Pastor Rob Misses Point
On Buddhism As Well
Bob Webster
From:"Bob Webster"
To:"Positive Atheism Magazine"<editor@positiveathiesm.org>
Subject: Positive_Atheism_Letters_Section
Date: Thursday, September 21, 2000 8:43 AM
In response to: Calvary Chapel Senior Pastor Spreads Lies About Atheists:
Not only can't Pastor Rob get Atheism right, he's completely hopeless when it comes to Buddhism ("Although Buddhism is atheistic in its teaching, idolatry is widespread in the lands where it prevails."). The point to "idolatry" in Buddhism is to get a hand-up from a Buddha (or Bodhisattva) in becoming a Buddha yourself. Gods have little or nothing to do with it, except maybe as the servants of the Buddha. They are even striving for the same goal: Enlightenment. Being a God is only a short step up from being a Human, and nowhere near being a Buddha.
Thanks,
Robert Webster
"We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that Death will
tremble to take us."
- Charles Bukowski
PS -- This is Mahayana teaching, which actually has little to do with my personal version of Buddhism. Also, there seem to be more sects of Buddhism than Christianity (if you can believe that!), so please take the above with a grain of salt. I think it's pretty representative of many if not most of the Mahayana sects, however.
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