I am opposed to all superstitions and religions. Buddhism is no exception.

It does seem less offensive than a lot of other Religions but why not Jainism as it seems to be the least offensive of all?

I just think if you start looking for truths in a system littered with untruths it is likely some of that falsehood will work its way into your belief system.

How many times have you heard ‘If you take all the crap out of xyz religion there is actually some great stuff in there’. You can say that about literally everything from Christianity to Fascism.

One of my friends was a Lawyer in one of the most prestigious Family Law Companies in UK. It all got too much for him and he went off and became a Buddhist Monk. I heard little from him for years but then he got in touch. Still a Buddhist monk but was following some dude who thought he was the second coming of Christ and was hocking some Negative Energy contraptions on his website for £2000 a pop. My friend also thought I was a Buddhist Monk in a previous life (I hate orange)

Karma is one if the most offensive ideas in buddhism. I know people try to equate it with ‘Cause and Effect’ but it really isn’t. If you’re born disabled it was because of your past life's evil deeds.

Reincarnation is out of the box crazy.

For all its proselytisation of peace it somehow managed to develop the deadliest fighting system known to man in Kung-Fu. I’m a Black Belt BTW

The Dalai Lama roams the world spouting deepisms but when in power he and his priests lived in splendid luxury while the majority of their country lived in poverty.

Why not study Moral Philosophy and ethics if you are interested in those things and cut through the crap?

I think the reason people prefer something like Buddhism to serious study may be to do with the human love of ritual or maybe this need to follow. People like a ready made belief system. It is easier to peel of the bad stuff than to start from scratch and study.

I identify myself as Buddhist. Take out the mythology and ritual and it's a discipline aimed at experiencing and harmonising the mind. Most people who knock it don't know that much about it tbh.

The Dalai Lama is the only 'holy man' I look up too. He actually, really wants us to be better than we are. That is a 'holy man'..

I am resistant to the doctrine of karma, since it leads to blaming the victim of misfortune. Has the Dalai Lama ever remarked that Tibet has bad karma?

The mystery of life is how to always care enough to accomplish something worthwhile, but not care too much and thereby incur suffering.

Psychology recognises the eightfold path as a good structure for eudaemonic wellbeing and resilience

Yes

As I state in my profile...I'm an Atheist with Buddhist philosophy and Wiccan holidays
I still attend Buddhist "meetings" -- do chanting and meditating -- and I meditate and do daily exercise/practice. I enjoy the community (I'm the only white chick) and I love the sound of chanting. It's calming. I enjoy the reflective nature of Buddhist practice and the mindfulness involved.
I believe strongly in AHIMSA and practice that concept every moment of my daily life.

Yes, definitely. I'm a big fan of the work of Stephen Batchelor. He calls himself an athiest-buddhist.

The closest thing to a Bible that I have was written by the Lama Surya Das. It's called Awakening the Buddha Within. For anybody interested in Buddhism this would be a great book to read because he is a Westerner and can interpret Buddhism from a familiar perspective.

Yes.

I'm happier in life when I don't take things literally or go extreme. There are intriging secular Buddhists who leave the reincarnation and karma/darma stuff to one side and use what's left as a plan for living. Detatchment is good; understanding impermanence is healthy. But I do want to care about things. I do wish for certain outcomes for people I love, teams I cheer for, etc. I don't thing apathetic is higher state of being.

So Toism, Buddhism light, yes. Changing my wardrobe and talking in "in with the in crowd" languge, not so much - for me, anyway.

For many years now. And here's an irony, within the last two years I've become interested in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and I later found out that the therapist who developed this is a practicing Buddhist.

I’m in a community, as well as a workplace that follows and occasionally promotes Buddhism. At times, my Atheist instincts feel primitive in comparison But with time an observation, it feels as though I’m better served viewing life through an undistorted lens..

Every morning, I sit by the edge of my bed doing yoga breathing. My dogs watch me in fascination. Without the exercise, I am likely to fall the first few steps. Is that what you wanted to know? I also say namaste sometimes.

some of it is relevent

What is a good book to read on the subject?

Buddhist philosophy, or any philosophy leads along a trail as sensible as any religion. It's just a set of beliefs that make sense to you.
I'm not saying this to demean it, instead I mean that all humans adopt belief systems, even if they are in logic and law.
I only mean that if it's a set of beliefs that make sense to you... why not? What would our opinion change? It's simply your preference.

... As for myself, I've only recently come to this conclusion and think I should set aside time to organize my own beliefs. I honestly think I need to be less kind... Humans seem to be a rarity indeed... How many other species prey upon themselves? I think... I think I've been living with a prey mentality for too long... I think that leads to neuroses... Probably just as much as too much predatory... Balance is the key. Play tag. Be a prey most of the time, but let yourself be the chaser, the predator, for sanity.

As far as that area of spirituality, I find any spirituality to be a great tool for mental health.

Yes, I have been studying Buddhist philosophy a bit. I find many good ideas.

I agree with some Zen philosphy.