Re: I guess this is where I end up............

want2believe,
Be patient. I think there is real love at the center of buddhism. Here
is my humble observation....

I understand the 'love' you talk of. I also think it is essential for
happiness. In Christianity, this love (or its seblence) is offered
immediately, like a free first dose of heroin. Once you are used to it,
having you believe in all the nonsensical stuff they put becomes
easier. I wouldn't say they delibrately do this, but the way their
system has developed over time, this is the way it works.

By contrast, Buddhism is more of a philosophy. It asks you NOT to have
faith but to reason and understand things yourself. As you understand
more, love and compassion are born in you naturally. Personally, I
believe that this form of love and compassion is more real and more
stable.

Walk the path of rational inquiry a little bit, and see what turns up.

Some of your other questions...

What I miss most about believing in a God is the incentive to be moral.
I like to believe that a God will reward me for my actions. Buddhism..... does it do this? Where is the incentive to do
anything but simply wait until you die?

Yes, Buddhism does this. But there is no 'God' to reward you. The
universe is set up in a way that you are rewarded richly (or punished
appropriately) for your actions.

.

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