I'm converting...

[Bennett]

I guess I'd say that I agree and disagree.
First of all, saying that Buddhism is nothing more than the teachings of Sidharta is a little vague. Like Christianity, there have been many interpretations of this basic teachings that have branched into many, many forms of Buddhism, some of which are vastly different on points of emphasis. There are strict texts, there are strict rituals and rites of worship, although they do not worship what you could call a creator god.

Zen Buddhism I think would be the closest to what is being described here, because that really focuses on the meditation rituals, technique, etc. Zen Buddhism tends to focus little on texts or the worship/admiration of previous Buddhas/bodhisattvas.

While I agree that many aspects of Buddhism can be easily applied to a philosophical perspective, but what religion is not like this? There are aspects of every religion that one can absorb and turn into a way of thought, perhaps it is easier with Buddhism because there is no God.

The fact that it deals with the structure of the universe and the afterlife are important aspects that I think make it more than just philosophy, and again it does depend on which form of Buddhism you are talking about.