So you love religion but hate intolerance? Try Buddhism

[trotsky]

http://www.zmescience.com/medicine/mind-and-brain/buddhism-tolerance-study-19022015/

A new study has found that unlike monotheistic religions, Buddhism doesn’t promote intolerance – instead, it promotes both selfless behavior and tolerance of people we perceive as outsiders.

Does religion do more harm than good? It seems to be quite a controversial topic, with significant evidence both ways. Some studies have found that religion makes us more altruistic and more likely to help those around us, while others found that it encourages prejudice against perceived outsiders.

This new study concluded that Buddhist teachings “activate both universal pro-sociality and, to some extent (given the role of individual differences), tolerance of people holding other religious beliefs or belonging to other ethnic groups”. Magali Clobert, a visiting postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University said.

...

In other words, exposure to Buddhist concepts and teachings made people more compassionate and tolerant towards outsiders – while Christian concepts didn’t. This seems to indicate that unlike monotheistic religions, Buddhism has a more positive impact on people’s ideas – and while the results need to be duplicated, this raises some serious questions regarding the impact of monotheistic religions like Christianity or Islam in modern society.

[libdem4life]

1. Thich Nhat Hanh ... "Peace is Every Step" Masterpiece.

http://plumvillage.org/ This is Zen Buddhism. He made his name by forgiving the Americans for obliterating his country in the 60s and 70s.

Many don't consider Buddhism a religion, although seems it's mostly those with a religion already that see the power and simplicity of the Buddhist Path. And, because they don't have a god and there is no sin. Just you and yourself inside...which is where everyone's god dwells. Sin is renamed as doing things that hurt yourself, which by definition includes others because We Are All One.

[kwassa]

3. I've been to the Blue Cliff monastery in New York.

I've never met Thich Nhat Hanh, though my wife and daughter have, on a retreat in Canada.

Somewhere is a picture of my daughter walking hand-in-hand with him, though we have not been able to locate it.

[libdem4life]

4. That would be priceless, and such a blessing for your daughter. We had our son at a huge venue in

Santa Monica...he was 18 months old. we were in the SRO section, but I held him up as high as I could as he blessed the entire audience...and he certainly has the spiritual power to do it. My son, now 26, has decided to become an accupuncturist and Doctor of Oriental Medicine and we found one University that is accredited in Texas, no less. I'm so proud of him and just this moment realized the possible connection.

[connecticut yankee]

2. Unfortunately,

the Buddhists in Burma (Myanmar) are not aware of this.

[libdem4life]

5. Please...the Christian religion is one of love as Christ spoke, too...so kneejerk reactions to other

"imperfect" religions are bogus and wrong. I once read a wise man who said that religions are fine...it's just that there are humans involved.

Last I checked, this so-called Christian nation is killing a lot of people, too.

[Humanist_Activist]

7. Or Sri Lanka...

Even Buddhism has its violent extremists.

[Htom Sirveaux]

6. People should definitely study Buddhism.

I don't think it's necessarily incompatible with western monotheistic religions.