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Far be it from us here in Freehold to advocate violence outside the prescriptions of the Bible (KJV1611), but now we're seeing even the Buddhist's step up their otherwise "peaceful" rhetoric.
For over a generation now we've witnessed the insufferable Dolly Llama excrete his pious unction repeatedly with world leaders and in other appearances while at the same time raising money that would often embarrass the cathylicks.
There doesn't seem to be a thing that the Buddhist's haven't touched in America - from beatniks, hippie peacenik flower children, and Oprah Winfrey new age religions, to yoga and meditation. The rush to bliss out America has been unrelenting - all at the expense of Jesus.
So is there anything that will wake up a blissed out Buddhist monk? According to this article there is - mooselimbs (the "religion of peace") and commies.
Now I may be speaking a little too soon here, but we may have found some new allies - and perhaps the rise of a Buddhist version of Donald Trump. One can always hope, and it's always fun to see a blessed out LIEberal's heads spin.
For over a generation now we've witnessed the insufferable Dolly Llama excrete his pious unction repeatedly with world leaders and in other appearances while at the same time raising money that would often embarrass the cathylicks.
There doesn't seem to be a thing that the Buddhist's haven't touched in America - from beatniks, hippie peacenik flower children, and Oprah Winfrey new age religions, to yoga and meditation. The rush to bliss out America has been unrelenting - all at the expense of Jesus.
So is there anything that will wake up a blissed out Buddhist monk? According to this article there is - mooselimbs (the "religion of peace") and commies.
Now I may be speaking a little too soon here, but we may have found some new allies - and perhaps the rise of a Buddhist version of Donald Trump. One can always hope, and it's always fun to see a blessed out LIEberal's heads spin.
Rise of violent Buddhist rhetoric in Asia defies stereotypes
(AFP) Jerome TAYLOR, AFP•March 12, 2018
Hong Kong (AFP) - Buddhism may be touted in the West as an inherently peaceful philosophy, but a surge in violent rhetoric from small but increasingly influential groups of hardline monks in parts of Asia is upending the religion's tolerant image.
Buddhist mobs in Sri Lanka last week led anti-Muslim riots that left at least three dead and more than 200 Muslim-owned establishments in ruins, just the latest bout of communal violence there stoked by Buddhist nationalists.
In Myanmar, ultra-nationalist monks led by firebrand preacher Wirathu have poured vitriol on the country's small Muslim population, cheering a military crackdown forcing nearly 700,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh.
And in neighbouring Thailand, a prominent monk found himself in hot water for calling on followers to burn down mosques.
What has prompted this surge in aggressive rhetoric from followers of a faith that is so often equated, rightly or wrongly, with non-violence?
For many in the West, schooled in Buddhism via the beatniks, Hollywood, meditation classes, tropical holidays and inspirational Dalai Lama quotes, the visceral response of these monks can be a shock.
. . . .
- Invasive Islam -
In many recent cases around Asia, this aggression has been targeted toward Muslims.
After the Taliban's destruction of the Bamiyan Buddha statues in Afghanistan and the "war on terror" rhetoric, Jerryson says, warped historical grievances have "collided with recent Islamophobia".
Despite centuries of largely peaceful co-existence and trading, Buddhist fundamentalist groups portray Islam as invasive, toppling ancient Buddhist empires in Malaysia and Indonesia and now threatening the same for modern Buddhist nations through jihad or high birth rates.
Myanmar's Wirathu has built a following railing against Muslims in incendiary sermons both in person and on Facebook -- which closed down his page in January.
While Muslims make up less than four percent of Myanmar's population, Wirathu paints a millenarian portrait of an Islamic plot to eradicate Buddhism.
His Ma Ba Tha group was instrumental in pushing laws to restrict interfaith marriages and changing religion.
In Sri Lanka, Buddhist militancy has gone mainstream, with clergy seen clashing with riot police and leading anti-government protests.
During the brutal 26-year civil war, the ire of ultra-nationalists among the mainly Buddhist Sinhalese majority was focused on the island's Tamil Hindus.
But after the Tamil Tigers were beaten in 2009, hardliners turned on Muslims, who make up some 10 percent of the population.
Monk Galagodaatte Gnanasara, the movement's most prominent leader, is on bail facing hate speech charges and insulting the Koran.
"The Koran should be banned in the country," he said recently. "If you don't, we will go from house to house and campaign till it is banned."
. . . .
- 'Kill communists' -
. . . .
Puangthong Pawakapan, a politics expert at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University, points to an earlier threat to monks from the recent past -- communism.
During the height of the Cold War in the 1970s, one of Thailand's most prominent right-wing monks -- Kittiwuttho -- famously told followers it was "no sin to kill communists".
. . . .
(AFP) Jerome TAYLOR, AFP•March 12, 2018
Hong Kong (AFP) - Buddhism may be touted in the West as an inherently peaceful philosophy, but a surge in violent rhetoric from small but increasingly influential groups of hardline monks in parts of Asia is upending the religion's tolerant image.
Buddhist mobs in Sri Lanka last week led anti-Muslim riots that left at least three dead and more than 200 Muslim-owned establishments in ruins, just the latest bout of communal violence there stoked by Buddhist nationalists.
In Myanmar, ultra-nationalist monks led by firebrand preacher Wirathu have poured vitriol on the country's small Muslim population, cheering a military crackdown forcing nearly 700,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh.
And in neighbouring Thailand, a prominent monk found himself in hot water for calling on followers to burn down mosques.
What has prompted this surge in aggressive rhetoric from followers of a faith that is so often equated, rightly or wrongly, with non-violence?
For many in the West, schooled in Buddhism via the beatniks, Hollywood, meditation classes, tropical holidays and inspirational Dalai Lama quotes, the visceral response of these monks can be a shock.
. . . .
- Invasive Islam -
In many recent cases around Asia, this aggression has been targeted toward Muslims.
After the Taliban's destruction of the Bamiyan Buddha statues in Afghanistan and the "war on terror" rhetoric, Jerryson says, warped historical grievances have "collided with recent Islamophobia".
Despite centuries of largely peaceful co-existence and trading, Buddhist fundamentalist groups portray Islam as invasive, toppling ancient Buddhist empires in Malaysia and Indonesia and now threatening the same for modern Buddhist nations through jihad or high birth rates.
Myanmar's Wirathu has built a following railing against Muslims in incendiary sermons both in person and on Facebook -- which closed down his page in January.
While Muslims make up less than four percent of Myanmar's population, Wirathu paints a millenarian portrait of an Islamic plot to eradicate Buddhism.
His Ma Ba Tha group was instrumental in pushing laws to restrict interfaith marriages and changing religion.
In Sri Lanka, Buddhist militancy has gone mainstream, with clergy seen clashing with riot police and leading anti-government protests.
During the brutal 26-year civil war, the ire of ultra-nationalists among the mainly Buddhist Sinhalese majority was focused on the island's Tamil Hindus.
But after the Tamil Tigers were beaten in 2009, hardliners turned on Muslims, who make up some 10 percent of the population.
Monk Galagodaatte Gnanasara, the movement's most prominent leader, is on bail facing hate speech charges and insulting the Koran.
"The Koran should be banned in the country," he said recently. "If you don't, we will go from house to house and campaign till it is banned."
. . . .
- 'Kill communists' -
. . . .
Puangthong Pawakapan, a politics expert at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University, points to an earlier threat to monks from the recent past -- communism.
During the height of the Cold War in the 1970s, one of Thailand's most prominent right-wing monks -- Kittiwuttho -- famously told followers it was "no sin to kill communists".
. . . .
Godless people, all of them. They need to learn American civilization and stop being such heathens.
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