Good stuff John....

I do neeed to say that Buddhists do not view Buddha as a one views a God.
They view Buddha as a teacher of cultivation. Faith.. everyone has faith in something, be it of their friends to the
fact that their clothes would keep them warm in the winter.
  Buddha is just a name which means awakened one, one of pure mind. There are many who have attained this, and everyone has this. It is just that a few have attained it.
  So, originally, Buddhism wasn't a religion at all, but an education of mind,life and the environement(which consists of all the world and everything in it, planets, stars, universe, and the many out there.) It was originally never intended to be in a religious manner, yet due to the conditions of society a certain time s in history, a method was formed to allow people to cultivate mind in a manner which suits their conditions of mind, hence a manner of a relgiious likeness in Buddhism was formed. This is an expedient means in Buddhism, and it is in a form of religion, but that is only one of many methods of cultivation to attain enlightenment, which is not religion.
  I am not debating you, just passing some info.  Your points are correct, yet there is a common misconception about Buddhism, that they worship, when in fact it isn't a worshipping at all.
  When a Buddhist looks at a statue of a Buddha(an awakened one) they do not perceive of that being as a god, nor do they see it as somehting outside. The statue, name and likeness of that awaened one in their body points to certain qualities of each individual, and is set to remind them to do good, and see those qualities within. So, the Buddhist looking at the statue actually is looking at themself. THey bow, but not in worshsip. They bow in humility to an undefiled mind. If they look to rely on the Buddha, it is that they are choosing to let go of they ego, and faithfully look to their true mind assistance. Though it seems they are looking outside by giving a statue incense, and bowing, they are actually placing their focus to their mind, and investigating the causes and conditions which create the experiences they call life so they can change them, and eventually become awakened.

  Don't get me wrong, some Buddhists only look to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for blackmail, example:::  I will give you 1dollar, please, I hope to receive a million dollars, OR   Here is 100dollars, please help me pay my credit card bills, Here is incense, pleasse help my child pass their classes and be great. The wish list goes on. It is as though the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are in it for the money. But they are actually not.

 So even though some misunderstand Buddhist cultivation and make it to be somehting it isn't, it may assist them in doing good, and being a good person, which is a means of cultivation in Buddhism. ALso, Buddhism doesn't search to convert people, and when they meet someone of a different faith, there is always acceptance on the Buddhist's part of the other person's religious conditions. For example, the Dalai Lama visits Catholic churches when he is travelling to England, and Ireland (or is it Christian, or Protestant). He gives speeches with the head of those Churches, and thousands of religious followers come to here him speak. He tells them not to convert to Buddhism, but just do good things, for Buddhism isn't a religion where in order to do something the Buddha said, means you have converted.

  Buddha wasn't religious.. hehe  but people sometimes need that manner to do good things.. some do bad things. Buddhism fits for the individual mind and their conditions. The goal is to become awakened/enlightened. WHichever means is needed to attain that will be cultivated. SOme take a long time, while others point directly to the mind.

  I hope this spreads light on some of the misconceptions of Buddhism. I am by no means looking to convert people. Just open the shades on a dark subject. Thanks John


 Peace,
 Aiwei

P.S.- It is likened to the many mannerisms Wing Chun takes on today. Some are excess in movement, others are too hard(stiff), some have methods others do not. It is that Wing Chun fits for the mind cultivating it. That doesn't mean every Style out there that derived from the original is better than eachother. They will all work well,  and some take a longer time to get to the point....but the most effective manner is still to directly point to the center.  We say,  Ö±