So I was around a few websites as of late reading up on some Philosophy of War. Lately I've been drawn to Ancient Eastern Philosophy as a matter of respect to the Samurai Class and Ninja Clans, but something has been eating at me. Everytime I read something translated for Westerners, the translators or people posting the translation like to post versions (or perversions) of the text that aren't religious in nature. Whole books on Budddhism are published with no refernce to god, and on and on. It gets worse, there are even people taking old texts and washing the religion right out of them because religion is increasingly becoming something that's taboo, or inappropriate to discuss. Somebody might get offended.

I was particularly upset to see these older texts published with all references to god taken out, that is a travesty to pervert the ancient writings, it also takes away from all meaning because the original authors obviously based their beliefs in philosophy, on god and therefore it is necessary to consider what they felt about god and their preception of religion.

If we whitewash everything for people who are upset by conversation of such topics I think we're all at risk of loosing our culture and ancient culture which we ought treasure.

Even here at AD I have seen posts people have put up asking people not to bring religion into debates, when religion is a key factor for belief. Do we really not care what someone's opinion is when it is founded in religion, even if backed up by facts?

So the questions are:

1. Are we as a Western society letting religion become a topic of taboo?

2. What are the ramifications to our culture and heritages if we start removing religious subject matter from our old texts?

3. Do you agree with this statement; When you take a religion and wash god out of it until you have what people call a philosophy, you disrespect that religion.

4. If you don't agree with that statement, could you change that statement to make it something you agree with?