The papacy frowns on gay marriage, but I think it is wrong to stop people from marrying their true loves.Originally posted by laurence82:Yesh, but remember, if extremists choose to disagree with me and want to harm my family and my friends, then how?
Not agreeing is one thing, but not agreeing and yet wanting to continue harming you and others, is a different issue.
I am not sure, but the RCs are more traditional, and the Protestants are more fundamental.
I would have thought that you would have more disagreement with the Protestants than RCs
HmmOriginally posted by iveco:The papacy frowns on gay marriage, but I think it is wrong to stop people from marrying their true loves.
And RU486 should be allowed for victims of rape.
There is political pressure on the Vatican on RC legislators to block gay marriage in their respective countries. Same goes for legalised abortion.Originally posted by laurence82:Hmm
The papacy may frown and want to stop gay marriages, but they are not the law in many countries. How on earth can they carry it out?
And what is RU486?
I think I know what you mean, similar case in Boston last year, but I had the minute feeling it wasnt the RCs that time.Originally posted by iveco:There is political pressure on the Vatican on RC legislators to block gay marriage in their respective countries. Same goes for legalised abortion.
Heck, I don't mind being kicked from the RCC if I were one of those MPs. At least I can devote my life entirely to researching spells.
It is used for abortion. There is tremendous debate about this drug in Australia at the moment.Originally posted by laurence82:I think I know what you mean, similar case in Boston last year, but I had the minute feeling it wasnt the RCs that time.
Again, what is RU486?
Two questionsOriginally posted by iveco:It is used for abortion. There is tremendous debate about this drug in Australia at the moment.
Anyway, I feel that Wicca should be recognised as an official religion. It has been suppressed for too long. Any religion that has a female-only clergy is considered superior to all others.
Wicca was the original religion of the Celts before the spread of Christianity by force. Many of its practitioners were massacred in cold blood over the centuries. It has a female-only clergy because its supreme being is the Moon Goddess. Christians, Jews and Muslims worship a male creator, while the founder of Buddhism was also male.Originally posted by laurence82:Two questions
Is Wicca the definite representative of all European paganistic groups?
And why would any religion with female only clergy be superior? How about both, like in Buddhism or some Protestants denominations?
Its not only based on male or female faith superiority one over the other, but every other religion supposed own teachings are superior than other religions.Originally posted by laurence82:Hmm, seriously, i dont know how a male or female biased faith can be superior to one another?
IMHO, this is extremely sexist and meaningless.Originally posted by iveco:Wicca was the original religion of the Celts before the spread of Christianity by force. Many of its practitioners were massacred in cold blood over the centuries. It has a female-only clergy because its supreme being is the Moon Goddess. Christians, Jews and Muslims worship a male creator, while the founder of Buddhism was also male.
It is my view that creation is of a maternal nature and females should be accorded superior status.
Many people in USA are up in arms about schools attempting to teach evolution.Originally posted by An Eternal Now:Creation from a supreme deity is also not taught in Buddhism, and I believe it is outdated.
There is only 'Yin, Yuan' and evolution.
Because of their long held dogmas about creationism.Originally posted by iveco:Many people in USA are up in arms about schools attempting to teach evolution.
Going to turn into a flaming thread liao.Originally posted by iveco:It is used for abortion. There is tremendous debate about this drug in Australia at the moment.
Anyway, I feel that Wicca should be recognised as an official religion. It has been suppressed for too long. Any religion that has a female-only clergy is considered superior to all others.
IMHO and scriptually speaking, Abortion is un-buddhist. Has anyone seen the procedure of abortion? It is very cruel and and images are so gruesome.
They use a loop shaped steel knife to slice the baby in parts (the hands, limbs, the body etc) and later take the dead baby out. It's the most horrible medical procedure on Earth and I've seen it on video tape. And in the Video, it is said that modern equipments detected that even the 1st stage (1~3 months) the baby could move and have heart beat, which means that it is definitely sentient.
Even if the child is of low mental capability, or have some organ defects/etc, it is a karma and responsibility that the parents must take even though it takes a lot of courage. More so are those whose babies are healthy! At most, give the baby away for adoption (which is only last-resort). I'm sure there are many people out there who have trouble making babies and are looking forward to adopt a child!
I would like to share a with you a true story which was told by a Venerable. There was a Venerable who had the powers to know a person's previous existence. There was a couple who had a child with low mental capabilities and they asked the venerable why was that so. The Venerable answered - that child of yours was a drug lord in the previous life and has caused much mental delusions and intoxications to others, and therefore that was his karma. The parents then asked abruptly, if that was the case then why were they affected too? (to have the responsibility to take care of that child). The Venerable continued, "let me finish explaining. You two were his accomplice in selling the drugs while he was the mastermind and therefore it was your karmic consequence for having him as your child." Therefore I think whatever child was borned, that was his karma, by karmic association. He should accept it, give extra love and patience to bringing up their child.
The abortion rates are simply unacceptable. I can't imagine myself being one of the babies subject to the cruel and torturous abortion procedures.
Those who had abortions, there are a few suggestions by Buddhist Venerables for karmic clearance: Do daily repentance*, help promote anti-killing, anti-abortion, through any means, and transference of merits (accumulated throughout one's entire life) to the deceased foetus.
I would encourage people to know more about abortion -
those who are not weak hearted can watch the whole abortion procedure (Warning: very gruesome images!): http://old.abortionno.org/realaudio/hrdtruthdsl.rm
less gruesome alternative which explains accurately the abortion procedures, etc ~ "Pro Life Doctor Speaks Out"
http://www.abortiontv.com/Movies/ProLifeDoctorsSpeakOut.htm - information about the video
working video links (outdated links on that page):
http://old.abortionno.org/realaudio/hrdtruthdsl.rm
http://old.abortionno.org/realaudio/hrdtruthdsl.rm
*Repentance verses:
All the evil karma that I have committed in the past,
Arising from my aeons of greed, anger and ignorance,
Committed by my body, speech and mind,
Now I repent before the Buddha.
Ideally for repentance practise is to chant 108 times, each time bowing down to the Buddha, and regularly.
I disagree on abortion even to the point that the child may be defective or of low intelligence.If the child is defective, I would rather choose abortion than having him/her. That would make life for him/her hard as well as the parents. Let's say he has a heart defect, and would require surgeries throughout his life. Money is not unlimited. If one can't make him healthy, and yet give this responsibilty to other people, is it fair? Isn't that shirking of responsibility?
Yes, you are right, abortion is wrong cos its killing the foetus.Originally posted by An Eternal Now:Regarding abortion I hereby state my stance, since this is an issue which I believe I should speak out:
I disagree on abortion even to the point that the child may be defective or of low intelligence.
There are ways to get around this, by for example, letting your child be adopted by someone else if one really cannot take care of the child. But if I were the person, I would feel the responsibility to simply raise the child.
Anyway the ultimate descision lies on the person... I simply say what I know.
Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:But by aborting a baby with defects, are you not denying him/ her the opportunity of this life time to learn about the dharma?
If the child is defective, I would rather choose abortion than having him/her. That would make life for him/her hard as well as the parents. Let's say he has a heart defect, and would require surgeries throughout his life. Money is not unlimited. If one can't make him healthy, and yet give this responsibilty to other people, is it fair? Isn't that shirking of responsibility?
Good ,how about the situation when the child will endanger the mother life ?Originally posted by An Eternal Now:Regarding abortion I hereby state my stance, since this is an issue which I believe I should speak out:
I disagree on abortion even to the point that the child may be defective or of low intelligence.
There are ways to get around this, by for example, letting your child be adopted by someone else if one really cannot take care of the child. But if I were the person, I would feel the responsibility to simply raise the child.
Anyway the ultimate descision lies on the person... I simply say what I know.
Hmm, a case of "neither can live while the other survives"?Originally posted by bohiruci:Good ,how about the situation when the child will endanger the mother life ?
think of ,its happening everyday
Well, if you believe in kamma, why does the child born with a defect in the first place, and of all the places and family, chose to be your child?Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:If the child is defective, I would rather choose abortion than having him/her. That would make life for him/her hard as well as the parents. Let's say he has a heart defect, and would require surgeries throughout his life. Money is not unlimited. If one can't make him healthy, and yet give this responsibilty to other people, is it fair? Isn't that shirking of responsibility?
But low intelligence, I wouldn't support it. Low intelligence doesn't mean no intelligence. He/she can still learn, only at a slower pace. I don't see what's wrong with that. Perhaps he/she may be more gullible, getting cheated by people. But if we can teach him, why not?
Lucky if you don't get burnt at the stake.Originally posted by iveco:Heck, I don't mind being kicked from the RCC if I were one of those MPs. At least I can devote my life entirely to researching spells.
So you mean all handicapped persons are so because they did evil in their past life? If I am not mistaken, a UK Minister was sacked for saying that before...Originally posted by marcteng:If the foetus is not normal and is born with defects, if you use kamma to explain, the foetus and you are related in your past life. Its not coincidence that the foetus is born defect and is your child.
If karma is coincidence and luck, then I have nothing to say.Originally posted by marcteng:Well, if you believe in kamma, why does the child born with a defect in the first place, and of all the places and family, chose to be your child?
U think it is a coincidence or purely luck?
That belongs to the 15th century. Anyway, capital punishment is a relic of the past and has no place in today's world.Originally posted by oxford mushroom:Lucky if you don't get burnt at the stake.
That was former England football team manager Glenn Hoddle, now at Championship side Wolverhampton.Originally posted by oxford mushroom:So you mean all handicapped persons are so because they did evil in their past life? If I am not mistaken, a UK Minister was sacked for saying that before...