The Dalai Lama has just completed a tour of Australia, boosting what is the country's fastest-growing religion. Australia has more Buddhists per capita than anywhere else in the Western world. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports on how this religion has moved beyond Asian immigrant communities and into the mainstream.Tibetan nuns chant traditional prayers-an increasingly common sight in Australia.There are about 350 thousand Buddhists in the country in this mainly Christian nation, and government census data indicate that number is up almost 80 percent from 1996. The Buddhist population eclipses the size of Australia's Muslim population.Mark Allon an expert on Buddhism from the University of Sydney says the faith's roots here were established by settlers from Asia."We have many immigrants from Buddhist countries. Many Asian immigrants recently and even historically-they brought with them Buddhism," Allon said. "So among those communities you have an interest in Buddhism, a preservation of their religion and culture. Then you also have an interest among the wider Australian community, non-Asian community, resident community, in Buddhism and that has been going on now for almost 100 years."Experts who study religious trends in Australia say many converts to Buddhism found the teachings of some Christian churches too rigid and intolerant of questions about the faith.
Converts say Buddhism gives them freedoms they have never had before.
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PS:Many new converts to Buddhism found the teachings of some christian churches are "too rigid and intolerant of questions about the faith"They add that Buddhism gives them "freedoms they have never had before".This shows me that many,many people out there are not really seeking for "THE TRUTH" but for some type of "religion" that makes them feel good,calm their conciousness and don't challenge them about their sin"
They may feel good know,but...what will it be of their souls when they die????
Many people find true christianism to be"rigid and intolerant"
....Well the Bible says:
"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate,and broad is the way,that leadeth to destruction,and many there be which go in thereat;Because strait is the gate,and narrow is the way,which leadeth unto life,and few there be that find it."(Matthew 7:13-14)
As in the days of Noah....