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{{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.


Buddhist denominations, nations and leaders have been criticized by the [[anti-religion|anti-religious]] and by the proponents of other religions.
==Critical Buddhism==
[[Critical Buddhism]] is a branch of Japanese Buddhist scholarship which aims to reform Buddhism through critical examination of its practices and philosophy.


==Devotional practices==
==Buddhist "just war theory" and use in war==
The Buddhism teachings 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>


Conversely, "[[Antitheism#The_New_Atheism|New Atheism]]" proponent [[Richard Dawkins]] stated 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
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>
<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>, whereas [[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<!-- Bot generated & editor modified title -->] and [http://daviddent.net/blog/2007/06/17/the-four-horsemen-of-the-new-atheism/ » Blog Archive » The Four Horsemen of the New Atheism<!-- Bot generated title -->]</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>
 
Luna Tarlo, the mother of [[Andrew Cohen (spiritual teacher)]] <ref>[http://www.themotherofgod.com Mother of God] official website of ''Mother of God'', Luna Tarlo's account of her time spent as a disciple of her son, Andrew Cohen</ref> writes after having observed Tibetan Buddhists do the circular walk "chanting and prostrating flat down on the ground every few steps": <small>{{cquote|"Don't you think there's something weird about the way the Tibetans abase themselves with all those prostrations?" I asked Andrew the next morning at breakfast. "Who do you think they're bowing to? The Buddha? I thought the Buddha didn't believe in God and certainly didn't think of himself as God." "It's symbolic," Andrew explained. "They're expressing gratitude for the Buddha's teaching." I'd heard this before but it seemed to me, observing them, that they really were bowing to the Buddha himself and that they believed the Buddha ''was'' God. (p. 33)| }}<big>
[[Adnan_Oktar|Harun Yahya]], an [[Islamic creationism|Islamic creationist]] has criticized Buddhism for being idolatrous, through producing films on Buddhism.<ref>[http://www.harunyahya.com/buddhism02.php Islam and Buddhism – Harun Yahyah]</ref>
 
==Buddhist nations==


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>, despite the fact that Buddhism was forbidden in Japan during WWII era.
==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<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>, which does not represent whole Buddhism and its principle, which this represents the Tibetan rulers itself.
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<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>.
 
==Contemporary leaders==


Regarding the [[Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama|Dalai Lama]], [[Christopher Hitchens]] has been a vocal critic.<ref>{{cite book
Regarding the [[Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama|Dalai Lama]], [[Christopher Hitchens]] has been a vocal critic.<ref>{{cite book
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==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
{{Criticism of religion}}


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

Latest revision as of 17:41, 20 November 2010

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

Critical Buddhism

Critical Buddhism is a branch of Japanese Buddhist scholarship which aims to reform Buddhism through critical examination of its practices and philosophy.

Buddhist "just war theory" and use in war

Sam Harris argues that the kamikaze attacks of WWII were inspired by Buddhism[1]. 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.[2] 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".[3]

Sociology of Tibetan Buddhism

The writer Michael Parenti has also criticized pre-Chinese Tibet for having theocratic and feudal elements [4].

Regarding the Dalai Lama, Christopher Hitchens has been a vocal critic.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Harris, Sam (2004). The End of Faith, ch. 7, "Experiments in Consciousness."
  2. ↑ See the chapter "There is no Eastern Solution" in God is not great, Atlantic, New York, 2006
  3. ↑ Page 204 in God is not great, Atlantic, New York, 2006
  4. ↑ Friendly Feudalism - The Tibet Myth
  5. ↑ Hitchens, Christopher (2007). God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything. Twelve Books, Hachette Book Group. pp. Chapter Fourteen: There Is No "Eastern" Solution. ISBN 978-0-446-57980-3. 
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