Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire What Does Declining Church Attendance Mean for Our Society?

Beat me to it...
4 noble truths:
1) Life sucks
2) It sucks because you’re materialistic and vein
3) It doesn’t have to suck
4) Quit being a materialistic self involved [bleep] and it will suck less

Buddhism teaches people the path they believe leads to a cessation of suffering. Christianity teaches us how to embrace suffering as part of the path to salvation.

Christianity says there is no avoidance of Earthly suffering and that it's cause is our fallen nature, something we can't change. Buddhism says the cause of suffering is ignorance, attachment, and aversion. Cessation of suffering is possible through the "right" path. Buddhism says that "Nirvana" (Heaven) can be achieved through “the noble eightfold path: right views, right resolution, right speech, right action, right living, right exertion, right mindfulness, right concentration”. No word in that about embracing the Cross. About as close as Christianity gets to that is the concept of virtue leading to a better life, but not one that excludes suffering.

Yes, I understand Buddhism. I studied it for several years and implemented many of it's practices before realizing that it is at heart self-centered.

So if you live a good life, help others whenever possible, do no one any harm. Raise good kids etc... but don’t accept Jesus as lord and savior, you go to hell. But you can be a murdering, child rapist and repent and accept Jesus 15 min before they throw the switch on your ass and you’ll go to heaven?

Makes total sense....

You are correct in the respect that Buddhism, like Stoicism, put the responsibility for your condition upon YOU, and doesn't provide the "outs" of blaming the Devil, or God, or some woman who ate an apple.

Buddhism, like Stoicism, gets a lot of things right. Even Christianity teaches that some types of suffering can be avoided through virtue.

I know things are going well for you now, you are crushing life. But it won't always be that way and it won't necessarily be because you did anything wrong.

You're a good dude, but no amount of charity, meditation or anything else is going to save you from suffering at some point.

Christ calls us to pick up our cross as a blessing, not something to be avoided at all cost. It's a tough thing to do. It's why so many are called and so few make it.

SMFH...

Which one?

Safariman was an Elder.

LOL

Safariman was an Elder.

LOL

I completely disagree. This is a great illustration of the beauty of our freedom of religion and of expression.

What I mean is this; we can come on a public site and disagree. We can disagree vehemently. We can even kind of annoy each other.

And then, as Kingston and I have done, we can hang out and laugh and enjoy one another’s friendship around guns and food and story telling.

And not, as in countries that don’t share our western values of freedom, kill each other over it.

If so and so says that I need to do such and such and I disagevoutistree the fact that his god says I’m going to hell matters not a bit to me, especially if I don’t even believe in his god.

Unlike the Left, I do not believe words are violence and I can disagree and still be friends.

As a matter of fact my life would be boring as heck if you all agreed with me. Not to mention we’d all be wrong on many counts...

Once again, isn't freedom of religion great. You have a great outlook, unlike most.

Unlike most?

Has someone leveled a credible threat of violence against you?

I’d say the fact that you can say my belief in God is complete and utter non-sense and that you want nothing to do with fools who believe such superstition (not that you have... but that you can) without concern for your family, property, or life says a lot.

Do you agree?

Unlike most?

Has someone leveled a credible threat of violence against you?

I’d say the fact that you can say my belief in God is complete and utter non-sense and that you want nothing to do with fools who believe such superstition (not that you have... but that you can) without concern for your family, property, or life says a lot.

Do you agree?

Credible in who's mind?
In the mind of the believers, yes they threaten atheist with eternal torture during everyone one of these discussions.

Who cares?

If a person who believes in wood fairies says that I’ve violated the forest and I’m going to be punished by them would I care? (No)

And that isn’t it even a fair comparison; for many here a more fair comparison would be

If a person who believes in wood fairies warns me that if I do X to violate the forest I’ll be in danger of being punished by them... that is, because they believe it to be true and don’t care to see harm come to me.

Either way my original point stands. If you don’t believe the threat to be credible it matters not.