[Buddha-l] Unpopular Buddhism

[Franz Metcalf]

Gang,

Thanks, Jack, for the link to the article on Wuthnow and Cadge's paper  
in the JSSR.

Wuthnow and Cadge's data (at least as quoted in the brief article) on  
the extremely positive reception of Buddhist ideas and practices jibes  
with my own unscientific surveys of my students. In a normal class of  
50 students I'll have perhaps one or two who have an aversion to  
Buddhism. But these students have never had any contact with the  
tradition. Among those with contact, I have never had a student (and  
we are talking about hundreds of students) express to me or to the  
class a negative impression. Indeed, paralleling Wuthnow and Cadge's  
data, a good many have integrated Buddhist views or practices into  
their own religious lives (usually Catholic, Baptist, Pentacostal, or  
Mormon). (Okay, frankly the Mormons have never reported to me any  
adoptions of Buddhist elements.)

Far from being unpopular, Buddhism gets almost a free ride among  
college students in this country. At least in Los Angeles. To the  
extent that I find it disturbing: otherwise critical thinkers among my  
students (sadly a minority), who are happy to eviscerate Catholicism,  
are clearly averse to applying the same standards to Buddhism. Perhaps  
this is necessary first stage of assimilation. Only after a few  
generations of this will critical engagement and deep integration  
happen.

Perhaps it's not the age of mappo, after all.

Franz