God is Not Great Chapter 14: There is No "Eastern Solution"

From the audiobook.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Christopher
• Hitchens
• god
• is
• not
• great
• how
• religion
• poisons
• everything
• atheism
• buddhism
• hinduism

[kokobaboko]

Too bad this book didn't come out 20 years earlier, it would have saved me so much time.

[FunETman]

I thought of making some audio only vids and read the bible or something, but maybe first start with Demon Haunted World

[SatoriWins]

If you really want to understand Buddhism.. then search Alan Watts or Ajahn Brahm into your search box at the top. Or don't.. You could just wonder around ignoring philosophical questions by answering them what you think they're not like Hitchens has. Then you can sit at home worshiping your celebrities and hoarding your material possessions sitting in your clothing made from children in a less fortunate existence.

[SatoriWins]

It's a shame Christopher Hitchens never met Ajahn Chah or Alan Watts, I'm sure his synical view would be very different. Why does he do this? Hitchens seems to attack different philosophical branches just for the same of pleases his readership. He uses words of ignorance such as "Japanese Buddhism" but then doesn't include people such as D.T Suzuki and Alan Watts. You can't box people together with one word like Buddhism or even religion unless ofc you just want to make money...

[MrSunrise1961]

Mr. Hitchens is quite right that those Buddhists who have erected a religion of faith around the teachings have caused unjustified pain and suffering. However, Shakyamuni asked confidence of his students, not faith - his dying words were "be as your own lamps." Confidence comes from your own research and analysis, not received wisdom. Mr. Hitchens understanding of Buddhism as a personal spiritual discipline (as opposed to the nearly unrelated social phenomena he describes) is disappointing.

[tysonsflag]

@Vanguard25895

You do not have to devote your entire life to anything, but the smallest amount of research is recommended :)

[tysonsflag]

@Vanguard25895

i sort of see what you're saying but meditation? bullshit? get real. The physical evidence from recent studies show that meditation has REAL and PERMANENT positive effects on personality (as much as you can define a postive effect). It increases openness and decreases 'self centeredness'. (search 'meditation self centered bbc news' in google for an article) What you have just said shows that you do not even begin to understand the ideas behind humanism.

[TheLockon00]

@blackopsman525 Oh, I get it. I saw this in the new Sherlock Holmes film. Your comment begins with a consonant, which means it is the mirrored truth. So you're really saying, "God is not great, and if you don't praise him you have nothing to fear after death". Either that or you're a fucking idiot and/or a liar.

[SatenIsMaiWaifu]

So buddhism is wrong because Buddhism and Japanese imperial society fused to create a fusion religion which gave rise to violence?

[human2011able]

@kokobaboko Yes it could have & can save millions of lives who are brainwashed!

[blackopsman525]

God is great and if you don't praise him your soul well die and you well go to hell

[roentgen571]

@Vanguard25895 no, no more than I've devoted my entire life to the study of evolution to see that there's something to it.

Karma is nothing more than cause and effect. Reincarnation is a metaphor. Meditation is learning to live and be fully aware in the moment. What about any of this is bullshit?