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To: 1000 silverlings
I say again: Whatever YOU think or have been told about Buddhism, it is sufficiently diverse that SOME Mahayana Buddhists do indeed call Buddha a Savior and do not think that man can save himself. (I wonder if these variaants arose from any "cultural exchange" with Xty. But there are hints that they pre-date the spread of Xty.

But the reason I mentioned the variant of Chines Buddhism that I encountered off Riverside Drive is that you seemed to argue that because a Pagan alleged goddess was called "Queen of Heaven" we ought to worry that maybe Paganism influenced Catholicism with respect to Marian titles.

So I offered an example where there is a theological parallel between Buddhism and Xty. Of course I think they're wrong, Just as we both think the Hera worshippers are wrong. All I'm saying is that if the title given by the misled to Hera is enough to impeach Catholicism, then the titles given to Zeus, some Caesars, and the Buddha should impeach Christianity.

In other words, they're both utterly irrelevant to determining the truth of either Marian devotion or of basic Christian Theology.

All pagan beliefs at the heart, is man finding God and saving himself.

That, to my then surprise, was exactly what that osho DENIED -- and there are other strains of Buddhism which are equally revelatory and tariki (= "other power" as opposed to joriki = "self-power" or maybe "own power") oriented.

Theravedan Buddhism is NOT representative of Buddhism as a whole. Neither are the Rinzai and Soto sects of Zen Buddhism. Attempting to generalize from them to some kind of overall Buddhist common system will lead you far far astray.

Allow me to caution you, since you are gracious enough to advise me about Xtianity, that many many so-called apologetic works present an oversimplified caricature of the religions against whom they pretend to be equipping one, and then make one a laughing stock (as opposed to "stock of a tree" though maybe there's a shared "blockhead" aspect) when one approaches dherents of the religion in question thinking things about them that just aren't true.

On the other hand, maybe my caution is unwanted. So many Protestants keep telling me that I believe what I do not in fact believe despite tons of evidence to the contrary, that I suppose it doesn't matter to them when they make fools of themselves telling Buddhists they believe what they don't believe.

879 posted on 04/07/2008 10:23:12 AM PDT by Mad Dawg (Oh Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.)
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To: Mad Dawg
enough to advise me about Xtianity,

I have no idea what that is.

880 posted on 04/07/2008 10:32:55 AM PDT by 1000 silverlings (Everything that deceives also enchants: Plato)
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