Those guys all sinned and were easily forgiven? 

Buddhism, at least the Mahayana sects, typically emphasize making up for your sins after you sin, to correct your personal karma and avoid reincarnation as a hungry ghost, or somebody’s dairy cow.

Why would Woods convert now, when he can sin like crazy and convert on his death bed?

Gotta love that “get out of jail free” card. It just takes timing. Don’t yell, “God damn it!” if you’re about to get hit by the bus—eternal damnation for that. But you can eat a boiled baby every day, and so long as you have the good sense to die of something lingering, like cancer, you can pray your sins away, and get into heaven.

So if I’m Woods, I keep sleeping with every man and woman alive, until the syphilis gets bad enough, and then convert.

Unfortunately, it will turn out that the Greeks were right after all. Alas!

How does this prescription for redemption explain Ted Haggard, Mark Sanford, John Ensign and all of the rest of the Christian GOP sexual hypocrites?

I think it kind of explains the hypocrisy.  Let’s investigate comparative religion as viewed from the perspective for which Hume is a spokesman.  According to Hume, Tiger Woods the Buddhist is just a Buddhist who cheats on his wife.  (Bo-ring.)  But a Christian Tiger Woods would be a Christian who cheats on his wife and gets rewarded for it by a congratulatory pat on the back from God.  (The phrase employed by Hume is: “You can make a total recovery and make a great example to the world,” not “You can learn how to become and remain faithful to your wife, assuming that’s your goal.”  Draw your own conclusions.)  In other words, Tiger Woods the Buddhist who has landed in a peck of trouble remains dependent on his own resources, whereas Tiger Woods the Christian who has blundered into the same vail of mischance would have the Almighty for an enabler.  That’s quite a great leap forward. 

It’s easy to see how this prescription would benefit Tiger Woods, were it efficacious.  What’s more difficult to comprehend is: how this prescription would benefit anyone other than Tiger Woods (such as his wife, his kids, or the people who have sunk money into him).  So that the bennies contingent on the Woods misbehavior would be privatized to Tiger, but the disadvantages connected therewith would be unloaded on society at large.  (And people say they can’t understand how social conservatives and economic conservatives can get along so well together.  Ah yes indeed: it is a puzzlement.)

Brit Hume selling forgiveness?!?  Again with the Winfield Scott quote:  you could cover Brit Hume’s mouth with a button.  Why would anyone seeking forgiveness turn to the brand Brit Hume is selling?  If I thought about it really hard, for a few days, I might be able to come up with someone who reeks self-righteousness and contempt and a hard-hearted lack of sympathy, generosity or mercy more than Brit Hume.  OTOH, maybe I couldn’t.  Christians really need to come up with someone other than that cold fish to hawk their wares.

Tiger Woods, as a Buddhist, should understand that desire brings unhappiness, and by overcoming desire, he can achieve happiness.

So, if he could actually do what his religion says to, he would stop *wanting* to cheat on his wife, and stop cheating, and end up happy. Whereas if he does what Christianity says, he only has to repent after he does it.

I think he just needs to work harder at the Buddhism.

What utter horseshit.

Unfortunately, it will turn out that the Greeks were right after all. Alas!

We were right about something? I guess there’s always a first time.

bekabot says: What’s more difficult to comprehend is: how this prescription would benefit anyone other than Tiger Woods (such as his wife, his kids, or the people who have sunk money into him).  So that the bennies contingent on the Woods misbehavior would be privatized to Tiger, but the disadvantages connected therewith would be unloaded on society at large.

This!

However, the mea culpa needs to be made public - such as a confession/powerlunch with the appropriate “Christian” leader, such as Smitin’ Pat Robertson, FocusOntheAnus’ James Dobson, etc accompanied by a sizeable donation/investment in his “ministry”.  This absolution worked for super scum like Rudy Guiliani and Newt Gingrich, don’t see why it wouldn’t work for the Tiger!

Someone should demand equal time for a Buddhist response.  I mean, Fox is fair and balanced right?

Hey, what about Robert Thurman, then he can weird out the entire USA, with his medidation where he is nursey by Dick Cheney.  I mean, if that ain’t forgiving, I don’t know what is. 

“What do you think about when you meditate? Usually, some form of trying to excavate any kind of negative thing cycling in the mind and turn it toward the positive. For example, when I am annoyed with Dick Cheney, I meditate on how Dick Cheney was my mother in a previous life and nursed me at his breast. “

“You mean you fantasize about being breast-fed by Dick Cheney? It’s a fantasy of releasing fear and developing affection. It’s a way of coming back to feeling grateful toward him and seeing his positive side, finding the mother in Dick Cheney. “

That’s probably the same advice he gave his gay son five minutes before he killed himself.

It took me a while to process what was really messed up about this, other than the most obvious thing.  It’s not just the denigration of another religion.  It’s the complete phoniness of some media personality pretending to give a damn about Tiger Woods soul and offering him sincere advice to relieve his personal distress.  Jeez, at least part of the reason for the success of Oprah is the belief that she was never just putting on a show of sympathy for the cameras.

Or maybe his son was fucked up in ways that had nothing to do with him being gay.

Unfortunately, it will turn out that the Greeks were right after all. Alas!

Actually it’s the Jews.  You’ll get all the details at the orientation.

Well, obviously the sins of individual Christians can’t discredit Christianity, any more than some people dying anyway after receiving an experimental treatment proves that the treatment doesn’t work.  What would make an impression would be if Christians could be statistically demonstrated to behave better as a group than non-Christians.

So, Christians, feel free to conduct population studies that show Christians are less likely to receive speeding tickets, have their taxes audited, get divorced, wind up on child-abuse lists, &c;.  It should be relatively easy to provide clear documentation of a behavioral effect…or of its lack.

It took me a while to process what was really messed up about this, other than the most obvious thing.  It’s not just the denigration of another religion.  It’s the complete phoniness of some media personality pretending to give a damn about Tiger Woods soul and offering him sincere advice to relieve his personal distress. 
Comment #14: triviadude on 01/03 at 11:48 PM

The weird thing about it to me is that it’s as if he’s saying, play this game with these rules, not that game with those rules, and you’ll win more easily and get a bigger prize at the end. 

I thought the whole idea was that one religion was right and the others are wrong.  How can Jesus be the only way to God, and Buddhism be another way to God (or enlightenment)?  Religious claims are, at least if you take them seriously, incompatible with each other.

So, basically, if you’re a Christian all you have to do is apologize to God and you’re off the hook? Sounds like a great racket to me. Unfortunately, as a Buddhist, I have to acknowledge my mistakes and deal with the consequences. It’s a little rougher, but considerably more adult, IMHO.
(BTW: I’m talking not about the Christian tradition in its entirety, but the mind-numbingly simplistic take on it these folx seem to have…)

I guess Brit Hume is polishing his credentials for his next career as a televangelist.  It isn’t the forgiveness of Christ or any other mythical figure that Tiger Woods should be after, but the forgiveness of people he actually hurt.  (Wait, now I am starting to see the appeal of Christianity - who cares who you hurt, just ask forgiveness of Baby Jeebus and everything is cool.) 

As for redemption, how about being honest in his future relationships that would redeem Tiger as a person, no?  (Oh, that’s the other appealing part of Christianity - no need to adjust your behavior, just let Christ magically redeem you.)

I like the stunned silence for a second or two after Hume’s completely inappropriate outburst.

It’s pretty bad when your organization can only entice people over cause of the get-out-of-jail free card you have.  I mean, it’s not a bad perk, but it seems to be the only one they hawk.

I can’t top Sullivan on this one:

“The slow morphing of Fox News into the 700 Club is not exactly new. What earthly reason do these pundits now have to prevent or stop it? Once you have abolished the distinction between secular and religious discourse, as they routinely insist on doing, their politics is their religion and their religion is their politics. And both are corrupted.”

Evidently, Brit “I used to be a real journalist ‘til Faux” Hume is a true believer in the old aphorism:

There is no problem that cannot be solved by the proper use of <strike>explosives</strike> Christianity.

Unfortunately, history seems to show Christianity as much more of a problem than a solution…

Oh fuck off, Hume. Christianity shouldn’t be a “get out of temporal responsibility free” card. Even sicker is the idea that Woods’ sins are against the public, and thus can be forgiven by the public, as opposed to against his wife.

Someone should demand equal time for a Buddhist response.  I mean, Fox is fair and balanced right?

The problem here is that Christianity is inferior to Buddhism when it comes to dealing with one’s karma and implies that Brit Hume should turn his back on Christianity and become a Buddhist to be avoid being reborn as a cockroach due to his actions in this life.  The threat of returning as a despised slimy spineless insect simply doesn’t work on Fox News pundits, as there’s very little change.

Hell, for all I know, perhaps contemplating returning as a Fox News pundit keeps cockroaches good…

Ah.  So Tiger needs to believe in sky cake, and everything will be okay. 

That’s like saying all will be well if he clicks his heels together three times and says “there’s no place like home…”.  Faux News believes that it doesn’t matter if his wife is still hurt (she was only a HOOR anyway, as all women are, see: Eve), or the people who have been pulled into the media maelstrom; all that matters is that Faux’s Angry Sky God forgive him so Hume can watch golf again.

Does this sound to anybody else like Brit is not talking about forgiveness but how Tiger can get commerical sponsors back? - seek forgiveness of the establishment via their approved religion (it’ll have to some evangelical church - not say the Quakers) confess your fault to the patriarchy in public and you’ll the Chevy Malbui and the Nike sponsors will return - marking you as a great example to the world.

Is there something beyond completely nuts? If so these folks have found it.

This is perfectly sensible. “Embrace christianity, and you, like me, will feel much better about being a jerkwad who thinks honesty is for chumps.”

I saw this clip elsewhere.

The arrogance on Brit Hume’s part is amazing considering that: a) No one (least of all Tiger Woods) asked for his life coaching advice; b) He’s wrong that Christianity equals a rock-steady life (ask Scott Roeder), and; c) Woods’ spiritual beliefs are none of Hume’s business.

But on the other hand, Hume’s tone isn’t at all shocking seeing as how according to the Republican credo all one needs to live a full American life are a Bible, a hetero marriage, a US flag, and a loaded gun.

professorfate says: Does this sound to anybody else like Brit is not talking about forgiveness but how Tiger can get commerical sponsors back? - seek forgiveness of the establishment via their approved religion (it’ll have to some evangelical church - not say the Quakers) confess your fault to the patriarchy in public and you’ll the Chevy Malbui and the Nike sponsors will return - marking you as a great example to the world.

Hume is an idiot.  Nike, Chevy, Accenture, AT&T;worship at the Church of the Greenback and kissing the ring of some Talibangelical Mullah is of no interest to them.  That only works if you’re trying to get the support of the Teabagger Republitard convention and their followers.

Perhaps the lamest aspect of Hume’s comment is that once word of the backlash its receiving spreads over the blogoshere, his evangelical supporters won’t hesitate to play the Christian Persecution card.

In fact, ten bucks sez that tonight’s Hannity broadcast will lead with the following: “Brit Hume was just looking out for Tiger’s eternal salvation. Why do liberals hate Jesus so?”

The Buddhist and Christian responses to this are roughly similar: recognize your wrong-doing, rededicate yourself to the path, and change your life to remove future temptations. Buddhism generally holds that karma can’t be balanced like a checkbook, and attempting to do so just adds more karma to the register. In Christianity, the concept that sins are impossible to reconcile individualy competes with “eye for an eye.”

WTF?  There isn’t a font large enough or angry enough to convey my emotions about this asshat.

What I love is the singular obtuseness in thinking that anyone needs redemption and forgiveness of sins from the father-in-the-sky.

How about exercising personal responsibility in dealing with consequences like an adult instead.

Also, re comments, not all strains of buddhism include the concept of reincarnation.  Zen buddhism in particular.

Also, re comments, not all strains of buddhism include the concept of reincarnation.  Zen buddhism in particular.

“Nothing reincarnates” is not a statement of belief but, rather, a koan.

I mean, why should I strive to break free from The Wheel of life and death if there is no cycle of reincarnation?

And then Master hit me with a stick ...

The most important question, to my mind, is how someone who clearly doesn’t know the first fucking thing about Buddhism is allowed to go onto national television and talk about Buddhism.

GAHHA! I didn’t realize Tiger Woods is a Buddhist. I doubt if he’s a Nichiren Buddhist (like Tina Turner, Orlando Bloom, et al) because I would have heard. Is it any wonder anyone who is not a Christian in this bible thumping country feels marginalized? I really struggle with being tolerant of Christians, since some of my worst experiences has been with them. Bret Hume can go straight to hell.

Bible, a hetero marriage, a US flag, and a loaded gun

I would just amend that to read “one hetero marriage at a time”...