Hi Bill, As I've said, I only use Christianity as an example because I'm familiar with it. And I'm aware that these actions are carried out by extremists, or the fundamentalist fringe. My only experience with Muslims (in person) is a of a pleasant woman who worked in the chemist in town (she wore a scarf on her head, which is how I knew she was a Muslim), and occasionally passing women in the street who are wearing traditional Muslim dress (the vast majority of people in my area are white and British). I had a Sikh landlord once who was a bit of a pillock, but I don't consider myself to be particularly informed about Sikhs just because he crossed my path.
I avoid newspapers and TV news (if this turns out to be un-Buddhist, I don't intend to start paying attention to it). I do my best in my own small corner of the world, and those parts of the world that cross my path. There's nothing much I can do about Muslim (or other) extremists in other countries. There are some people who, it seems to me, are just waiting for organisations to come along who want extremist followers. Then those people will join that organisation. It doesn't really matter to them what the organisation is, as long as it allows them to express their bad feelings to the full extent of their desire. :-) Beverley. ________________________________ From: Bill! <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Saturday, 28 May, 2011 10:09:39 Subject: Re: [Zen] Newbie - hello & question Beverely, I perceive those things too, but I also preceive them in Muslims. This of course does not excuse the Christians, but burning the Koran is not quite in the same league as beheading a journalist. I think the key thing to remember is that these types of activities are done by the fundamentalist fringe of both these religions. All religions have these types of followers - even Buddhism. Right now there is are constant low-level border skirmishes between Thailand and Lao over the ownership of an ancient Buddhist temple that lies right on the border. People have died, and there is every likelihood there will be more. I don't recall any accounts of any zen masters killing people because they refused to do zazen! Maybe a cat or two, but never any people - not even journalists. ...Bill! --- In [email protected], Beverley Huish <beverley.huish@...> wrote: > > Hi Ed, > > I don't perceive hate in the Christians I know. I do perceive dislike / > distrust in a lot of people who identify with Christianity against eg >Muslims. > > Hate in committed Christians is something I'm aware of happening: in the > Mediaeval Crusades, in the guy in the US who recently wanted to have a 'burn >the > > Koran' day. > > I perceive hate in a Christian email I got which highlighted all the > negative > aspects of Muslim behaviour (Muslim extremists, who are not the average > Muslim). The email was basically a cry to arms for Christians to resist >Muslims > > in every area of life for fear of ... everything. The email informed me > that >if > > I wanted civilisation to continue, I had to resist Islam, promote Christian > values and forward the email to everyone I know. > > I perceive these things as hate. In the email you were answering, I would > suggest that this qualifies as 'recognising / believing you recognise that >other > > people are feeling hate towards certain people / groups of people'. If I >didn't > > come from a Judeo/Christian tradition, how would I perceive these things? > (Perhaps the idea is that I shouldn't perceive them at all?) > > :-) > > Beverley. > >  > > > > ________________________________ > From: ED <seacrofter001@...> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Friday, 27 May, 2011 17:14:09 > Subject: Re: [Zen] Newbie - hello & question > >  > > Hi Beverley, > In your two quotes below, do you perceive 'hate' in some others, or not? > --ED >  > --- In [email protected], Beverley Huish <beverley.huish@> wrote: > > > Hi Ed, > When you say 'seeing hate in others', do you mean projecting your inner sh*t > (for want of a better word) onto other people so that you feel you hate them; >or > > recognising / believing you recognise that other people are feeling hate >towards > > certain people / groups of people? > :-) > Beverley. > >  > > > > > Hi Beverley, > > I think that seeing hate in others is a traditional Judeo-Christian > obsession. G-d himself in the Old Testament has set an example and > mentions hate sixty times. He was awfully scared of humans that he > thought hated him. > > Attitudes in relationships are usually driven by action/reaction, > tit-for-tat, you scratch my back, I scratch yours. > > Generally speaking, humans hate when others are perceived to have done > grievous harm to themselves, to their families and to groups they > identify with. > > In this sense, "hate" or aversion in varying degrees is a normal and > natural human reactive behavior. > > Buddhists may want to eradicate aversion. > > Good luck to them! > > --ED > > > > Hi Mayka, > > > > What you say is true about changing anything through idealism merely being >like > > >changing a dog's collar.‚ I've never been part of the Christian tradition > >(except insofar as all Western European culture is heavily influenced > by it). > > I know some lovely people who are committed Christians and I know they > > don't > >feel hatred for other people in the way I mentioned before. > >As for other religions, I know less about them than Christianity and > >there's >so > > >much disrespect, hatred and mistrust around at the moment about other world > >religions that I don't want to add to it (especially considering my level of > >ignorance about them). I am thankful I live in a country where I am free to >have > > >my own opinions. > > > > :-) > > > > Beverley > > > > I know some lovely people who are committed Christians and I know they > > don't > >feel hatred for other people in the way I mentioned before. > >As for other religions, I know less about them than Christianity and there's >so > > >much disrespect, hatred and mistrust around at the moment about other world > >religions that I don't want to add to it (especially considering my level of > >ignorance about them). I am thankful I live in a country where I am free to >have > > >my own opinions. >
