Dr. Martin Rundkvist is a Swedish archaeologist, journal editor, public speaker, chairman of the Swedish Skeptics Society, atheist, lefty liberal, bookworm, and father of two.
Being an atheist and a rationalist, I find most religious beliefs quite silly. But religious people vary hugely in their behaviour, and many do excellent deeds. Generally, I find it easier to respect the believer who lives by the core tenets of his faith, as all major religions have pretty reasonable ethical groundwork. Christian charity, for instance, is a fine thing.
On the other hand, I find idolatry and religious egoism particularly risible. And at a Chinese restaurant where I have been a regular for nearly 20 years there is a lovely example of both, as shown above.
Chinese Buddhism is a mess. It is a barely recognisable caricature of the original ideas. In China, religious worship is basically about praying to statues for stuff. And so we find this happy rotund Buddha holding a big honking GOLD COIN aloft to entice the supplicant with his incense sticks. "Pray and get rich!" Just like those sad, sad deluded people who fill midwestern megachurches in the US to hear the Prosperity Gospel.
Comments
And sort of pretty much the opposite of what the buddha actually preached, as far as I'm aware...
Posted by: Melliferax | February 25, 2010 8:50 AM
Can't say I've noticed anything of the kind in Washington, DC area Chinese restaurants. My hunch would be that Buddhism is more messed up in places other than China than it is in China itself:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_China
Posted by: Bob Carlson | February 25, 2010 9:30 AM
Truth is stranger than fiction; Terry Pratchett created
Yen Buddhism for Discworld.
"Yen Buddhists believe that money poisons the soul, so they collect as much as possible, to protect others from it".
[ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fictional_religions ]
Posted by: Geoff Carter | February 25, 2010 9:43 AM
Martin: The prosperity gospel is a huge minority ray in US Christianity. It parallels the healing gospel of such charlatans as Oral Roberts, who was given so much money over the decades as to be able to build a university in Tulsa, Oklahoma. My Chinese friend tells me that you are absolutely correct about Chinese Buddhism, his response to your post was, "so what's new?"
Now on to more serious matters, the Swedish Curling team at the Olympics. My wife has drawn me into watching the absolutely fascinating broom work complete with audible chatter paa Svenska. I had no idea that Swedes curled, thought it was only a Canadian and northern US Sport. Tell us more!
Posted by: Don | February 25, 2010 11:50 AM
I find the folks who pray for money less frightening than those who believe that they have money because God(or Buddha) loves them more than folks who don't...Pray to get rich all you want...but when you beleive God loves the rich more or God has blessed the rich...it is a little scary. Personally, I'm a Christian, I tend to believe that blessings are either pre-existing strenghts such as analytical ability, athletic skill, or empathy...as well as developed virtue within life...discipline, charity, moderation, tenacity...in short some blessings you're born with, others you can develop, none have anything to do with material goods or possessions.
Posted by: Mike Olson | February 25, 2010 3:02 PM
Don, I'm sorry, I am completely ignorant of spectator sports. I usually only hear curling mentioned in the context of "curling parenting".
Mike, let's not talk too much about blessings or we will run up against the theodicy problem...
Posted by: Martin R | February 25, 2010 3:18 PM
No problem. I'm not militant or evangelical, by any stretch of the imagination and many of the things that atheists address I see as legitmate issues that need to be addressed in a reasonable, rational manner.
Posted by: Mike Olson | February 25, 2010 3:46 PM
There is Chinese folk religion, and there is Buddhism, and there is the syncretic overlay of Buddhism onto Chinese folk religion. The money-grubbing aspect you are noticing is more the Chinese folk religion part, onto which Buddhism has been overlaid, Chinese-style.
It may well be risible from a logical point of view...but look at China's economic growth figures, then laugh. Go ahead.
Posted by: dveej | February 25, 2010 4:58 PM
why are you so sure it is a Buddha statue?
Buddhism is not the only religion in China,
there are taoist and folktale gods, too.
Why is he not sitting in a lotus seat with
the legs crossed,why is he so fat,why is he
laughing instead of meditating ?
well i think i found him, seems to be a
deified monk in folk religion and taoist
tradition:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budai
Posted by: user | February 25, 2010 8:04 PM
I do definitely agree on some points but it is worth noting that Buddhism spread through China absorbing most of the local Chinese beliefs, Gautama Buddha became a supernatural being, placed among the pantheon of local gods and goddesses...
Praying to get rich? Well, looks like "self-motivating" oneself in order to get most of any situation... ;)
Posted by: maikeru76 | February 26, 2010 12:11 AM
Dveej, are you suggesting that China's strong economic development is due to prayer?
Posted by: Martin R | February 26, 2010 2:52 AM
User, thanks, you're right. Budai is a folkloric deity -- but he's known as The Laughing Buddha in Chinese.
Posted by: Martin R | February 26, 2010 2:54 AM
I don't know... wanting your god to make you rich seems considerably nicer than wanting him to smite the [insert smite-worthy category of people].
Posted by: Akhôrahil | February 26, 2010 3:30 AM
It's also possible that the Chinese kitsch presented in restaurants is quite possibly not terribly representative, but rather is chosen because it's thought to be the kind of Asian thing that white folks like.
Posted by: Jon H | February 26, 2010 5:49 PM
I've been to several temples in China, and I'm afraid that is not the case. Though I admit that I have not seen this particular motif with the coin in a temple.
As for skin colour, most Chinese are quite pale, and there is a rather strong tradition of racism against darker people.
Posted by: Martin R | February 27, 2010 1:28 AM
Just a mild query: In what way does "Pray and get rich" differ from the socialist-liberal "Vote for us and we guarantee a better future"? Both are beliefs centered on resigning responsibility for your own life to some other authority on the promise of prosperity.
;)
Posted by: Henrik | March 1, 2010 9:01 AM
To start with, those politicians actually exist, and there is a clear pathway for me to follow if I wish to become one myself.
Posted by: Martin R | March 1, 2010 9:07 AM
You miss the point, Martin. ;) Politicians are the modern equivalents of priests, or shamans if you prefer. If you wanted to, you could become either a priest or a politician. Same underlying human principles at work.
Posted by: Henrik | March 1, 2010 12:17 PM
Are you sure that "idol" isn't a subliminal tip-promotion ploy?
Posted by: Pierce R. Butler | March 12, 2010 7:13 PM
Umm, isn't that thing a little too in-yer-face to be called "subliminal"?
Posted by: Martin R | March 13, 2010 4:30 AM