Cowards.

Originally posted by CalJust
Dasa, with all due respect, your posts have been mostly insults and accusations (e.g. liars, fools, ignorant, etc) about the adherents of any religion that differs from yours.

May I politely ask that you describe to us (or at least me, specifically) what, in very broad terms, your religion comprises. Before now, I had never even heard about the Verdas. Co ...[text shortened]... ing about, I promise that I will give it my best shot to try to answer your two questions above.

http://www.ancient.eu/The_Vedas/

How has the Vedas worked out in India?
The starving and poor are not helped, because they call it Karma.
Guess who helps the poor in India...... the Christians.

Originally posted by checkbaiter
Guess who helps the poor in India...... the Christians.

And the Muslims and the atheists and the .....
(The collective term is "good people" )

Incidently if you want to see Christians not helping
the poor check out Mother Theresa.

Originally posted by checkbaiter
http://www.ancient.eu/The_Vedas/

Thanks checkbaiter, but, hey, I can Google as well as the next guy.

My purpose was to try to get dasa to give me the gist of his "True Religion" in a nutshell, but apparently he doesn't want to.

The Dalai Llama gave this short and succinct definition: My Religion is Kindness.

Difficult to beat that.

Originally posted by CalJust
The Dalai Llama gave this short and succinct definition: My Religion is Kindness.

Difficult to beat that.

It depends on whether you are going for platitudes, or the truth.

Originally posted by twhitehead
It depends on whether you are going for platitudes, or the truth.

That comes from the horse's mouth, so to speak, quote unquote.

Do you think he was platidudising, or putting the facts of his religion as succinctly as he thought possible?

Originally posted by CalJust
Thanks checkbaiter, but, hey, I can Google as well as the next guy.

My purpose was to try to get dasa to give me the gist of his "True Religion" in a nutshell, but apparently he doesn't want to.

The Dalai Llama gave this short and succinct definition: My Religion is Kindness.

Difficult to beat that.

The Dalai Liama is an atheist.

Mundane kindness is maya.

India/and Indians do not represent true religion.

There are thousands of religions in India.

Since you do not know the difference between true religion and false religion / you know nothing of any use.

Originally posted by Dasa
The Dalai Liama is an atheist.

Mundane kindness is maya.

India/and Indians do not represent true religion.

There are thousands of religions in India.

Since you do not know the difference between true religion and false religion / you know nothing of any use.

Are all people that diagree with you on the Vedas dishonest cowards?

Originally posted by Dasa
Since you do not know the difference between true religion and false religion / you know nothing of any use.

Most of us no longer enjoy a sacred consciousness in our world. We really are disconnected from one another and the divine, and are thereby unconscious. Religion's main and final goal is to reconnect us( re-ligio )to the Whole, to ourselves, and to one another—and thus heal us.

I borrowed this quote from Fr Richard Rohr, but it expresses my own opinion of what true religion is.

Since your religion appears to be mainly divisive and confrontational, it is a poor reflection of the Truth. It adds nothing to mankind but strife.

Originally posted by CalJust
That comes from the horse's mouth, so to speak, quote unquote.

Do you think he was platidudising, or putting the facts of his religion as succinctly as he thought possible?

You misunderstand. I am saying, his religion is only difficult to beat if you are going for religions that are nothing but platitudes, or religions that constitute the truth.
The problem with choosing a religion because it sounds nice, offers you nice things, includes sayings that you like etc is that that is the path to self delusion. You might as well just make up your own religion that includes whatever you think is nice.

The number one flaw in religion is that it has a central fallacy that almost everyone falls for. They say:
1. Here are some facts/behaviors that the religion promotes and that you the follower already agree with or would like to be true.
2. Here are some other facts/behaviors, that the religion promotes.
3. Because they are bundled together, and you agree with the facts/behaviors in 1. you should also agree with the facts/behaviors in 2.

This seems to be a universal human psychological weakness and we see a lot of it in party politics too.

Originally posted by twhitehead
The problem with choosing a religion because it sounds nice, offers you nice things, includes sayings that you like etc is that that is the path to self delusion. You might as well just make up your own religion that includes whatever you think is nice.

Yes.
Many, many posts ago someone put up an argument for Christianity
based on what believers would get. I proposed a new religion
promising the same as Christianity but with comfier beds.

😀

Originally posted by twhitehead
The problem with choosing a religion because it sounds nice, offers you nice things, includes sayings that you like etc is that that is the path to self delusion. You might as well just make up your own religion that includes whatever you think is nice.

I disgaree that people chose a religion because it sounds nice, etc, as you say.

They chose a religion because, in their opinion, it best expresses a world view that they can relate to, or that explains some deep questions that they have.

Many people have a sense that materialism does NOT explain reality adequately. Either through personal experiences, research or whatever, they are confronted with possible answers, and they then pick one.

If you have a worldview (as I think you do) that science and materialism explains everything, then I humbly submit that THAT is your religion. Your "god" is Science, which rules supreme. There is nothing wrong with that, and as I have said many times before, atheism is nothing more nor less than another religion which explains why we are here, what our purpose is (or why we do NOT have a purpose). You need nothing else to explain your existence, and you are very comfortable, and at peace, with no outstanding questions about Life, the Universe and Everything.

Those are the essential elements of religion, and I support fully your right to have that world view.

Originally posted by CalJust
They chose a religion because, in their opinion, it best expresses a world view that they can relate to, or that explains some deep questions that they have.

I realize that people do this. I do not think it is wise of them to do so.

So can I take it that you relate to 'My Religion is Kindness' or do you feel it also explains some deep question you have? Why did you find that 'hard to beat'?

Many people have a sense that materialism does NOT explain reality adequately. Either through personal experiences, research or whatever, they are confronted with possible answers, and they then pick one.
Again, I agree that this is what people do, and I feel it is a terrible strategy.

If you have a worldview (as I think you do) that science and materialism explains everything, then I humbly submit that THAT is your religion.
I am not certain what you mean by 'materialism'. I also do not think science explains everything. I do think that science has the best chance of explaining something, and that there is no other reliable way of obtaining knowledge. But I dispute your labeling it religion. What do you even mean when you label it religion?

.... as I have said many times before, atheism is nothing more nor less than another religion ...
I get it now, you wish to label it religion so that you can dismiss it as equivalent to your own delusions. It isn't. There are good logical reasons for thinking science works.

You need nothing else to explain your existence, and you are very comfortable, and at peace, with no outstanding questions about Life, the Universe and Everything.
I have plenty of outstanding questions.

Those are the essential elements of religion, ..
Not by the normal definition of the word, no.