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Buddhists to Brit Hume: We forgive you
USA Today, Jan 15, 2010
San Francisco, CA (USA) -- Ex-Fox newsman Brit Hume is getting a drubbing -- a gentle, peaceful drubbing -- on the blogs today from Buddhists who take issue with his slam on their beliefs.
In case you missed it, Hume called on Tiger Woods to turn away from Buddhism toward Christianity for forgiveness and a chance to rehabilitate his reputation in the world -- as if conversion were a get-out-of-scandal-jail free pass.
Webmonkees tweeted: " It is less useful to contemplate the hypocrisy of Fox News, as collecting the dew from beneath each grain of sand."
Kyle Lovett, blogging as The Reformed Buddhist, writes:
Could Hume get away with saying something like this about Jewish people or Black People or the Muslim Faith? You betcha he couldn't. Why should he be able to skate away scott free when speaking about Buddhists?
Buddhist and journalist Barbara Hoetsu O'Brien gets down to dharma. She writes:
I don't like to point out others' faults, but given the record I would think Christians would show a little more humility about offering advice to the sexually wayward. As Jesus once said, let those who have never sinned throw the first stones (John 8:7).
However, Mr. Hume is right, in a sense, that Buddhism doesn't offer redemption and forgiveness in the same way Christianity does. Buddhism has no concept of sin; therefore, redemption and forgiveness in the Christian sense is meaningless in Buddhism. Forgiveness is important, but it is approached differently in Buddhism...
She points out:
... the practice of metta, loving kindness, is essential in Buddhism. Metta is extended to all beings, including those who have wronged us -- even Brit Hume -- and also to ourselves.
For a step by step on forgiveness, Buddhism style, see Buddhanet's basics which counsels:
Have forgiveness in your heart for anything you think you've done wrong . Forgive yourself for all the past omissions and commissions. They are long gone. Understand that you were a different person and this one is forgiving that one that you were. Feel that forgiveness filling you and enveloping you with a sense of warmth and ease.
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