Fox News goes openly Christian (updated)

Hume is incorrect, by the way.  There is redemption in Buddhism. Bascially, the belief is that by living a proper life based on true compassion for all beings, coupled by proper practice leading to the realization of the interconnectedness of all things and the underlying reality of being, will lead to the redemption of all humans.

Traditionally, redemption was offered through “knowledge” (vidya) in the face of “ignorance” (avidya) which is entangled in the “cycle of incarnation” (samsara); but the Mahasanghika substituted “wisdom” (prajna) for knowledge. Furthermore they replaced the old ideal of the redeemed saint (arhat) with the Boddhisattva, who delays his own redemption in order to primarily lead others to salvation. The new ideal soon became popular. In the centuries that followed additional schools emerged from both of these doctrines.

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Thus, the main intention of Buddha is to open Buddha’s wisdom in all people, to understand it and to let them enter into it Herewith, even women and criminals, who were damned as insufficient beings prior to the Lotus Sutra, are granted the chance to fulfill their Buddhahood–they are also accorded the universal dignity of life. For this reason, the Lotus Sutra can be understood as a declaration of the dignity and equality of all human beings without exception.

From a modern point of view, the declaration of the Lotus Sutra is that all human beings, irrespective of differences in race, nationality, culture, religion and sex, are equipped with Buddhahood and equally able to develop their Buddhahood, the highest potential for happiness. Herein lies the reason for the pacifist attitude of the Buddhist, which opposes all forms of war and the killing of people. We consider this declaration to offer a basis for fundamental human rights.

Update: Another take on Buddhist redemption from one of Andrew Sullivan’s readers.

What would Jesus do?

Pastor Steven Anderson had this to say about President Obama. I am not sure this is what Christ had in mind.

Nope. I’m not gonna pray for his good. I’m going to pray that he dies and goes to hell. When I go to bed tonight, that’s what I’m going to pray. And you say, ‘Are you just saying that?’ No. When I go to bed tonight, Steven L. Anderson is going to pray for Barack Obama to die and go to hell.

How would you like this guy showing up at your door? (Yes, this is Pastor Steven Anderson.)

He also posted this claim.

Oh, it also appears that at least one of the gun-toters at President Obama’s recent appearance in Phoenix was a member of Pastor Anderson’s church and attended on of Pastor Anderson’s anti-Obama sermons the day before.

And here is another Baptist pastor calling for the same.

The latest from Wasilla

The anti-christ will be gay. Nuff said. Perfectly sums up the views of the religious right who believe that repeating simply that “gay marriage is wrong” is some sort of logical arguement, while it is not. It is merely a statement that “I believe same sex marriage is wrong.”  They never continue with any explanation as to why it is wrong or harms heterosexual marriage other than claiming that if it is legalized the bigots lose the right to stop gay marriage. Where is the harm to others?  This is like arguing that allowing women the right to vote somehow damaged the right of men to vote.