Credit Union prayer - time to leave this anachronism behind

Is Buddhism a religion?

What is your definition of a religion? (Mine might be 'a system of beliefs, with no evidence required or possible, relying on blind faith, and preaching about things that its adherents have no knowledge about')

Buddism doesn't require faith, nor does it claim insider knowledge about a supernatural being, nor is there a supernatural being mentioned.

So Buddhism is a way of life, similar to vegatarianism.
 
JoeBallantin said:
Is Buddhism a religion?

What is your definition of a religion? (Mine might be 'a system of beliefs, with no evidence required or possible, relying on blind faith, and preaching about things that its adherents have no knowledge about')

Buddism doesn't require faith, nor does it claim insider knowledge about a supernatural being, nor is there a supernatural being mentioned.

So Buddhism is a way of life, similar to vegatarianism.
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The Dublin Buddhist Centre doesn't agree with you

The Dublin Buddhist Centre is part of a world-wide movement of Buddhist centres called the Triratna Buddhist Community (formerly the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, FWBO).
We are a not-for-profit religious charity, and have been teaching Buddhism, meditation and yoga in Dublin since 1990.
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People can define the word 'religious' to mean a lot of things. Given that those calling themselves 'religious' rarely define the term I can use it as it is usually used.

I doubt that Buddism is actually a religion, and perhaps the Dublin Buddists call themselves a religious charity for funding reasons.

I will be clearer so and say 'faith based religions'. Faith is that which allows people to express beliefs for which no evidence exists. Something the Buddists don't do as far as I know.

This also throws up problems. Consider Cargo Cults. Should we respect the beliefs of un-educated islanders that American planes are supernatural, and that by building runways out of coconuts we can arrange for spiritual intervention?.. ala John Frum?.
We know for a fact that they are wrong,.. that American Planes are not Gods. But they say we are wrong, and they rely on faith to continue to believe in something for which contrary and disproving evidence exists.

Would you include Vegatarinism as a religion?
 
I don't know, I just consider that its a bit questionable for anyone to dismiss all religious belief as silly. None of us have a monopoly on wisdom.
 
I think it is perfectly ok to tar all religions with the same brush. All faith based beliefs mind,.. not other non-faith based beliefs, like Vegatarinism.

When the religions step up and provide some evidence for their beliefs then ok,.. until then, what choice have people but to dismiss them as cranks and loonies?


I respect them all equally, but when Catholicism is lumped in with Cargo Cults, Sun God workship and Scientology then it has to be no respect for any of them... how can it be different? I KNOW that Cargo Cults are wrong, and I'm pretty sure about the others. People don't check the sky before going outside to look for vengeful Gods... this is because they don't believe in them.

If Catholicism can put forward a case for why it's different then ok, but they can't. They are as likely to be correct as the Cargo Cults, and the Sun God people.


I can't understand how people could say 'well, the cargo cults are likely to be wrong, but not my religion.'
 
T McGibney said:
I don't know, I just consider that its a bit questionable for anyone to dismiss all religious belief as silly. None of us have a monopoly on wisdom.
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Just in the interests of clarity, the original proposal about dropping the prayer was not based on the silliness or otherwise of the beliefs in question.

It was based on the fact that
a) not everyone in the credit union shares these beliefs, and
b) the beliefs are not relevant to the credit union.
 
There is a big difference between on the one hand, agreeing with someone's genuinely-held beliefs, or even conceding that they're likely to be correct, and on the other hand, respecting their beliefs and their right to believe. Tolerance works both ways.
 
Complainer said:
Just in the interests of clarity, the original proposal about dropping the prayer was not based on the silliness or otherwise of the beliefs in question.

It was based on the fact that
a) not everyone in the credit union shares these beliefs, and
b) the beliefs are not relevant to the credit union.
Click to expand...

Indeed, but Joe has supported your stance on the grounds that all religions are 'totally silly'. Hence the discussion.
 
I respect the right of people to believe whatever they want. Those beliefs might include racist beliefs, or homophobic beliefs. But expressing some beliefs in public is already outlawed, the racist ones, and denial of the holocaust for example.

We should not tolerate the teaching of faith based beliefs to children,.. children are not the property of the parents. If we protect children from physical violence then why not protect them from mental pain?, and from inculcation?


So I respect the right of adults to believe what they want, but not the right of parents to teach children beliefs for which there is no evidence, as if it were true.


Sorry for derailing the thread.. it's just obvious that the CU are breaking their own rule about discrimination by having prayers to just one god. You could vote with your feet and remove your money, and write to them explaining why.
 
Complainer said:
Just in the interests of clarity, the original proposal about dropping the prayer was not based on the silliness or otherwise of the beliefs in question.

It was based on the fact that
a) not everyone in the credit union shares these beliefs, and
b) the beliefs are not relevant to the credit union.
Click to expand...

However, it is also possible that
a) not everyone in the credit union shares the belief that religon is not important
b) members of the credit union may believe that Christian beliefs (or any religous beliefs) are relevant to how the credit union was run.

Therefore whilst the prayer may offend your beliefs, removing it may offend others. Bit of a Catch 22! !.

I do think it is a debate that is worth having in the Credit Union and the fact that we now live in a more multi-cultural society then when credit unions were founded, perhaps means the prayer is not appropriate. Instead of asking for it's removal, perhaps suggest it's replaced by a minutes quite reflection where people can pray to whatever God they like, or just contemplate why they are there if they have no formal beliefs
 
The lord can be whoever you want to be and if you don't believe in one then you dont have to recite the invocation. I think complainer should just put his motion to his credit union AGM, i hope all you guys are members of the same credit union. Should make for an interesting AGM but not one I would want to be at.
 
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