[Buddha-l] Buddhism, the second largest religion in the world

[Vicente Gonzalez]

Richard wrote:

RH> Now in a similar way, the question of who counts as a Buddhist is perhaps even
RH> more complicated. (Over on the Unitarian-Universalist Buddhist Fellowship
RH> list, people agonize at some length about who gets to say truthfully "I am a
RH> Buddhist.") In the final analysis, I think any attempt to put a figure, even
RH> a very approximate one, on the world's Buddhist population is an exercise in
RH> futility. Almost always such attempts to do so represent some sort of 
RH> political agenda. 

yes. There is a political problem behind that. And sure it favours a
distortion of reality.

Although there is something in that website which can be truth.
Statistics don't count as Buddhists the many Asiatic people who
mix Buddhism with other beliefs, which is the most frequent thing.
However, in the example of Christianity, many statistics are counting
as Christians the many people who mix Christianism and Santeria, or
indigenous religion in South America. Also, in many countries the
people is counted with census, then they are Christians because they
were baptized by their parents. But many times it happens just by
following a social tradition. I know well this point, because in my 
country it is the case. Officially, catholics are 90% of population,
but many polls shows that only 53% of population claim to be followers
of Catholicism. And only a little 15% claim to be practitioners.

So I wonder if it can be a similar case in many other countries with
other religions. In Asiatic countries, many people put a Buddha in the
hall-room, in the car,etc... Sometimes they make this by social
tradition, good luck, etc..  Then it is a cultural heritage mixed with
personal beliefs. It is not the profile of a cult follower.
So maybe there is a point of reality in the claim of many people not
included as Buddhists when in other religions such flexible profiles
are included using census or other tools.


RH> For example, the point of the Vipassana Foundation web site seems to be to
RH> claim that Buddhism has at least as many followers as Christianity and Islam.
RH> Therefore, Buddhism is not (contrary to what many people say) a religion with
RH> a bright past but a dim future; au contraire, it is the way of the future.
RH> That claim may make some people feel good, but is it true? Is it even a
RH> meaningful claim?

I don't know. I don't know if it would contribute to relax the
religious tension in the world or the contrary thing.
Today, the different theism occupies the centrality of the world
religion, and many people and mass-media accuses them to favour
fanatism and violence because they are exclusive.
Although it can be a disputable argument.

I don't know what would happen if tomorrow a non-theist religion
becomes the second largest in the world. I don't have idea.


best regards,