by 
Tom
ANSWERS: 7
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I think Budhists concentrate on finding peace in life by going within themselves and finding the quite and stillness of their own mind. I don't think they believe in a personal God as the Christians do, but rahter look to find enlightenment from within themselves. I may be wrong but this is my understanding of it.
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That's my understanding, but I'm not an expert. My Buddhist friend tells me that in his experience with the religion the question of whether deities actually exist or not just doesn't come up. Someone who's lack of belief in deities is a result of not having thought about it (or not very much) is called an "implicit" atheist. Babies fall under this category. On the other hand, someone who has considered the issue and consciously decided that they do not believe in deities is called an "explicit" atheist. Here's a good link on the distinction http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Implicit_and_explicit_atheism By the way, atheism is alive and well in certain varieties of Hinduism as well. And believe it or not, there is an atheistic variety of Christianity! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nontheism
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Atheism is the lack of belief in the nonexistence of god or the rejection of theism. In its broadest sense, it is the absence of belief in the existence of gods, sometimes called nontheism. Although atheists are commonly assumed to be irreligious, some religions, such as Buddhism, have been characterized as atheistic. -Wikipedia
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Buddhism is a broad term with room for ambiguity. Theravadan Buddhists are atheist, or better yet non-theistic. Mahayanan Buddhism deified the Buddha. This means they practice a grey scale form of theistic teachings.
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Erased by user.
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I wouldn't call Buddhists athiests -- they believe in "Devas" -- which are not god's but "beings" that have attained spiritual levels above gods -- the Christian idea of god is a 4th level deva. Buddhists also believe in the Hindu style creator of the universe "Great BrahmÄ" -- they also believe the universe is an infinite cycle, each cycle ends with a "great fire" -- so this is something science, and christianity have in common with buddhism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_cosmology Having said all this -- buddhists don't have to believe in any of this to be buddhist.
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In the commplex buddhist comsmos it discuessess many realms of heavenly beings that will not bring on to liberation. The goal of the eight fold path of buddhism. The buddha in his scripture notes that theres is an unborn, unaging, unailing...etc..etc... Without the unborn, unaging, unailing...etc.etc... there would be no liberation from suffering... It would appear that one could equate that unborn, unaging, unailing to God. If that were the case it would appear to be direclt note and recognize God. Thought the relegion does not appear to lean of that god for its methodology in achiving liberation. Now it may be beyond my understanding of the scriptures in stating that it does not lean on god/God.
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