The Evolution of Religion

the Bare SG

Nature/Ancestor/Hero worship Polytheism Gnosticism Monotheism Agnosticism Naturalism

The next step will be Atheism Mr. Green

frederikan SG

agnosticism to naturalism??

how so?

the Bare SG

Agnosticism proclaims that existence of supernatural beings is unknown but possible while Naturalism insists all supernatural phenomena could be attributed to natural occurence.

frederikan SG

i see...

well, free thinking is still better... lolx

wilsonhao SG

Atheism can hold to many religions. Atheism by right means one who does not believe in God. In religions, Buddhism and Janism are considered Atheism. So if we were to add who is in atheism, buddhism and janism might as well be added in too =)

january SG

buddhism believes in karma, nirvana, eternal bliss which to atheist is rubbish stuff.

An Eternal Now SG

Buddha rejected the idea of a personal Creator God, but the question of God is irrelevant to Buddhism and not helpful to our practice, so I would not consider Buddhism as atheism. But Buddhism is inherently a non-theistic teaching.

An Eternal Now SG

Except that in Buddhism, this is not a belief system, but something that is observable and experience-able for anyone who investigates according to Buddha's instructions. Therefore, it is actually a science, but it is spiritual science... not 'material science'. It concerns the individual's experience.

Nirvana is also not an after-life thing, but something actualize-able, attainable, experience-able this very life. And many people have experienced it, in the past, and also now.. even some in sgforums.

In Buddhism, we teach that 'eternalism' and 'nihilism' are extremes -- notions of 'eternity' and 'annihilation' does not exist for an enlightened being, because he has eradicated the view that he is a separate, permanently existing self.

An Eternal Now SG

I'm glad you did realise that there is an evolution of consciousness in humanity as time passes. Regarding this, please do read The New Atheism is as Flat as a Pancake, in general ten fulcrums can be found in human consciousness -- archaic, magic, mythic, rational, and aperspectival, (from here on = transpersonal consciousness) -- psychic, subtle, causal, and nondual (and when the nondual is realised it is understood that nonduality is not a particular state of consciousness but the nature of all states and existence).

I created that thread in the Atheism forum when the forum just started.

january SG

ya but buddhism believes in afterlife.

wilsonhao SG

But the word atheist generally means those who do not believe in God. Buddhists dont believe in God so why cant it be called atheist, but with some believes?

It somehow will stand in the part of atheist and little, isnt it.

An Eternal Now SG

Yes but this is not simply a belief system either, because not only is there evidences (i.e dr ian stevensons and many others research and studies), most importantly, by following Buddha's way we can ourselves remember and see the phenomena of past lives.

The Buddha did not come up with his own theory just because he thinks its true, neither did he inherit the idea of reincarnation from hinduism which posits a soul, but rather, he taught rebirth due to his own personal experience of having remembered countless past lives right after his enlightenment.

Today, there continue to be many people and practitioners who remember past lives.