A Buddhist or Hindu is an atheist but not a Materialist Reductionist. They espouse the same "non-need" to believe in a Creator GOD but one limits himself to nothing but material physical law reductionism, while the other believes that all of that is largely passing illusion, and Existence is One Thing within which "individuals" constantly refine in pursuit of harmony within that One. Upon achieving perfect harmony after many lifetimes turning the Karmic Wheel, they "dissolve" into the One never more to have being as individual points of partial disharmony. Because Buddhists maintain that matter bits are basically an illusion, and the whole dynamic of life takes place on the "Spiritual" level of Dharma (essentially "Good Works") and Karma (disharmonic burden caused by ill works), they can view life nearly opposite to materialist science. In fact, the basic "technology" pursued by the Buddhist or Hindu searcher is a Technology of Consciousness wherein the seeker seeks not a Communion with God's Love, or the fortitude to pursue The Beatitudes, but rather to achieve the ability of self-mastery and then utter self-denial, i.e. the awareness that one's self is itself an illusion, as is any worldly interaction including Death.
Hindus and Buddhists are perfectly happy with the Spiritual technological pursuit of the paranormal, just as long as it does not hinder the de-karma-ization of their current turn of the Wheel. Paranormal ability however can be a problem, if it leads to ego-centrism, the opposite of the Buddhist/Hindu quest. Reductionist materialists are not comfortable with ANY of that. I've heard some of them say that they are "spiritual" people, but in fact they only mean that they try to be nice generally, try to care about other things than themselves, and like watching Nature. But at the core of that there is no real meaning. Meaning would come when the Game of Life is actually on the line. Does one's belief structure fortify one standing up for what's morally right in the face of severe threats to oneself? Does one place oneself in service of others regardless of any close relationship? Does one TRULY LOVE on an expansive scope? True spirituality for me involves seeing oneself as Servant and Helper in loving and moral ways. There is no morality in materialist reductionism if that philosophy is honestly exposed to its root conclusions. Without the Soul acting through Freedom of Choice, there can be no concept of a moral or immoral act, and consequently no true living of a PURPOSEFUL life. ... an illusion to the reductionists.
One can choose of course to go all material with that brand of atheism, or all spiritual with that brand of atheism, or believe in a separate Creator God who created The Universe as a (brilliantly fascinating) backdrop for giving individual free willing souls opportunities to make choices on their own for goodness/love or for egocentric selfishness or mindless uncare, and discover who each of us is. I see no basis for such moral choice in reductionism, and only the pragmatic (I better do this to not burden myself with Karma) motivations of Buddhism. ... and the urgency of moral choice is not really there either --- you always have another turn on the Wheel coming, and "you" don't actually exist anyway.
So, I'm sticking with my New Testament Gospel of Love Jesus pronouncements, and pray to The Holy Spirit every day several times for the spiritual strength to overcome my animal instinct selfishness and take the opportunities that The Universe gives me top choose the right thing. I find this a very "logical" philosophy of life and very supportive even in times of trouble.
Please do not attempt to draw me into some philosophical-religious-theological debate on these things. If you are a nice person, I respect you regardless of your final philosophical structure. If you are not a nice person, I tend to disapprove, but usually not loudly and combatively. We all need to understand that this universal design seems powerfully resistant to PROVING things at this level in any form. Anyone demanding such creates a red herring, and probably does so for their own unspoken reasons.
movie-sounds.org
