[Buddha-l] rebirth

[Bob Zeuschner]

The one thing that bothers me when folk say that they accept rebirth 
because the Buddha taught it, is that the Buddha taught other things 
which the same people want to reject.

Most of those knowledgeable in Pali texts can quote lengthy sections 
which are plain false and merely reflect the knowledge of those who 
lived 500 or 400 BCE. Mt. Sumeru is not the center of the earth.

This suggests to me that folk have to pick and choose which doctrines 
they will accept (on authority) and which they will reject (despite the 
authority of the Buddha behind the claims).
This is like those who say the Old Testament is the word of God, and 
quote from it to condemn certain kinds of behaviors, yet they never 
mention that god finds if an abonimation to eat shell fish and it is an 
abomination for women to wear the clothing of a man.
Since we all pick and choose from among the wide variety of doctrines 
found in our sacred texts (Bst. and Xian), I cannot in good faith simply 
believe one doctrine "because the Buddha taught it" and yet reject 
another doctrine which the Buddha did teach and which is false.
Bob Zeuschner