It looks like these "Christians" are all het up about a town putting up information about Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan culture, but leaving out the part of Tibetan culture that's all about the Ten Commandments. Oh, you say the Ten Commandments have nothing to do with Tibetan culture? Really?
No, the fuss is not about Tibetan culture, or the Dalai Lama, or, as world net daily says, the "Dalai Lama."
It's all about cramming the Ten Commandments down everyone's throat.
What would gentle Jesus think?
After reading the article (at WND), I'm amazed at how simple its author must expect his readership to be. What happened was this: Some whacko church group, after being (rightly) ignored by the Mayor's office, put up their own religous display, blatantly RIGHT IN FRONT of the city's display - and then they got mad that the city tore it down and told them to come and get it.
The city of Bloomington was much nicer about it than I would have been. I don't care what the display is about, there are ways to go about these things. You don't just put up whatever you want, wherever you want, and expect that to fly.
I've said for many years that too much Judeo-Islamo-Christianity causes people to lose the ability to think for themselves. And every time I read an article like this, I see the proof. Good post!
Posted by: scruffysmileyface | December 04, 2007 at 08:16 AM
Well, Buddhists don't have 10 thou-shalt-not commandments,* they have 10 virtues (but with two lists, one in the positive style, the other in negative... the 10 non-virtues). There is really nobody in command, despite illusions to the contrary. And none of the Buddhists 10 virtues have to do with how we are supposed to obey that invisible commander. They have to do with how we get along with other people. Period. There are significant things the two lists hold in common, however. Like not lying and stealing for example. Good advice wherever it comes from.
The Hebrew says dibrot, which just means 'statements,' but I guess your Hoosiers weren't reading the Hebrew.
Posted by: Dawa | December 23, 2007 at 04:43 AM
What the Christians in Bloomington aren't getting is that it is extremely difficult to separate Tibetan Buddhism from Tibetan culture, as it is a theocracy. The DL is the leader of the Tibetan government-in-exile as much as he is anything else, and as a visiting representative of an unfamiliar culture, it would make a good deal of sense for the town to give information about that culture - which includes information about their religion.
The Xtians also betray their case when, as noted by scruffy, they put their ten commandments right in front of the information about Buddhism. They don't want any competing religions going on their "turf". What if the Pope was coming to town? Would it be problematic to talk about Catholicism? It would be one thing if they were saying something like "Buddhism is the greatest of all religions", but just presenting information is far from problematic.
Posted by: Sam | August 22, 2009 at 06:51 PM