Universalist Bhuddaism

Okay, okay!! Sorry! I'm posting already....

Okay...so since my last post...I've turned 18 years young. Yipee!! But, you know what? It doesn't really feel a whole ton different then 17. But..oh well.

I'm soooo tired. I've been away from home for 14 hours today. Our first day of Orchestra was today, so I was there from 8:30 till 4:30...then I had to go to a Wedding Rehearsal, where I'm playing in a string quartet. After the Rehearsal, we had a Rehearsal Dinner in the most exclusive restuarant in town. So...that was pretty cool. Especially since I didn't have to pay a penny. :) So, I just got home about 15 minutes ago, and it's 10:40 now. So pretty muchly, I'm bushed...

Okay, Maddie, here's my college situation. I'm dual enrolling at a local community college this fall. I've got two classes. English 101 (Comp) and Trigonometry. My English teacher is okay...I think it'll be a decent class. My trig teacher is...eccentric. Maddie, you'll love this...he names his calculators. His one that he uses for class is "Huey"...cause it's a Hewlett\Packard. His Texas Instruments calculator's name is "Tex"...Anyway's, he's pretty fun. I think that will be a pretty decent class too. Okay...so there's that....

Oh, and here's a story about a couple people I talked to about Religion...

The conversation, as follows, is as near to verbatim as I can recall. Some things are already a little fuzzy in my head, but to my best recollection, all thoughts and ideas are communicated properly.

Chad (just a random person I engaged in conversation) goes to a Free Will Baptist Church...so after we talked about the differences between Calvanism and Armenianism, I asked if he considered himself a Christian...

Chad: yes.
Me: What makes someone a Christian?
Chad: Belief.
Me: Belief? A Muslim Believes...is a Muslim a Christian?
Chad: uhhh..no.
Me: So what makes someone a Christian?
Chad: Belief in God.
Me: Ohhhh...gotcha..so a Muslim IS a Christian...cause they believe in God...
Chad: oh. hmmm...I'm not really sure...

At this point, the Bhuddist fellow sitting on the other side of me joins in the conversation...(I didn't even know he was there, much less listening, much less Bhuddist)...

Bhudda: Oh, it's just a belief in Religion. I'm a religious person. Most people are...See, I follow Bhudda, therefore I'm saved. You follow God...so you're saved. It doesn't matter who you believe in, just as long as you don't go to Hell...It's more like..following an Ideal. Everybody follows the Ideal thats right for them, ya know? And so everybody is going to Heaven, right?

Me: ummm...possibly. But what if you are wrong? What if you live your life believing this Ideal, and you find out when you die that you totally followed the wrong Ideal, and that you are doomed to live at eternity apart from God, in Hell? Okay, now...it's not my job to say "I'm right, you're wrong, I'm going to Heaven, and you're going to Hell"...that's Gods job...but I CAN make you think about what you believe, why you believe it, and if your belief really is logical, or if there is something really quite wrong about it. So, what if you are wrong?

Bhudda: Well, then..I'd say it's a good ride, and I did the best I could. Man, you are a philosopher, through and through!! I present my idea, and you tear it to shreds, make me think about what I believe, and then sit there laughing quietly to yourself while I attempt to piece together what's left of my argument and religion. You are amazing!!! I love it!!!

Me: ...so, a good ride, huh?

At this point, Bhudda's girlfriend (or a girl, anyway), came back, and so he catches her up a little on the conversation we just had...Meanwhile, I go back to Chad...

Me: So, Chad...do you memorize Scripture?

Chad: ummm..a little, but not as much as I should, probably.

(at this point, Chad has an appointment he has to go to...which is really legit. Before we ever started talking about God, he mentioned that he had to be somewhere about this time)

Chad: *looks at watch*...oh hey, dude. I've got to run. It was great talking with you.

Me: So...think about what I've said a little, why don't you? Find out what Christianity is, and then you can really claim to be a Christian.

Chad: Yah, I will. Thanks a bunch for talking with me, dude. I appreciate it. See you around?

Me: No problem, man. Yah, I'll be seeing you.

(Bhudda comes back on-scene, getting ready to leave)

Bhudda: Hey, man, are you a freshman?

Me: Yah, I am, how about you?

Bhudda: Me too!! Dude, I've so gotta talk to you again, you make me think so much!!! So..maybe we can talk again another day?

Me: Definitely man. Anytime you got time.

I did leave out a few parts of the conversation, as related to career choices, and classes that were being taken...I included all I could remember about the actual Religion/God/Hell/Heaven etc part...