who is this man?

[BigJohn]

In the Far East, virtually every home and business has a fancy Spirit House for the Spirits of their dead loved ones to live in. They pray for Buddha's help and offer up such things as 'hell money', alcohol, cigarettes', food, etc. for the departed Spirits.

[ayar415]

Originally Posted by BigJohn

Having lived for some time in the Far East, I can attest to what you say is correct. Over there, I never came across Buddhists who did not believe in God.

I have lived in Asia also, BigJohn. Somoo is not correct. Your personal encounters with Buddhists is just that, personal. My personal experience is supported by academic studies on the Buddhist religion.

China (Cha'an) and Japan (Zen) follow the Mahayana tradition. Nepal is Theravada.

Burma, India and Sri Lanka are associated with the Theravada form.

[ayar415]

Originally Posted by BigJohn

They pray for Buddha's help and offer up such things as 'hell money', alcohol, cigarettes', food, etc. for the departed Spirits.

In the Far East, Buddhism and Taoism are jumbled together and primarily practiced by the Chinese and adopted by everybody else there. It's the same with the food they eat: basic influences from India and China.

[The Cobbler's Apprentice]

Originally Posted by BigJohn

Having lived for some time in the Far East, I can attest to what you say is correct. Over there, I never came across Buddhists who did not believe in God.

Having lived in the west for some time I know just how most christians live.

[The Cobbler's Apprentice]

Originally Posted by BigJohn

In the Far East, virtually every home and business has a fancy Spirit House for the Spirits of their dead loved ones to live in. They pray for Buddha's help and offer up such things as 'hell money', alcohol, cigarettes', food, etc. for the departed Spirits.

A lot of Christian homes have porn magazines under the bed.

[The Cobbler's Apprentice]

If you do read widely, seeking to learn of other faiths you cannot help but find the writings of the Perennialists who speak of the deep commonalities between the major Faith Traditions. Or again, the letters of the Christian Thomas Merton in dialogue with Abdul Aziz, an Islamic authority on Sufism. Faith meeting Faith.
Reading widely you find that all religions are "wrestling with the ultimate unfathomable mystery, before which they fall silent." That historical controversies between them come into view as "different hermeneutical slants on the one shared situation of religious questioning and finding, and they change today into a relaxed dialogue where none seeks to refute the others".
Reading widely you recognise that world-wide that there is a trend away from the intellect that analyzes, judges, and divides, and a movement towards that which relates and connects, and seeks the realization of our interconnectedness and interdependence.
Or you read only to confirm your own prejudices, to find facts to refute the belief claims of others, and end up tub thumping.

*Deleted, opinion* the worship of the One God, as all the prophets said, from Adam to Muhammad, peace be upon them, that will unite hearts by returning to the truth.
It is not the worship of a human being, or idols, or a group of gods

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1tX9iPr3NU

Some Sufis are people of goodness and merit as the concept of Sufism to them is asceticism with regard to worldly pleasures and devotion to good doing in preparation for the Hereafter. There are other Sufis, however, who follow religious innovations and myths, and some even fall into polytheism and deviation; may Allah safeguard us.

Indeed beliefs collide mainly with the essence of Islam ..
We must warn them because they are against the teachings of Islam

Later on, Sufism became a mixture of various innovations and exaggerations. Many forbidden ideologies of philosophers found their ways into it, such as pantheism, immanentism and atheism, which assert that one becomes free from following Islam (i.e., not obligated by it) after reaching a prescribed stage. There is no doubt that contemporary Sufism contains many deviations such as exaggerating the status of Shaykhs and the pious and worshipping tombs and graves by making sacrifices therein and supplication and circumambulation. The Sufis worship the inhabitants of these by asking for their help and support, and this is major Shirk (polytheism) and


*Deleted, opinion*Moreover, they adhere to many invented supplications and celebrate the birthday of the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) and others. Pantheism and immanentism still exist in many groups of Sufis.

Allaah Knows best.

https://www.islamweb.org/en/fatwa/82017/what-is-sufism
Is Sufism a part of Islam? - Q&A - Abdur-Raheem Green - ...
‪
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atKMRZ5snTA

Sufism is Allowed in Islam Answered By Dr Zakir Naik - ...
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s11lgzpBN4k

[The Cobbler's Apprentice]

Originally Posted by sky123

Well I wouldn't invite Him for Tea, He promotes drinking Camel Urine, yuk

Is this the man?
The guy who on Wiki is called a runaway, currently wanted by Indian authorities on charges of terror financing, hate speech, inciting communal hatred, and money laundering, who fled that country in 2016.
The guy who has apparently claimed that even "good non-muslims" are going to hell?
Or someone else?

[The Cobbler's Apprentice]

Somoo, just to explain in a spirit of friendship. I have no antagonism toward Islam. In the past I have participated on an Islamic discussion Forum (a fairly progressive one I admit) I was made welcome and I enjoyed some of the exchanges there between some Moslems and some very knowledgeable Jewish scholars on Old Testament hermeneutics. I have also, believe me, defended Islam on certain Christian Forums where the onslaught against your faith was fairly relentless.
Nevertheless, to bring up a man you often cite as an authority worth quoting, Zahir Naik. Googling tells me that he is an "authority on comparative religion". I might be wrong, but possibly you get some of your ideas and opinions of Faiths other than your own from Zahir Naik? A man who actually argues that even good non-muslims will go to hell.

I ask you, if you wished another human being to know and learn of Islam would you like them to get their information from say, a Fundamentalist Christian who believes that anyone not "accepting Jesus as their own personal Savior" would go to hell? I doubt it.
So, be proud of your Faith. But in my eyes at least you do it no favours at all in the way you seek to project it as the "one and only true Faith", this accompanied by denigrating all others with descriptions almost beyond recognition by any who in fact know of them in their full depth.

[sky]

Originally Posted by The Cobbler's Apprentice

Is this the man?
The guy who on Wiki is called a runaway, currently wanted by Indian authorities on charges of terror financing, hate speech, inciting communal hatred, and money laundering, who fled that country in 2016.

That's Him......