Answering Laura

Laura brought up the question "What do you think about Buddhism?"

The question is simple enough but the answer could go in so many ways. I agree with a lot of things that Buddhism goes by. I think it's a great idea to take violence out of the picture but not necessarily to the extent of not being able to defend yourself. Being able to defend yourself is really important if you get attacked but if violence was taken out of the picture entirely then there would be no need to defend yourself.

Another aspect I like about Buddhism is that there is no karma, only cause and effect: good actions cause good effects and same for bad actions causing bad effects. It's along the same lines as karma because what you put in for effort will cause what you receive in return, but you don't get the idea of getting a random good thing happen to you if you behave or a random bad thing happen if you wronged someone or did something bad.

Nirvana is another great thing to believe in. The idea that this is your life here and now, try to get what you can while you can and achieve whatever goals you want to while you still have your life ahead of you because there (according to Buddhism) is no reincarnation afterlife. There is no chance of reaching enlightenment after your turn in life is over so learn as much as you can, do everything you want to (without going past harmful societal limits like murdering) and you will have had a successful life once it's over.

One thing that can go either way in Buddhism in my opinion is the fact that there is no worshipping of gods. A good thing about not believing in a god is that you don't have anyone to turn to; you decide for yourself who you are going to be/what type of person you are and what your ultimate purpose is in life. But not having anyone to turn to can also be looked at as a bad thing. Sometimes its nice to know that someone is always there no matter what even if it seems like you're all alone and you are just looking for some type of guidance.

If I had to choose between Hinduism and Buddhism I would probably choose Buddhism. What would you choose?