What Is A Roman Catholic Buddhist?

http://www.thebereancall.org/content/what-roman-catholic-buddhist ^

[BillyBoy]

>> Protestants didn’t invade the all powerful Catholic organization from the outside, they broke away from it as Christians, for their faith, from the inside, they were Catholics, forced to be perhaps, but Catholics. They left that denomination, just as so many American Catholics do today, to pursue their Christian faith which they feel isn’t happening within the Catholic denomination. <<

Very true, they left and started their own Christian denominations because they weren't happy with what was being taught in the Catholic Church. (personally I wish liberal Catholics who support abortion and gay marriage would follow suit and stop calling themselves "Catholics" when they oppose a fundamental teaching of the church). My post was in response to a freeper who falsely claimed that other Christian denominations existed independently of the Catholic Church for centuries and upheld the "original faith". I suppose he could make that claim if he's an Orthodox Christian, but if he's a Protestant, his faith traditions weren't fully formed until the 1600s at the earliest.

>> This shouldn’t cause such darkly negative reactions from the Christians of the Catholic denomination, they are getting plenty of replacements from Mexico, the Philippines, and the other major Catholic countries of the world and Latin America. <<

It really isn't news, other such non-Christian traditions have been blended into Catholic worship, such as the Day of the Dead in Mexico coming from Aztec ancestor worship, and voodoo coming from mixing French Catholicism rituals with West African Vodou in Haiti.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Buddha never claimed to be a god.

[Nervous Tick]

I’m not understanding your point.

Are you saying it’s OK to worship Buddha, or entertwine Buddha worship with worship of the one true GOD, because he never claimed to be a god?

[Nervous Tick]

I’m curious: how much do you know about Buddhism?

It’s an offshoot of Hinduism — which believes in a pantheon of ‘gods’.

Do you believe that paying homage to a plethora of manufactured gods is in alignment with the teaching of the ONE true GOD?

Do you believe that paying homage to Buddha is in alignment with the WORD of Jehovah?

If so please explain why. Please give me references from Scripture to support your belief.

Thanks and FRegards

[mlo]

I’m afraid you don’t know much about Buddhism. All cultures develop myths and superstitions, and that includes Buddhist ones. There are people who have superstitious quasi-religious ideas about the Buddha, sure. But Buddhism has no god, no creation stories, and does not worship Buddha. It is a philosophy about the mind and the source of suffering, not a religion. It is not some branch of Hinduism.

It is certainly possible to be Buddhist while also being Christian, or Jewish, or atheist.

[Nervous Tick]

...crickets...

[Nervous Tick]

>> I’m afraid you don’t know much about Buddhism.

I’m afraid you’re delusional. Buddhism absolutely does have its roots in Hindu.

[lastchance]

Oh that’s o.k. I have friends who are Zen Mennonite. We have dinner sometimes with the Hindu Rabbi.

[Mrs. Don-o]

No, exactly the opposite. Buddha did not ask to be adored as a god; and even if he had, nobody should adore him.

[paudio]

Because both Plato and Aristotle were Europeans, even if they were not followers of Christ. When Christianity evolved in Europe, it only appropriated/borrowed cultural ideas and practices of those cultures (god/goddess of this/that became saints defender of this/that; winter solstice became Christmas; and so on. Or, of course, Aristotle’s Natural Law evolved into Christian’s version of it.) Sidharta was not, and the cultures of his followers were not really overlapped with the culture of followers of Christ.

Who knows whether Christians will ever appropriate/borrow components from other cultures again in the future.

[Nervous Tick]

Then you’re saying that it’s OK for Catholics to incorporate Buddha’s teachings into your catechism?

Or what?

Are you defending the intertwining of Buddhism and Christianity? If so, under what Scriptural premise? If not, please say as much.

[Nervous Tick]

>> When Christianity evolved in Europe, it only appropriated/borrowed cultural ideas and practices

Seriously?

Tell me Who else rose from the dead and ascended into heaven?

Where exactly did Christians borrow *that* idea from?

[Religion Moderator]

Discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal.

[Mrs. Don-o]

You wrote: "Buddhism [is] an offshoot of Hinduism — which believes in a pantheon of ‘gods’."

Actually, Buddha did not preach or teach about a god or gods. Though some people may combine Buddhism with other theistic religions such as Hinduism, Sikhism or Shintoism, Buddhism itself is non-theistic.
http://www.buddhanet.net/ans73.htm

"Do you believe that paying homage to a plethora of manufactured gods is in alignment with the teaching of the ONE true GOD?"

No.

"Do you believe that paying homage to Buddha is in alignment with the WORD of Jehovah?"

Depends what you mean by "homage."

If you mean "respect," one can show respect to anyone without making them a god: e.g. "In his speech, the candidate paid homage to the Founding Fathers and the U.S. Constitution." This is not idolatry.

If you mean "adoration," or "divine worship," the answer is No.

[paudio]

I never said all ideas were borrowed, not did I say that Christianity was only an amalgam of existing ideas that it didn't have 'new' ideas. However, I maintained that as Christianity evolved around human cultures, it borrowed/appropriated the existing cultures where the followers lived.

I don't see this necessarily contradicts the traditional understanding of Christian faith as the Lord used human condition to reveal his love and salvation. There are, of course, a series of articles of faith that should be the same for all cultures.

[jodyel]

Sounds eclectic. :)

[Mrs. Don-o]

You wrote: "...crickets..."

???

Not the Deity

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

“Someone who is a liar and an all roads lead to God moron.”

---

BUT, she is VERY consistent. During one of the prayer womps he organized, Pope John Paul II stood by as the Dahli Lama placed a statue of Buddha on the “Christian” altar. So, with this in mind, why SHOULDN’T a Roman Catholic add Buddhism to his religion? John Paul also received a mark on his forehead worn by the followers of Shiva, amongst other blessings he received when participating in Pagan services. He also kissed a Koran. So, might as well make it a Roman Catholic Buddhist Hindu Voodoo Muslim.

[Nervous Tick]

From the link you posted:

>> Do Buddhist believe in god? No, we do not. <<

Well, I DO believe in GOD. I flee from the teachings of those who publicly proclaim that they do not.

If you’re comfortable believing on those who do not believe in the Almighty GOD, then I suppose that’s your eternal business.

I’ll pray for you, that your eyes might be opened.

FRegards

[JSDude1]

Tom:

Nevertheless, there they are, and this is full bore, whether you call it the New Age, whether you call it Eastern mysticism. This is supposedly compatible with Roman Catholicism.

Dave:

Well indeed it is, but it’s not compatible with Christianity, and Roman Catholicism has veered away from Christianity for a long, long time.

And that’s the real point isn’t it: If I were a “conservative Catholic” (but I am not, I am a born-again Christian) who actually believed scripture-and was born again (or even just searching from the truth, but knew in some way that The Gospel was true..).

I’d leave that Church in a heartbeat and seek after a Biblical Christian to tell me the truth before the Lord came back!