbearable pressure from repparttar 149855 international community, and have encouraged repparttar 149856 Jewish homeland to love and obey God and trust in Him, not fickle men or nations that have proven they can't be relied upon (Joel 3:1-2).

Now I've come to repparttar 149857 sad conclusion, repparttar 149858 grievous understanding, that Israeli leaders have often sold out their land and people to foreign interests, bloating their personal bank accounts at Israel's expense, and that repparttar 149859 pressure was often an excuse for them to do what they had already agreed upon: continue repparttar 149860 lying peace process of phased destruction, dismantle repparttar 149861 Jewish homeland, dismember their Mother piece by piece and pervert repparttar 149862 Promised Land of Israel into an accursed "Palestine" (Ps. 83:4).

Israeli officials, bought and paid for like repparttar 149863 political prostitutes they are, serve their German-Jesuit EU Masters (with plants in Washington, D.C. and other world capitols) and are gambling with repparttar 149864 land and lives of every Israeli. They foolishly imagine that they can contain repparttar 149865 breach in Israeli security that they are collaborating in (Daniel 11:32, Joel 3:1-2), a deadly serious breach that will break open and flood repparttar 149866 Holy Land with foreign troops and sweep them away for repparttar 149867 filthy liars they've become with their false visions of "peace" (Isaiah 28:14-18), based upon repparttar 149868 BIG LIE OF EUROPEAN "GUARANTEES" OF PEACE AND SECURITY.

The kapos of compromise are destined to get stomped by repparttar 149869 EU jackboot that will trample Jerusalem and pollute Israel!(Zechariah 14:1-2). They will not escape repparttar 149870 coming Holocaust that will pale repparttar 149871 former and will scorch repparttar 149872 American and British peoples as well.

Together we are repparttar 149873 leading tribes of ancient Israel, Joseph (Joes/Anglo-Saxons) and Judah (Jews), and will be overthrown in a nuclear coup ignited by repparttar 149874 modern Assyrians: GERMANY.

Germany is repparttar 149875 driving force behind repparttar 149876 EU empire in repparttar 149877 making, under repparttar 149878 influence of repparttar 149879 Vatican who has never given up their Crusader-Kingdom dream of possessing Jerusalem!

How pitiful are those plaintive letters of concerned Israeli citizens and Jewish and Christian-Zionist supporters worldwide! They're still foolishly believing, like I once did, that Israel is only doing what they're forced to do, against their better judgment.

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