Buddhism books: throw, recycle, donate, pass on, burn?

Huh.

Well, I really feel like we should start cleaning house with ourselves.

I'm sure we can all agree that there's some false doctrine in a lot of these various
faiths and forums. I mean, some of these guys are pretty liberal, and then there's the whole
Protestant vs Catholic thing. Don't even get me started on OSAS or SDA! And we can't really have false doctrine masquerading until the title 'Christian' - it would be like swallowing a poison pill; that's how they get you, just enough truth to get you to swallow a false belief and then BOOM! Eternal Damnation!(tm).

So, I'm just going to start handing out torches to everyone... Send 1$ to my paypal tysothepirate@hotmail.com if you want me to IM you a virtual torch graphic, and then proceed to burn the most dangerous heretical forum here of your choice with it until you get banned.

We'll reconvene in about a week and see what's left; then we can decide what to do about the Buddhists. Purges are difficult, I know, but I think we can get through this thing. "If you want to make an omelette, you may have to kill a few chickens!"

Petros2015 said:

So, I'm just going to start handing out torches to everyone... Send 1$ to my paypal tysothepirate@hotmail.com if you want me to IM you a virtual torch graphic, and then proceed to burn the most dangerous heretical forum here of your choice until you get banned.

We'll reconvene in about a week and see what's left; then we can decide what to do about the Buddhists. Purges are difficult, I know, but I think we can get through this thing. "If you want to make an omelette, you may have to kill a few chickens!"

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Oooh YEAH.

RaymondG said:

Yet lies cannot separate one from the truth.

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But they can deceive those who don't yet know the truth and keep them from finding it.

This thread gave me an idea for a post on my blog.

Book burning

samwise gamgee said:

This thread gave me an idea for a post on my blog.

Book burning

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"I don’t believe that our service to God should consist only of finding dangerous books and destroying them. We are commanded to teach the truth to others as we have opportunity, but if God does give us the opportunity to stop the spread of lies we must take advantage of it." (from the above blog)

"To stop the spread of lies"... and where does that end? Is that what Jesus mainly came to command us to do — to destroy and silence everything that (we think) contradicts our particular version of Christianity? (I say "our particular version" because as Petros pointed out, there are more than enough doctrinal disagreements between Christians, let alone between Christianity and other religions.) I can't remember him ever saying anything like that.

If you burn a few Buddhist books, or books with any other teaching that doesn't agree with you, that won't "stop the spread" of Buddhism or any of the other teachings out there. It won't stop people from finding out about those teachings elsewhere if they are interested. And for the nth time, if Christians give themselves a reputation for burning the books of other faiths, that won't encourage followers of those other teachings to consider becoming Christians themselves. Precisely the opposite.

Kerensa said:

If you burn a few Buddhist books, or books with any other teaching that doesn't agree with you, that won't "stop the spread" of Buddhism or any of the other teachings out there. It won't stop people from finding out about those teachings elsewhere if they are interested. And for the nth time, if Christians give themselves a reputation for burning the books of other faiths, that won't encourage followers of those other teachings to consider becoming Christians themselves. Precisely the opposite.

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Burning a book that teaches error won't stop the propagation of that error but it might keep some individual from being exposed to it. If you found that you had some rotten food you would certainly throw it away; why wouldn't you do the same if you had books that contained rotten theology?

samwise gamgee said:

Burning a book that teaches error won't stop the propagation of that error but it might keep some individual from being exposed to it.

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No it won't. If someone is interested in Buddhism, they'll look into it elsewhere even if you happen to burn or destroy your particular books about Buddhism. The world has moved on quite a long way from the era when it was possible to stamp out a "heretical" idea by destroying all the written materials associated with it — you know, now we have not only the printing press but the internet.

Destroying books from other religions won't stop others from finding out about those religions — and it certainly won't persuade them that Christianity is worth looking into. Seeing Christians actually being Christlike, on the other hand, might...

Kerensa said:

No it won't. If someone is interested in Buddhism, they'll look into it elsewhere even if you happen to burn or destroy your particular books about Buddhism.

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Reading a book on Buddhism could cause someone to become interested in the subject.

Kerensa said:

Seeing Christians actually being Christlike, on the other hand, might...

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Is it Christlike to allow the spread of false ideas when you can prevent it?

DM25 said:

I'm confused, wouldn't destroying deceptive literature be loving your neighbours? We love our neighbours and we don't want them to perish by deceptions that reject the gospel.

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I give you five directions to a hospital that you need to go to...only one of them is correct. Can you tell me, now, which one is correct? Direction 1 ? 5? Isnt the only way to know for sure....to follow one to it's end? Ok you havent followed any to that hospital, therefore you cant honestly tell me which one is correct.

Would it not be irresponsible to burn 4 of them to leave only one? Lets say you do this for yourself.....which is fine.......but would it be loving to try and convince your neighbor to burn all directions, save the one you kept.....knowing that you havent followed it to the end to be sure?

samwise gamgee said:

Reading a book on Buddhism could cause someone to become interested in the subject.

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Yes, it could. And if they don't happen to find your particular book on Buddhism (because you burned it), they'll find another one, or look it up on the internet. The only way you could actually stop the spread of it would be to attempt to destroy ALL Buddhist publications in the world. And the people who publish them. Which is... well, let's just not go there.

samwise gamgee said:

Is it Christlike to allow the spread of false ideas when you can prevent it?

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See above... can you seriously prevent it?

Incidentally, have you ever actually read a book on Buddhism? Like others here have said, it is very helpful to have an understanding of other faiths — from their own perspective, by the way, not the often distorted views of detractors — so that you can speak fairly and respectfully to followers of those faiths and gain their respect in turn. They might actually listen to you then when you share something about Christ.

And by the way, if you read the Gospels, there's nowhere that Jesus commands his followers to go out and destroy the literature of other religions. There's a lot he does command us to do (in the Sermon on the Mount, for example) that followers of Buddhism and other faiths can often really relate to and feel drawn to. Which is why they're often dismayed — like Gandhi — to see Christians behaving "so unlike [their] Christ".

samwise gamgee said:

But they can deceive those who don't yet know the truth and keep them from finding it.

This thread gave me an idea for a post on my blog.

Book burning

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Remember that, to be deceived, one must first know that they have the absolute truth and not be willing to hear or consider anything else.

Do YOU know that you have the absolute truth and are not willing to consider anything else?

It isnt the one that could consider the ideas of a new book read, that we should worry about......it is the one who will not consider anything more than they already know......

If a person is satisfied with what they have, why shop for something else? If you are happily married do you continue to sample other women? What is the point of that unless you are not happy with what you already have or you are simply wicked. Yes, I have the absolute truth and the rest of it be damned. I have never burnt a religious book in my life and my life does not consist of eradicating other faiths, but I have no interest or wish to promote them either. If you want bible verses, I've got dozens.

Petros2015 said:

We'll reconvene in about a week and see what's left; then we can decide what to do about the Buddhists. Purges are difficult, I know, but I think we can get through this thing. "If you want to make an omelette, you may have to kill a few chickens!"

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Sorry but its Lent so I have to wait until Orthodox Easter until I can start eating chicken again. But I'd be happy to torch all the "Jesus was crucified on Wednesday" threads

PS oh yes and torching zombie threads that get resurrected after years of not being commented on! Down with necromancy!!!

parousia70 said:

Which is qualitatively different from western practices of meditation through activities such as golf and classical music... how?


So you would agree golf is incompatible with Christianity then?

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Your continual introduction of purely secular pursuits is an exercise in futility. A categorical fallacy.

The pharisee leaders had the absolute truth and were happy with it......they told all else to be damned and or crucified.

I imagine that the ones walking in the wilderness until they died (40 years) were also happy with what they knew and refused to walk any other routes but the one they were on.

And all this is their right......I do not wish to take away another's ability to choose what is right for them.......I only offer words to consider......

One should not stop seeking heaven until they find it. Woe to the man who stops running the race because they've found a comfortable path that they are happy with..... They the continue to run until they reach their destination.....the same shall be saved.

Kerensa said:

Funnily enough, I'm not any of those types. And there's still no way around Matt. 25:30-46. But each to his own.

Let's get back on topic, not that there's much more to say. It's just very sad that so many here are terrified of what a few books on Buddhism might possibly do to lead someone away from Christ, unable to see that their exclusivist brand of Christianity is one of the main things that DOES turn earnest seekers off any desire to be a Christian (again, been there myself). Good thing God's love and saving grace for ALL are far more powerful than human misconceptions of Christianity — let alone more powerful than Buddhism's shortcomings. But there's not much point in arguing any further here.

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I forgot Church growth types, where the message is watered down to appeal to the unsaved.
Think Noah, 100 years preaching and only 7 converts tsk, tsk. I guess he wasn't 'loving' enough.

Mt 25 passage has to do with the Judgment of the nations (Gentiles) and how they treated the Jews during the tribulation after the rapture.

RaymondG said:

The pharisee leaders had the absolute truth and were happy with it......they told all else to be damned and or crucified.

I imagine that the ones walking in the wilderness until they died (40 years) were also happy with what they knew and refused to walk any other routes but the one they were on.

And all this is their right......I do not wish to take away another's ability to choose what is right for them.......I only offer words to consider......

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Of course. I agree. We can only play the cards we've been dealt. "Choose you this day whom you will serve." God does not play games and neither should we. Change is advisable only if you are unsatisfied with your position. If that does not happen there is no reason to change and just to shop around for the heck of it is foolish.

I think ultimately God's going to do what God's going to do. And so is the OP. I hope this thread helped them and helped others work through their own thoughts and questions. Anyways, I'm out.
Keep your gaze on Jesus.
Peace.

section9+1 said:

Too bad the bible contradicts what you are saying.

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Yup, give it to the unintelligent christian whose only form of motives is what he thinks "the bible says differently". Buddhist books don't teach murder, rape, or anything that can be considered evil the only thing it is guilty of is believing in fiction. They consider harming a plant to be evil.

Christians however, as displayed by you and many here, can't identify what behaviors are immature, insecure and what is worse is that there is no care in thinking and re-evaluating because of some delusion of God speaking through you.

Kerensa said:

Yes, and burning books from another faith — especially one based on compassion and non-violence — is inherently an act of hatred and contempt (and indeed self-righteousness). And as for the "but 'love one another' refers only to fellow Christians" excuse... Jesus taught us to love our neighbours as ourselves. Including our enemies. That means everyone. Not just the people whose beliefs match ours. EVERYONE.

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Agreed. Imagine if a non-christian stumbles on this thread. Someone who is neither a Buddhist or a Christian, and is probably seeking a religion. What sane person would chose christianity or view it as a peaceful religion just based on the lunatic like views of some people here? A non christian can reference all the violence in the OT, from God "commanding" murder and all that and then look at aBuddhist book and see that even stepping on a plant is bad, then go to this thread and see how christians consider the buddhist book as evil that has to be burned?

A lot of christians here give christianity a bad name. It has revealed to me that it is a religion that is anti-intellectual. Most people i've talked to here just don't hold any care about facts or even logical related examples, because it always has to be a verse reference. If you try to show the problems with their interpretation by providing actual statics or using real world examples, it's ignored because you have to provide a verse. Why would I trust anybody about what they comprehended from reading ancient-translating writings, when their views are completely uneducated?