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Congressional Gold Medal for the Dalai Lama

post #1 of 23
10/16/07 at 7:31am
Thread Starter 
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071016/.../us_dalai_lama


Who does China think they are to demand we not give the Dalai Lama this award. I just think the Dalai Lama is such a good man.
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post #2 of 23
10/16/07 at 7:36am
Yes, and sometimes people need to be rewarded and awarded just for being good, even if the award sometimes may not seem like the right one. It's the acknowledgement that matters, at the end of the day, that says `thank you' with a little extra recognition.
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post #3 of 23
10/16/07 at 11:58am
IMO we shouldn't be dealing with China in the first place until they give the people of Tibet their land back, stop torturing them, and release the Panchen Lama, so who cares if it hurts our relationship with Beijing?

Maybe their poisoning of our children and pets has hurt our relationship with Beijing.
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post #4 of 23
10/16/07 at 12:35pm
Thread Starter 
I AGREE wholeheartedly Z. It makes me sick.
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post #5 of 23
10/16/07 at 9:35pm
lol between this, and russia making buddy buddy with Iran.
i would suggest we start bulding up the armed forces again. sounds like a new cold war is going to get started
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post #6 of 23
10/17/07 at 7:14am
So this is some good news: http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-10-17-voa12.cfm

He's going to thwart the reincarnation registration by the government of China by doing this. What a smart man.
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post #7 of 23
10/17/07 at 8:03am
Thread Starter 
I do not understand the whole reincarnation thing as explained in the article.
If one believe in reincarnation (I don't) how the heck could one decide if they would or wouldn't be reincarnated?
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post #8 of 23
10/17/07 at 8:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ckblv View Post
I do not understand the whole reincarnation thing as explained in the article.
If one believe in reincarnation (I don't) how the heck could one decide if they would or wouldn't be reincarnated?
Well, in China if you want to be reincarnated you have to register. How they plan on keeping track of this remains to be seen....

One can decide to reincarnate if they've reached enlightenment and then want to come back and help others make it to the next spiritual level. It's more of a Buddhist tradition.
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post #9 of 23
10/17/07 at 9:14am
And the registration is entirely and only about religious persecution-- if they decide to restrict Buddhists, or kill them, or whatever, they'll have a nice little list to work from. Religion is still illegal in China, as is having a picture of the Dalai Lama.

And we are almost singlehandedly supporting their economy why?
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post #10 of 23
10/17/07 at 10:08am
I watched Pres. Bush's press conference, this morning and he was asked about his presence, at the awards ceremony. I am glad that he's going to be there and is refusing to cave in to China's snit-fit.
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post #11 of 23
10/17/07 at 10:11am
I don't think it was appropriate for the Congress to award this medal to the Dalai Lama. From Wikipedia:
Quote:
The decoration is awarded to any individual who performs an outstanding deed or act of service to the security, prosperity, and national interest of the United States
I don't really see where he fits those qualifications. He's worth of recognition and honor, certainly, but not a medal for service to the U.S.

On the other side of the coin, China has no business getting all bent out of shape on this issue, and I think we should stand up to them on it.
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post #12 of 23
10/17/07 at 10:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zissou'sMom View Post
. Religion is still illegal in China,
Religion is NOT illegal in China. Religion that's not registered with and authorized by the state IS illegal. And foreigners aren't subject to these restrictions.

The religions that are permitted are those that recognize the state as the supreme authority. Evangelical Christianity, for example, is not permitted because God is superior to the state. There is a state version of Christianity called the "Three-Self Patriotic Movement" which is permitted. However, it's heavily watered down - not really true Christianity.

Anyone who practices a religion that's not authorized by and registered with the state is subject to arrest and imprisonment.
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post #13 of 23
10/17/07 at 10:37am
Thread Starter 
Well, Coaster, seeing as how no governmental authority will tell me what to worship or believe in, it sure seems to me that religion is against the law in China.

I read where Bush is the first sitting president to ever appear with the Dalai Lama, is that true?

I am glad he got the medal. Certain aguments have been made about Gore getting the Peace Prize too, but I'm glad he did.
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post #14 of 23
10/17/07 at 10:49am
Except you're not allowing for religions other than your own. That's a pretty narrow definition of religion. Defining it that way, yes, that would be illegal in China. But Buddhism is legal in China. They have their own version with a Dalai Lama they picked. This Dalai Lama would say that's not the true Dalai Lama. I suppose that he's right. But there is religion that's legal to practice in China. Buddhism, Confucianism, and Christianity and the main three, I think.
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post #15 of 23
10/17/07 at 10:59am
Thread Starter 
Nope, not IMO, state sanctioned religion does not make it legal in my mind.
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post #16 of 23
10/17/07 at 12:48pm
Perhaps I should have said that there is absolutely no freedom of religion in China... worshipping when, where and what the government tells you isn't really the same as being completely illegal, but it also isn't the same as the sort of freedom of religion we have here.

I was being too simplistic, but it doesn't change my opinion.
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post #17 of 23
10/17/07 at 3:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by coaster View Post
Religion is NOT illegal in China. Religion that's not registered with and authorized by the state IS illegal. And foreigners aren't subject to these restrictions.
.

hmm well, the chinese goverment has been knowen in recent times to take bibles,throw christens , muslims , etc in jail. PUt people in jail for bringing in bibles.

its all based on the goverments mood at the time.
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post #18 of 23
10/17/07 at 4:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by theimp98 View Post
its all based on the goverments mood at the time.
No, it's based on whether or not the religion is registered with the state. Christians who don't belong to the state church (TSPM) get thrown into jail. Christians who do belong to the state church are free to worship in the state-approved churches. Most Christians do not belong to the state church and worship in house churches, basements, caves, and wherever they can to avoid detection and arrest and so they are practicing their religion illegally according to Chinese law.

One reason I keep harping on the legal definition is because it applies to the Dalai Lama, the subject of this thread. The Dalai Lama is the spiritual head of the Buddhist religion. However, in China and Chinese-controlled countries (Tibet) he isn't recognized and they've installed their own Dalai Lama in their state-approved Buddhist religion. Buddhists who still follow the original Dalai Lama are subject to arrest and Buddhists who acknowledge the Chinese-approved Dalai Lama are free to practice Buddhism.

There is religion in China but it's been subverted by the Chinese Communist Party to be used as a tool in their control of their people. So there's religion, and there's religion....there's Buddhism and there's Buddhism.....there's Christianity and there's Christianity.....you can't make a blanket statement that covers all.
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post #19 of 23
10/17/07 at 5:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by coaster View Post
One reason I keep harping on the legal definition is because it applies to the Dalai Lama, the subject of this thread. The Dalai Lama is the spiritual head of the Buddhist religion. However, in China and Chinese-controlled countries (Tibet) he isn't recognized and they've installed their own Dalai Lama in their state-approved Buddhist religion. Buddhists who still follow the original Dalai Lama are subject to arrest and Buddhists who acknowledge the Chinese-approved Dalai Lama are free to practice Buddhism.
Another way of looking at it is that China invaded another country, murdered many of its people, exiled its leader, kidnapped the second in command, tortures the religions' adherents, and makes up an "approved" but completely illegitimate religion so that people can't say they don't let anybody be Buddhist. Nobody is "free to practice" anything, unless people were free to be Christian during the Inquisition.
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post #20 of 23
10/17/07 at 6:54pm
That would be a good analogy.

It will be interesting to see what happens after the 2008 Olympics.
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post #21 of 23
10/17/07 at 7:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by coaster View Post
No, it's based on whether or not the religion is registered with the state. .

There is religion in China but it's been subverted by the Chinese Communist Party to be used as a tool in their control of their people. So there's religion, and there's religion....there's Buddhism and there's Buddhism.....there's Christianity and there's Christianity.....you can't make a blanket statement that covers all.

thus there mood at the time, or lack of kick backs.
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post #22 of 23
10/17/07 at 8:10pm
That doesn't make any sense to me. But never mind, it's off-topic anyway.
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post #23 of 23
10/18/07 at 3:07pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zissou'sMom View Post
Another way of looking at it is that China invaded another country, murdered many of its people, exiled its leader, kidnapped the second in command, tortures the religions' adherents, and makes up an "approved" but completely illegitimate religion so that people can't say they don't let anybody be Buddhist. Nobody is "free to practice" anything, unless people were free to be Christian during the Inquisition.

That is the way I look at it also.
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