[Gem]

Originally Posted by HITESH SHAH

Belief in God is useful and important bur certainly not mandatory as u say.

Some people seem to find it useful and some find it important, and other people do not, but in either case, such individuals can equally engage in dhamma and neither are advantaged or disadvantaged by their respective views.

Many a times in history people believing in God have done lot of wrong than right. So belief in God is not certificate to divinity. Purpose and actions too are very important.Thought patterns and actions in the world are also important part in the life. Like Buddhism all religions accepts atheists also if they engage with true teachings of those religions.

Yes, well said. Dhamma concerns the actuality of nature, with respect to the reality of individuals' condition.

Like Buddha said " I am awake " when somebody asked him if he was God , others in the history too have been asked same question . They too have answered the question the way Buddha rightly answered .The question is kinda tricky one because Gods never/rarely say/claim I am God . If they routinely claim it that way , he/she really is not God/Goddess . God (like other nomenclature like saints , angel ) are what others give and for one to claim himself or herself about it is self-aggrandizement/propaganda.

It is not like Buddha is some sort of special person. Indeed, a very wise, insightful, intelligent and articulate individual with relevant teachings on dhamma, but it's a mistake to revere and swallow the teachings whole in blind faith. It is more like saying, Well, this one is enlightened; a wise and intelligent man, so I'll give these teachings the benefit of the doubt, and look into it so I can find out for myself if they true or untrue.

And also those believing God also do not claim and can not claim to know God fully . That would simply be exaggeration . Being in the finite one can only glimpse the ways of infinite really with modesty, honesty and discipline. And these glimpses such people when recorded/documented becomes sciences / scriptures and is what the treasure of humanity as whole .

Yes, people who talk about God are not necessarily truthful, and in spiritual circles there is a great deal of pretentious posturing. In Buddhist practice we are alone with the truth, having nowhere to turn, and only then do we really begin to pay attention and really discern.

But I certainly would go with Green1 that belief in God ( along with right thoughts and actions) , life in the long run can be better in all aspects with relatively lesser efforts .

People want to believe in God and think it is important, no difference to some atheist with the counter view, but right thought and action equally applies, and because it is universally applicable to every human being without exception, it can classified as dhamma.