Non Israelis teach Krav Maga?

Wow... I just read through this thread which started out as a simple Myrkr asking, "Anyone out there that is like me?" to, "ZOMG! SHE'S DIFFERENT! FLAME HER!!!"

Religion is what you make it. It is my belief that religion is a simple way of explaining the unknown. Ever noticed that many religions have something to do with 'The Afterlife'? What happens when you die? Where do you go? These are all questions that no amount of scientific research and study can prove, so we turn to an answer where it is purely up to YOU to decide what's after life! YOU choose what religion you wish to follow because it gives YOU comfort in the unknown, a sense of control over something that you can't control.

Like, the radical Muslims out there that hijack planes and fly them into buildings believe that they're doing God's will, that if they do that, they'll secure eternal happiness in the afterlife. If they didn't believe that you had to kill yourself in the name of a Deity, then guess what? 9/11 would just be another day on the calender, most likely!

Now, I have NO quarrel with ANY Muslim. I believe that those men who sacrifice themselves for a belief put up a bad image for those who practice the same belief, but aren't radical.

However, there are others that chose a religion out of curiosity, just like myself and Buddhism (I'm gonna have a hell of a time finding a Temple or place of worship to learn a non-watered-down version of Buddhism, as I live in New Hampshire. All you'll find up here is Protestants!). Now, unless I misread Myrkr, she was once Catholic, then seemed to be curious about Paganism, and converted. You know what I say? "Good for you, Myrkr! Follow your dreams and your heart!"

(Useless, yet cool, side note): Not to demolish Paganism, but did you know that Nazism, the one that Hitler himself belonged to, use many Pagan rituals and rites and such? I find it fascinating, but don't get me wrong, I'm not gonna convert. I'm about as anti-Nazi as you're ever gonna get!

Actually, the debate started off a generalization.

Nothing to do with Myrkr or her religion.

Except Christians burn witches, Buddhists would see no point in it. Christians wears cilices, Buddhists would be baffled by the idea of doing so. Christians think lust is sinful, Buddhists just think it's counter-productive...

They're not like each other at all.

Ah, such a neat box. If she doesn't admit to it, she's lying. If she does, she's just making it up, or conforming to the stereotype, oh, Xavius, you know everything, your ideas intrigue me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

No, they do not.

Suffering is a needless condition in Buddhism. In Christianity, suffering is an intrinsic path to glorification.

Also, Christianity does not teach perfection through contemplation.

The Dalai Lama himself believes that Christianity and Buddhism are incompatible. Don't you think he understands Buddhism?

This is a good illustration of what I was talking about. It's a handy motto to say, "All religions are essentially the same," but the actual religions just don't seem to bear that out without tremendous oversimplifications.

I'm all for tolerance and getting along, but it's one thing to say, "We're different, but we can get along," and another thing to say, "We're not different at all."

Hmmm, I'm going to repost this in what I think is a more accurate post. (though I am sure I am going to get the sect names wrong)

Except Puritans burn witches, Buddhists burn themselves. Opeis Dei wears cilices, Buddhists would be baffled by the need of doing so. Christians think lust is sinful and therefore not in your best interest, Buddhists just think it's counter-productive...

They're not like each other at all.

Puritans also bake witches below the pyres in great clay ovens. The LUCKY ones were burnt.

Or was that the crusades?

When people say that they believe that religions are the same, I believe that they by and large don't mean that they believe that what the religions pupport to teach is the same, just that the very act of being spiritual carries you to the same final destination.

"Puritan" is an umbrella term, and in reality very little witch-burning happened in Puritan communities compared to the Catholic inquisition; Opus Dei is not so much a sect as a subset of Catholicism recognised by the Church of Rome; and self-immolation isn't a feature of Buddhism, more an extreme form of protest which Buddhists tolerate.

A lot of religions do not agree on that point.

I don't think saying that all religions end in the same place, and saying that all religions are exactly the same are the same statements.

Does the Dalai Lama claim to lead to a happy soul? yes.
Does the Pope claim to lead to of a happy soul? yes.
Does Monarchy claim to lead to a happy soul? no.
Does Communism claim to lead to happy soul? no.
Does science claim to lead to a happy soul? no.
Does scientology claim to lead to a happy soul? yes.
etc. etc. etc.

Paganism. Mhmm. Constructed religion. Let's face it - where does it come from? The 19th century Romantic movement, with it's passion for stealing anything it found pretty or interesting and jamming it into a semi-coherent hedonistic whole. It started on the rich eccentric fringe, with groups like the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and slowly moved into the more generalized fringe in time for people like Alistair Crowley to make up and call it epiphany. Early neo-pagans were very personality-centered. Groups formed and fell apart on the basis of strong personalities. Some of them were cults; some of them were social clubs; some of them were approximations of actual religious grouping. Neo-pagans - particularly the ones who call themselves wiccan - are still living in that shadow. Personality is central to a lasting circle.

It's an excellent example of channeling faith through an almost entirely artificial construction. Existentialist hegelian self-determination ftw.

Of course they don't, mine included.

I'm simply saying that the people that claim as such believe that this is the case.

So maybe say Catholics instead of Christains?

But you just compared two teachings from two different religions and argued they were the same.

I suppose I misunderstood.

If your -actual- argument is that religions claim that your soul will be happy, I still think that's highly debatable, given the eschatologies of the various religions we've mentioned, but even if I were to grant that point, I'd file that under the "Human beings and PS3s process information" category.

Actually...several forms do.

And the Greek mythologies did not.

A few more pages of this thread have made me very happy for not being a very religious person.

You'll be happy all right, right up until you're cast into the fiery chasm of hell!!!