amra@ihuxj.UUCP (Steven L. Aldrich) (05/12/84)
I read an interesting article in todays paper that may be
of interest to people in this news group.
It was reported by the Los Angeles Times, and appears below
complete and un-edited. [ or should I say un-altered since I
have obviously used an editor to enter the story -:) . ]
Pope Hails Wisdom of
Buddhists!! (5-11-84)
By: Don A Schanche L.A. Times.
BANGKOK--Pope John Paul II slipped off his shoes to sit
quietly with the supreme patriarch of Thailand's Buddhists
at a monastery here yesterday and afterward praised the
" ancient and venerable wisdom " of the Asian religion.
After meeting with the 87 year old Buddhist patriarch, His
Holiness Vasana-Tera, the Roman Catholic pontiff told 30,000
Catholics at the city's National Stadium that their country's
Buddhist tradition provided " fertile terrain " for Christian
beliefs.
"The church looks with *sincere respect* upon the religious
wisdom contained in non-Christian tradition and rejects *nothing*
that is *true* and *holy* in them," he said. (emphasis mine)
Referring to the contemplative aspect of Buddhism, John Paul
said: "The fruits of a peaceable and gentle wisdom are manifestly
evident in the Thai character and are esteemed and respected by
those who have the good fortune to meet you and come to know the
spiritual quality within you."
Thailand, last stop on his 11-day Pacific pilgrimage, is mostly
Buddhist, with Christians making up less than 1 percent of its 50
million people. About 200,000 are Catholics.
After his jet landed from Papua New Guinea, the pope kissed the
tarmac and was welcomed by Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn. He
was driven to the ornate throne room of the Grand Palace to meet
King Bhumibol Adulayadej, Queen Sikrit, and members of their
family.
The pope told them he had come to thank them and the Thai people
on behalf of the church for " the generous hospitality given to
thousands and thousands of refugees."
Thailand harbors 135,000 refugees from Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam
and provided temporary refuge for hundreds of thousands more before
they left for new homes in the United States, Australia, France
and Canada. The pope will visit the Phanat Nikom refugee camp 55
miles north of here today.
John Paul II then called on the supreme patriarch of the Buddhists
at Ratchabopit Monastery.
He sat on a low throne facing Vasana-Tera, who sat cross-legged
on a platform so their eye level was equal. Without even a word of
greeting, the two sat in silence for five minutes of prayer and
meditation.
The Buddhist leader then spoke concerning "common objectives such
as happiness and peace based on *justice, loving kindness, and
compassion," said a Vatican official. The pontiff's reply was too
softly spoken for anyone but the Buddhist leader and his translator
to hear. --Los Angeles Times (05-11-84)
I wish more people, especially in this group, would develop the same
attitude toward the beliefs of others. Why can't we calmly discuss and
share our views on religious matters without animosity toward each
other?? It seems that the only purpose of this group is to argue,insult
be-little and denounce the beliefs of others who dis-agree with our
own opinion(s). If each one of us would try harder, I believe we could
actually carry on * calm, rational, & maybe even meaningful* discussions
about different religious views of the world.
Personally, I get tired of reading so much *hate mail* on this news
group. When I first started reading net.religion, I had hoped to gain
some insight into many different religions. However it didn't
turn out that way.
I believe if we *ALL* tried a little tolerance for a change, there
would be a significant improvement in the quality and diversity of
material submitted to net.religion.
If you'd care to comment on this, send it to me by Email or POST
your reply to this news group. I will do my best to respond in a timely
manner. However I am rather busy at the moment, so replies may be slow
in coming. Thanks in advance for your input, always glad to hear from
others. (even if we don't agree on things)
PEACE & BEST WISHES
From the life force currently
known as:
Steve Aldrich
(IHNP4!IHUXJ!AMRA)
P.S. "Which way are you lookin', is it hard to see? Do you
say what's wrong for him is not wrong for me? You walk
the streets in righteousness, but you refuse to understand.
You say you love the baby, then you crucify the man!"
Jim Crocemartillo@ihuxt.UUCP (Yehoyaqim Martillo) (05/13/84)
Thailand has a law which forbids Christian proselytization. The prime minister described Christian proselytization as making Thai citizens dead to Thailand and as destroying Thai civilization. Missionaries often spend an unpleasant period in jail before being unceremoniously expelled.
rf@wu1.UUCP (05/15/84)
I was delighted to read Don Schanche's newspaper article on the Pope
and the Buddhists. Since I don't read any newspaper regularly, I
probably would not have read of that meeting. Thanks to Steve
Aldrich for publishing it here.
Regrettably, I do not believe that tolerance will ever reign in
net.religion. There are too many people who believe that
spreading the Word is a duty which takes precedence over the
charity of good manners.
Most people have a private mythology, a story they tell
themselves about the way the world is. To threaten that
mythology is to threaten madness; to disprove a private
mythology is to leave a man "lost and afraid/in a world he never
made". The breaking and making of mythology is a part of
religious conversion; the battles of conversion are fought over
the citadels of the heart. Such battles are, inevitably,
heated.
The temptations to those who undertake conversion are:
- The desire to convert others, not for love, but to support
one's own private mythology.
- The turning of righteous anger, not against evil, but
against other men, even to the point of murderous hatred.
- The belief that battle with evil is the only good.
The temptations to those who defend themselves against
conversion are:
- The desire to defend one's private mythology against wisdom
and logic.
- The turning of righteous anger, not against the evils of
your assailant, but against your assailant's self.
- The belief that religion is evil. This is ultimately belief
in the evil of one's own private mythology, which leads to
self-hatred and despair.
The temptations of conversion are very great. Those of
conversion in a public forum are very nearly insurmountable and
yet the temptation to try it is itself great, for who does not
wish to do battle with evil?
To discuss religion publicly and avoid conversion, to tread
lightly in the silences of the human heart, requires uncommon
courage and charity. I do not see this in the contributors to
this newsgroup.
Ok, flamers, I have thrown the gauntlet. PROVE ME WRONG! Please.
From the asbestos mailbox of:
Randolph Fritz
UUCPnet: decvax!philabs!wu1!rfbrunson@usfbobo.UUCP (%David Brunson) (05/19/84)
In reply to Randolph Fritz: > PROVE ME WRONG! Please. The anguished plea of the desperate man. How can I ignore it? If there is such a thing as compassion, what else could provoke it? > Most people have a private mythology, a story they tell > themselves about the way the world is. Ah yes. That noble annihilation! A universe of Little Napoleons comforting themselves with their own delusions. "... wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever." I too have seen this wisdom and been grieved by it. So have many of us who choose to live in the Kingdom. Won't you join us, Randolph? David Brunson duke!ucf-cs!usfbobo!brunson