Reflections of a stormy petrel

Like many American phenomena, the advice of veteran journalist Brit Hume to Tiger Woods, and its fierce by-products, have been heard well beyond the borders of the USA. I have not, however, read anyone, on either side, who actually pointed out what was really wrong, and indeed offensive about Hume's advice. Buddhism, he said, did not give the swift access to pardon and starting over again that Christianity does. But that is strictly beside the point. The only valid reason to preach, and indeed to believe, either Buddhism or Christianity or any other religion, is to take them to be true; you can only believe something if you believe that it is a true statement of fact (even a true statement of a falsehood, e.g. "it is absolutely false to say that kennahijja is talentless"). Anything else is groundless or worse. And Hume is not saying: go to this shop because its products are objectively better, he is saying: go to this shop because it will make life easier for you, because it supplies automatic forgiveness." REligion as a consumer product to be judged by how it makes you feel. Never mind that it does not; never mind that many people find the doctrine of Christianity - "die once, and be judged by an infinitely and dreadfully perfect Judge afterwards" - much more terrifying than that of Buddhism, which implies that it is possible, over infinite lifetimes, to become a Bodhisattva and even a Buddha by one's own efforts, and that one failed life can be just a stage for which you can atone. Never mind any of that; the point is - unless you believe a statement about truth to be true, and unless you are willing to argue from that position, keep your trap shut. Religion is not there for your consolation, let alone for your daily comfort.