From: "Anders Honore" > I am not sure how there is evidence that Christianity has improved infrastructures like this. Most of these western innovations have come from a stream of thought that has been in many ways directly contrary to the church.>>
But all of the contributors were either Christians or Jews. The fact that Western Society is built on Judeo Christian principles and that Church and Temple is an important part of the social fabric cannot be ignored. Similarly, the fact that whatever role Buddhism had in the many Asian nations that are now primarily Muslim should not be ignored; or the effect of Buddhism in the rest of the poverty stricken nations of Asia, or in the Communism of China, Mongolia, etc. What did Buddhism do in India? What percentage of the population of the Eastern nations is Buddhist at all? Japan is primarily Shinto? India is Hindu? Perhaps Buddhism has always been some kind of marginal religion for the upper classes? Buddhism is generally accepted as being the 4th major religion (Christianity, Judaism, and Muslim being the other three), but considering how fragmented Buddhism is, and how most of its traditional areas of influence have been taken over by the Muslims and Christians, I have to wonder exactly how prevalent Buddhism is in the East, where it was born? Are we really witnessing a dying religion on its last gasp? ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/S27xlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Noble Eightfold Path: Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration, Right Livelihood Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZenForum/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
