Maksutov wrote: If you're that ignorant of Buddhism, you don't have much credibility in any other religion that you're making big pronouncements about. Show us where Buddhism is theistic. It isn't.
I, as well as, you realize that it isn't that simple; however, karma/kamma for a Buddhist plays a part between the joining of kusala and akusala, in terms of Buddhist ethics kusala and akusala are qualities of the law of kamma wherein lies the struggle between light and dark, "good" and "bad".
I'm a Christian and not a Buddhist, but I don't live under a rock. I do not pretend to know everything about every religion. Buddhists for the most part don't believe in GOD per se. However, they do regard enlightenment as something to acquire to reach a higher plateau and The Buddha is supposed to have reached some level of "divinity" through his enlightenment.
But that's not what you said.
" a "Buddhist" philosophical thought that for GOD to exist, evil needs to have always existed"
Your statement was false. That is *not* "Buddhist". The point of Buddhism is to end the cycle of endless reincarnations, to expiate one's karma and to work for the enlightenment of one's self and all other creatures. Christianity, with its substitutionary atonement, is nothing like Buddhism and neither is Judaism. The Abrahamic religions (including Mormonism) rely on anthropomorphic creator gods and patriarchal social orders with a common source. Buddhism is another thing entirely.
The most effective refutations of Mormonism come from the clear evidence of fraud by Smith in many instances and the utter lack of confirming evidence in the historical record of the unique claims of the religion.
LittleNipper wrote:I, as well as, you realize that it isn't that simple; however, karma/kamma for a Buddhist plays a part between the joining of kusala and akusala, in terms of Buddhist ethics kusala and akusala are qualities of the law of kamma wherein lies the struggle between light and dark, "good" and "bad".
I'm a Christian and not a Buddhist, but I don't live under a rock. I do not pretend to know everything about every religion. Buddhists for the most part don't believe in GOD per se. However, they do regard enlightenment as something to acquire to reach a higher plateau and The Buddha is supposed to have reached some level of "divinity" through his enlightenment.
But that's not what you said.
" a "Buddhist" philosophical thought that for GOD to exist, evil needs to have always existed"
Your statement was false. That is *not* "Buddhist". The point of Buddhism is to end the cycle of endless reincarnations, to expiate one's karma and to work for the enlightenment of one's self and all other creatures. Christianity, with its substitutionary atonement, is nothing like Buddhism and neither is Judaism. The Abrahamic religions (including Mormonism) rely on anthropomorphic creator gods and patriarchal social orders with a common source. Buddhism is another thing entirely.
The most effective refutations of Mormonism come from the clear evidence of fraud by Smith in many instances and the utter lack of confirming evidence in the historical record of the unique claims of the religion.
What I said is that the Book of Mormon says (in II Nephi 2) that both Good and Evil MUST exist or GOD cannot. Buddhists believe GOOD and Evil are eternal (essentially complimenting each other). And the Book of Mormon stipulates that for GOD to exist, evil must exist. That isn't a Christian view and it is closer to a Buddhist consideration of that conflict. The Christian view is that GOD existed eternally in perfection. GOD created, and an angel GOD created determined that he wanted to replace GOD. As a result Satan and not GOD is the author of SIN by his rebellion against the will of his creator. Mormon doctrine promotes Satan and Christ as children of GOD. I in no way wish to make this a debate about Buddhism.
" a "Buddhist" philosophical thought that for GOD to exist, evil needs to have always existed"
Your statement was false. That is *not* "Buddhist". The point of Buddhism is to end the cycle of endless reincarnations, to expiate one's karma and to work for the enlightenment of one's self and all other creatures. Christianity, with its substitutionary atonement, is nothing like Buddhism and neither is Judaism. The Abrahamic religions (including Mormonism) rely on anthropomorphic creator gods and patriarchal social orders with a common source. Buddhism is another thing entirely.
The most effective refutations of Mormonism come from the clear evidence of fraud by Smith in many instances and the utter lack of confirming evidence in the historical record of the unique claims of the religion.
What I said is that the Book of Mormon says (in II Nephi 2) that both Good and Evil MUST exist or GOD cannot. Buddhists believe GOOD and Evil are eternal (essentially complimenting each other). And the Book of Mormon stipulates that for GOD to exist, evil must exist. That isn't a Christian view and it is closer to a Buddhist consideration of that conflict. The Christian view is that GOD existed eternally in perfection. GOD created, and an angel GOD created determined that he wanted to replace GOD. As a result Satan and not GOD is the author of SIN by his rebellion against the will of his creator. Mormon doctrine promotes Satan and Christ as children of GOD. I in no way wish to make this a debate about Buddhism.
You have made it a debate about Buddhism by bringing Buddhism into it. You misrepresent Buddhism. Show me where you got your understanding of Buddhism from. It *is* relevant because if you're willing to be so sloppy about Buddhism there is no reason to trust your other statements about any other religions.
Maksutov wrote:I rather like the Mormon idea that the "fall" was a positive thing. But then they screw up everything else related to it.
The rise to sentience was definitely a good thing. It allows us to type out a message rather than pressing the big red DENIAL key as purely instinctual creatures.
2. Nephi is told of GOD to murder a fellow Israelite who is drunk. That in itself is off because unless in the heat of battle or clearing with invaders, or ridding the land of evil people groups --- all squabbles between the Israelites/Jews were to be dealt with legally. Read the Bible and note the laws guiding how matters were to be handled among themselves in the land. And then there is the simple fact that GOD could have sent an angel or caused some accident or disease to kill to Laban. I'm sure Mormons have heard this all before...
I hate to disagree but “killing” wasn't actually a sin, only murder was. An accidental death for example one could flee to a sanctuary city.
One other providion was “if god delivered him unto your hand”
Since laban was “delivered” it was totes cool that nephi hacked his head off. No sin as he then fled.
