today is Buddah's birthday

[Catholic777]

C.S. Lewis said that in his conversion to theism he came down to choosing between Hinduism and Christianity, but for me, Buddhism makes a whole lot more sense.

I think, however, he distinguished between "thick" and "clear" Hinduism, or something like that. That is to say, between the highly superstitious cult of the commoners...and the highly abstract and philosophical system of the brahmins. The latter is ancient and venerable even. I wonder if any attempt has been made to "parse" Christianity in vedic philosophy the way the Aquinas parsed it in Aristotelean.

Most religions have this divide. Catholicism especially. But none so severe as Hinduism. I could see the "clear" abstract brahmins' hinduism being appealing, but I'd have a hard time seperating it from the popular cults that it seems to do nothing about. So...Buddhism probably would be the next most intellectually convincing religion after Catholicism.

However, if I wasnt Catholic...it wouldnt necessarily just be intellectual convincingness I'd take into account. I've always thought that if I wasnt Catholic, and if all the presumptions related to Catholicism were gone (ie, if I wouldnt just become Orthodox or the next closest thing)...I would (for reasons more relating to emotions/personality/psychology) probably be, in this order: a radical muslim, a shaker, a hasidic jew, a tibetan buddhist, or a mormon.

The great thing about Catholicism is that the abstractability of the "popular religion" from the "clerical religion" is always kept in balance, with each aspect guarding and enriching the other, instead of contradicting. 

[Evey]

Maybe Siddhartha glimpsed his Saviour during the harrowing...

[HMiS]

I would not attend such celebrations, as the very concept of Buddha veneration is not in line with natural law and the fact that a Creator does exist. Yet, I cannot help but love many Buddhist/Eastern Asian traditions and forms and expressions of art.

[frerejacques]

I believed for awhile that I was a Buddhist, and I still meditate.  It made me a better Catholic, or perhaps just a better human being more able to fully embrace Catholicism, I pray more fully and effectively now.  I don't pray for something, I just spend time with God.  And yes, I've been to Confession and I've done the penance, so hold off on the lectures.  I'm not the only prodigal here.

You can find Buddhist monks in any large city in the West who will spend as much time as you want discussing that religion, its history and philosophies, teaching you how to meditate, sitting in silence.  How many priests can do that?  There simply aren't enough of them. Most Americans and Europeans of my acquaintance who have embraced Buddhism lack an adequate education in their own faith, and so they went searching.  When you ask why they left the Church, they invariably say something along the lines of, "there isn't enough to it."  But as we know there is so much to it, however a great deal of that has been taken away from us by the very Church whose function it is to maintain it.   Overall, the Church consistently fails to meet the need for more rigorous religious instruction for everyone.    These young people have joined the cause to preserve Tibet's traditional culture and religion (a noble one) by abandoning their own, but they don't see it that way.  I hope more of them come back, because they'll make great Catholics.

[Catholic777]

I would not attend such celebrations, as the very concept of Buddha veneration is not in line with natural law and the fact that a Creator does exist.

I wouldnt attend a worship service, inasmuch as a corresponding concept exists in buddhism. That would be communicatio in sacris if you actively participated (which you certainly shouldnt), and even mere passive observation I'd tend to avoid unless it was, like, a family wedding or funeral or something.

But a secularized holiday celebration...meh. That's really more cultural now than religious.

Yet, I cannot help but love many Buddhist/Eastern Asian traditions and forms and expressions of art.

Indeed. And Catholicism traditionally supports diversity. "Latinizing" and "Europeanizing" tendencies must be done away with. The Faith is comfortable in any culture.

And I've often said that, for example, if they became Catholic, the Hindus wouldnt even have to abandon their gods and mythology. Oh, dont get me wrong, they couldnt believe in them as real anymore. But...Europe maintained its pagan mythology; Christians still studied the works of Homer and Vergil, for example. They were just recognized AS myths. Zeus and Venus and Apollo all make appearence in Rennaisance sculpture and painting, for example. But no longer as idols, rather simply as symbols for power or love or youth or whatever. As cultural/mythological characters no more harmful than uncle sam or the easter bunny. We wouldnt have to burn the Bhagavad Gita, for example. It's an ancient and beautiful and venerable work. It would just have to be reduced from its status as scripture to something more akin to the Odyssey or Aeneid. And we wouldnt have to raze their temples. Just, like with Rome, convert them to churches, moving the statues of gods to museums or palaces or whatever as mere decoration.

[Marisa]

Please pray for my sister. Her boyfriend is Buddhist and she no longer goes to Mass.

[frerejacques]

Please pray for my sister. Her boyfriend is Buddhist and she no longer goes to Mass.

I will, and maybe you can remind her that the Dalai Lama keeps urging Christians not to convert to Buddhism?

http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/news_syndication/article_051121dalailama.shtml

[HMiS]

And I've often said that, for example, if the became Catholic, the Hindus wouldnt even have to abandon their gods and mythology. Oh, dont get me wrong, they couldnt believe in them as real anymore. But...Europe maintained its pagan mythology; Christians still studied the works of Homer and Vergil, for example. They were just recognized AS myths. Zeus and Venus and Apollo all make appearence in Rennaisance sculpture and painting, for example. But no longer as idols, rather simply as symbols for power or love or youth or whatever. As cultural/mythological characters no more harmful than uncle sam or the easter bunny. We wouldnt have to burn the Bhagavad Gita, for example. It's an ancient and beautiful and venerable work. It would just have to be reduced from its status as scripture to something more akin to the Odyssey or Aeneid. And we wouldnt have to raze their temples. Just, like with Rome, convert them to churches, moving the statues of gods to museums or palaces or whatever as mere decoration.

My sentiments indeed. Although the scholars of the Saint Francis Xavier very much destroyed the idols in their pagan parents' homes etc.

But as I said, that was genuine care about the eternal salvation of their parents stuck in paganism and idolatry.

Never ever should we do as the Taliban did in Afghanistan though, blowing up Buddha statues. Not even the most hot-headed primitive primary-age Islamic combattants conquering Afghanistan for the Dar-al-Islam in the 7th century A.D. did.

[HMiS]

Buddhist religious morals often lead to indifference to sin and injustice, and indifferentism towards other religions (although anti-semitism and anti-monotheistic extremism exists in many Buddhist writings of the ancient eras).

It is not a religious concept even comparable to the divine teachings of Our Lord and God Jesus Christ.

The whole Nihilist concept of reincarnation and Nirvana is already ridiculous and contrary to right reason, as there would be no final judgement and justice in it, except for some form of "karma".

[Marisa]

Please pray for my sister. Her boyfriend is Buddhist and she no longer goes to Mass.

I will, and maybe you can remind her that the Dalai Lama keeps urging Christians not to convert to Buddhism?

http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/news_syndication/article_051121dalailama.shtml

Thank you for your prayers. We've been praying for her for a long time...