[Buddha-l] NYTimes.com: Let Us Pray for Wealth

[SJZiobro at cs.com]

"L.S. Cousins" <selwyn at ntlworld.com> wrote:

>I can't understand some of this.
>
>1. Hindus and Buddhist are not fighting in Sri Lanka. The Tamil 
>Tigers - a Marxist organization founded and led by members of the 
>Christian community - are fighting to establish a separate 
>linguistically-based Tamil state. I do not believe that most 
>Buddhists or Hindus have any interest at all in extirpating each 
>others' religion. Some Marxist members of the Tigers might be an 
>exception, but if so, they would probably want to extirpate all 
>religions (except Marxism).

As stated, Lance, I agree.  Nonetheless, in India there are areas where either Muslims or Hindus persecute Christians.

>2. I fail to understand how Communists fighting to control their 
>colony in Tibet has anything to do with whether Buddhists 
>historically try to extirpate other religions.

The Communist Chinese invaded Tibet, as you know, and have expended much labor in destroying the Tibetan culture, which includes its religion.

>3. Again it is difficult to see how persecutions by the Communist 
>government in China have anything to do with the point.

Communism, besides being a political ideology, is also a religion inasmuch as it has its doctrines, symbols, hierarchy, rituals, etc.  They have tried to extinguish Christianity, Buddhism, and other religious communities wherever they are in power. Where they fail to extinghish a religion they heavily control it.
  
>4. I don't understand the reference to Korea.

There were Christian persecutions in Korea at one time.  I believe it was around the 17th century or the 18th century.  There one had non-Christians striving to extinguish Christians and Christianity from the Hermit Kingdom.

>5. The only valid point here is the reference to the Tokugawa 
>shogunate, assuming one accepts that the Shogunate was Buddhist. But 
>we should note that this was a response to a rather vicious campaign 
>of murder and destruction carried out by 'Christian' military forces 
>across Asia. Unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that violence is 
>infectious and Christian/Muslim violence has sometimes infected other 
>religions on their frontier.

I think your reading of the situation differs from mine.  At least in Japan the Christian armies were defending themselves.  I know of no vicious Christian military campaigns in China or Korea.

>It is regrettable that many generally well-meaning Christians and 
>Muslims are unwilling to acknowledge the degree of violence in their 
>history.

It is regrettable, as well, that many generally well-meaning Buddhists, Socialists, and Communists fail in the same manner.

Regards,

Stan
>Lance Cousins
>
>>curt <curt at cola.iges.org> wrote:
>>>SJZiobro at cs.com wrote:
>>>>  Curt,
>>>>
>>>>  Yes, you are missing something, namely, openess to the historical 
>>>>record.  For example, what are the Hindus and the Buddhists 
>>>>fighting over in Sri Lanka?  What are the Communists fighting over 
>>>>in Tibet?  Do you need more hints?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   
>>>If you contend that there are, somewhere hidden from our view because of
>>>deficiencies in the historical record, cases in which Hindus, Buddhists,
>>>etc, have extirpated other religions then there needs to be some
>>>evidence or at least reasoning to support that claim. In the cases of
>>>Christianity and Islam there is no doubt.
>>
>>Curt,
>>
>>There is also no doubt relative to what I mentioned earlier, plus 
>>the anti-Christian extinction efforts of the Tokugawa shogunate in 
>>Japan, of the persecutions in Korea, of the continuing efforts in 
>>Communist China.  I know this doesn't fit into your worldview, but 
>>neither can it be denied by any rational observer.
>>
>>Regards,
>>
>>Stan
>
>_______________________________________________
>buddha-l mailing list
>buddha-l at mailman.swcp.com
>http://mailman.swcp.com/mailman/listinfo/buddha-l
>