Some Catholic articles on Buddhism

[nephthys]

I found these rather amusing. One from the catholic encyclopedia:

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03028b.htm

"The consentient testimony of witnesses above the suspicion of prejudice establishes the fact that at the present day Buddhist monks are everywhere strikingly deficient in that moral earnestness and exemplary conduct which distinguished the early followers of Buddha. In short, Buddhism is all but dead. In its huge organism the faint pulsations of life are still discernible, but its power of activity is gone. The spread of European civilization over the East will inevitably bring about its extinction."

The other is by "His Holiness", the one who lives in an enormous palace in order to teach people about Christ:

http://www.tcrnews2.com/Buddhism.html

"The more we are liberated from these ties, the more we become indifferent to what is in the world, and the more we are freed from suffering, from the evil that has its source in the world."

[b]However innumerable sentient beings are, I vow to save them.
However inexhaustible the defilements are, I vow to extinguish them.
However immeasurable the dharmas are, I vow to master them.
However incomparable enlightenment is, I vow to attain it.

In Buddhism everyone is getting saved; in Catholicism all the infidels are going to hell and the Buddhists are the indifferent ones... Funny, no?

[Chodpa]

This is merely the though patterns of one supposed scholar. There are six billion people in the world.

[xdianax]

Even if Buddhism, however, outranked Christianity (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03712a.htm) in the number of adherents, it would be a mistake to attribute to the religion of Buddha, as some do, a more successful propagandism than to the religion of Christ (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08374c.htm). The latter has made its immense conquests, not by compromising with error and superstition, but by winning souls to the exclusive acceptance of its saving truths. Wherever it has spread, it has maintained its individuality. On the other hand, the vast majority of the adherents of Buddhism cling to forms of creed and worship that Buddha, if alive, would reprobate.wow haha.

This was a very, very interesting passage to read,
Another fatal defect of Buddhism is its false pessimism. A strong and healthy mind revolts against the morbid view that life is not worth living, that every form of conscious existence is an evil. Buddhism stands condemned by the voice of nature the dominant tone of which is hope and joy. It is a protest against nature for possessing the perfection of rational life. The highest ambition of Buddhism is to destroy that perfection by bringing all living beings to the unconscious repose of Nirvana. Buddhism is thus guilty of a capital crime against nature, and in consequence does injustice to the individual. All legitimate desires must be repressed. Innocent recreations are condemned. The cultivation of music is forbidden. Researches in natural science are discountenanced. The development of the mind is limited to the memorizing of Buddhist texts and the study of Buddhist metaphysics, only a minimum of which is of any value. The Buddhist ideal on earth is a state of passive indifference to everything. How different is the teaching of Him who came that men might have life and have it more abundantly. Again Buddhist pessimism is unjust to the family. Marriage is held in contempt and even abhorrence as leading to the procreation of life. In thus branding marriage as a state unworthy of man, Buddhism betrays its inferiority to Christianity (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03712a.htm), which recommends virginity (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15458a.htm) but at the same time teaches that marriage is a sacred union and a source of sanctification. Buddhist pessimism likewise does injustice to society. It has set the seal of approval on the Brahmin prejudice against manual labor. Since life is not worth living, to labour for the comforts and refinements of civilized life is a delusion. The perfect man is to subsist not by the labour of his hands but on the alms of inferior men. In the religion of Christ, "the carpenter's son", a healthier view prevails. The dignity of labour is upheld, and every form of industry is encouraged that tends to promote man's welfare.


:) Namaste,
Diana

[Chodpa]

These articles are no different from having ones in-laws critiqing ones marriage. Real respect, something the Church does not now and will never have, for human, and all of life, teaches to live and let live.

[Sunburst]

To be fair, no, not "all infidels go to hell". You have sex beforeyou're married (I personally think that as long as you're in love, then if you feel it's right and are ready, go for it),it's "a sin". You don't go to hell for one sin, my friend.I knwo what you mean, thoough:P:)

[Spiritforces]

Just to say that article are an other form of propaganda. Of course all chrisitans do not think as that articles say. Question of interpretaion of the teaching maybe?

(and I'm living everyday with church ppl for something like a month)

I think Christ alive woul repprobate such an article ;) as they liked to write

Stay in Peace

[loveflower]

im really confused.. the words didnt make sense to me, can somebody explain it differently?

[Liberation]

That was amazingly untrue down to the last period in the text.