http://www.realclearreligion.com/index_files/ b4380d78cfffff5f2a45b3cb33342b22-142.php
Germans prefer the Dalai Lama more than they do their native-born Pope Benedict XVI. According to a survey conducted by Der Spiegel magazine, "44 per cent of those questioned saw the Tibetan spiritual and secular leader as a role model, while only 42 per cent attributed the same qualities to the pope". "The Dalai Lama enjoyed a particularly high popularity rating among the young and better educated, according to the survey by the TNS research organization. "Half of those questioned in these groups believed the Buddhist leader was able "to provide advice on how to live," according to the study, which showed that Germans found Buddhism a more sympathetic religion than Christianity or Islam. "Asked what they thought was the "most peaceful religion," 43 per cent opted for Buddhism, while 41 per cent chose Christianity. Only 1 per cent picked Islam." "The Bavarian-born pope was criticized by German protestants this week for endorsing a Vatican document reaffirming the primacy of the Catholic Church and dismissing other Christian denominations as either "defective" or "not proper churches."
