Penn and Teller exposes fraudulent religious leaders

[Repatriate]

I saw this episode of Penn and Teller recently on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc732uzUkw4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1Jm9PzG ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tzhh7oJz ... re=related


It's not surprising to me since i've always been skeptical of these religious leaders but I didn't know the depths of depravity involved.

Just a summary:

Apparently Mother Theresa was collecting money from despots and using it to propagate catholicism instead of actual humanitarian efforts. Her "charities" were basically places for people to die with little or no actual treatment to ease their suffering. She built a lot of nunneries and expanded the religious institution which did not benefit the poor in the least.

Ghandi was a virulent racist who called black people Kafirs and wanted a separation of "Indian" society from blacks. I heard about that about Ghandi before but I didn't realize he was also a major pervert who enjoyed giving enemas to young girls that he bedded down with.

Dalai Llama more or less wants a return to the feudal priesthood that's culturally popular with Tibetan buddhism. Tibet Buddhism is a strict hierarchy with a serf/peasant class that serves the higher order of monks. So a lot of his "selfless" protests are in fact just a selfish power play.

[MrPeabody]

Buddhism practiced in the East is nothing like effeminate Western Buddhism. That’s why I like it. Remember, that in the East, they are the establishment. Buddhists haven’t misrepresented themselves; just acquired an image which is basically the projection of Western minds.

[Repatriate]

Buddhism practiced in the East is nothing like effeminate Western Buddhism. That’s why I like it. Remember, that in the East, they are the establishment. Buddhists haven’t misrepresented themselves; just acquired an image which is basically the projection of Western minds.

Tibetan Buddhism is non-egalitarian and authoritarian. That's pretty contrary to my own belief system. Western buddhism is more like new-age pop idealized religion. It takes the basic precepts and fits it into modern western liberal ideology that's consumable by mostly middle aged upper middle class white people.

I'm skeptical of organized religion in general. I think buddhism has the closest "natural" spirituality but as soon as you start talking temples, hierarchy, and priesthood then it goes to shit. In Thailand the priesthood is corrupt and is basically a state institution. It's not unusual to hear about monks trafficking women, drugs, or firearms in the countryside ruling over their little dominion.

[MrPeabody]

Feminist NGOs are angry that Thai Buddhist don't speak out against prostitution. Buddhist monks have been used as target practice in the south by Islamic insurgents, but I haven't heard of them arming themselves yet. The CIA is the real influence in the drug trade. Most of the evils in Asian countries can be directly traced to Western domination. But Westerners object to Thais running their own country.


CIA and drugs in Southeast Asia

http://www.japanfocus.org/-Peter_Dale-Scott/3436



The most valuable part of Buddhism are a few monasteries in Thailand and Burma that still maintain a rigorous meditation practice.