NationStates Jolt Archive

What are your thoughts on these religions?

Om

Mu.

Buddhism = pretty cool philosophy, but not for me.
Taoism = as above.
Wicca = it's cool, I have friends who practice it.

All in all, I have more respect for these than conventional "Western" religion, because these are more individual.

I once talked to Buddha. He kept on laughing at me, so I cried and ran away.

I wouldn't call any of them religions. Buddhism is a philosophy in most of its forms. Taoism is also a philosophy, yet is almost inseperable from Chinese-Buddhism, (which is a religion). Wicca is a collection of BS based loosely upon the beliefs of the celtic religion, and was started in the 40's by some idiot white guy. Celtic people detest asscociation with this crap.

Let's see...

I practiced Wicca a bit when I was a major 'hippie'. I don't even know, it's just...not very concrete. Bleh. When I hear the term "Wicca" I wonder if it is referring to the "occult", paganism, rituals, magick, or some combination of them. I don't have a problem with a religion being tailored by the individual, but then it shouldn't be an official religion.

I've read the Tao Te Ching at least 10 times. I absolutely love it. It is one of all-time my favourite books. The more I read it the more I connected with it and really understood it, and how it fits in with 'morality', so I advise a person to read it at least a few times.

I have read a few sayings and 'parables' by the Buddha. I have read the Bhagavad Gita and a good part of the Upanishads, which, although Hindu, probably have a lot in common with Buddhism. I have the Dhammapada in my room, I just haven't gotten around to reading it yet.

I once talked to Buddha. He kept on laughing at me, so I cried and ran away.
You should have hit him with a stick. That always works with Buddhists.

What are your thoughts on these religions?

I am a Buddhist, so ... my thoughts are ....

"Booba munka hooba weeba wekka borka fooba blooooooobeeeeloooooo!"

And that's the truth.

Let's see...

I practiced Wicca a bit when I was a major 'hippie'. I don't even know, it's just...not very concrete. Bleh. When I hear the term "Wicca" I wonder if it is referring to the "occult", paganism, rituals, magick, or some combination of them.

When I hear Wicca, I think Wiki.

When I hear Wicca, I think Wiki.

When my parents heard the word Wikipedia, they said, "I thought you stopped doing that kind of thing."

:rolleyes:

I prefer Taoism over Buddhism. Wicca is too spicy and rarely prepared properly.

What are your thoughts on these religions?
Can't really speak for Buddhism or Wicca, but I like the idea of taoism. Not so much all the stories of sages and gods but of a creative force, tao, that's more like a force of nature or an incredibly complex rhythm within nature that can be understood and worked in harmony with. It runs through the philosophy of Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do (in fact, one of Sijo Lee's books is called the Tao of Jeet Kune Do).

You should have hit him with a stick. That always works with Buddhists.
Unless they are shaolin buddhist monks. :cool:

Unless they are shaolin buddhist monks. :cool:
Well, if you hit one of them with a stick, it better be to make a very, very good statement... otherwise, yeah - not such a good idea.

I prefer Taoism over Buddhism. *snip*
How do you seperate the two?

I could see me becoming a full blown Buddhist once I can drop some of the trappings of this mortal coil. I cant really see myself doing that with any other religion, certainly none of the others with Dharma.

How do you seperate the two?
With a strainer usually. Taoism is heavier and sinks to the bottom.

With a strainer usually. Taoism is heavier and sinks to the bottom.

Not to mention the added carbon.

With a strainer usually. Taoism is heavier and sinks to the bottom.
Ambiguous Reversals
Deem 'heavy' as root of 'light'

Deem 'calm' as lord of 'uproar'.

Using this: Sages pass the whole day in activity

and never separate from his heavy provisions cart.

Even though he has an sublime views,

surpassing those where swallows dwell.

What do we say, then,

of the 10,000 chariot ruler

who, based on the self, 'lights' the social world?

To 'light' is to lose the root.

To 'uproar' is to lose the lord.

Taoists like heaviness.

I wouldn't call any of them religions. Buddhism is a philosophy in most of its forms. Taoism is also a philosophy, yet is almost inseperable from Chinese-Buddhism, (which is a religion). Wicca is a collection of BS based loosely upon the beliefs of the celtic religion, and was started in the 40's by some idiot white guy. Celtic people detest asscociation with this crap.



Wicca is a great and peaceful religion. What is wrong with them?

How do you seperate the two?
Theres a pretty good explanation on this if you look up Taoism in Wiki and read the Relation to other Religions. It's hard to explain, for me anyway.

With a strainer usually. Taoism is heavier and sinks to the bottom.
Ok, must try that. But aren't you still left with a lingering sticky chinese cultral residue on both components? Or doesn't that matter, perhaps it adds to the taste. My girlfriend is Chinese and completely not bothered with religion in the slightest. However, you can still taste the lingering taoism and buddhism infused in her chinese stickyness vulgarity not intended

Well, if you hit one of them with a stick, it better be to make a very, very good statement... otherwise, yeah - not such a good idea.

I tried that when I came back. I'd never felt so much pain...

Wicca is a great and peaceful religion. What is wrong with them?
I think he's criticizing it for acting like an ancient pagan faith when it actually only began in the 1940s.

Wicca is a great and peaceful religion. What is wrong with them?

Well there's the added carbs. Wicca believes in eating 3x the amount of breads. It's true! Look it up.

Ok, must try that. But aren't you still left with a lingering sticky chinese cultral residue on both components? Or doesn't that matter, perhaps it adds to the taste. My girlfriend is Chinese and completely not bothered with religion in the slightest. However, you can still taste the lingering taoism and buddhism infused in her chinese stickyness vulgarity not intended
That made absolutely no sense, you silly prat. You can't taste religion.

I tried that when I came back. I'd never felt so much pain...
Did you use a Mona Lisaesque expression on your face?

Did you use a Mona Lisaesque expression on your face?

No. I couldn't figure out what was making her smile.

No. I couldn't figure out what was making her smile.
That part is important. Don't hit shaolin monks with anything unless you master that.

Wicca is a great and peaceful religion. What is wrong with them?
It is completely fabricated. I mean I am an atheist, so I beleive all religions are completely fabricated, but Wicca is especially so. It is like 60 years old. It is full of meaningless crap. It's like scientology, but based off the Celtic religion rather than Christianity. The only reason it still exists is because isolated teenage girls like crystals and mysery. [/RANT] Because I don't respect the sincerity of the religion.

It is completely fabricated.

Newflash: So are all religions.

That part is important. Don't hit shaolin monks with anything unless you master that.

Damn... It's so hard to defeat them...

That part is important. Don't hit shaolin monks with anything unless you master that.
Or unless you're a tourist visiting the temple and are asked to help demonstrat how hard you can hit one without hurting him.

Newflash: So are all religions.
Not mine.

That made absolutely no sense, you silly prat. You can't taste religion.
Not the religion! The followers. :rolleyes:

Or unless you're a tourist visiting the temple and are asked to help demonstrat how hard you can hit one without hurting him.

I think you'd need a bazooka for that one.

Newflash: So are all religions.
It's 'Newsflash', and:
It is completely fabricated. I mean I am an atheist, so I beleive all religions are completely fabricated, but Wicca is especially so.

It is completely fabricated. I mean I am an atheist, so I beleive all religions are completely fabricated, but Wicca is especially so. It is like 60 years old. It is full of meaningless crap. It's like scientology, but based off the Celtic religion rather than Christianity. The only reason it still exists is because isolated teenage girls like crystals and mysery. [/RANT] Because I don't respect the sincerity of the religion.



You invalidated your enitre rant when you said you were an atheist. It's true. you ard biased against religion, so why would I trust your views on it?

What are your thoughts on these religions?

Buddhism : It's nice and all, but like all religions...Not for me.

Taoism : Same as Buddhism.

Wicca : Commercial spinoff of "heathen" nature worship such as ásatrú. In sort of far fetched way it's part of my heritage (Icelandic Ásatrú), but again, I don't believe in it. Seems harmless though.

Newflash: So are all religions.



Not a fact but an opinion.

Not mine.
Or anyone elses, if you consult them.

It is completely fabricated. I mean I am an atheist, so I beleive all religions are completely fabricated, but Wicca is especially so. It is like 60 years old. It is full of meaningless crap. It's like scientology, but based off the Celtic religion rather than Christianity. The only reason it still exists is because isolated teenage girls like crystals and mysery. [/RANT] Because I don't respect the sincerity of the religion.

Scientology takes thousands of dollars from its members and ruins lives. They have even MURDERED people. They have also had a long history of wiretapping and breaking into government buildings. Scientology isn't bad because it's weird, it's bad because it's DANGEROUS.

Wicca is just as unlikely as Christianity, just newer... Wicca isn't ruining lives

I think you'd need a bazooka for that one.
I don't know. They're only human. A human being, in good shape who knows how to take a punch can stand up to what looks like a brutal beating. It helps that most people can't actually hit hard to save their lives. The latest video I saw was of a middle aged asian tourist repeatedly throwing kicks into the monk's gut. The kicks were slow and the form employed by the tourist was poor. They were more of a push than an impact. Yeah, the monk had a tough midsection, but if a person trained in how to throw a kick kicked him, it would have greater effect.

Or anyone elses, if you consult them.
But mine isn't. I could give you the copyrights if you want.

You invalidated your enitre rant when you said you were an atheist. It's true. you ard biased against religion, so why would I trust your views on it?
Wait, so you'd accept a Buddhist's views on Wicca, but not an atheist's views? Somehow a person who believes in a different religion is trustworthy, but someone who doesn't subscribe to religion is not? I think you'd better reexamine who is biased here.

Scientology takes thousands of dollars from its members and ruins lives. They have even MURDERED people. They have also had a long history of wiretapping and breaking into government buildings. Scientology isn't bad because it's weird, it's bad because it's DANGEROUS.

Wicca is just as unlikely as Christianity, just newer... Wicca isn't ruining lives


People who attack Wicca don't understand it. It goes against Wicca's core beliefs to harm anyone.

I don't know. They're only human. A human being, in good shape who knows how to take a punch can stand up to what looks like a brutal beating. It helps that most people can't actually hit hard to save their lives. The latest video I saw was of a middle aged asian tourist repeatedly throwing kicks into the monk's gut. The kicks were slow and the form employed by the tourist was poor. They were more of a push than an impact. Yeah, the monk had a tough midsection, but if a person trained in how to throw a kick kicked him, it would have greater effect.

I thought they were gods.

What are your thoughts on these religions?
What are yours? Isn't that more to the point, OP?

You invalidated your enitre rant when you said you were an atheist. It's true. you ard biased against religion, so why would I trust your views on it?
You asked for my opinion. You don't have to trust my view. Further my problem with wicca is seperate from it being a religion. It is that it is extremely pretentious. Full of this 'ancient' lore, ancient as in complie in the 1940's from assorted bits and pieces of other ancient lore. It's just BS.
However, my view is that it is a very lovely religion, as far as religions go. The only ill ever done in the name of wicca were a couple of midnight moonsong curse-candle rituals.

People who attack Wicca don't understand it. It goes against Wicca's core beliefs to harm anyone.
Well, my good friend Jesussaves used to tell me that Wiccans fool teenagers into joining by acting all harmless and promising to teach them magic, then they get them to engage in premarital sex to give birth to babies that they sacrifice. Doesn't sound like such a great religion to me.

Not mine.

We know you made up the worship of Tacos.

Scientology takes thousands of dollars from its members and ruins lives. They have even MURDERED people. They have also had a long history of wiretapping and breaking into government buildings. Scientology isn't bad because it's weird, it's bad because it's DANGEROUS.

Wicca is just as unlikely as Christianity, just newer... Wicca isn't ruining lives
It is true that Wicca is no less likely to be fabricated than Christianity, however, I would argue that Wicca is far more obviously so. As is Scientology. I am not even going into which religions cause more harm, but think of all of the ex-boyfriends that have been hexed!

"One of these is not like the others"

Not a fact but an opinion.

If you say it, it must be true.

People who attack Wicca don't understand it. It goes against Wicca's core beliefs to harm anyone.
It is a commercialised rehash of celticism! Beleiving it is only slightly more forgivable, and somewhat less cool that sincerely beleiving in the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

People who attack Wicca don't understand it. It goes against Wicca's core beliefs to harm anyone.
The point wasn't to show that Wicca wants to harm people, but to show that it's not all the 'ancient religion, etc' that most people think it is.

Well, my good friend Jesussaves used to tell me that Wiccans fool teenagers into joining by acting all harmless and promising to teach them magic, then they get them to engage in premarital sex to give birth to babies that they sacrifice. Doesn't sound like such a great religion to me.
:eek: If one baby has been sacrificed in the name of Wicca I will immediately triple my respect for it. I know it is based upon celtic beleifs, but I didn't think they'd port the ritual human sacrifice over too!

:eek: If one baby has been sacrificed in the name of Wicca I will immediately triple my respect for it. I know it is based upon celtic beleifs, but I didn't think they'd port the ritual human sacrifice over too!
Damn I wish Jesussaves was still allowed to post here.

Damn I wish Jesussaves was still allowed to post here.
That's what happens when people do thumb thick rails of cocaine. They lose control. :(

That's what happens when people do thumb thick rails of cocaine. They lose control. :(
:confused: Jesussaves didn't do drugs. :confused:

Damn I wish Jesussaves was still allowed to post here.
Did he get permanently banned?

Did he get permanently banned?
Oh yeah. Not only that, if he makes another appearance I'll get permanently banned.

Oh yeah. Not only that, if he makes another appearance I'll get permanently banned.
Why you? You aren't a christian spammer.

Why you? You aren't a christian spammer.
Not any more.

People who attack Wicca ...

... should pick on something that's less of a pushover.

I think these faiths make a lot more sense than the other BS religions out there.

Not any more.
You're christian?! Whats happening to me?! :eek: No! NO! I'm...r-respecting a christian! NOOOOoooOOooOOoOooooOoooo! *fiber of reality unravels as I am osmosed to the interplanar void*

:confused: Jesussaves didn't do drugs. :confused:
I never said he did.

You're christian?! Whats happening to me?! :eek: No! NO! I'm...r-respecting a christian! NOOOOoooOOooOOoOooooOoooo! *fiber of reality unravels as I am osmosed to the interplanar void*
No, I haven't been a Christian for a very long time. Long before I joined NS I stopped being a Christian, but I still liked to be a pseudochristian troll.

I never said he did.
Well I should hope not. It's bad enough to slander a person's good name, but when the person in question was recently eaten by starving pygmies in New Guinea while doing missionary work it's despicable. I still keep wondering how those pygmies got to New Guinea.

No, I haven't been a Christian for a very long time. Long before I joined NS I stopped being a Christian, but I still liked to be a pseudochristian troll.
*fiber of reality reweaves itself as I am osmosed back into this plane of existence* Oh..I see. Was Jesussaves a psuedochristian troll too? I only caught his final days when I joined.

*fiber of reality reweaves itself as I am osmosed back into this plane of existence* Oh..I see. Was Jesussaves a psuedochristian troll too? I only caught his final days when I joined.
Yes he was, god rest his soul.

Your friend in Christ, Drunk Commies.

I studied Taoism at University. It hardly seemed like a religion at all, so lacking it was in doctrine.

As I said earlier: All religions are valid in my cosmology because I believe that all of the gods ever concieved do exist somewhere and their ability to affect this universe is totally dependent on the number of people who believe in them.

I studied Taoism at University. It hardly seemed like a religion at all, so lacking it was in doctrine.
Thats what I am saying. Apart that it seems to be more of a philosophy, it is virtually to distinguish the lines between Taoism, Buddhism, and general chinese culture/superstition.

Not for me.

What are your thoughts on these religions?

Buddhism: I know a number of Buddhists and have some familiarity with Buddhist teachings. I respect the emphasis on compassion for others (despite my own emphasis lying elsewhere) and find the Eightfold Path an interesting approach. I think they get it wrong theologically, however.

Taoism: not familiar enough to comment.

Wicca: a game of D&D has more theological validity than this hodge-podge of rustic superstition and wishful thinking for silly girls who want to prance around naked in the moonlight without having to learn pole-dancing. But at least they're non-violent.

I studied Taoism at University. It hardly seemed like a religion at all, so lacking it was in doctrine.
A lot of people draw that distinction, but it's one I've never heard a really clear explanation of. So I wonder -- what does it take for a set of beliefs to be a religion? How much doctrine is enough doctrine? Personally, I think any spiritual philosophy that is forumlated enough to maintain a recognizable outward expression -- in observance and ritual, for instance -- and that is about managing and bettering one's spiritual existence, can qualify as a religion. I also give credence to what the practitioners/believers say. So, if Buddhists say it's a religion, that's good enough for me. Animism is also a spiritual philosophy that rejects a codified doctrine, but, while the many animist religions lack doctrine and dogma, they are rich in ritual, observance, and spiritual concerns. So, I say animism is also a religion (set of religions) even though it lacks doctrine.

On the other hand, regarding Taoism, Taoist scholars disagree among themselves whether it's a religion or a philosophy.

As for Wicca -- it's a new religion, clearly. Like most new religions, it claims to be ancient, but it's new. But being new doesn't make it any the less a religion, imo. Christianity was a new religion once, too.