Sin & Skepticism in Buddhism

[Brian]

Question:

Last night I was listening to the Skeptoid podcast, which examines
various things from a skeptic’s perspective. The host was discussing
sin and mentioned that being skeptical was a sin in Buddhism. Your
podcasts have lead me to think otherwise. Was the host misinformed?
Please elaborate. Thanks!

Answer:

I listen to a couple of skeptic podcasts as well; I prefer the
Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe. I didn’t hear the episode of Skeptoid
in question, but yes, I’d guess the speaker was probably just
misinformed about Buddhism; they can’t be expects in everything.
Generally, I agree with the skeptics’ views on religion, but I think
in this case, he was either looking at some specific sect of Buddhism
or just plain wrong.

Most, if not all, sects of Buddhism encourage open-minded thought and
debate. Some are more open to modern science and thinking than others,
but I’m not aware of any group that would consider doubt a form of
“sin.” There is a reason many people (although once again, not
everyone) prefer to call Buddhism a philosophy rather than a religion,
and open-mindedness is a big part of it.

If any of the Daily Buddhism readers out there are familiar with a
case where skepticism or critical thinking was discouraged in
Buddhism, please post a comment. I’m sure it happens, but it’s
definitely not the general rule.

Comment on this post at: http://www.dailybuddhism.com/archives/1383

Read more at http://www.DailyBuddhism.com