Can Buddhism be identified as a religion? Why or why not? How does it contrast with other traditional religion

Answer 1

A religion is defined as a group of people who have a belief in a creator god.

Hinduism is a religion: creator god Brahma

Judaism is a religion: creator god YHWH.

Islam is a religion: creator god Allah.

Christianity is a religion: creator god Jesus.

Buddhism, over the years has been defined as a religion, because it has a system of
morals and ethically sound standards which we are guided by in the Dhammapada {contains the Noble Eightfold Path), but in all actuality Buddhism is not a religion, because it has no belief in a creator god.

Please very Patiently read this. Thank You.

*Buddhists do not believe in a creator God. There are several reasons for this. Modern sociologists and psychologists, believe that religious ideas and especially the Creator-God idea have their origin in fear. The Buddha says:

"Gripped by fear men go to the sacred mountains, sacred groves, sacred trees and shrines ~ Dhammapada 188"

Primitive man found himself in a dangerous and hostile world, the fear of wild animals, of not being able to find enough food, of injury or disease, and of natural phenomena like thunder, lightning and volcanoes was constantly with him. Finding no security, he created the idea of a God that gives him comfort in good times, courage in times of danger and consolation when things went wrong. To this day, you will notice that people become more religious at times of crises, you will hear them say that the belief in a God gives them the strength they need to deal with life. You will hear them explain that they believe in a particular God because they prayed in time of need and their prayer was answered. All this supports the Buddha's teaching that the God-idea is a response to fear and frustration. The Buddha taught us to try to understand our fears, to lessen our desires and to calmly and courageously accept the things we cannot change. He replaced fear, not with irrational belief but with rational understanding.

The second reason the Buddhists do not believe in a Creator-God is because there does not seem to be any evidence to support this idea. There are numerous religions, all claiming that they alone have God's words preserved in their holy book, that they alone understand God's nature, that their God exists and that the Gods of other religions do not. Some claim that God is masculine, some that she is feminine and others that it is neuter. They are all satisfied that there is ample evidence to prove the existence of their God but they laugh in disbelief at the evidence other religions use to prove the existence of another God. For centuries, men have prayed to God for protection from war, from natural calamities and disease. Yet till today, these prayers remain unanswered. This is not surprising. Even less surprising is that so many different religions having spent so many centuries trying to prove the existence of their God there remains no real, substantial or irrefutable evidence.

The third reason the Buddhists do not believe in a Creator-God is that the belief is not necessary. Some claim that the belief in a God is necessary in order to explain the origin on the universe. But this is not so. Science has very convincingly explained how the universe came into being without having to introduce the God-idea. Some claim that belief in God is necessary to have a happy, meaningful life. Again we can see that this is not so. There are millions of atheists and free-thinkers, not to mention many Buddhists, who live useful, happy and meaningful lives without belief in a God. Some claim that belief in God's power is necessary because humans, being weak, do not have the strength to help themselves. Once again, the evidence indicates the opposite. One often hears of people who have overcome great disabilities and handicaps, enormous odds and difficulties, through their own inner resources, through their own efforts and without belief in a God. Some claim that God is necessary in order to give man salvation. But this argument only holds good if you accept the theological concept of salvation and there is no reason nor any other reasonable basis to accept such a concept. Based on his own experience, the Buddha saw that each human being had the capacity to purify the mind, develop infinite love and compassion and perfect understanding. He shifted attention from the heavens to the heart and encouraged us to find solutions to our problems through reasoning, logic and self-understanding.

But so many people believe in some form of a creator God, so it must be true.

Not so. There was a time when everyone believed that the world was flat, but they were all wrong. The number of people who believe in an idea is no measure of the truth or falsehood of that idea. The only way we can tell whether an idea is true or not is by looking at the facts and examining the evidence. If people continue to believe in God, they do so through faith, and faith is simply holding on to a belief when reason, logic and the evidence says otherwise.

So if Buddhists do not believe in God, is it an atheistic religion?

Buddhism is an atheistic religion only because it rejects the theistic and primitive concept of a Creator-God.
Buddhism teaches that the focus of our attention should not be an imaginary God and pointless speculation about what such a God did in the past and what he will do in the future. Instead, Buddhism is immensely more pragmatic. It teaches to focus our attention on ourselves, - to determine what is the cause of our dissatisfactions,sorrows and pain and to find a way to liberate ourselves from these. These teachings are encapsulated in the Four Noble Truths, and The Noble Eightfold
Path.

Not trying to convert you, Buddhists do not do this, simply giving you the insight as to why Buddhism should not be defined as a religion, but more of a Philosophy of Life, and a Path, or way in which one follows.
The Dhammpada is our Guide, but we ourselves ultimately are responsible for our own peace of mind, and happiness. We choose not to leave it in the hands of another person, or in the hands of some imaginary god.

Thank You for giving me the opportunity to provide an answer to your excellent question.

With Metta {loving-kindness and friendship) !

Answer 2

In the Buddhist path there are nine principles: (1) The creation is eternal; therefore there is no need to accept a creator. (2) This cosmic manifestation is false. (3) “I am” is the truth. (4) There is repetition of birth and death. (5) Lord Buddha is the only source of understanding the truth. (6) The principle of nirväna, or annihilation, is the ultimate goal. (7) The philosophy of Buddha is the only philosophical path. (8) The Vedas are compiled by human beings. (9) Pious activities, showing mercy to others and so on are advised.

Their first principle is that the creation has always existed. But if this were the case, there could be no theory of annihilation. The Buddhists maintain that annihilation, or dissolution, is the highest truth. If the creation eternally exists, there is no question of dissolution or annihilation. This argument is not very strong because by practical experience we see that material things have a beginning, a middle and an end. The ultimate aim of the Buddhist philosophy is to dissolve the body. This is proposed because the body has a beginning. Similarly, the entire cosmic manifestation is a gigantic body, but if we accept that it always exists, there can be no question of annihilation. Therefore the attempt to annihilate everything in order to attain zero is an absurdity. By our own practical experience we have to accept the beginning of creation, and when we accept the beginning, we must accept a creator. Such a creator must possess an all-pervasive body, as pointed out in the Bhagavad-gitä (13.14):

“Everywhere are His hands and legs, His eyes, heads and faces, and He has ears everywhere. In this way the Supersoul exists, pervading everything.”
The Supreme Person must be present everywhere. His body existed before the creation; otherwise He could not be the creator. If the Supreme Person is a created being, there can be no question of a creator.

Answer 3

Every religion including the ones you consider traditional is staying away from the word "religion". Maybe because they find it quite attractive to scrutiny and criticisms. They would always be called quite the opposite of what they knew they were organized for.
Buddhism from its early inceptions call their movement " A way of life". They do not have the God concept as the other religion but they have stages of human and spiritual life like a stairway with every step of accomplishments given a certain level of achievement until that individual reach the highest level they call Nirvana comparable to heaven by every man who accomplished a God commanded life by the group called religion. Most religion connect themselves to God or dieties that make them believe that their lives are being moved by a supreme being "called God's Will". Some religion connect themselves to God as a constant guide to live righteously in order to find their destiny and finally to join their maker. Buddhism find themselves to fight their own evil and be at peace within unattached to the wordly desires but finally becoming one with the continuing cycle of life.

Answer 4

I guess to a degree yes and no at the same time. There are some forms of Buddhism which are philosophical. There are some forms of Buddhism which are religious. So it would depend on which form of Buddhism a person is practicing.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism
http://www.religioustolerance.org/buddhism.htm
http://www.buddhanet.net/

Answer 5

It already is identified as a religion

Answer 6

It's a religion like evolution is a religion: it makes statements about god (even saying there is no god at all is a religious statement) and, like evolution, has rituals its members are expected to perform and creeds to confess.

Answer 7

Buddhism is a religion.It leads to enlightenment of man's teachings. Jesus is Lord!! Jesus lives!!

Answer 8

Definitely...the right/ethical answer to this question is:

look it up on wikipedia or any other reliable online source

Answer 9

It would be unethical for me to do your homework for you my friend...

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