Yes, there is no worship of a diety because there isn't one and dogma is also not a part of it. But all forms of Buddhism are not the same, similar to all of the differences in Protestantism. And please don't lump Hinduism in with Buddhism.

Buddhism at its essence is more philosophy than religion. It adapt to the local culture and has become more religious and dogmatic in many of its forms. The basic Buddhist principle are pretty sound advice, but all "spiritual" practices have some kernels of wisdom. We all agree on some humanist values: avoid killing, lying and stealing, folks. Meditation and mindfulness are nice, but those Zen koans are just plain frustrating to my mind!

I think it really depends on what kind of Buddhism is being practiced. I agree with a lot of the ideas of western Buddhism which focuses a lot more on mindfulness. I do think that Buddha himself seems like he was a good person. However, I feel that certain types of Buddhism can be just as harmful as other religions. There are certain forms of Buddhism that still have a concept of heaven, hell, and punishment which can be just as detrimental as any other religion.

Strictly speaking it's not a religion but the recounting of the insights of Buddha’s quest for enlightenment. Still very powerful and valuable. Personally valuable.

In its original form I think Buddhism is a good practice/philosophy.
I don't know much about other non-theistic religions like Taoism or Confucianism, but for me it's the 'religion' that makes most sense.

Yes, I think it is.

I have a lot of respect for Buddhism. it's not a religion but a way of life and philosophy

There are different "strains" of Buddhism and some have all the perils and pitfalls of any religion (extra characters in the pantheon, fanciful superstitions and mythical creatures, and the threat of some form of punishment for "wrong action" ).

But the same could be said of Christianity, as well. Some Christians interpret the Bible in a much more poetic fashion, seeing Christ as a metaphor for a certain state of mind. What seems undeniable is that there is a way of being that people respond to as being happier, and more self-fulfilled, and that certain patterns of living seem to make this way of being not so hap-hazard. There's perhaps a pharmacological reason for this, which may have had utility in surviving.

People love explanations, and the fact that life has so many mysteries drives us, as a species to come up with "some" explanation, even if it is fanciful. You can see this happening in the old Greek Myths, where astronomical phenomena are assigned some moral basis. After a story has been told often enough, it takes on a life of its own.....look at Star Wars conventions.

Some strains of Buddhism eschew any mention of gods or the afterlife, concerning themselves more with the here and now. That's good news for the people living right now, because we have to deal with our contemporaries.

I think its more a philosophy than a theology. I do think it does guide people into a more respectful way of treating themselves and others though, so it rates pretty high on my list of things to study more in depth.

Buddhism is also a philosophy, and as a philosophy, it's got some interesting ideas.

No. It's still a religion

No.

It can still be highly dogmatic. That is a problem. People need to be able to think for themselves. But at least there is no hokey supreme being

I like Taoism best. It's pretty old and not widely followed, but a lot of it is left to interpretation. That makes for a lot less drama over a faulty doctrine!

The betterness is in the mind of the believer. Some people argue that Buddhsim is not really a religion. Well if it isn't, it resembles one. The main characters have supernatural powers and the Tibetan Dalai Lama , title created in 1578, is the 14th copy of some other dude. So the Buddhist business model is somewhat different from other religions there are still some underlying principles other religions use. Though some Buddhists principles appear to be somewhat cooler many rules are almost identical.
Buddhist officials are collaborating with state authorities in a number of countries: China, Taiwan, Myanmar, Thailand etc.
Buddhisms are perhaps more adapted to different settings.

I like that it led to Taoist Zen and that it’s a rather personal reflection rather than Deistic dogma. That being said, I would not belong to any group that would have me as a member.

I like the concern with all living things - I also like the idea of being a less uptight person than I currently am . And I think I would be addressing these issues with myself for myself at some point in my own time in my own way - I am probably just not a good 'group' person.

I would say yes, because it has no gods or deities. Some describe it as being a philosophy rather than a religion.

There are many variants of it, but the West seems to have corrupted elements of it.

Do Buddhists think it is OK to abandon their family like Buddha did? Since I also grew up without a father, I feel that I have more in common with Buddha's son than with Buddha.

Taoism!

The Buddha said that desire is the cause of all suffering. He also urges us not to believe any thing tat we can't prove. This isn't all he said but this sums up Buddhism for me, the rest are simply bells and whistles as far as I can see. The addition of Gods to the mix seems to have occurred when Buddhism spread into areas where these gods were already worshiped.
I once inquired about joining a Buddhist group. When I chattily remarked that I might have trouble giving up meat and red wine, they put the phone down.

You mean, is Buddism as bad as other religions?

This is a trick question. Comparison belies desire/attachment. Desire is the cause of suffering.

Buda is mot religion because there's no God.....