81–90 of 195 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Russia's population is half that of the US, in twice the land area
Also the US has five times the population of the UK, and 40 times the area.
https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/nr/land-cover-atlas-uk-1.74...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Does it matter? Germany is a secular state religion is irrelevant.
Well, it is not. The catolic church has a lot of economic and political power in Germany.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
All this is because humans prefer to generalize rather than be precise and this applies to both left and right. Right, because Islam is an old religion and has been a part of Europe (and other continents) for centuries; these native Muslim communities are in general well-integrated and have a rich history; they have nothing to do with ISIS-style extremism. There are peaceful Muslim communities often react immediately…
When you say that all cultures are equal is a lie, do you mean that there are cultures that are better than others? Maybe you mean that there are certain aspects of some cultures that are worth abandoning and some others worth preserving. Do you think there is nothing left to improve in Western culture?
Yes, I mean both. There are some cultures with a strong aspect of physical violence that is almost a defining factor (for the members of these groups). Taken together, these aspects sometimes far outweigh the positive ones.
> Do you think there is nothing left to improve in Western culture?
There is a lot to learn from. A bigger concern is that Western culture and related values are extremely invasive and try to dominate all other cultures so there is less and less of originality left with everything getting westernized. But we must not be afraid of criticizing these aspects of any culture that involve violence against others (this could be anyone - outsiders, other tribes, family members of given gender etc.).
Earlier quoted context omitted.
All this is because humans prefer to generalize rather than be precise and this applies to both left and right. Right, because Islam is an old religion and has been a part of Europe (and other continents) for centuries; these native Muslim communities are in general well-integrated and have a rich history; they have nothing to do with ISIS-style extremism. There are peaceful Muslim communities often react immediately…
When you say that all cultures are equal is a lie, do you mean that there are cultures that are better than others? Maybe you mean that there are certain aspects of some cultures that are worth abandoning and some others worth preserving. Do you think there is nothing left to improve in Western culture?
It seems weird Buddhism is such a minor religion in Europe while it is so rational, based on individual experience (rather than belief) gained through reproducible applied self-regulation techniques, backed by neuroscience and explained with consistent philosophical logic.
I think it's been wrongfully misconstrued as irrational by people who don't really understand the religion, inside and out.
It seems weird Buddhism is such a minor religion in Europe while it is so rational, based on individual experience (rather than belief) gained through reproducible applied self-regulation techniques, backed by neuroscience and explained with consistent philosophical logic.
As a child I had a subconscious assumption that Christianity wasn't rational, and maintained that view into my mid-twenties. Thankfully, I had the drive to do research on it, and an open enough mind to accept it, because I was ready to reject Christianity completely for a short period. I know this view isn't popular, but today, I see Christianity as the most rational philosophy/religion out there. I think it's been w…
I always find it quite embarrassing when right-wing politicians here in Germany come up with this or that does not belong to Europe. In all cases this only shows their geographical and historical ignorance. Kalmykia is a good example. Most of these politicians have never understood that Buddism has been part of Europe for centuries. My favorite example, however, is that they mostly do not know that we have had a perm…
It is also worth noting that the Iberian peninsula where it is now Spain was an Arab region for 800 some years. The Spanish language is full of words with Arab roots and Arab culture is everywhere in Spain. It is funny to see the right wing politics trying to preserve this national Spanish heritage that they came up with.
What's the big deal:"a piece of Asia on the European continent", Europe and Asia are two parts of one continent, Eurasia
It seems weird Buddhism is such a minor religion in Europe while it is so rational, based on individual experience (rather than belief) gained through reproducible applied self-regulation techniques, backed by neuroscience and explained with consistent philosophical logic.
I am relying on a rather common and uninformed understanding of Buddhism here, so I may be way off base.
EDIT: I had to look it up, but I guess European culture has contained some sort of belief in reincarnation (Plato's Republic, Book X / Myth of Er). I don't suppose this belief has much traction anymore, despite the strong influence of Plato (or Greek philosophy in general) on Christianity.