[Buddha-l] Sex Scandals Has U.S. Buddhists Looking Within

[JKirkpatrick]

So, my question is: 


...Maybe it's just my disillusionement but a very reasonable
argument can be made for throwing all of these religious systems
out of the window, a la Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins,
Sam Harris, although, in my opinion, they tend to be too easy on
Buddhism.

god bless the atheists!

Pedro
______________________

Can't stand Hitchens, but have to agree. Early on, decided that
any religious organisation 
is to be avoided. Practice whatever helps on one's own, and try
to be a neighbor of your 
neighbors and family.
 
See, sexual "freedom" in earlier times was a prerogative only of
the royals and elites, and maybe the down and outs who had
nothing to lose. Then, with the rise of middle classes and
spread of some prosperity, sexual freedom began to "trickle down"
in the social hierarchy, 
in the favor of males. Females had too much to lose by imitating
their husbands. Eventually society became so dominated by
consumerism (aka,  to cite a goldie oldie song title, "Whatever
Lola wants, Lola gets"), that in the past 40 years we have
teachers seducing students, and vice versa. 
Pedro is right--there's little evidence to support the thesis
that religion ever did anything 
useful except to be an opiate for the masses and psycho-social
insurance for the rulers.

IMHO, atheism is another religion, the way they carry on. 

Buddhism can be a social-moral-philosophical practice *without*
being a religion.
More my 2 cents.

Joanna






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