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Criticism of Buddhism

2009-02-23T04:55:42Z

74.12.12.99: /* Buddhist "just war theory" and use in war */

{{buddhism}}

Buddhist denominations, nations and leaders have been criticized by the [[anti-religion|anti-religious]], by proponents of other religions and by practitioners of Buddhism itself.

==Critical Buddhism==
{{mainarticle|Critical Buddhism}}
[[Critical Buddhism]] is a branch of Japanese Buddhist scholarship which aims to reform Buddhism through critical examination of its practices and philosophy.

==Criticism of identifying Buddhism as religion==
Most forms of Buddhism are [[nontheism|nontheistic]] or [[atheism|atheistic]].
<ref> [http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/beliefs/atheism.htm Is Buddhism Atheistic?]</ref>
<ref>[http://www.vexen.co.uk/religion/buddhism_atheism.html Buddhism is Atheist]</ref>
<ref>[http://atheism.about.com/b/2005/11/28/buddhism-and-atheism.htm Buddhism and Atheism]</ref>
<ref>[http://www.springerlink.com/content/p51001l251772744/ Richard P. Hayes, Principled atheism in the Buddhist scholastic tradition]</ref>.
"[[Antitheism#The_New_Atheism |New Atheism]]" proponent [[Richard Dawkins]] states in his book ''[[The God Delusion]]'' that there is a case to be made for seeing Buddhism and [[Confucianism]] as ethical systems and philosophies rather than religions
<ref>{{cite book
| last = Dawkins
| first = Richard
| authorlink = Richard Dawkins
| title = [[The God Delusion]]
| publisher = [[Bantam Books]]
| location =
| date = 2006
| pages =
| doi =
| isbn = 0-618-68000-4}}
</ref>. [[Sam Harris (author)|Sam Harris]], another prominent proponent of New Atheism,<ref>Dawkins, Harris, Hitchens and [[Daniel Dennett]] have been described as the "Four Horsemen" of the "[[Atheism|New Atheism]]". See [http://richarddawkins.net/article,2025,THE-FOUR-HORSEMEN,Discussions-With-Richard-Dawkins-Episode-1-RDFRS 'THE FOUR HORSEMEN,' Discussions with Richard Dawkins: Episode 1, RDFRS - RichardDawkins.net] and [http://daviddent.net/blog/2007/06/17/the-four-horsemen-of-the-new-atheism/ » Blog Archive » The Four Horsemen of the New Atheism]</ref> practices [[Buddhist meditation]]. Harris believes that the term “Buddhism” should be removed entirely, and that Buddhist meditation should leave the realm of religion and enter the realm of science.<ref>[http://www.samharris.org/media/killing_the_buddha.pdf Killing the Buddha] by Sam Harris</ref>

==Buddhist "just war theory" and use in war==

Sam Harris argues that the [[kamikaze]] attacks of WWII were inspired by Buddhism<ref>Harris, Sam (2004). ''[[The End of Faith]]'', ch. 7, "Experiments in Consciousness."</ref>. In the book ''[[God is not great]]'', Christopher Hitchens argues that both the [[Showa period]] in Japan and the anti-Tamil governments in Sri Lanka were inspired by Buddhism.<ref>See the chapter "There is no Eastern Solution" in ''God is not great'', Atlantic, New York, 2006</ref> Hitchens believes that there is a problem with Buddhists' desire to "put their reason to sleep, and to discard their minds along with their sandals".<ref>Page 204 in ''God is not great'', Atlantic, New York, 2006</ref> Although this is considered an absurd claim since Buddhism is well known to have been severely repressed in Showa Japan, in favor of Imperial Shinto, and the Tamil Tigers are a specifically a radical Hindu group.

==Sociology of Tibetan Buddhism ==

The writer [[Michael Parenti]] has also criticized pre-Chinese [[Tibet]] for having theocratic and feudal elements <ref>[http://www.michaelparenti.org/Tibet.html Friendly Feudalism - The Tibet Myth]</ref>.

Regarding the [[Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama|Dalai Lama]], [[Christopher Hitchens]] has been a vocal critic.<ref>{{cite book
| last = Hitchens
| first = Christopher
| authorlink = Christopher Hitchens
| title = [[God Is Not Great]]: How Religion Poisons Everything
| publisher = [[Twelve Books]], [[Hachette Book Group]]
| location =
| date = 2007
| pages = Chapter Fourteen: ''There Is No "Eastern" Solution''
| doi =
| isbn = 978-0-446-57980-3}}</ref>

==Criticism from other religious viewpoints==
[[Adnan Oktar|Harun Yahya]], an [[Islamic creationism|Islamic creationist]] has judged Buddhism as idolatry, while producing films on Buddhism.<ref>[http://www.harunyahya.com/buddhism02.php Islam and Buddhism – Harun Yahyah]</ref> Christians sometimes cite this claim as well.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Criticism of religion}}

[[Category:Criticism of religion|Buddhism]]
[[Category:Anti-Buddhism]]

Criticism of Buddhism

2009-02-23T04:53:46Z

74.12.12.99: /* Buddhist "just war theory" and use in war */

{{buddhism}}

Buddhist denominations, nations and leaders have been criticized by the [[anti-religion|anti-religious]], by proponents of other religions and by practitioners of Buddhism itself.

==Critical Buddhism==
{{mainarticle|Critical Buddhism}}
[[Critical Buddhism]] is a branch of Japanese Buddhist scholarship which aims to reform Buddhism through critical examination of its practices and philosophy.

==Criticism of identifying Buddhism as religion==
Most forms of Buddhism are [[nontheism|nontheistic]] or [[atheism|atheistic]].
<ref> [http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/beliefs/atheism.htm Is Buddhism Atheistic?]</ref>
<ref>[http://www.vexen.co.uk/religion/buddhism_atheism.html Buddhism is Atheist]</ref>
<ref>[http://atheism.about.com/b/2005/11/28/buddhism-and-atheism.htm Buddhism and Atheism]</ref>
<ref>[http://www.springerlink.com/content/p51001l251772744/ Richard P. Hayes, Principled atheism in the Buddhist scholastic tradition]</ref>.
"[[Antitheism#The_New_Atheism |New Atheism]]" proponent [[Richard Dawkins]] states in his book ''[[The God Delusion]]'' that there is a case to be made for seeing Buddhism and [[Confucianism]] as ethical systems and philosophies rather than religions
<ref>{{cite book
| last = Dawkins
| first = Richard
| authorlink = Richard Dawkins
| title = [[The God Delusion]]
| publisher = [[Bantam Books]]
| location =
| date = 2006
| pages =
| doi =
| isbn = 0-618-68000-4}}
</ref>. [[Sam Harris (author)|Sam Harris]], another prominent proponent of New Atheism,<ref>Dawkins, Harris, Hitchens and [[Daniel Dennett]] have been described as the "Four Horsemen" of the "[[Atheism|New Atheism]]". See [http://richarddawkins.net/article,2025,THE-FOUR-HORSEMEN,Discussions-With-Richard-Dawkins-Episode-1-RDFRS 'THE FOUR HORSEMEN,' Discussions with Richard Dawkins: Episode 1, RDFRS - RichardDawkins.net] and [http://daviddent.net/blog/2007/06/17/the-four-horsemen-of-the-new-atheism/ » Blog Archive » The Four Horsemen of the New Atheism]</ref> practices [[Buddhist meditation]]. Harris believes that the term “Buddhism” should be removed entirely, and that Buddhist meditation should leave the realm of religion and enter the realm of science.<ref>[http://www.samharris.org/media/killing_the_buddha.pdf Killing the Buddha] by Sam Harris</ref>

==Buddhist "just war theory" and use in war==

Sam Harris argues that the [[kamikaze]] attacks of WWII were inspired by Buddhism<ref>Harris, Sam (2004). ''[[The End of Faith]]'', ch. 7, "Experiments in Consciousness."</ref>. In the book ''[[God is not great]]'', Christopher Hitchens argues that both the [[Showa period]] in Japan and the anti-Tamil governments in Sri Lanka were inspired by Buddhism.<ref>See the chapter "There is no Eastern Solution" in ''God is not great'', Atlantic, New York, 2006</ref> Hitchens believes that there is a problem with Buddhists' desire to "put their reason to sleep, and to discard their minds along with their sandals".<ref>Page 204 in ''God is not great'', Atlantic, New York, 2006</ref> Although this is considered an absurd claim since Buddhism was repressed in 1940s Japan, in favor of Imperial Shinto, and the Tamil Tigers are a specifically a radical Hindu group.

==Sociology of Tibetan Buddhism ==

The writer [[Michael Parenti]] has also criticized pre-Chinese [[Tibet]] for having theocratic and feudal elements <ref>[http://www.michaelparenti.org/Tibet.html Friendly Feudalism - The Tibet Myth]</ref>.

Regarding the [[Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama|Dalai Lama]], [[Christopher Hitchens]] has been a vocal critic.<ref>{{cite book
| last = Hitchens
| first = Christopher
| authorlink = Christopher Hitchens
| title = [[God Is Not Great]]: How Religion Poisons Everything
| publisher = [[Twelve Books]], [[Hachette Book Group]]
| location =
| date = 2007
| pages = Chapter Fourteen: ''There Is No "Eastern" Solution''
| doi =
| isbn = 978-0-446-57980-3}}</ref>

==Criticism from other religious viewpoints==
[[Adnan Oktar|Harun Yahya]], an [[Islamic creationism|Islamic creationist]] has judged Buddhism as idolatry, while producing films on Buddhism.<ref>[http://www.harunyahya.com/buddhism02.php Islam and Buddhism – Harun Yahyah]</ref> Christians sometimes cite this claim as well.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Criticism of religion}}

[[Category:Criticism of religion|Buddhism]]
[[Category:Anti-Buddhism]]