“BTW, every Buddhist I know recognizes that he was born a man, taught as a man and died as a man, never a God and never a product of some bestial pagan myth. But what do I know?”
I’ve visited Buddhist temples which were 2000 years old. These people know their faith and its not what is found in some knew age coffee shop.
Buddhism is far different than you or your friends expect.
Buddhism is far different than you or your friends expect.
Buddha never claimed to be a God, nor is Buddhism claiming to be a religion. Virtually every Buddhist teacher I ever met taught knowledge and techniques. They then said, “Take what you have been given and apply it to your chosen path.”