Christians say Hungry Ghost Festival sucks...
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Hungry Ghost Festival is a culture. Not a religion.
I do agree those incest burning sucks. Gives me running nose.
But at the same time, i hope those Christians get
to meet some ghosts!!! haa -
*hint:Originally posted by Nikar:WHY DO CHRISTIANS AND MISSIONARIES keep persuading, pressuring, harrasing and cajoling us into converting to Christians?
(2 words)
church funds $$$ -
I notice these oxymorons think being a christian is high class and elitist.
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I think we need to separate the issues from whether the original comments were religiously motivated or life-style motivated. It is rather unfortunate that most of the vocal Christians are middle-class folks who sometimes even forget that they are Chinese.
On the issue of burn sacrifices for the dead, sometimes comments are made not because of intolerance but because of safety issues. I'd seen one such rituals done in a cul-de-sac amongst trees in high winds. The fire was so large that I became concern that it might be blown towards the trees and starting an inferno. So if I were to make an issue, it is not because that I have become an intolerant Christian but I am more concious of the safety factor.
I live below a Catholic family that have children who enjoys dropping marbles on their floor at all hours of the day. The adults would indiscriminately pour dirty water off their balcony windows and the water landing on my balcony.
I would not sing Karaoke beyond 10.30 pm, do not allow my children to play marbles in the house and do not do any fixing and repairing beyond 10 pm.
There are nice non-Christians as well as nice Christians, vice-versa there are rude Christians as well as rude non-Christians. Let's not turn this thread into another flaming thread. -
Hi Bro,Originally posted by Marco_Simone:Overheard some of them say burn joss papers make the place very dirty.Say all these getais very noisy.The way they said it was very condescending...
CB,nowadays got many young Christians wannabes always putting down other religions...
BTW how u know all of them are christian? Nowsdays the younger generation dun really care or bother abt what cultral already. I think wouldnt be nice to "use one bamboo and sweep the whole boat" -
Thats not the point of this thread.Originally posted by An Eternal Now:It's OK if you wish to say anything
But then, very often there is a misunderstanding on the 7th Month. Although the 7th month has its origin in Buddhism, called Ullambana Dharma, not many people know the true meaning and purpose of it. Buddhists do not believe that the hell gates open on the 7th month nor in burning hell notes. As I have mentioned in another post, burning paper originally was done near the corpse to prevent germs from damaging the corpse. But later in Chinese folks tradition it developed to something else. Buddhists however, do not suscribe to this belief or practise.
To find out what the 7th Month is truly about, pls read this article: http://www.jenchen.org.sg/vol5no1a.htm or come to the thread in my forum regarding hungry ghosts, http://buddhism.sgforums.com/?action=thread_display&thread_id=139490 -
or tar the whole lot with same brush...Originally posted by creatpoint:Hi Bro,
BTW how u know all of them are christian? Nowsdays the younger generation dun really care or bother abt what cultral already. I think wouldnt be nice to "use one bamboo and sweep the whole boat" -
Christians always tell me non-christians end up in hell, can someone confirm this?Originally posted by Marco_Simone:Overheard some of them say burn joss papers make the place very dirty.Say all these getais very noisy.The way they said it was very condescending...
CB,nowadays got many young Christians wannabes always putting down other religions...
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Bro china very powderful huhOriginally posted by laurence82:or tar the whole lot with same brush...
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Cultural practices are not in themselves forbidden to the Christian; it is only if their observance would involve the Christian in acts that are contrary to the teachings of Christianity, that the Christian would have to renounce them.
The burning of papers and the like before photographs of one's ancestors originated in the belief that these long-dead people should be worshipped; this belief, however, is repudiated by Christians who acknowledge none as God but the God of Israel.
For the Christian, people should be loved as people but not worshipped; nor should they be believed to have any sort of influence upon the course of our lives once they are dead, simply because they are our kin and do happen now to be dead.
Christians believe that it is God's Providence that rules the entire universe and that if even the saints in Heaven are to be believed by their prayers to be able to have some influence upon the outcome of certain choices that we make, they are yet nonetheless to be believed as being only able to exercise this influence at God's discretion (or more accurately, as the direct result of their prayers being heard and answered by God); and so any belief that would contradict this fundamental belief in God's Providence, must for the Christian be altogether jettisoned.
That is why while Christians would have no objections to retaining photographs of one's dead loved ones as a keepsake; they would generally find it objectionable that they should observe the aforementioned cultural practice.
By the same token wearing either sarees or samfoos does not pose a problem to the Christian; in fact, one of the world's most famous Christians of recent times (the Catholic nun, Mother Teresa), literally made the saree her uniform.
Ben -
Dun think they are christian... just false claimers...
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Good point, but I'm hoping to use this opportunity to get people to know more about Hungry Ghost Festival. Sometimes knowledge can dispell misunderstandings and I would like to relate to everyone, Christians or not, about my Master, Venerable Shen Kai.Originally posted by laurence82:Thats not the point of this thread.
My master used to be a Christian Pastor in China because of a vision earlier that he has to bring bliss into the world and humanity. He was active in preaching and also wrote Christian books. He has many Pastor friends, and due to their influence, he started to insult and say bad things and putting down Buddhism (e.g It is Demonic, Evil, Superstitious, etc). He had no idea what Buddhism was, but just followed what the other pastors did.
His University lecturer seen that he has been trying to convert people in such ways, therefore he went to talk to my Master himself. He said - knowledge seekers like us from the university should not resort to such uncivilised ways of preaching. Not only is that not likeable by people, it will also bring down the name of the University. Why dont you instead research into Buddhist scriptures and teachings, and then write a book/critique on Buddhism? I will give my full support in that.
From then on, he researched into all the teachings of Buddhism and found that it is flawless and was the teaching that he wanted to bring to the people. Being repentant of his earlier action, he renounced as a monk.
So, people who want to put down other people religions must in the first place go and learn more about it - otherwise it will be hated by others. Which is why Christians also receive quite many 'bashings'. This is karma, they bash ppl, ppl bash them -
Note that I said "Hungry Ghost Festival" only as a convinient means, in Buddhism I don't think it can be considered as a "Festival".
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i'm not a christian but i do concur that the burning is pollution. as i read the opening post i didn't read as what you've interpreted. this is how wars get started, by placing personal bias over what is factual.Originally posted by Marco_Simone:Overheard some of them say burn joss papers make the place very dirty.Say all these getais very noisy.The way they said it was very condescending...
CB,nowadays got many young Christians wannabes always putting down other religions... -
I regard Buddhism as simply a philosophy which contains (as it happens) a great deal of truth.
I fully agree that Buddha was a great and holy man, and a profound philosopher who rightly say the problem of suffering as one of the greatest problems confronting humanity.
However, I am a Christian because I believe that certain Buddhist teachings are simply in error; and other Buddhist teachings contain a glimmering of the truth, but also elements of error.
Christians who 'put down Buddhism' as simply 'demonic' are misinformed; and in any case, I would agree that they have taken the wrong towards engaging informed Buddhists in dialogue.
To make clear what some of the problems inherent in Buddhist philosophy amount to, I am going to critique some of the points you have made.
I hope that by doing so, you will see why I choose to be a Christian as well as some of the various points on which I regard Buddhist teaching to be in error.
Here is my critique:
1) 'He said - knowledge seekers like us from the university should not resort to such uncivilised ways of preaching.'
Response: Is your master implying that 'knowledge seekers' like yourself (whom he identifies with the students at a university) ought alone to abstain from such 'uncivilised ways of preaching'? Is he suggesting that it would be beneath you to have recourse to such 'ways of preaching'?
Does he not know that by appealing to your pride to keep your instincts in check, he is actually bringing about a situation wherein you will seem to yourself to be virtuous because of your success at keeping your instincts in check, even though you will in fact be a very proud person?
Does your master not regard pride as a sin?
2) 'From then on, he researched into all the teachings of Buddhism and found that it is flawless and was the teaching that he wanted to bring to the people. Being repentant of his earlier action, he renounced as a monk.'
Response:
If your master found Buddhist teachings flawless, then that must be because he had found the teachings of other faiths to be flawed; and if he then wanted to bring the message of Buddhism to the people, then it had to have been the case that he was fully aware of the fact that by disseminating Buddhism in this way, he would necessarily have been forced to imply to his audiences, that the messages preached by the other faiths were all flawed.
This being the case, your master too is engaged in the act of criticising (albeit not overtly and in an uncivilised fashion) the messages preached by other faiths.
Moreover, if your master felt that it was necessary for him to become a Buddhist in order to repent of his earlier action, then it is obvious that he has not fully understood Christianity; for on any sound view of Christianity, it would be simply wrong that one should communicate the message of Christianity to a Buddhist by the method of persuading him that his faith as a Buddhist is in every sense demonic.
3) 'So, people who want to put down other people religions must in the first place go and learn more about it - otherwise it will be hated by others. Which is why Christians also receive quite many 'bashings'. This is karma, they bash ppl, ppl bash them'
Response:
If it's 'karma' that a person is 'getting bashed' because he 'bashed' someone then it has to follow that whoever he bashed must himself have deserved the bashing he received; otherwise, it would seem impossible for the latter person to have been able to be bashed in the first place.
But if this is so, then why cannot I take the view that I should be entirely justified in doing something which is evil, so long as I would be prepared to reap the consequences for doing it?
On this view of the matter, we do not even need to consider whether or not such 'bashing' is morally correct in the first place (whether there is any sense in which it could ultimately be said to be moral); for so long as we feel that the operation of 'karma' will ensure that whatever evil we do will come to affect only those persons who could deservingly be made subject to its sway, we need not even be bound to feel that the evil which we do is in fact evil, except from a certain subjective point of view.
That is why many Buddhists regard morality as subjective; and that is one of the reasons why I am not a Buddhist.
Ben -
Not true. I might end up in hell also.Originally posted by ditzy:Christians always tell me non-christians end up in hell, can someone confirm this? -
incest?Originally posted by NuLife:Hungry Ghost Festival is a culture. Not a religion.
I do agree those incest burning sucks. Gives me running nose.
But at the same time, i hope those Christians get
to meet some ghosts!!! haa
Choy! -
Dun like that say leh. I am one who has no problem with Hungry Ghost Festival. Quite fun what. Can hear a lot of ghost stories also.Originally posted by Ogbunwezeh:IMO, christian here seems to have a low tolerance n acceptance of other religions. They expect everyone believe in them in order to "help" us go to heaven in stead of hell.
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hmmz........Originally posted by Honeybunz:Not true. I might end up in hell also. -
hmm what? Regardless of what religion, as long as I commit mortal sins (such as killing lah) I sure go hell one what.Originally posted by shinta:hmmz........
Don't forget what I do for a living.
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Too many hypocrites around siah. People condemning someone for bashing a religion, yet, they're doing that exactly that. From what I have read so far, a good 90% of you don't know a thing about the "other" religion. Knowledge is a cure for ignorance. Go learn about the one your bashing and maybe you'll know why they practice what they practice and be slightly more tolaerant (sp?). Do you know why we have "racial harmony day" for Primary schools?
Kids will be kids and humans are bound to err. People say things without thinking it through. If you have never screwed up once in your life, step right up and bash. If not, try to remember what it felt like. -
just thinkin... hahaOriginally posted by Honeybunz:hmm what? Regardless of what religion, as long as I commit mortal sins (such as killing lah) I sure go hell one what.
Don't forget what I do for a living.
cos this kinda reminded me of what someone told me the other time... sth about believing in Jesus, and ur sins will disappear or sth like that... den when we're sinless, we can go to heaven ler...
btw, heaven really exists? -
It is 7th month now already, isn't it?? (sorry if this sounds stupid).
How come I don't see any getai in my neighbourhood??? I don't even hear anything at night. hmm....
Seriously, anybody knows where I can watch the chinese opera. I prefer opera than contemporary songs. I can be a bit traditional at times...hehehe -
Jesus died for us? Died for our sins?
Killed by Roman soldiers on the cross lah
Christians really believe he died for you all
The "Christianity sin" is against buddhism karma law teachings
It's a crash
A fight sure will pop out
By the way Buddhism is much older than Christianity -
Originally posted by shinta:just thinkin... haha
cos this kinda reminded me of what someone told me the other time... sth about believing in Jesus, and ur sins will disappear or sth like that... den when we're sinless, we can go to heaven ler...
btw, heaven really exists?
Eternal Hope