Belief-O-Matic test

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Anyway, the basic premise of Christianity, Islam and Mormonism is Pie-in-the-Sky-When-You-Die. And the adherents of all of these religions will murder each other over which is the correct faith. Well, okay, Mormonism may be guiltless.

The basic premise of Judaism is that you are a part of a select group of people that God slaps around in an abominable way whenever he gets cheezed off. Not really something that I would find appealing.

With Buddhism, you don't get any big payoffs in a glorious, materialistic afterlife for having adhered sincerely to a set of beliefs. Still, the Buddhist temples do bring in a lot of dough.

1. Mahayana Buddhism (99%)
2. Unitarian Universalism (95%)
3. Neo-Pagan (94%)
4. New Age (89%)
5. Liberal Quakers (87%)
6. Theravada Buddhism (85%)
7. Hinduism (77%)
8. Jainism (77%)
9. Sikhism (74%)
10. Reform Judaism (74%)
11. Taoism (69%)
12. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (64%)
13. Baha'i Faith (63%)
14. New Thought (62%)
15. Secular Humanism (60%)
16. Scientology (54%)
17. Orthodox Judaism (50%)
18. Orthodox Quaker (47%)
19. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (44%)
20. Islam (41%)
21. Nontheist (36%)
22. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (27%)
23. Seventh Day Adventist (21%)
24. Jehovah's Witness (19%)
25. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (19%)
26. Eastern Orthodox (11%)
27. Roman Catholic (11%)

my religion is 3rd on my list lol

While the Abrahmic faiths have had a lot of blood shed in their respective names, not one of them is principally about murder.

With Buddhism, the payoff of adhering to a set of beliefs is a life unhindered by ignorance and suffering. I believe that one who follow a true Christian path would find the same. The teachings of Jesus strike me as being very very similar to those of the Buddha.

Some Buddhist sects do believe in rebirth in different realms, some of which are 'nicer' than others. Ultimately, freedom from the cycle is considered better than being reborn in a heavenly realm. Material afterlife payoffs have no value to one who has seen the wisdom of the teaching of dukkha.

Temples don't run themselves, and it is not unreasonable to pay to help upkeep. You wouldn't expect a school or a university to be able to run without funding.

Funny how many relatively high scores on scientology, while no obvious income questions.

1. Unitarian Universalism (100%)
2. Neo-Pagan (98%)
3. New Age (97%)
4. Liberal Quakers (92%)
5. Mahayana Buddhism (88%)
6. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (78%)
7. Taoism (78%)
8. Theravada Buddhism (76%)
9. New Thought (74%)
10. Scientology (68%)
11. Secular Humanism (66%)
12. Reform Judaism (64%)
13. Hinduism (63%)
14. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (61%)
15. Sikhism (54%)
16. Baha'i Faith (53%)
17. Jainism (52%)
18. Orthodox Quaker (49%)
19. Nontheist (34%)
20. Orthodox Judaism (25%)
21. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (23%)
22. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (22%)
23. Islam (21%)
24. Seventh Day Adventist (21%)
25. Eastern Orthodox (14%)
26. Roman Catholic (14%)
27. Jehovah's Witness (10%)

What! Abraham made his name by an attempt to slaughter his son Isaac.

ruveyn

He didn't carry it through though.

Lucky for Isaac.

ruveyn

Throughout the centuries, religions have been among the most successful of businesses. In Medieval Europe, while most of the population lived in comparable squalor, people put a lot of effort into building enormous, ornate, fantastic, amazing and fabulous churches everywhere. You see a similar situation today in countries like Burma.

I am not Burmese and I have no idea of the ins and outs of Burmese temple economics. It may well be that in some places, materialism does take hold. Just like some people can take a religion and make it all about killing infidels. It's corruption, and humans are well known for it.

But that doesn't mean that Buddhism itself is bad, or wrong, or negative. The principles of Buddhism (and other religions) stand separate from the actions of any human beings who might abuse them or twist them to make money or make themselves powerful.

In my country there are places you can go and learn or practice without paying at all, though it would be parasitic to do so, unless you were very poor.

A little tidbit from wikipedia

You can also watch Pastor Hagee on television for free, thanks to the many people who send him 10 percent and more of their wealth.

Yep, I'm a parasite. I listen to his sermons and never send him a dime.

I was on Oral Roberts' mailing list many years ago. What a fraud that rascal was.

I have no idea who those people are.

If you derive lasting benefit from their teachings and have the money, consider making a donation.

Here is a little bit of John Hagee

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y43CkCzyPq0&feature=related[/youtube]

And a sampling from Oral Roberts

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCgxVW3i8JI[/youtube]

Why on Earth would I want to give these people any money?

I did say if.

I also watch PBS TV and listen to PBS radio without making donations.

So, I'm a greedy bastard.