Buddhism represents 5% of the world’s population

Christianity represents 31% of the world's population, of which Catholics are approx. 18% and Protestants 37%, other Christian religions making up the balance.

BUDDHISM

CATHOLICISM

Founded

Siddhartha Gautama (The Buddha / Enlightened One) 563-483 BC

Founded by Jesus of Nazareth (Jesus Christ*) in c. 30 AD, Israel - according to Catholics, or by Saint Peter thereafter as disputed by others.

 *Messiah or "Anointed one"

God(s)

None (Buddhism is a nontheistic philosophy / religion)

One God who is a Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

The doctrine of the Trinity developed gradually over several centuries and through many controversies including threatened schisms.

It was not until the 4th century that the distinctness of the three and their unity were brought together in a single orthodox doctrine of one essence and three persons (1+1+1=1). God, Jesus the incarnation of God, and the Holy Spirit as the bond between them.

This generally placated the factions, although the controversies re-emerged during the enlightenment period and continue until today.

Prophet(s)

The Buddha Himself

Jesus of Nazareth

Leader(s)

Monks, Nuns, Scholars, Laymen.

Popes, Bishops, Priests and Clergy.

Afterlife

None. (As with many other religions / philosophies, over the centuries Buddhism has split in to many different factions (schisms), and taken up many additional cultural beliefs and schools of thought, some of these factions believe in a cycle of rebirth, others treat The Buddha as a deity. The Buddha is quoted as saying he knew nothing of God/s, or an afterlife, and was only interested in relieving suffering from conscious beings) 

Eternal heaven or hell (or temporary purgatory before heaven).

Practices

The understanding of human suffering, its causes, and how suffering can be overcome to achieve happiness through living a non-violent, non-extreme life of moderation, meditation and knowledge

Prayer, Bible study, Baptism, Eucharist (Communion), church attendance especially Sundays, numerous holidays.  The  church has an hierarchical system which puts the essence and authority of the Church in an exclusive priesthood, and makes ordained priests the necessary mediators between God (via Virgin Mary) and the people.

The liturgy (until recently) was always done in Latin, thereby excluding all other than the priesthood and scholars (who understood Latin) from knowing what it really meant. Until 1526 the Bible was also only available in Latin in England and in that year translated to the English vernacular by William Tyndale, an act which cost him his life for heresy, but started the process of removing the Bible from the exclusivity of the church and making it available to the common people.

A strict belief in church tradition and the infallibility of popes.

Texts

Teaching was initially done orally, followed by various texts and scriptures.

The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

Human situation/

Life's purpose

Buddhism is often said by its critics to be nihilistic (because there is no belief in God/s or afterlife, life itself is pointless - the same criticism is also made of atheism and humanism) As life's purpose is unknown, the focus is on improving life as we know and experience it.

All have sinned* and are thereby separated from God. Salvation is through faith in Christ and, for some, sacraments and good works.

*St. Augustine (354-430AD) imported an idea foreign to the Bible: the notion that the taint of sin is transmitted from generation to generation by the act of procreation following the fall of Adam. He took this idea from the 2nd-century theologian Tertullian, who actually coined the phrase original sin.

Punishment for heresy

None

(Buddhism is a non-violent belief that throughout history has lived in harmony with all other religions and philosophies.)

Historically: Torture and Death

Currently: Excommunication

Attitude to Women

Historically: Generally one of equality.

Currently: Equality.

Historically : Extremely unequal

Currently: Unequal

Based mainly on the teachings of Augustine and Aquinas that women are unequal to men because God ordained them to be so, and also because of the loss of paradise through the disobedience of Eve to Adam, the Catholic Church has considered women to be inferior to men, believed that women should be subservient to husbands and remain primarily in the home.

Opposed to the marriage of the clergy and clerical celibacy since the first Lateran Council of 1123, and to women’s ordination, the Catholic Church was also a strong opponent of women’s emancipation, however when women won the right to vote was quick to organize women’s catholic organizations so that they could use their vote in accordance with the church’s political objectives.

Main objectives in theory

Buddhism is a tolerant teaching that takes the individual as the centre of the teachings. Many Buddhist texts are concerned with individuals improving themselves.

Buddha said:

Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. Do not believe anything because it is spoken and rumoured by many. Do not believe in anything because it is written in your religious texts. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders.

But, after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and the benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.

The Essence of Buddha's Teaching.

Buddha set forth his teaching in the following doctrine

The Four Noble Truths:

1. All things and experiences are marked by suffering/ disharmony/ frustration.

2. The arising of suffering/ disharmony/ frustration comes from desire/ craving/ clinging.

3. To achieve the cessation or end of suffering/ disharmony/ frustration, let go of desire/ craving/ clinging.

4. The way to achieve that cessation of suffering/ disharmony/ frustration, is walking the Eightfold Path.

The eightfold path to the cessation of suffering:

1. Right Understanding of the following facts:

• the truth about suffering ... (The Four Nobel Truths);

• everything is impermanent and changes;

• there is no separate individual self - this is an illusion. (Life is impermanent, a stream of becoming, a series of manifestations and extinctions. The concept of the individual ego is a popular delusion; the objects with which people identify themselves—fortune, social position, family, body, and even mind—are not their true selves. There is nothing permanent, and, if only the permanent deserved to be called the self, then nothing is self.)

2. Right Determination to:

• give up what is wrong and evil;

• undertake what is good;

• abandon thoughts that have to do with bringing suffering to any conscious being; cultivate thoughts of loving kindness, that are based on caring about others' suffering, and sympathetic joy in others' happiness.

3. Right Speech:

• Abstain from telling lies.

• Abstain from talk that brings harm or discredit to others (such as backbiting or slander) or      talk that creates hatred or disharmony between individuals and groups.

• Abstain from harsh, rude, impolite, malicious, or abusive language.

• Abstain from idle, useless, and foolish babble and gossip. Abstain from recrimination and negative statements.

• Abstain from harsh speech—practice kindly speech.

• Abstain from frivolous speech—practice meaningful speech.

• Abstain from slanderous speech—practice harmonious speech.

• Speak the truth if it is useful and timely. Practice only necessary speech. Let your speech be filled with loving kindness. Speak that which alleviates suffering.

4. Right Action:

• Peaceful, honourable conduct; abstain from dishonest dealings; take concrete steps necessary to foster what is good.

• Do things that are moral, honest, and alleviate suffering. Do not do things that will bring suffering to others or yourself.

5. Right Livelihood:

• Abstain from making your living from an occupation that brings harm and suffering to humans or animals, or diminishes their wellbeing. This includes: activities that directly harm conscious beings, and activities that indirectly harm sentient beings.

6. Right Effort:

• Foster good and prevent evil.

• Work on yourself—be engaged in appropriate self-improvement. The essence of right effort is that everything must be done with a sense of proper balance that fits the situation. Effort should be balanced between trying too hard and not trying hard enough. Trying hard to progress too rapidly gets poor results, as does not trying hard enough.

7. Right Mindfulness or wakefulness:

• Foster right attention.

• Avoid whatever clouds our mental awareness.

• Systematically and intentionally develop awareness.

8. Right Concentration:

• Developed by practicing meditation and/or mental focusing. Proper meditation must be done continuously while awake, and should include work on awareness of body, emotions, thought, and mind objects.

Five basic precepts:

1. Abstain from killing living beings (from destroying/taking life)—or practice love.

2. Abstain from taking the not-given (from stealing)—or practice generosity, practice giving.

3. Abstain from sexual misconduct—or practice contentment.

4. Abstain from false speech (from lying)—or practice truthfulness.

5. Abstain from taking intoxicating drinks—or practice awareness and mental clarity.

To spread the teachings of Jesus and church tradition and encourage believers to live lives in accordance with those teachings.

Main objectives in practice

As above.

As above, but with a heavy focus on entrenching the church as an institution with political and financial power. The creation and imposition of rules that are wholly created for the purpose of socio-economic control of believers to further that entrenchment. The threat and use of excommunication to exert power over kings and non-church rulers. (In 16th century Europe the Catholic Church owned 40% of all land, buildings, cattle and agriculture).

Major

benefits to the human

condition

The bringing of comfort, order, education and a peaceful structured society to the individual.

Many outstanding works of art and architecture around the world.

Buddhists have always recognized the importance of community life, and over the centuries there has developed a distinctive symbiotic relationship between monks (and in some cases nuns) and the lay community. Moreover, both the monastics and the laity have engaged in a variety of common and complementary religious practices that have expressed Buddhist orientations and values, structured peaceful Buddhist societies, and addressed the practical concerns of individuals.

Despite historically often being seen as a threat in some lands to their kings, emperors and rulers for more than two millennia - being completely banned in many communist countries, Buddhism has been a powerful religious, political, and social force, first in India, its original homeland, and then in many other lands. It remains a powerful religious, political, and cultural force in many parts of the world today.

In the Western world, particularly in the United States and Canada, the growth of new Buddhist communities—which include both Buddhist immigrants from different parts of Asia and indigenous converts—has been very rapid indeed. There is every reason to expect that the appeal of Buddhism will continue far on into the future.

The socioeconomic and moral teachings of Jesus are generally good (irrespective of which church teaches them) and the effects of these teachings on society in general, and individuals in particular, has been generally beneficial.

Many works of art, cathedrals, churches and buildings were commissioned by the church and have benefited human aspirations by their beauty.

The care of the elderly, sick and infirm has also been a worthwhile achievement.

There have been many exemplary achievements by individual Catholics in many areas of life.

The Catholic church for many centuries was the de facto "political" leadership in many countries, bringing theocratic states in to being. This was seen as a counterbalance to the rapacity of Kings, although as Voltaire noted, often more rapacious itself. In the 16th century in England the church owned 40% of all land and buildings.

Major detriments to the human condition in deaths.

Unaware of any Buddhist inspired aggressions or wars.

However Buddhists have taken up arms and killed in defensive encounters. Buddhist monks and laymen fought bravely against invading Japanese armies under Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1592 and again in 1597.

Buddhists struggled against colonialism throughout Asia, although mostly peacefully, have fought communist incursions, and undergone imprisonment and death when persecuted by other religious / political regimes. Especially so in the South Vietnamese detention/death camps where between 1955-1960 under the fanatical Catholic President Ngo Dinh, president of South Vietnam, an estimated half a million were sent.

An estimated 2 million Buddhists died at the hands of the Cambodian Marxist Khmer Rouge government of Pol Pot between 1975-1979 and many of the professional and technical classes were exterminated.

In some parts of the world today Buddhists are fighting and killing defensively against Islamic fundamentalist inspired aggressions.

The Crusades were a series of religiously sanctioned military campaigns, called by the popes and waged by kings and nobles who volunteered to take up the cross with the main goal of restoring Christian control of the Holy Land. The crusaders came from all over western Europe, and fought a series of disconnected campaigns between 1095 and 1291. Similar campaigns in the Iberian Peninsula and Eastern Europe continued into the 15th century. Fought mainly by Roman Catholics against Muslims and Greek Orthodox Christians in Byzantium, with smaller campaigns waged against pagan Slavs, pagan Balts, Mongols, and Christian heretics. Many Jews in all areas were also slaughtered. Orthodox Christians also took part in fighting against Islamic forces in some Crusades. Crusaders took vows and were granted a plenary indulgence by the pope. It is estimated that 1.5 million deaths resulted from the Crusades.

Witchcraft the belief in witches* and that they were in league with the devil mainly ran from 1484 to 1750. During this time, and especially during the inquisition** an estimated several hundred thousand people (80% women) were accused, convicted and either burned or hanged as witches.

*Witchcraft was believed by many cultures and religions throughout history.

**The inquisition was intended to uphold catholic orthodoxy and its supreme control and punish heresy.

Forced converts many Jews, Muslims and those of other faiths were forced to convert and give up their original religious beliefs. Those who did not, or did, but practiced their original religion in secret, were also subject to the inquisition**

Religious wars c.1568 Between 5,000 and 6,000 Spanish Netherlands Protestants were drowned by Spanish Catholic Troops. 1572 In France about 20,000 Huguenots were killed on command of pope Pius V. In the 17th century Catholics sack the city of Magdeburg/Germany where roughly 30,000 Protestants were slain. In the 17th century 30 years' war (Catholic vs. Protestant) at least 40% of the population decimated, mostly in Germany. In the 120 years of wars conducted to try to eradicate Protestantism in Europe an estimated 11 million died.

Jews excluding the crusades, it is estimated that half a million Jews were slaughtered in catholic inspired religious persecutions / wars between the 4th and 20th century. Many thousands of Jews were sold in to slavery.

c.1492, 150,000 Jews were expelled from Spain to go to the New World - many died on their way.

Native peoples of the New World with the Spanish conquest of the Americas (for the glory of God and the propagation of Christianity) and to extract gold and other valuables for the enrichment of Spain and to finance Catholic Holy War against Protestant Europe, 80% of the native population died as the result of contracting disease (mainly smallpox) carried by the colonists to which they had no resistance. The remaining 20% were subject to rape, murder, unusual and exceedingly cruel torture and slavery. Within 25 years of conquest there were so few natives left that slaves had to be imported from the Caribbean and Africa.

When the 16th century ended, some 200,000 Catholic Spaniards had moved to the Americas and by that time probably more than 60 million natives were dead

Catholic Extermination Camps in the years 1942-1943 in Croatia existed numerous extermination camps, run by Catholic Ustasha under their dictator Ante Paveliç, a practicing Catholic and regular visitor to the then pope. There were even concentration camps exclusively for children! In these camps - the most notorious was Jasenovac, headed by a Franciscan friar, orthodox-Christian Serbians (and a substantial number of Jews) were murdered. Like the Nazis the Catholic Ustasha burned their victims in kilns, alive (the Nazis had their victims gassed first). But most of the victims were simply stabbed, slain or shot to death, the number of them being estimated between 300,000 and 600,000, in a rather tiny country. Many of the killers were Franciscan friars. The atrocities were appalling enough to induce bystanders of the Nazi "Sicherheitsdienst der SS", watching, to complain about them to Hitler (who did not listen). The pope knew about these events and did nothing to prevent them.

Vietnam

In 1954 Vietnamese freedom fighters; the Viet Minh; - had finally defeated the French colonial government in North Vietnam. Although the victorious assured religious freedom to all (most non-Buddhist Vietnamese were Catholics), due to huge anticommunist propaganda campaigns many Catholics fled to the South. With the help of Catholic lobbies in Washington and Cardinal Spellman, the Vatican's spokesman in U.S. politics, who later on would call the U.S. forces in Vietnam "Soldiers of Christ", a scheme was concocted to prevent democratic elections which could have brought the communist Viet Minh to power in the South as well, and the fanatic Catholic Ngo Dinh Diem was made president of South Vietnam.

Diem saw to it that U.S. aid, food, technical and general assistance was given to Catholics alone, Buddhist individuals and villages were ignored or had to pay for the food aids which were given to Catholics for free.

The only religious denomination to be supported was Roman Catholicism.

Supposedly to fight communism, thousands of Buddhist protesters and monks were imprisoned in "detention camps." Out of protest dozens of Buddhist teachers - male and female - and monks poured gasoline over themselves and burned themselves alive. Meanwhile some of the prison camps, which in the meantime were filled with Protestant and even Catholic protesters as well, had turned into no-nonsense death camps. It is estimated that during this period of terror (1955-1960) at least 24,000 were wounded; mostly in street riots; 80,000 people were executed, 275,000 had been detained or tortured, and about 500,000 were sent to concentration or detention camps.

Rwanda In a newscast on 10/10/96 by S2 Aktuell, Germany - a station not at all critical to Christianity - the following was stated:

"Anglican as well as Catholic priests and nuns are suspect of having actively participated in murders. Especially the conduct of a certain Catholic priest has been occupying the public mind in Rwanda's capital Kigali for months. He was minister of the church of the Holy Family and allegedly murdered Tutsis in the most brutal manner. He is reported to have accompanied marauding Hutu militia with a gun in his cowl. In fact there has been a bloody slaughter of Tutsis seeking shelter in his parish. Even two years after the massacres many Catholics refuse to set foot on the threshold of their church, because to them the participation of a certain part of the clergy in the slaughter is well established. There is almost no church in Rwanda that has not seen refugees - women, children, old - being brutally butchered facing the crucifix.

According to eyewitnesses clergymen gave away hiding Tutsis and turned them over to the machetes of the Hutu militia.

In connection with these events again and again two Benedictine nuns are mentioned, both of whom have fled into a Belgian monastery in the meantime to avoid prosecution. According to survivors one of them called the Hutu killers and led them to several thousand people who had sought shelter in her monastery. By force, the doomed were driven out of the churchyard and were murdered in the presence of the nun right in front of the gate. The other one is also reported to have directly cooperated with the murderers of the Hutu militia. In her case again witnesses report that she watched the slaughtering of people in cold blood and without showing response. She is even accused of having procured some petrol used by the killers to set on fire and burn their victims alive..."

More recently the BBC aired:

    Priests get death sentence for Rwandan genocide

    BBC NEWS April 19, 1998

    A court in Rwanda has sentenced two Roman Catholic priests to death for their role in the genocide of 1994, in which up to a million Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed. Pope John Paul said the priests must be made to account for their actions. Different sections of the Rwandan church have been widely accused of playing an active role in the genocide of 1994…

Other Major detriments to the human condition.

Through the different factions of Buddhism that have developed over the millennia, some have developed beliefs in afterlives, rebirths, hells etc., probably for cultural reasons, which are far away from the original teachings.

Some criticize Buddhism for promoting what they see as nihilism.

Some Marxist groups have criticized Buddhism for causing Tibet to have an undeveloped, agrarian economy.

Child abuse Sexual abuse of minors in the priesthood has received significant media attention in Canada, Ireland, the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Belgium, France, and Germany, while cases have been reported throughout the world including Australia, New Zealand, Latin America and Asia.

In addition to cases of actual abuse, much of the scandal has focused around members of the Catholic hierarchy who did not report abuse allegations to the civil authorities and who, in many cases, reassigned the offenders to other locations where the alleged predators continued to have contact with minors and had opportunities to continue to sexually abuse children. Cover up of child abuse was widespread and the cover up reached the highest echelons of the Vatican, with some allegations of cover up including Pope Benedict XVI prior to his elevation to that position. Cannon Law¹ is often used as an excuse for inaction.

¹ Cannon Law states that church officials (priests, nuns, etc.,) who admit to a crime and honestly repent will be absolved of that crime and no further action or punishment, of any sort, will be taken against them.

In July 2011 the catholic church was still reeling from the scandals with an unprecedented and blistering attack by the Irish Prime Minister on the Vatican's role in the cover up of abuse in Ireland resulting in the recall of the papal nuncio.

A Belgian government report in late 2011 concluded that an estimated 40% of Belgian children who attended Catholic schools had been abused and the report put blame squarely on the church authorities for ignoring the children's plight and on the government for not acting to protect the nation's children from harm.

Many consider child abuse in the Catholic church (as well as other religions / churches) to have been endemic for centuries.

"May I also just mention the current upheaval in the priesthood in Ireland? At a recent meeting, no less than 800 priests formed into a society to demand reform and change: have demanded the marriage of the clergy, the ordination of women to the priesthood and the election of bishops. Clearly the horrible scandals and the historical dismal repressiveness in the history of Catholicism are now creating demand for drastic reform and modernisation. Traditional community or communion was so often based on submission to authority. People don’t want that." Don Cupitt.

Science  Most medieval scholars linked science - in particular astronomy, astrology and geometry - to the divine.

The Catholic church has had in its ranks many leading scientists. Their purpose being to discover, through science, proofs of their Christian beliefs. However, when scientific discovery indicated differences to their beliefs the discoveries were suppressed - for the benefit of the church.

When independent scientific research indicated differences, the scientists concerned were denounced, threatened, imprisoned, tortured or even killed as heretics.

The reason being that if science proved the Catholic church position to be wrong on something as fundamental as say the Earth being the centre of the universe and the sun, moon, planets and stars revolving around the Earth, it would cause people to begin to doubt other "fundamental truths" in church doctrine and teachings, thereby undermining church authority and power. Galileo's fate for "maintaining Copernicanism (that the earth and planets revolve around the sun) to be "probable"" was in 1633 a ban on his publications and life imprisonment - later commuted to life under house arrest. It was not until 1992 that the Catholic church admitted their error in relation to Galileo.

The Catholic church was responsible for centuries of delay in scientific advancement.

As recently as Pope John Paul II, who on giving audience to Stephen Hawking asked him to stop his scientific research, because the research was getting too near to discovering the reason for existence.

Christian Fundamentalists (both Catholic and Protestant) have long battled in the courts, particularly in the USA to either stop the teaching of Darwinism in schools, or to ensure the equal teaching of Creationism under various other names such as intelligent design. The courts successively struck down such cases stating that State and Church must be separated and schools free to teach Darwinism and under no obligation to teach Creationism.

The official Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore, entered the debate in 2006, calling intelligent design “unscientific” and adding that it should not be taught as an alternative to evolution.

Education The indoctrination of children in to Catholic faith, its dogma, traditions and superstitions has always been of primary importance "Give me the child, and I will give you the man." Catholic educational policy (similar to other religions) has been to further this indoctrination through teaching its religious principals, a general education that supports the indoctrination and avoids any form of education that may create free thinking. The power of indoctrination of children is hard to break away from, even when becoming adult and better educated.

Hattie One of the worlds poorest countries, agreed a deal with the Catholic church in the 1950's whereby Catholicism would be declared the countries only state recognized religion in return for the church providing the countries educational facilities. The result being a few excellent schools for those who intended entering the clergy, whilst the majority of the population are currently some of the poorest, illiterate, devout Catholics in the world.

Only through well-established secular democracies, overcoming church resistance in the later part of the 20th century, has this indoctrination been reduced (though by no means eliminated) in children's education.

Politics The Catholic church has done many infamous deals with fascist dictatorships:-

Italy & Mussolini. Italy being a fairly liberal country at the time, Mussolini desperately needed international recognition for his fascist regime which he was not getting from the international community. He turned to the Catholic church to find that recognition, which he rightly believed would then influence some in the international community. Their price for recognition being reestablishing the Catholic church as the only recognized state religion, introducing a government policy of curtailing employment for women and by propaganda encouraging women to stay at home and produce more children, and giving the church additional rights over state educational policy.

Spain & Franco. Similarly Spain, which had been undergoing political liberalization, needed international recognition for the fascist regime of Generalissimo Franco which had come to power following a brutal civil war. Again the deal was similar to that of Italy above.

In addition, the church was given the authority of hospitals and in particular maternity hospitals. In collusion with the state, the Catholic church entered a conspiracy of unbelievably inhuman practice of deceiving parents considered to be not "politically or religiously suitable", such as liberally minded people, unmarried mothers, artists, atheists, humanists, social reformers, political activists etc., that their children had died shortly after childbirth. When parents asked to see the dead child they were told that this was not possible for various reasons. When insisted upon by stronger willed parents, a baby that had really died was produced from the mortuary and briefly shown to the parent/s.

False death certificates were then provided by the doctors and nuns, even empty coffins were sometimes interred. The real babies however were then moved from the hospital and offered to "worthy parents" i.e., those of acceptable political & religious views, for adoption. This was done through private Catholic run clinics who stated that the babies were not wanted by unmarried mothers, or gave other reasons for the babies being available for adoption. The adoptive parents, both in Spain and abroad, were also the innocent victims of this crime.

This appalling situation lasted from the 1950's until the 1980's when it came to light through investigative journalism. In 2011 there was a massive Spanish government investigation in to this despicable crime and it is regularly covered on TV and in the Spanish newspapers. Through DNA  testing people are trying to discover their real parents / children.

To date, the Spanish government estimate is that up to 300,000 children were declared illegally dead, and then illegally adopted throughout Spain and abroad over approximately 40 years.

Finance. The Vatican Bank (Istituto per le Opere di Religione) has for many decades been associated with claims of illegal banking activities including money laundering and especially its involvement with the banking scandal centred around Banco Ambrosiano of Milan in 1982 involving $1.4 billion of questionable loans, resulting in the banks president either committing suicide or possibly having been murdered. The Vatican bank is still operating outside of International Banking Law and is under censure of Italian Banking Law in 2014.

In October 2013. The Vatican temporarily removes a German bishop following a scandal whereby the bishop has spent €31 million for construction of his new residence. He is also accused that he lied under oath.

In December 2015. An Italian cardinal has repaid (he says donated) €150 thousand to a children’s hospital charity, which used its charitable hospital donations to finance the refurbishment of the cardinals luxury apartment overlooking St. Peters Square.

The Catholic Church continues to be rocked by financial scandals, the luxurious lifestyles of the churches hierarchy, and total lack of financial controls, transparency and accountability.

Womens Reproductive Health. The Catholic Church teaches that abortion is a sin, because it is the termination (killing) of human life.

Based upon this comes the contentious issue of when does life start, and is "artificial" contraception the termination of life. The church's current teaching is that all forms of "artificial" contraception are sinful because they override God's will in determining when a life will be created and are in fact acts of abortion. The only form of contraception allowed is the "Rhythm Method" which is the most ineffectual method of all, and will either produce children, serious marital disharmony or both.

During the Second Vatican Council of 1968 the majority of the Papal Commission on Birth Control were in favour of allowing artificial birth control, however a powerful few conservatives brought pressure on Pope Paul VI to ignore the results of the commission, which he did by issuing his Papal Encyclical on Contraception reaffirming its ban.

There was immediate and worldwide dissent among catholic clergy and laity alike. The dissent continues today and most first world clergy ignore the encyclical, as do better educated catholic societies in general. Contraception is widely used amongst Catholics (98% in USA and Europe have used contraceptives and 76% believe that you can remain a good catholic whilst ignoring the encyclical). Since the church has obviously lost the battle on contraception (although still battling, and losing, against it in third world countries) the focus has now switched to the ban on abortion.

Divorce. The Catholic church has long stated that divorce is not allowed nor that its members can remarry after separation.

Notwithstanding this strict interdiction of divorce, many Roman Catholics procure divorces in the secular courts. The Roman Catholic church views such divorces as merely a form of legal separation, and remarriage within the church is not permitted. In countries where Protestantism is dominant, the doctrine that marriage is indissoluble has been rejected. Philosophical theories and political theories generally maintain that marriage is pre-eminently a civil contract and that therefore it is subject to dissolution.

Divorce on various grounds is recognized among Buddhists and Muslims as well. In Communist nations, which usually rejected formal religious doctrine, divorce was normally easy to obtain.

The only country that does not allow divorce through the secular courts is the predominantly catholic Philippines. This results in many Filipinos living lives out of accord with their faith and secular law.

It also results in an archaic inheritance law, which often further imposes family conflict. Inheritance law cannot realistically be changed without first changing divorce law. 

Notes

·         The 14th Dalai Lama states: "From one viewpoint, Buddhism is a religion, from another viewpoint Buddhism is a science of mind and not a religion. Buddhism can be a bridge between these two sides. Therefore, with this conviction I try to have closer ties with scientists, mainly in the fields of cosmology, psychology, neurobiology and physics. In these fields there are insights to share, and to a certain extent we can work together."

·         Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche states: "If you are interested in 'meeting the Buddha' and following his example, then you should realize that the path the Buddha taught is primarily a study of your own mind and a system for training your mind. This path is spiritual, not religious. Its goal is self-knowledge, not salvation; freedom, not heaven. And it is deeply personal."

Modern Catholic Leadership.

The Reign of Pope John Paul II (1978-2005)

Issues of sexuality and gender played a disproportionate part in the controversies of John Paul’s pontificate. His condemnation of contraception brought him into collision with those who promoted it as a solution for the overpopulation problem of the third world and with Catholics in developed countries who sought greater personal choice. John Paul’s teaching that abortion (including contraception as being abortion) was not only morally wrong but should also be legally prohibited raised serious concerns about church-state relations.

The refusal of John Paul II to permit the ordination of women and married men intensified a serious shortage of priests in the Catholic Church.

A series of widely reported scandals arose from accusations of sexual misconduct on the part of members of the clergy. The scandals rocked the church around the world. A percentage of Catholic priests were accused of sexually abusing adolescents who were under their pastoral care. A much larger percentage of bishops were then found to have responded with more concern for the prevention of scandal than for the protection of children.

Hundreds of millions of dollars were spent to settle the ensuing lawsuits and brought many dioceses to the brink of bankruptcy.

John Paul II responded with condemnations of clerical misconduct and calls for a return to higher moral standards, the scandals had a grave impact on his vision of the church. The ability of Catholic priests and bishops to exercise moral leadership in society at large was severely compromised.

The shortage of priests in the church was not likely to be improved by the disrepute that some priests had brought upon the clergy. Some commentators wondered whether the church’s insistence on clerical celibacy contributed to the magnitude of the sexual abuse scandal, however John Paul II continued to reject the ordination of women or married men.

Finally, his exclusion of lay people from most leadership roles and a tendency to wrap management decisions in secrecy were increasingly seen as having contributed to the problem.

In 2000, a year in which the church reflected on its 2,000-year history, John Paul asked forgiveness for sins committed by Roman Catholics. Mentioning no specific errors, several cardinals acknowledged past injustice and intolerance toward non-Catholics including the Crusades, the Inquisition and inaction during the Holocaust

His leadership of conservatives within the church seemed to reflect an impatience with moderate and progressive Catholics.

Catholicism will continue to be tainted by its image as an agency that has enjoyed too much wealth and power for too long cynically abusing both.