Anyone a Buddhist and an Atheist/Agnostic?
916619
I consider myself an atheist and a Buddhist. I read Batchelor's book a few years ago. It wasn't bad. My favorites:\n\nThe Dhammapada, translated by Easwaran\nhttp://www.amazon.com/Dhammapada-Eknath-Easwaran/dp/0915132370/\n\nThe translation and introduction are terrific. Also:\n\nMindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Gunaratana\nhttp://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Plain-English-Updated-Expanded/dp/0861713214/\n\nWhich can also be found online for free:\nhttp://www.budsas.org/ebud/mfneng/mind0.htm\nhttp://www.urbandharma.org/udharma4/mpe.html\nhttp://www.enabling.org/ia/vipassana/Archive/G/Gunaratana/MindfulnessIPE/index.html\n\nBuddhism can be viewed as a secular philosophy or psychology, so I agree that it's perfectly compatible with atheism/agnosticism.
959683
I'm a Christian, and my boyfriend is Buddhist.  I'm very interested in how the two intersect, and they can and do very easily.  The teachings of Christ and Buddha are similar in many areas.  The book "Living Buddha, Living Christ" by Thich Nhat Hanh is a great examination of that.  There have also been many Buddhist Christians, with the adherents following Christian doctrine and Buddhist philosophy.  I think they work well together.
957310
That sounds like a beautiful idea, I commend you. If I went to your college I would most definately join, because though I am a Buddhist I am also an agnostic.By leading through example you will give a good name to atheism and agnosticism. You should hold conferences to learn about other beliefs, to show that you are open to other ideas...
562873
I'm predominantly atheist.
807048
I don't "persist in NOT believing in a higher power".\n\nI came to that belief after many years of committment to, believing in, living and studying Christiainity.\n\nIt was knowledge, not ignorance, that led me to become an atheist.  And it wasn't easy.\n\nThe nature of the world, from cosmology to sub-atomic physics to the structure of the human body was one strand,  the history of the bible and the church another.\nThe world as I see it fits rather better with a framework of NO god than a framework including one.\n\n(Though many details can be made to fit either model.  It's there that the a lot of the confusion and conflict occurs, as each side can point to one "fact" but derive completely different implications from it.)
161770
Why not just go to your local sensei and seek advice from him directly? Doesn't he know more about asian religion than a PhD figure who is proabbly a Christian? Check out this website (I am familliar with Buddhism only sorry) They will answer your questions if you ask them.
459678
No, I lack belief in all gods that I've come across so far. It's not possible for me to believe in something if I haven't seen/experienced/perceived anything that makes me think it exists.\n\nTo akpajuju, what if you believed in the wrong god and that god treated idolatry much worse than simply lacking belief? Or what if there is a god that respects honest lack of belief due to never having seen any evidence, but condemns insincere profiteering people who "believe just in case"? You're no "safer" than an atheist. Also it isn't a choice, I can no more choose to believe a god exists than I can choose to believe I'm sat on the back of a unicorn right now.
1038708
Same question again ??\n\nI hv replied to it...ok let me write about Buddha now.  Buddha was a prince of a state...was married and had a son.  He had no problems and was enjoying his life.\n\nOne day he saw an ill person, an old man and a dead body.  He asked his chauffeur...will I also be ill, old and dead one day ?\n\nYes.\n\nHe immediately left his family his kingdom and went out in search of a way to overcome our pains sufferings and death.\n\nHe did deep meditation for long ...and finally one day he got the Light and he saw the Truth.  He then went out to spread his msg of Nirvana all over India.\n\nnow repeat abt buddhism\nBuddhism is an off-shoot of hinduism....but is entierly different from its mother-religion.\n\nBuddhism has two branches Hinayana and Mahayana.\n\nBuddhism does not believe in the concept of God\n\nBuddhism believes it is the Karma (good/bad deeds) which are continually working and we identify ourselves with this flow of karma\n\nBuddism believe that we should try to remove the cause of grief and pain...instead of discussing over the reasons or philosophies of pain or religion or god\n\nBuddhism believes that highest attainment for us is Nirvana....which is big VOID without time, space, god,soul or hell & heaven.\n\nBuddhism believe in Non-violence...hence they are against hatered, wars or spread of religions.\n\nTibetan branch of buddhism is more inclined towards getting psychic powers through mysterious yoga exercise.  There are said to be many tibetan buddhists who can perform miracles...  Their main Goddess is Tara, besides Buddha\n\nsufficient ??  :)
890386
Finally a decent out of the box agnostic thinker.  I personally am atheist, because the creation of a creator is just as probable as us being created in the first place.  But the creation of the two are that much more improbable.  \n\nHowever, on your theory, why do you propose that we are mistakes rather than a side effect...
724360
I've learned lots of things from Jim_Darwin, although sometimes he says he's Atheist and sometimes he says he's Agnostic. \n\nI guess it's that Atheists can be spiritual. The concept never occurred to me until someone (not Jim_Darwin) explained an experience he had. I would reference it, but the question was deleted for chatting. Had this person not been adamant that he was Atheist, I would have pegged him as a Pagan because of some Norse mythology he talked about. \n\nI've also learned a lot from the different questions I've answered from Atheists. Not all Atheists are belligerent, and a lot of the questions I've answered have caused me to really think, which has caused me to firm up my beliefs. Prior to coming here, I knew what I believed, but had never really put a lot of it into words. Thanks to a lot of the early questions I answered, who I later found out were Atheist/Agnostic or at least not Christian, I was able to put words to my feelings.
168223
How do you do? I'm an agnostic.
942710
Try THE BRIGHTS. This is a global on-line constituency, an umbrella group for atheists agnostics humanists and others. \nhttp://www.the-brights.net/\n\nOr check out your local secular society, most places will have one here's mine.\nhttp://www.secularism.org.uk/
263601
Yes I do. But I don't believe in religion, because religion generally preaches intolerance and attributes human traits to god, which I think is inaccurate. I do believe that a loving and beautiful entity created us, and that it is "god" or whatever you feel more comfortable calling it. But I believe many things, using a mixture of logic and instinct. My instincts tell me there is a presence that loves us all. But that is just my simple understanding. Any suffering that we feel is our own creation, so the argument that "why would god cause pain" is an inaccurate argument. God, I believe, has infinite patience, and that is why we cause eachother pain without being stricken from the earth. And that is why I think that the atheist logic is flawed as well. Both sides use either the bible or "logic" to either bring down or deny god for their own agendas. Both sides use emotions, mostly anger; anger at god or anger at those who deny god. Please understand that I am not trying to bash anyone, this is just people that I have known personally, not everybody. Suffering is an emotion, which is a blessing and a curse, to quote a cliche.  With true enlightenment can come love and happiness, and for me that enlightenment is my bond with my creator. I feel happier than I have in years, and it gets better every day that I allow it inside. Every time I try to understand another human being and their pain and joy I think that things are more clear to me. I used to be agnostic, because of my anger at god, but one day, I just realized that my pain didn't have to own me. God is not something you can logically prove, or logically disprove, it is just something you believe one way or the other.
52573
than you are not budhist.  you may believe in some of the philosophies of other religions, but you answered your own question.  try a site called beliefnet.com
520062
Buddhism doesn't dictate whether there is a God or not. There are different groups within Buddhism who have different views, for example their are some Buddhist Christians (or Christian Buddhists?!), who do believe in a creator and many other groups who don't.\nThe Buddhist idea is focused on following the Dharma to reduce suffering and reach Nirvana. They aren't especially preoccupied with the idea of a God, as it is irrelevant to their path in life.
197380
Yes you can. A  lot of Christians, mostly those that have never bothered to read much other than the Bible would say the answer is no. But incorporating Zen Buddhism I have found has made me a better Christian. I do not worship Buddha at all and I disagree with a lot of Buddhist teachings, however there are sects that don't promote the dogmatic aspect of Buddhism but instead act as more of a step by step  guide to being a better and more patient person. I've learnt a lot more about loving  and I mean really loving my fellow man by following Zen than I ever did in 27 years of faithfully going to church.
730582
agnostic means you're not sure if there is a god or not . . .\n\natheist is when you believe there is no god