Dolokhov

Ah - I'm a little bit confused then: how do you follow a Buddhist denomination, but not the teachings of the Buddha?

I was under the impression that Vajrayana was a type of Buddhism (in the same way that "Catholic" is a type of Christianity). Please correct me if I'm wrong: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vajrayana

From what I understand about Taoist priestly ordination, there are very few schools which can actually certify priests. One of them is on Mount Tianshi in China, which acts like the Vatican of Taoism: Source: http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1214105/taoist-priest-spreads-ancient-wisdom I'd guess that most organizations in America certifying Taoist "priests" might not be the real deal, but I don't know how it works. I could be wrong.

I guess the easiest way to answer that is "no", but answering either yes or no does not give a complete answer. On one hand God's nature is infinite (or rather transcends the infinite), on the other it is completely simple and incomposite: "We are not by nature simple; but the divine nature, perfectly simple and incomposite, has in itself the abundance of all perfection and is in need of nothing." - St. Cyril of Alexandria

In which way specifically are you asking?

I think one of the problems with this thread is that we're using many different definitions of the word "creator". If you mean an invisible bearded guy sitting on a throne in the clouds, I'll agree with you that I don't believe in that sort of "God". That doesn't mean I don't believe in a God altogether though. RongzomFan, the problem with the "infinite causes" thing is that that argument is only intended for created things: "every thing that comes into being must have a cause." But the creator (just like the Tao of Lao Tzu) does not come into physical being. God transcends being, at least in the Tao and in the Orthodox version of Christianity: "Since God is absolute existence, absolute goodness and absolute wisdom, or rather, to put it more exactly, since God is beyond all such things, there is nothing whatsoever that is opposite to Him." -St Maximos the Confessor

Hey all, Just wanted to say my Hellos. I'm an American, currently a graduate student, studied Classics (Philosophy, Latin, ancient history), so I have a few interests that overlap with Taoism. Hope to have some fruitful discussions with you all!