Just sharing this because I didn't really know this personally and just found it all out- I'm not that interested in the religious leanings of Presidents and didn't particularly care about Obama's since he seems more likely to be a reptilian than a secret Muslim.

His dad is Muslim

His dad was Muslim until the age of 6, then became an Anglican (long before conceiving Obama) and later an atheist (long after ditching his son). His name used to be Baraka (an Islamic concept) and he changed it to Barack after converting.

Obama's dad also left him before he turned 3 and only visited him once- when he was about 10.

I think it's safe to say his dad didn't have much of an influence on Obama.

he was taught in a Muslim school

Obama was schooled in Indonesia for about 3.5 years. 2 of those were in a Catholic school; the other school he went to is a famous secular, public school called the Besuki school- more known for its famous alumni (at least 4 of which became presidents, vice presidents, or other national leaders) than for its Islamic influence.

Edited 3/13/2016 23:58:58

Okay fine its Taoism. Find me a Taoist extremist.

Well, since there's no Taoists to speak of, and no Zorostorians to speak of, they both don't have extremists since they don't have any followers.

However, many of the KMT that were involved in war crimes were known as many who wanted to make a new, theocratically based empire.

Also, taoism is very much a philosophy over faith - one of the opening lines of the Way is to not deal with taoism as a faith, not to put it in such a way.

Edited 3/14/2016 00:05:51

So is Buddhism, in its true form

Well, since there's no Taoists to speak of,

According to this site (http://www.religioustolerance.org/worldrel.htm) there are at least 12 million.

Also, taoism is very much a philosophy over faith

Taoism has deities and immortals, so its probably inaccurate to call it a philosophy. Also all faiths could be characterized as philosophy. That false-line of argument has been lodged against Hinduism as well.

According to this site (http://www.religioustolerance.org/worldrel.htm) there are at least 12 million.

I was obviously exaggerating (some folk can't tell - GeneralPE thought I wanted to set up governmental help programmes to human smugglers in that one news article I did). 12 million contrasts to 350 million (conservative estimate of Buddhism), 950 million (conservative estimate of Hinduism), and 150 million (conservative estimate of atheism).

Taoism has deities and immortals, so its probably inaccurate to call it a philosophy. Also all faiths could be characterized as philosophy. That false-line of argument has been lodged against Hinduism as well.

Taoism does not have gods nor invulnerablists, or at any rate, more than Buddhism does. It is just a philosophy on how to do things, in no book does it talk about gods or magery. That just comes from folk having multiple faiths, like in Japan or China. Where does superstition end and faith begin? Or philosophy end and faith begin? Or culture? These are debated things when estimating how many folk follow a faith.

"Taoism is often taught in the West as an atheist or agnostic philosophy, but in China and Taiwan particularly, Taoism still functions like any conventional religion, and not like an abstract philosophy of life.

There are Taoist temples, monasteries and priests, rituals and ceremonies, and a host of gods and goddesses for believers to worship. These are as vital to the survival of Taoism as individual understanding and practice.

Taoism's rich palette of liturgy and ritual makes the Tao more real to human beings and provides a way in which humanity can align itself more closely to the Tao to produce better lives for all.

The religious elements of Taoism draw much of their content from other Chinese religions (including many local cults), and so enfold a very wide range of culture and belief within the wings of the Tao.

The many traditions within the Taoist framework gives priests the tools to carry out the conventional tasks of any religion: worship, healing, exorcism, intercession, purification, divination and so on.

Most Taoist temple practices are designed to regulate the relationship between humanity and the world of gods and spirits, and to organise that relationship, and the relationships in the spirit world, in harmony with the Tao."

Taoism is a religious faith. http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/taoism/beliefs/religious_1.shtml

Edited 3/14/2016 00:49:52

*sigh* I said before, Taosim mixes with faiths. But here is the quote that I was talking about earlier.

In the opening passage of "Converting the Barbarians" by Lao Tzu:

"My teachings are simple; if you try to make a religion or science of them, they will elude you."

http://www.cheraglibrary.org/taoist/hua-hu-ching.htm

Edited 3/14/2016 01:16:48

this thread was waaaaaay de-railed

^I'm sorry but I trust BBC as a more authoritative source on Taoism than your personal interpretation of a Taoist scripture.

Edited 3/14/2016 01:45:04

yall need to see this

https://twitter.com/OgEamoney/status/705618418595143680

I'm sorry but I trust BBC as a more authoritative source on Taoism than your personal interpretation of a Taoist scripture.

First, it's not a "personal interpretation", it's a direct quote from one of the middle books of Taoism. Second, yes, Taoism is practised as a faith for some grounds, since folk chose to skip out of reading it (the BBC is right, too). Third, it mixes with other faiths, but to say it is these faiths that it mixes with is mistaken or at best, misleading.