THe "fat Buddah" is a symbol for good fortune. I've seen it many times at the entrance to Chinese restaurants in NYC and Los Angeles. It's also a "good luck" representation of the Buddha, not the stoic, severe depiction of him the faithful use to honor/worship.
I really don't think Buddhists "worship" Buddha in the strict sense (like a "god") Instead, they honor Buddha as a great teacher, mystic, prophet, leader, and a channel to their understanding of "God". Buddha himself did not want to be worshiped after his death, or honored. His followers had other ideas after his death, and did exactly what he didn't want......being made into a "god" with thousands of statues and depictions. Just like Catholics, Buddhists have monks, nuns, active "orders" of monks or nuns as well as strictly cloistered ones. In the very beginning centuries of Buddhism, they staffed schools, "hospitals", and homes for the aged of their time. No more however, THe religious life in Buddhism evolved more into a contemplative lifestyle rather than the active/service life as religious. I have no fault with BUddhism. I think its a very noble religion....which has never started a war etc., especially for the sake of religion like CAtholics and especially Protestants and Islam have done.

Wow! I've only used this site 1 day, and already I know that you are far more passionate/dramatic about the Church than I would ever be. My family happens to be Catholic by marriage, not by long tradition. Most belong to an Eastern Orthodox Church (very ancient) that most have never heard of, but which is pretty well represented in the Middle East, Egypt, and parts of India. I don't know much about them, because like I said, our family, and 1 Aunt, are Catholic. I've never gone to their Church. But I do know that their bishops, in union with all the other Eastern Orthodox Churches in union with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew are 100% against homos, and against Francis and Tucho's emphasis on them. Which maybe is why I read afew days ago, that a fairly good number of former Roman Catholics are switching to Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Coptic, and in some extreme cases leaving the Christian tradition entirely..all becuse of the Francis agenda.
Regarding this good Archbishop Ganswein, I think he accepted the position because he's only 65-66 and would like a job. I know he is fairly well off on his own because of the fantastic book he wrote, and contributions from the many friends of Benedict XVI, but the Francis crew won't be there forever, and I think Ganswein knows that Francis is in his last days, and it is unlikely that the new Pope will be a Francis clone, so it's better to be acceptable to the present regime, in order to be acceptable (and possibly move upwards to a red hat) in the next regime.

"homosexual activists like Bergoglio are homosexuals themselves." I think this is true. No one who is a normal, "straight" male would give any thought about homosexuals, except maybe to avoid them and talking about them. I thinkFrancis MAY actually be gay because of his overwhelming support for them in audiences and meetings, but I definitly think that Tucho and all the rest of Francis' people ARE either celibate, or active practicing homosexuals.

I never spent much time thinking about the Church until recently. A good part of my family belongs to an Eastern Rite Christian Church which has nothing to do with the Pope/Vatican. The Church is pretty big where my family originally came from, but tiny in the USA. But its interesting to note that many of the bishops of this Church know about Francis and his VAtican, and like many other churches of the Orthodox tradition, think he and his people are perverts. Increasingly, I agree with them, and the hypothesis of Vigano regarding Bergoglio et al.

Why is this such a bad posting? He could have been sent to the Ivory Coast, of GHana, or Mongolia. Or been given a useless post like Vatican representative to the "Sovereign Military Order of Malta", etc. Francis I bet doesn't have long to go.... I would not be surprised if the new Pope (if we get a good one), appoints him to the Sacred College of Cardinals at his very first opportunity.
There was just a posting that Bergoglio is taking a full 8 weeks off from his liturgical tasks/appearances. That's probably not a good sign as to his health/stamina. But I don't understand that either. For years all he's done is sit there and let an appointed Cardinal do all the officiating/celebrating at the Masses, etc.