And I, for the record, am a practicing CatholicBuddhistHinduScientologistLesbianMarxistRapper

Something is in the water, while a little less is between the ears:

Looking for a wild-and-crazy time at college? Don’t sign up for Justin McDaniel’s religious studies class.

The associate professor’s course on monastic life and asceticism gives students at the University of Pennsylvania a firsthand experience of what it’s like to be a monk. ...

The course, which focuses primarily on Catholic and Buddhist monastic traditions, stems in part from McDaniel’s own history. An expert on Asian religions, he spent a portion of his post-undergraduate life nearly 20 years ago as a Buddhist monk in Thailand and Laos; he says he’s both a practicing Buddhist and a practicing Catholic.

Oh, c'mon, Mr. McDaniel! Set your sights higher, as did Sean Stone, the son of film-maker and conspiracy promoter Oliver Stone, and practice three religions at once:

US filmmaker Sean Stone, son of Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone, converted to Islam on Tuesday in Iran, where he is making a documentary, he told AFP.

"The conversion to Islam is not abandoning Christianity or Judaism, which I was born with. It means I have accepted Mohammad and other prophets," he said in a brief telephone call from the central Iranian city of Isfahan, where he underwent the ceremony.

The first story—which has no mention of God, Jesus Christ, or distinctively Christian beliefs and practices—concludes with this Really, Really Deep Thought about learning about the monastic way of life:

“It’s not about individual restrictions,” said McDaniel. “It’s about building hyperawareness of yourself and others.”

Nifty. But how about also building some awareness of the specific beliefs of Christianity and Buddhism that indicate they cannot, ultimately, be reconciled with one another? As for the second story, one doesn't have to be an expert in Islam to suspect that becoming Muslim does, in fact, involve a certain and obvious rejection of Christianity and Judaism. But, hey, that is just the hyperaware opinion of one CatholicBuddhistHinduScientologistLesbianMarxistRapper.

Comments

[Charles E Flynn]

I have heard two arguments made. The first is that Buddhism is a philosophy, not a religion, so it can be compatible with Catholicism, because Catholicism does not have an official philosophy. The second is that Jesus could not have said he is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life", because Hebrew does not have definite articles. At most, the argument goes, he could have said he is "Way, Truth, and Life", leaving these roles open for others.

When I hear these arguments, I wonder whether a sigh or a rolling of the eyes towards the heavens should come first.

[Joe]

1. Methinks Thomas Merton needs to be taken to the wood shed just briefly here.

2. Please republish John C. Wu's From East to West please. The guy who is the China expert who writes here sometimes could write a bang up intro no doubt.

And now done role-playing publisher, I react...

3. Wait, *Oliver Stone's* son was--ever--a professing Christian? Wow.

[Rob]

Charles,

"The first is that Buddhism is a philosophy, not a religion, so it can be compatible with Catholicism, because Catholicism does not have an official philosophy."

To people who say this, I would ask "Ever hear of St. Thomas Aquinas?" :)

[Charles E Flynn]

Rob,

If anyone deserves the title of official philosopher, it would be St. Thomas Aquinas. Search for "Catholic" on this page:

http://www.egs.edu/library/aristotle/biography/

[Manwe]

lol, love the title! I myself am an AgnosticZoroastrianJewishFreudian, but I digress...

@Joe
"1.Methinks Thomas Merton needs to be taken to the wood shed just briefly here."
I'm totally in agreement!

"3. Wait, *Oliver Stone's* son was--ever--a professing Christian? Wow."
rofl, my sentiments exactly! Which one of his parents brought him up as a Christian? Certainly not his father. But maybe he meant 'christian' and 'jewish' in the cultural sense?

What I don't understand is this fad today that involves people having more then one religion. It's just so senseless and self-contradictory, you'd think they would pick up on it, but they never do. Having multiple religions does not give one a bigger or truer picture of reality, rather it gives one a splintered portrait, one that is true to neither of the faiths in question, and one that is ultimately false.

[Tess]

Growing more daft by the minute, what will happen when Stone adds Buddhism to his Islamism or if is caught burning incense to a little bronze figure, will there be a fatwa issued on him?? What would happen if he decided to make a movie in Israel? Confucius, your turn next....

[poetcomic1]

Jesus Christ died for us, fulfilled prophecy, performed miracles and overcame death. Buddha wandered around and around and around and talked and talked and talked till he dropped dead. Buddhist 'philosophy' is inhuman, fatalistic and denies the immortal soul of man. Comparing Christianity and Buddhism is not 'apples and oranges' it is more like 'apples and Studebakers'.

[Mimi]

Hebrew - both ancient and modern - DOES have a definite article. It's the Hebrew letter 'heh' usually pronounced 'hah' and is attached to the noun or adjective that it modifies.