[Buddha-l] Western Buddhism

[Joy Vriens]

Dan about >http://www.opinionjournal.com/taste/?id=110010842 
Lots to disagree about indeed and at the same time it somehow manages to hit the nail on the hammer. The main subject of the article is the survival of a religion (not unrelated to Richard's post on the churching of America). And IMO the problem is that it treats religions like lobbies... and those lobbies obviously through statistics about their representativity, i.e. (political) influence.
What is the objective of a religion?  To merely be a topic of sociology as one sees more and more or is it something like "discovering the intrinsic freedom of consciousness, unencumbered by any dogma" as Sam Harris says about esoteric Buddhism? Buddhism, and especially esoteric Buddhism, is the product of a desire of renunciation and detachment (funny combination of words) like its other upanisadic brethren and sisters. It's about autonomy (kevala), extinction, about going to a soteriologic (more or less coreless) core or center, rather than surviving and spreading on the surface for other than salvatory reasons. 
If the object of a new Western Buddhist "religion" is "to imagine a new model for religion altogether--one that is nondogmatic, practice-based and peaceful", then according to Mr. Strand there is "all the more reason to keep Buddhism in America alive". But a religion can't be kept alive and "in good health" sociologically and statiscally speaking without dogma. So how do we deal with that? Everything well considered, do we really want to be a religion? 
>One question might be -- what percentage of the subscribers to this list are 
>under 50? 

I have one more year to go under 50 before I move on, go forth, statiscally.
>Another question: How many who identify themselves, in whole or in part, as 
>Buddhists, have raised their children "Buddhist," and of those children, how 
>many are enthusiastic practitioners of Buddhism today? 

I don't identify with being a Buddhist, but Buddhism takes a big place in my life, although it has to share more and more with Upanisads, esoteric jainism, mild shaivism and vaishnavism and other mystic mumbo jumbo (all drinking from very similar sources). I am afraid there is not much space for rituals and ritualism and following a party line. I don't raise my children as Buddhists, but try to teach them through my very imperfect example some Buddhist and Jain morality. No meditation apart from some advice about breathing and a general critical attitude towards all the images that are thrown upon them. I am quite pleased with the result so far.
Joy