Buddha, please! I'm Christian!

[fireheart17]

http://leader-messenger.whereilive.c...a-to-stay-put/

In short, one cranky resident at a retirement home demanded that the Buddha statues be removed from communal areas because they're Christian.

Two points I can see here:

1) Australia is secular. Not theocratic. Therefore, we do have religious freedom with some slight changes-that is, as long as the religious beliefs do not clash with certain laws, it's fine. Examples: one particular religion has requirements once you are baptised into their faith. One of these is carrying this: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirpan). Given it looks like a weapon, while it IS a religious artifact, for safety reasons, it may not be allowed to be carried around at all times. AFAIK, some people get around this by wearing one in a brooch or belt buckle.

2) If the retirement home/village is Christian funded/founded/run, then they MAY have a point, but I didn't see anything in the article to indicate this. Also, as far as I DO know, one particular group of retirement houses is a branch of Christianity known as the Uniting Church of Australia-in short, they're more tolerant of other people's beliefs and such than most other branches.

Discuss freely.

[Nyoibo]

With the Kirpan, it can be carried by having the blade fixed in the scabbard.

As for the second one, if they recieve government funding they can't practice discrimination or they chance loosing their funding, I think, I'll ask my mother, given that she used to be the person who approved funding for nursing homes.

[HYHYBT]

One point which, to me, changes everything: they're decorative statues. Ornamentation, not objects of worship. So the Christians ought not to object so much anyway. Now I could see *Buddhists* complaining about their religious symbols being misused...

[Boozy]

The Buddhists I know don't give a fig about that kind of thing.

Buddha isn't worshipped by Buddhists, anyway. He's an aspirational figure, not a deity.

[AdminAssistant]

Buddha isn't worshipped by Buddhists, anyway. He's an aspirational figure, not a deity.

Exactly. (And, sadly, I only know this because my boyfriend is Buddhist.)

[fireheart17]

With the Kirpan, it can be carried by having the blade fixed in the scabbard.

Thanks for clearing that up, I wasn't 100% sure. I'm still trying to work out if I'll need to dull my seax if/when I make one for my re-enactment kit.

Buddha isn't worshipped by Buddhists, anyway. He's an aspirational figure, not a deity.

Exactly. IIRC as well, most Buddhists are respectful of other religions. No converting of the sort.

[Nyoibo]

Thanks for clearing that up, I wasn't 100% sure. I'm still trying to work out if I'll need to dull my seax if/when I make one for my re-enactment kit.

That I can help you with, so long as it's a single edged blade, no it can be sharp, unless you're using it for fighting, then I'd suggest blunting it.

[Hyena Dandy]

I could think of something relevant, political, and properly fratching to say, but I'm in a far too good mood. Instead, I'll simply state...

I totally read the inflection on this the same way you'd say, "Bitch, please!" if you were some sort of 1970s pimp character.

[fireheart17]

I could think of something relevant, political, and properly fratching to say, but I'm in a far too good mood. Instead, I'll simply state...

I totally read the inflection on this the same way you'd say, "Bitch, please!" if you were some sort of 1970s pimp character.

It was partially based off that scene in Mean Girls where they have all the girls in the gym and the Cool Asians get into an argument.

Also, reading some more of the comments, it seems that there are quite a few Christians-even Catholics-who have those statues in their houses and haven't been smited by God yet.
A friend of mine is Catholic-not devout-and she has a Buddha water feature in her family room.

Also Ny, thank you for that response on the knife issue. I'll probably end up making one at another stage.

[Nyoibo]

It was partially based off that scene in Mean Girls where they have all the girls in the gym and the Cool Asians get into an argument.

I blame you for just watching that movie again.

[Hyena Dandy]

It was partially based off that scene in Mean Girls where they have all the girls in the gym and the Cool Asians get into an argument.

Also, reading some more of the comments, it seems that there are quite a few Christians-even Catholics-who have those statues in their houses and haven't been smited by God yet.
A friend of mine is Catholic-not devout-and she has a Buddha water feature in her family room.

Also Ny, thank you for that response on the knife issue. I'll probably end up making one at another stage.

As a Catholic, my attitude towards it is that Buddha was a great philosopher, and that he still has important messages to give, even if he's not divine.

[jackfaire]

As a Catholic, my attitude towards it is that Buddha was a great philosopher, and that he still has important messages to give, even if he's not divine.

As a Buddhist I agree. He wasn't divine. Being Buddha is being enlightened not being divine.

The people that claim to be Buddhist and that he was divine are the same that claim the meat eating Buddha insisted that we all be vegetarians.

[HYHYBT]

I vaguely remember reading that he died from eating too much pork.

[Wingates_Hellsing]

I vaguely remember reading that he died from eating too much pork.

And when he did, he fell enlightened!

I compare myself to Buddha?

No, the ham.

Cookie for the reference... or internets

[Hyena Dandy]

As a Buddhist I agree. He wasn't divine. Being Buddha is being enlightened not being divine.

The people that claim to be Buddhist and that he was divine are the same that claim the meat eating Buddha insisted that we all be vegetarians.

Thank you for the correction, I'll restate what I meant more accurately.

I believe that Buddha was a great philosopher, but I don't believe in the cycles of reincarnation, Dharma and Karma, etc.