Deleted

[Thinker]

Outsiders define Mormonism as a cult, but we prefer our own definition. Buddhists do not consider Buddhism a religion. You may, but I ask: Who do they worship?

My brother-in-law is a Buddhist and has been for more than 40 years.
It's a religion.

I already knew you thought it was a religion
I noticed you didn't answer my question =P

I'll give it a try:

Themselves. They worship themselves. Not in a Hollywood king of way like "Look at me, I'm so beautiful, I'm so great, I'm so enlightened" because other than the last one there, Buddhism is all about not being great or beautiful or being anything other than enlightened. It's got a number of really great ideals and beliefs, and there are some very laudable practices with various forms of Buddhism.

They're not trying to rise to greatness, I don't mean they worship themselves like that, the goal is to give up yourself to goodness and virtue until you reach the state of Nirvana, enlightenment where you can become one and whole. It's kind of the opposite of many of the "Christians in the world: Pompous Christians are trying to go to Heaven along a hellish path. Buddhism is going toward a false heaven on a very heaven-like path.

I've always been an admirer to one degree or another of Buddhism since I started Tae-Kwon-Do when I was younger. However good it is, though, it still lacks the power of the priesthood and the purity of the Atonement.

That’s a good point. They might make an idol out of “be still & know that I am God.” I mean, yes some meditation and prayer is good - but “faith without works is dead.” And a life without love (to share & receive) is not fulfilling our purpose of joy. I’ve also disagreed with the contradictory idea of prioritizing limiting suffering to the point of (Dali lama) encouraging abortion when a child could have some disability (ie blind opera singer Andrea Boseli who’s mom refused to abort despite doctors urging to). Suffering serves a purpose - as do people with disabilities. I’ve seen over & over again how people with downs’s syndrome have loved so powerfully to melt the hardest hearts.

As with all things - take the best and leave the rest. One thing I love about Buddhism is the active soul-searching applied to meditation - really can help in seeing the world better to love others & ourselves better.