Is Buddhism a religion? Or just superstition?

I find this question highly offensive. The fact that there is no celestial God does not mean it is not a religion. In fact, some people consider Atheism a religion as well.

Buddhism is indeed a religion in the commonly accepted terminology ( academicians of-course differ ...but who bothers?! ;-) . And, fortune telling, ghosts, and more exists in other religions also .......So does it mean, we can question their status?

The Buddha negated God and his teachings were aimed at how to end suffering. Buddhism is mainly about philosophical ideas. However, after the death of the Buddha, different ideas were burrowed from nduism and well assimilated with the Buddha's teaching.

Today there are two different sects of Buddhism. One is Theravada which is mainly about philosophy of the Buddha and scholastic discourse and Mahayana which worship the Buddha as the Supreme Being. Superstitions you mention about the Thai people is about people's belief and not the Buddha's words.

However, you have to remember that the Buddha's words were never recorded, all we have today is the recollections by his disciples, and commentaries and interpretations from the Buddhist monks.

My understanding of buddhism is that I think it is a 'spiritual' teaching & philospophy that teaches the 'secular' world of people to come to terms with love, compassion and understanding for everone in this world; very similar to the 'Christ' teachings of love, forgiveness, compassion & understanding of all people in this world...

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.