[lit-ideas] Re: Comparative religion

 
<<Confucianism freely 
adopted itself to Buddhism; Taoism and  Buddhism are practiced by the 
same people for different  results>> 
Okay.  Someone explain to me  what cultural or historical or political or 
whatever reasons have caused the  eastern religions to be inclusive and the 
western religions to be  exclusive.  I won't ask, yet, where the 
middle-easterners 
fit  in. 
Julie Krueger 
in a swamp of disbelief 


========Original  Message========     Subj: [lit-ideas] Re: Comparative 
religion  Date: 3/9/05 7:00:28 P.M. Central Standard Time  From: 
_johnwager@xxxxxxxxxxxx (mailto:johnwager@xxxxxxxxxxx)   To: 
_lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
(mailto:lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx)   Sent on:    
Eternitytime1@xxxxxxx wrote:
> 
>In a  message dated 3/9/2005 4:34:04 PM Central Standard Time,   
>JimKandJulieB@xxxxxxx writes:
>Then  there's the Assemblies  of God movement which says that if you haven't 
  
>spoken in  tongues.....
>
>
>Hi,
>Oh, that's so right!
>  
>and, what about the controversy about whether or not you can 'lose'  your  
>salvation!
>  
>

In "Pure Land"  Buddhism (Japan), one avoids rebirth by "recitation" or 
calling on the mercy  of the compassionate Buddha.  There is a specific 
chant that is  repeated in calling upon Buddha's power.  But Honen  
developed a  doctrine that one did not need to continually chant; one 
could achieve  nirvana (eventually) just by sincerely chanting just once; 
the repetitions  were unnecessary.

Doesn't that sound familiar?

As far as  "exclusivity" in religions, John McCreery's explanations can't 
be beat. Most  religions see themselves as tools.  Why would one only use 
a hammer  when a screwdriver might work better?  Confucianism freely 
adopted  itself to Buddhism; Taoism and Buddhism are practiced by the 
same people for  different results.  I even saw a book years ago "Zen  
Catholicism."  Or imagine going into a really great restaurant and  being 
asked if one wants wine OR a salad OR an entree OR desert. Why not  have 
some of each? They are NOT the same thing, after all.

On the  othe hand, my ex-wife's younger brother once explained to me that 
when he  was eight, he never watched Channel 11 on television (Public 
Broadcasting  channel). I asked why; he said that it was "Public" 
television, and  "Catholics" didn't agree with   "Publics."




------------------------------------------------------------------
To  change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off,
digest  on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html


------------------------------------------------------------------
To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off,
digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html

Other related posts: