Quotes by Ninian Smart

Ninian Smart

A central feature of the ceremonial associated with Mithras was the taurobolium, the ritual slaughter of a bull which commemorated and repeated Mithras’ primeval act. The initiate was baptized in its blood, partaking of its life-giving properties. It may be noted that this part of the ceremonial closely resembled the ritual of the cult of Cybele, the Great Mother of Asia Minor, which had been brought to Rome three centuries before Christ.

Baptized In

Mother

Rome

Buddhism and Christianity are incompatible because there is no God in Buddhism – particularly in Theravada Buddhism. But they are also allies because their values and practices are compatible and they can work together – indeed, they would benefit greatly from doing so.

Buddhism

Practice

Working Together

Children become more liberal partly as a reaction to their parents and partly through education. Education tends to make people a bit softer.

Children

Parent

People

I don’t regard fundamentalism in the United States or in Europe as a terrible threat, partly because it is a self-curing disease. The younger generation drifts away, so fundamentalists always have to recruit to keep up with themselves.

Europe

Self

United States

I don’t think religions will merge into a great global faith. But I do believe we’re moving toward a global ideology that has a place for religion and recognizes the contributions of the different traditions. Hopefully, it will have an overarching view as to how we can work together for the promotion of human values and spirituality.

Believe

Moving

Thinking

I often say that I’m a Buddhist-Episcopalian. I say that partly to annoy people.I like to annoy people who think that a religion can contain the whole truth. No religion, it seems to me, contains the whole truth. I think it’s mad to think that there is nothing to learn from other traditions and civilizations. If you accept that other religions have something to offer and you learn from them, that is what you become: a Buddhist-Episcopalian or a Hindu-Muslim or whatever.

Buddhist

Civilization

Thinking

I think the attractiveness of Buddhism is that it doesn’t involve a belief in God. That appeals to a lot of people – intellectuals and well-educated people in particular.

Buddhism

People

Thinking

I think the Buddhist ethic is clearer and more systematic in some ways. The Buddhist notion is that our chief problems are greed, hatred and delusion. Well, delusion is not much mentioned in the Christian tradition. In the West, we have underplayed the idea that our moral and spiritual troubles have to do with a lack of clarity or insight because original sin has dominated so much of our thinking. We tend to think that our troubles are caused by insufficient will power.

Buddhist

Christian

Spiritual

I would like to see an agreement that recognizes that we live on the same planet and that some interests, such as human rights, must be universal and that all religions must be respected.

Agreement

Planets

Rights

I’ve often admired the way many Catholics who have left the priesthood, for example, have nevertheless remained sincere Catholics. They voted with their feet.

Catholic

Example

Feet

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Agreement

Attitude

Baptized In

Believe

Buddhism

Buddhist

Catholic

Cheerful

Children

Christian

Civilization

Contemplative Life

Development

Difficult

Europe

Example

Feet

Healthy

Japan

Land

Life Is

Mean

Might

Mother

Moving

Parent

Past

People

Planets

Practice

Rights

Rome

Self

Spiritual

Thinking

United States

Working Together

Yoga

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Quotes by Ninian Smart

Ninian Smart

Buddhism and Christianity are incompatible because there is no God in Buddhism – particularly in Theravada Buddhism. But they are also allies because their values and practices are compatible and they can work together – indeed, they would benefit greatly from doing so.

Children become more liberal partly as a reaction to their parents and partly through education. Education tends to make people a bit softer.

I don’t regard fundamentalism in the United States or in Europe as a terrible threat, partly because it is a self-curing disease. The younger generation drifts away, so fundamentalists always have to recruit to keep up with themselves.

I think the attractiveness of Buddhism is that it doesn’t involve a belief in God. That appeals to a lot of people – intellectuals and well-educated people in particular.

I would like to see an agreement that recognizes that we live on the same planet and that some interests, such as human rights, must be universal and that all religions must be respected.

I’ve often admired the way many Catholics who have left the priesthood, for example, have nevertheless remained sincere Catholics. They voted with their feet.

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The Future Blueprint

The Home Therapist: Anti Anxiety

The Autobiography

The Behaviour Diary

The Dating Diary

The Relationship Therapist

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