Food Activist's Life Becomes The Life of Brian 165
krou writes "After food activist and author Raj Patel appeared on The Colbert Report to promote his latest book, things seemed to be going well, until he began to get inundated with emails asking if he was 'the world teacher.' In events ripped straight from The Life of Brian, it would seem that Raj Patel's life story ticks all the boxes necessary to fulfill prophecies made by Benjamin Creme, founder of religious sect Share International. After the volume of emails and inquiries got worse, Patel eventually wrote a message on his website stating categorically that he was not the Messiah. Sure enough, 'his denial merely fanned the flames for some believers. In a twist ripped straight from the script of the comedy classic, they said that this disavowal, too, had been prophesied.'"
Not for Buddhism (Score:2, Informative)
..as a figure who combines messianism for Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews and Muslims alike ...
In Buddhism, I know of no concept of a "messiah". None. Maybe those of you who have perhaps studied more of the Sutras than I could offer another point of view.
There's a saying in Buddhism, "If you see the Buddha on the side of the road; kill him!"
I don't see how the concept of messiah would fit into the teachings.
Re:Oblig (Score:5, Informative)
He's NOT the messaiah, he is a very naughty boy!
ftfa: "My parents came to visit recently, and they brought clothes that said 'he's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy'. To them, it's just amusing." :)
Re:A Question Is Answered (Score:4, Informative)
Re:A Question Is Answered (Score:5, Informative)
"I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of...Each of those churches accuse the other of unbelief; and for my own part, I disbelieve them all." -- Thomas Paine
"Of all the animosities which have existed among mankind, those which are caused by difference of sentiments in religion appear to be the most inveterate and distressing, and ought most to be deprecated." -- George Washington
"The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin, will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter." -- Thomas Jefferson
"Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind and unfits it for every noble enterprise." -- James Madison
The Treaty of Tripoli -- "The government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion." Written during the Washington administration, it was sent to the Senate during the Adams administration. This was the 339th time that a recorded vote was required by the Senate, but only the third time a vote was unanimous.
Re:A Question Is Answered (Score:3, Informative)
... and I think you would find all of those very sensible gentlemen were all highly religious...
Or not [wikipedia.org].
Re:A Question Is Answered (Score:3, Informative)
You're about 150 years out of date.
Originally, the First Amendment only prohibited Congress from getting involved in religion. State legislatures were free to do so, and many did. For instance, Massachusetts had a state church well into the 1800s.
After the Civil War, the Fourteenth Amendment was enacted. Through the Fourteenth Amendment, the First Amendment was applied throughout the entirety of the United States government and all state and municipal governments.
So yes, the First (plus the Fourteenth) unquestionably does separate church and state. If you want to claim they don't, you're going to need to present some pretty compelling proof.
Yes Well... (Score:3, Informative)
No... (Score:1, Informative)