Barrows Vs. Shaku And Dharmapal An Argumentative Analysis

Bruilly, E., O'Brien, J., Palmer and Palmer, M. (1997) Religions of the World, Great Britain: Macdonald Young.

Pyysiainen, I. (2003). Buddhism, religion, and the concept of "god." Numen, 50(2), 147-171. Retrieved from the JSTOR database.

In this paper it will discuss the influence of the Buddha and how Buddhism came to America and the impact it had upon its arrival. How the American culture westernized Buddhism in their own way and how it looks today. It will also cover the difference of ethnic Buddhism and convert Buddhism in America. More specifically the objective of this paper is to explain descriptively and analytically and go over the historical time line of

Buddhism was a powerful force in politics and in everyday life. It was a tool of the ruling class to appease the people in times of hardship - such as the political disunity in between dynasties. However, when the times changed, Buddhism was also blamed for much of the trouble, and for edging out the much more strict doctrine of Confucianism. Most of the documents presented indicated a spread nonetheless of Buddhism among the people. Additional documents needed to further evaluate the response to Buddhism should be from a source of a slightly lower class, such as a merchant, or a view from a convert to Buddhism - since most views seem to be from Confucian

After I came across David Knitter, a former ordained Christian priest and the author of “Without Buddha I could not be a Christian”, I began to realize that I had taken a western approach to Buddhism and had misconstrued some of Buddhism’s core teachings in my mind according to what I thought it should be. Knitter argued that the meaning behind religious teachings can become distorted upon translation and interpretation (92). This is why he had personal issues with his own religion before he turned to Buddhism to look for answers. He stated that, “the bond between language and the truth is so tight, when we change the language, the truth can and feel very, very different” (94). He also argued that how we use language to interpret the teachings of religious texts changes over time because we become culturally conditioned (93).

He juxtaposes the high hopes he had held for the church based on its supposedly moral standing with its actual state of hypocrisy in which it worships God but turns a blind eye to racial injustice. King then emphasizes this hypocrisy using parallel structure and rhetorical questions to support his argument. By addressing the clergymen directly and using positive words like “hope”, “justice”, and “moral”, he also appeals to pathos to remind his audience of the values that the church stood for and call it to return to those values. Next, King alludes to the early church to show the church’s “powerful” beginnings. He uses a metaphor comparing the early church to a thermostat instead of a thermometer, emphasizing the active role the church must take in standing up for its beliefs and influencing society. By referring to the early Christians as “disturbers of the peace” and “outside agitators”, King links himself to them, increasing his credibility, and rebukes the clergymen for criticizing him using similar terms. He also explains that the early Christians “pressed on” despite resistance from society because they were “called to obey God rather than men”, further connecting his work with God’s will and implying that anyone who challenged him was challenging God Himself. King then continues to describe the present state of the church. He juxtapositions the strength of the early church with the weakness of the contemporary church and uses negative words like “weak”, “ineffective”, and “uncertain” to show his audience how the church has degraded from its original status. King’s subsequent declaration that the “judgment of God is upon the church as never before” invokes the authority of God to evoke a sense of fear from his audience, thus appealing to pathos. He supports his claim with a cause-and-effect statement that appeals to logos

Morality is based on the care for others. However, when others’ interests conflict with oneselves, acting moral becomes difficult. Recently, Dave Barrow in the CBC news article Weed Stores Will Soon Be Legal Across Ontario, But Richmond Hill’s Mayor Wants No Part Of It by Nick Boisvert shows his strong morality that is selfless and disciplined.

For years members of certain extremist organizations have been attempting to convince people that America is, or at least should be, a Christian country and was founded by Christian men. It should go without saying that this is, at best, revisionist history or, at worst, deliberate despicable deception. However, it does not. The discussion is necessary and has become more necessary due to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

Religion in the early American history was shaped by the people who migrated to this new land of freedom and brought distinct perspectives of religion that was often interpreted in a way to uphold white supremacy. Thomas Tweed and Fredrick Douglass broadly discuss the topic of religion in America. Where Tweed discusses the main three main themes of American Religious history that diversified the religious ideas in this country which makes religion in America capable of “negotiate power and meaning”, Fredrick Douglass points out how the power of religion was misused by people of the dominant side of the America (Tweed, 2).

During the centuries of disunity in China, the Chinese supported and defended Buddhist influence from India. An anonymous Chinese scholar (like many other Buddhist scholars) created a “guide” for Chinese Buddhists to defend against the false suspicions of Chinese critics (Doc 3); however, since the author is anonymous, it is unknown whether he is as credible as other Chinese scholars such as Zhi Dun. Zhi

Initially, America did not have a Christian foundation in the sense of creating a theocracy. However, it was shaped by Christian moral truths, and the forefathers created a hospitable environment that supported this religion. The relationship linking the state and religion grew strong as most of the people in the nation became Christians. This research paper outlines how Christianity came to be one of the major religions in the United States of America.

The author's main purpose for writing A Myth of a Christian Nation is to explain how the world has claimed to be founded on christian principles but has neglected to see that this is a lie that we as christians and people in society have told ourselves to make it seem like we are “ one nation under God”. Boyd also focuses in on and introducing our role in the kingdom of God vs the kingdom of the world and our role in politics and society.

It is said that history is shaped by the lives of great men.  Great men are leaders.  They bring about change; they improve the lives of others; they introduce new ideas, models, and theories to society.  Most of the world's religions were founded, developed, or discovered by great men.  Two particular religions - Christianity and Buddhism - developed in different parts of the world, under different circumstances, and in different social atmospheres.  But each religion is based upon the teachings of a great man.  When one compares the life of Buddha with the life of Jesus, one finds that the two share many things in common.  This essay aims to compare and contrast the lives of Buddha1 and Jesus in two key areas:  conception and birth.

Importantly, this work avoided a Marxist analysis of the commodification of religion such as is described by the Comaroffs. In doing so it avoids claims about authenticity that end up as essentializing Buddhism, and instead shows that it “is not a static entity; it is continuously created through space and time” (16). Another important epistemological consideration is Scott’s treatment of Orientalism and the rationalization of modern interpretations

Putnam and Campbell’s “America Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us” does a better job of foreshadowing the future religious landscape in the United States. The two authors use the concept of ‘shocks, aftershocks, and earthquakes’ in order to convey religious turbulence in the United States. The earthquake of the 1960s was the most significant indication of change in which there was a steep decline in religious observance (Putnam and Campbell, 97). The 1960s was a transitional time for the United States as the Civil Rights Movement, immigration reform, and the sexual revolution dominated American culture. These events displaced religion from the lives of Americans and thus became a clarion call for the transition away