IS there an eastern/pagan solution to our religious delimas?

[Lorgar-Aurelian]

I've met people who were once Christians or Jews among other things that turned to eastern traditions or paganism because of the issues they have had with their original religion. I'm sure someone will be tempted to say "Well atheism was the original belief they had." because you aren't religious when you are born ect.

Either way I've often had people tell me that eastern religion is just so much better than western religion/ "It is so much more peaceful!" they say or "It just makes more sense." I'll hear someone scream. Look if it really does make more sense then cool. I just don't think a lot of these are much better than their western counterparts.

I don't think professing belief in gods without any evidence to back it up is better simply because you are now following an eastern tradition. Do the eastern traditions offer more evidence or more of a reason to be a Hindu/Buddhist than say a Christian or muslim? Is there an eastern solution?

 

[VioletVortex]

There are a handful of Eastern Pagan (Indo-European) religions. They are as much of a solution for Far Easterners as European Paganism is for Europeans. I think the worldview of most Pagan religions is better in the long term that that of Abrahamic religions. Pagans acknowledge the permanence and importance of the material world, whereas in Christianity, for example, the world is seen by many as a temporary test to determine how worthy individuals are of heaven.

I think there is a lot of validity in Eastern religion. The Kundalini and Chakras I find very interesting. This was mostly inspired by European religion, however. It isn't really Eastern.

 

[Cobol]

Eastern religion and metaphysical world view cannot easily be reconciled with science—or, more generally, with modern humanistic values. Buddha’s first step toward enlightenment was his abandonment of his wife and child, and Buddhism (like Catholicism) still exalts male monasticism as the epitome of spirituality. It seems legitimate to ask whether a path that turns away from aspects of life as essential as sexuality and parenthood is truly spiritual. From this perspective, the very concept of enlightenment begins to look anti-spiritual. It suggests that life is a problem that can be solved, a cul-de-sac that can be, and should be, escaped.

Eastern religions stem from our narcissistic wish to believe that the universe was created for our benefit, as a stage for our spiritual quests. In contrast, science tells us that we are incidental, accidental. Far from being the raison d’être of the universe, we appeared through sheer happenstance, and we could vanish in the same way.

This is not a comforting viewpoint, but science, unlike religion, seeks truth regardless of how it makes us feel. Eastern religion raises radical questions about our inner and outer reality, but it is finally not radical enough to accommodate science’s disturbing perspective. The remaining question is whether any form of spirituality can.

Doctrines of reincarnation, detachment, karma and the like have always struck me as ridiculous or wishful/dreadful thinking.

 

[Vinayaka]

Do the eastern traditions offer more evidence or more of a reason to be a Hindu/Buddhist than say a Christian or muslim?

They do for the people that are adherents of eastern faiths. For each individual of any faith theirs makes the most sense. Evidence? What evidence do you need? For that matter, what is 'evidence, in your view?

 

[Skwim]

IS there an eastern/pagan solution to our religious delimas?


I've met people who were once Christians or Jews among other things that turned to eastern traditions or paganism because of the issues they have had with their original religion. I'm sure someone will be tempted to say "Well atheism was the original belief they had." because you aren't religious when you are born ect.

Either way I've often had people tell me that eastern religion is just so much better than western religion/ "It is so much more peaceful!" they say or "It just makes more sense." I'll hear someone scream. Look if it really does make more sense then cool. I just don't think a lot of these are much better than their western counterparts.

I don't think professing belief in gods without any evidence to back it up is better simply because you are now following an eastern tradition. Do the eastern traditions offer more evidence or more of a reason to be a Hindu/Buddhist than say a Christian or muslim? Is there an eastern solution?

So what is the dilemma? People change or don't change their current religion as they see fit, just as they may change schools, or jobs, or significant others all without necessarily considering them to be dilemmas. If anything, the solution would simply be to change.

.

 

[Lorgar-Aurelian]

They do for the people that are adherents of eastern faiths. For each individual of any faith theirs makes the most sense. Evidence? What evidence do you need? For that matter, what is 'evidence, in your view?

You know, something that actually points to one religion or tradition actually being true.

 

[Vinayaka]

You know, something that actually points to one religion or tradition actually being true.

I see truth as being subjective to the individual. Many will make claims as to truth, but none can actually prove much at all. So what we have are differing takes. What works for one doesn't work for another. There is broad (and for me a necessary) spectrum of consciousness, based on the individuals spiritual evolution.

 

[crowfeather]

Taoism is The One Way. Because it refrains from naming or describing a single Deity.
It is a reverence for Reality, from a position of Humility, embracing Responsibility, and a genuine Love for the Earth.
There are no preachers, no dogmas, no holy books, no zealots. No ideology.
It Just Works.

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

Taoism is The One Way. Because it refrains from naming or describing a single Deity.
It is a reverence for Reality, from a position of Humility, embracing Responsibility, and a genuine Love for the Earth.
There are no preachers, no dogmas, no holy books, no zealots. No ideology.
It Just Works.

I agree insofar as this refers to philosophical Daoism. Not true for religious Daoism, however.

 

[crowfeather]

There's only one kind of taoism. Religious taoism is not taoism at all.
This holds true with any religion: its purpose is forgotten amid the pomp and circumstance.

 

[Vinayaka]

There's only one kind of taoism. Religious taoism is not taoism at all.
This holds true with any religion: its purpose is forgotten amid the pomp and circumstance.

Have you done an in depth study of all religions in order to make such a bold statement?

 

[crowfeather]

No. I know what's what. Crows excel at that.

 

[VioletVortex]

You know, something that actually points to one religion or tradition actually being true.

There isn't any one true religion. Hellenic, Slavic, Germanic, and Celtic forms of Paganism etc. are all compatible. This extends into Eastern tradition as well. Each religion is essentially a different language.

 

[CogentPhilosopher]

I've met people who were once Christians or Jews among other things that turned to eastern traditions or paganism because of the issues they have had with their original religion. I'm sure someone will be tempted to say "Well atheism was the original belief they had." because you aren't religious when you are born ect.

Either way I've often had people tell me that eastern religion is just so much better than western religion/ "It is so much more peaceful!" they say or "It just makes more sense." I'll hear someone scream. Look if it really does make more sense then cool. I just don't think a lot of these are much better than their western counterparts.

I don't think professing belief in gods without any evidence to back it up is better simply because you are now following an eastern tradition. Do the eastern traditions offer more evidence or more of a reason to be a Hindu/Buddhist than say a Christian or muslim? Is there an eastern solution?

A lot of eastern religions are born from philosophies and are often pacifistic.

A lot of neopagan religions are pacifistic and most have better doctrines than Christianity.

I would like to point out that many pagans, as opposed to neopagans, where far from peaceful.

 

[sayak83]

I've met people who were once Christians or Jews among other things that turned to eastern traditions or paganism because of the issues they have had with their original religion. I'm sure someone will be tempted to say "Well atheism was the original belief they had." because you aren't religious when you are born ect.

Either way I've often had people tell me that eastern religion is just so much better than western religion/ "It is so much more peaceful!" they say or "It just makes more sense." I'll hear someone scream. Look if it really does make more sense then cool. I just don't think a lot of these are much better than their western counterparts.

I don't think professing belief in gods without any evidence to back it up is better simply because you are now following an eastern tradition. Do the eastern traditions offer more evidence or more of a reason to be a Hindu/Buddhist than say a Christian or muslim? Is there an eastern solution?

Read and find out

 

[Lorgar-Aurelian]

Read and find out

I'm sorry read what exactly?

 

[Lorgar-Aurelian]

There isn't any one true religion. Hellenic, Slavic, Germanic, and Celtic forms of Paganism etc. are all compatible. This extends into Eastern tradition as well. Each religion is essentially a different language.

That has pretty much nothing to do with any of them actually having evidence to back them up on any level.

I also wasn't implying that you need evidence of the one true religion, but generally you would start with evidence to back at least one up before you start trying to back up tradition upon tradition.

 

[sayak83]

I'm sorry read what exactly?

Any introductory book, an anthology of scriptures. Participate in meditation or watch worship and rituals. If you like what you see and read, adopt it, otherwise not.

 

[LuisDantas]

I don't think professing belief in gods without any evidence to back it up is better simply because you are now following an eastern tradition.

I sort of agree... but then again, we should not assume unwarranted similarities. Many of those are not really about belief in gods. When they do involve such a belief, the nature of same is often very contrasting with the expectations and prescriptions that many of us learned from Christianity or Islaam.

Do the eastern traditions offer more evidence or more of a reason to be a Hindu/Buddhist than say a Christian or muslim? Is there an eastern solution?

Damn right there is. But it is not about evidence or belief, at least not by my understanding. It is about expression and learning.

 

[LuisDantas]

You know, something that actually points to one religion or tradition actually being true.

It is true if you find enough of worth on it to find ways of making it true.

I don't think it makes much or any sense to be "true" in any other way.