Atheists-whats wrong with Buddhism?

The parts where it claims there's a supernatural accounting system that keeps track of your good and bad deeds, and "rewards" or "punishes" you in a reincarnated life based on them. It's rather silly.

Buddhism is generally a lot less "offensive" than the other "main" religions, and they don't typically try to make their nonsense into laws or harm other people because of them. But I've seen for myself how children born with birth defects are treated like trash in some Buddhist countries -- because their belief in supernatural "karma" leads them to conclude that kids born with defects deserve it because of actions in some previous life. It's disgusting.

I've studied it a fair amount, and I even engage in Buddhist practices on a daily basis (specifically anapanasati meditation). However, I do think people should stop describing Buddhism as a philosophy rather than a religion, because it's simply misleading. Muslims also say Islam is a 'way of life', and some Christians describe their faiths as a 'relationship' rather than a religion, but that doesn't alter the fact that their beliefs are religious in nature. The Buddha questioned the belief in a supreme creator, but did not rule out other deities, angelic and demonic beings, non-material supernatural realms and abilities. All ancient forms of Buddhism include these beliefs to varying degrees, and that firmly makes Buddhism a religion.

The reason I do not describe myself as Buddhist is because of the supernatural elements that are ingrained in all major Buddhist traditions. There are clearly some sexist, homophobic tendencies among some Buddhists. Today, some Buddhists have totalitarian attitudes towards other religions - in Myanmar, followers of Christianity and Islam are being persecuted by the Buddhist majority for not being Buddhist. Some traditions like Zen have been used for violent ends, although others more strongly emphasise the importance of compassion.

All of that said, I do think there is a great deal of value in the Buddhist approach towards psychology, developing awareness and non-involved, distant observation of your own state, training yourself to be less consumed by negative desires and feelings, cultivating focus and compassion, and so on. I think these elements should be taken from Buddhism and incorporated into Western psychology. Gold is still gold, and knowledge is still knowledge, wherever you happen to mine it from.

Daenerys provided a good and solid perception of her own about Buddhism, but it may still be a bit incomplete.

Generally, people are people that includes the literate to illiterate, rich/poor. Their perception of Buddhism and how to practice may started out good, but overtime living conditions dictate how they practice Buddhism and it just went downhill from there. Eventually traditionally Buddhist families dont know a damn thing about Buddhism generations down. This is why we have so many Buddhists acting not so Buddhists, but I would state that this is common to all religion but lesser in Buddhism.

There are no God(s) in Buddhism nor is there any blind worshipping for favor. However, the Buddha spoke of Three Realms in the samsara and there are deities living in these realms. There is no need to explore deep in these deities as they aren't the goal of Buddhism.

As for the conflict in South/SouthEast Asia, there's been a traditionally long conflict between Islam and the native religions when Islam expanded there. Because of the violent nature of Islam that started the initial ignition to fuel the violence, it may be justifiable to a degree the retaliation.

My personnal view of what is wrong on the Buddhism side is a monk belonging a particulate Sangha partaking in the violence, however I do sympathize to a degree with them due to their not fully understanding the Dharma and yet to fully embrace the superior concepts of Buddhism, as well as self defense for their people. Not so much for Islam.

Why are you taking others' word on faith about every major religion having major flaws? That is not really a sign of intellectual inquiry. You should go ahead and find out for yourself. It will be eye opening then. You are operating under a similar illusion you think religious people are laboring under by taking other atheists' word by faith.

One of the classic features of an organized religion is to be united in protest of everything else that do not have the same assumed identity as them. You seem like you are trying to do the same, unite under the flag of anti-theism. What is worse is you want to be spoon fed the material you could use to spite Buddhism. You havent asked if there is any validity to it nor have you acknowledge a possibility of it.

I think that is more than what you asked for.

If you are an atheist then why do you not know what an atheist is‽

ATHEIST - someone who does not believe in a God – any God – not just the Christian one. But that does not mean they do not hold strong moral or religious beliefs! They can follow any religion that does not have a god and there are a lot of those!

Like BUDDHISM – Religious teaching from Buddha and his followers that by destroying greed, hatred and delusion (the cause of all suffering) man can attain perfect enlightenment!

The problem I have with all religions is that they have this idea that there's something inherently "special" about humans. Like we are the center of the universe or something. I also find some very anti-social aspects in Buddhism. I think they take their stance against attachment too far.

Well, buddhism is supposed to be an atheistic religion, that is they don't believe in a god. The buddha specifically said not to deify him and rejected all the gods of hinduism, in which he grew up. That being said, buddhism contains some supernatural stuff like nirvana and reincarnation also it's really just as sexist as most of the other big religions.

So, yes, they don't believe in a god (ideally), but they have other doctrines which most atheists wouldn't subscribe to.

Nothing is wrong with Buddhism. Buddhism is more of a philosophy than a religion anyway. And a peaceful one. Who ever said something was wrong with Buddhism?

Read the Tao. you'll understand within a few words.

My problem with it is it preaches a way of thinking as if it is the only way. True philosophy, as a science, is a set of ideas and lines of reasoning that can be updated and re-examined. The preachy quality of Buddhism is cultish and insular, which I find knuckleheaded and short-sighted, despite some of the very deep wisdom it offers.

Nothing is wrong with people believing in what they wish......it is when they think others have less of a right to live because they think differently when the problems arise. In general though Buddhists seem very nice.