Subj: Question on response
Date: 12/9/2002 10:06:03 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: XXXXXX@yahoo.com
To: Tekministry@aol.com

Great web site,

As a non-Christian in a Christian land I find discussion with those whose minds are made up (with irrefutable) truth to be near pointless. However, if one can be saved....

But one question,

In one of your responses you say, "Buddha, after crucification, suffered three days in hell, then ascended into heaven." In my research on comparative religion I dont seem to have come across this. As far as I knew the historic Buddha Gautama Siddhartha (the Buddha that most folks think is the only ‘enlightened one) died amongst his followers. And not believing in, or should I say believing in numerous Heavens and Hells I am not sure why we would have wanted to ascend to descend to either.

Could you tell where you got this information?

Thanks

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Subj: Re: Question on response
Date: 12/10/2002 3:24:23 AM Pacific Standard Time
From: BBu84
To: XXXXXX@yahoo.com

Mike,

I saw this statement made in a Freedom From Religion Foundation pamphlet, I saw it mentioned on a couple of web sites, and I seemed to recall seeing it in a book. I know that anyone can slap together a web site and one can't be sure how reliable Internet information is, but I saw this in a couple of different places, so I have assumed it is true. Here are a few Internet sites where this claim is made:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ExChristian/message/229 (FFRF pamphlet)

http://www.antichrist.com.au/1999/9908/9908paganchrists.html

http://the-eternal-buddha.com/html%20images/quest%20for%20jesus.htm

http://www.angelfire.com/al2/thelight/Legends.html

http://www.livingstonemusic.net/godmen.htm

http://www.sanfords.net/Pagan_Humor_and_Thoughts/origins_of_christianity.htm

http://home.earthlink.net/~pgwhacker/ChristianOrigins/PaganChrists_Other.html (does not mention "three days")

I have tried to find a footnote on these sites to a more authoritative source, but I have been unable to find any so far.

If you know this specific claim about Buddha is actually inaccurate and there is nothing it is really based on, then please let me know. That would be interesting. If it is wrong, I will insert a disclaimer on that responses page next to my statement.

Thanks for your e-mail.

Brooks

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Subj: Re: Question on response
Date: 12/12/2002 4:58:59 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: XXXXXX@yahoo.com
To: Tekministry@aol.com

Brooks,

Thanks for your reply.

In the interests of keeping your site focused may I suggest that you attempt to stick to the central beliefs of any philosophical or religious doctrine that you are comparing, as opposed to noting its more extreme elements. Many of these belief systems are older than recorded history and have been perverted over the course of time. Unlike Christianity Buddhism has no fail-safe mechanism (no inspiration by the hand of God) to protect its dogma. On the contrary, if we are to belief what the historical Buddha is supposed to have said, “believe nothing of what you hear until you have proven it for yourself” then there is no authentic teaching from the ‘Buddha’ to discuss. Like Jesus, nothing of what the Buddha said was written at the time he said it, but years after when various groups formed to attempt to agree upon the message. I don’t doubt that somewhere during this process myths and legends about things that are supposed to have happened slipped in. Also, unlike Christianity these myths, miraculous events etc have no effect on the doctrine. Buddha died; Buddha rose from the dead – it means nothing. The only thing that matters is that we each “work out our own salvation … .“

I took a quick look on the net and came up with some other sources for Buddhist doctrine, none of which contain a discussion of Buddha rinsing from the dead or vacationing in hell. I think you hit the nail on the head in your reply, “I know that anyone can slap together a web site and one can't be sure how reliable Internet information is “ However, looking for information on Buddhism one might not start their search with sites that have, antichrist.com, pagan_humor, or. …Godmen.htm anywhere in their address!

Some suggested sources;

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/buddhism/tobudha4.htm

http://www.wsu.edu:8000/~dee/BUDDHISM/SIDD.HTM

http://ias.berkeley.edu/orias/visuals/buddha/life.html

http://www.tricycle.com/buddhistbasics/buddhaslife.html