Criticism of Buddhism: Difference between revisions
wikademia>Angelo De La Paz Undid revision 239868612 by 89.146.64.223 (talk) vandalism |
wikademia>Miss Madeline m →Buddhist nations: spacing |
||
| Line 28: | Line 28: | ||
==Buddhist nations== | ==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 [[Shinto]] was the state religion in Japan at the time and certain restrictions were actually placed on Buddhism. Moreover, Buddhism taught not to end any living things' lifes.<ref>Buddhism [[Five Precepts]]</ref>, and the Japanese kamikaze only use religion as an excuse for invading; while foreigners understand the religion wrongly without correct acknowledgment. | 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 [[Shinto]] was the state religion in Japan at the time and certain restrictions were actually placed on Buddhism. Moreover, Buddhism taught not to end any living things' lifes.<ref>Buddhism [[Five Precepts]]</ref>, and the Japanese kamikaze only use religion as an excuse for invading; while foreigners understand the religion wrongly without correct acknowledgment. | ||
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>, despite the fact of Tibet being a remote region that is hard to contact. The theocratic idea as applied to Buddhism shows a misunderstanding of the religion, as well as ignoring the more serious feudal elements in Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. | 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>, despite the fact of Tibet being a remote region that is hard to contact. The theocratic idea as applied to Buddhism shows a misunderstanding of the religion, as well as ignoring the more serious feudal elements in Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. | ||
Revision as of 05:36, 6 October 2008
Buddhist denominations, nations and leaders have been criticized by the anti-religious, by proponents of other religions and by practitioners of Buddhism itself.
Devotional practices
Most forms of Buddhism are nontheistic or atheistic.[1][2][3]
Australian Buddhist monastic Shravasti Dhammika has criticized Theravada for being superfluous - and sometimes damaging - in ritual and tradition,[4] while some forms of Mahayana such as Pure Land Buddhism[5] are theistic, and this form of Buddhism is criticized by atheistsTemplate:Who?.
Conversely, "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 [6], whereas Sam Harris, another prominent proponent of New Atheism,[7] 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.[8]
Harun Yahya, an Islamic creationist has criticized Buddhism for being idolatrous, through producing films on Buddhism.[9]
However, the fact should not be forgotten that all religions teach people to be good, including Buddhism. Among the Buddhist monks and Buddhists claims there are monks who do not follow the pillars of Buddhism make other people misunderstand of the religion, and thus all the good parts of the religion are forgotten.
Buddhist nations
Sam Harris argues that the kamikaze attacks of WWII were inspired by Buddhism[10], despite the fact that Shinto was the state religion in Japan at the time and certain restrictions were actually placed on Buddhism. Moreover, Buddhism taught not to end any living things' lifes.[11], and the Japanese kamikaze only use religion as an excuse for invading; while foreigners understand the religion wrongly without correct acknowledgment.
The writer Michael Parenti has also criticized pre-Chinese Tibet for having theocratic and feudal elements [12], despite the fact of Tibet being a remote region that is hard to contact. The theocratic idea as applied to Buddhism shows a misunderstanding of the religion, as well as ignoring the more serious feudal elements in Christianity, Islam and Hinduism.
Contemporary leaders
Regarding the Dalai Lama, Christopher Hitchens has been a vocal critic.[13]
References
- ↑ Is Buddhism Atheistic?
- ↑ Buddhism is Atheist
- ↑ Buddhism and Atheism
- ↑ Broken Buddha
- ↑ Mahayana Buddhism and Japanese Thought see p.220 section
- ↑ Dawkins, Richard (2006). The God Delusion. Bantam Books. ISBN 0-618-68000-4.
- ↑ Dawkins, Harris, Hitchens and Daniel Dennett have been described as the "Four Horsemen" of the "New Atheism". See 'THE FOUR HORSEMEN,' Discussions with Richard Dawkins: Episode 1, RDFRS - RichardDawkins.net and » Blog Archive » The Four Horsemen of the New Atheism
- ↑ Killing the Buddha by Sam Harris
- ↑ Islam and Buddhism – Harun Yahyah
- ↑ Harris, Sam (2004). The End of Faith, ch. 7, "Experiments in Consciousness."
- ↑ Buddhism Five Precepts
- ↑ Friendly Feudalism - The Tibet Myth
- ↑ 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.