I personally follow Thai customs for showing respect, but I don't think the particulars of how respect is shown is as important as the attitude that is cultivated. Learning is almost impossible without an attitude of respect for Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. This is taught using proscribed words and ritual actions in various cultures.
On the one hand,
"The profound Dharma without attachment of the Tathagata is beyond the range of words and letters, free from gaining even a single thing. But because of the need to benefit those beings who can be taught, it is necessary to create various forms and words so that teachable beings can encounter those forms and become respectful, listen to the Dharma and become clear. But when they have wisdom, even abiding in words are far from words, abiding in names but are far from names, knowing that gaining is really no gaining, knowing that speaking is not speaking, they have realized the ultimate truth."
In the West, symbols such as Buddha images, lotus flowers, or the word "Zen" get used as a symbol of calm, peace, well being, non-attachment. That doesn't strike me as malicious. If anything, it's a good sign that such ideas are gaining prominence. People are encountering forms and beginning to have an appreciation for them at the level of materialism. This is one of many factors that may draw people to the Dharma.
But, on the cultural side, such mis-usage is ignorant of many Eastern cultures. I think is presumptuous to say that Buddhists being offended is an oxymoron. Buddhists aren't perfect. Being born into an Asian Buddhist family or taking refuge don't free a person from greed, anger, or ignorance - although hopefully it will help! We live in an increasingly multi-cultural connected world, and avoiding what is offensive to other cultures is important. Asking for Buddha imagery to be regarded as objects of veneration as opposed to decoration is quite reasonable.
That being said, I don't police strangers about such things - I don't have enough tact to tell people such things in a way that they will respond to positively. The only people around here who don't respect Buddhist imagery are the occasional foreign tourists anyways.
Nanrin (Southern Forest)
Sat today
On the one hand,
"The profound Dharma without attachment of the Tathagata is beyond the range of words and letters, free from gaining even a single thing. But because of the need to benefit those beings who can be taught, it is necessary to create various forms and words so that teachable beings can encounter those forms and become respectful, listen to the Dharma and become clear. But when they have wisdom, even abiding in words are far from words, abiding in names but are far from names, knowing that gaining is really no gaining, knowing that speaking is not speaking, they have realized the ultimate truth."
In the West, symbols such as Buddha images, lotus flowers, or the word "Zen" get used as a symbol of calm, peace, well being, non-attachment. That doesn't strike me as malicious. If anything, it's a good sign that such ideas are gaining prominence. People are encountering forms and beginning to have an appreciation for them at the level of materialism. This is one of many factors that may draw people to the Dharma.
But, on the cultural side, such mis-usage is ignorant of many Eastern cultures. I think is presumptuous to say that Buddhists being offended is an oxymoron. Buddhists aren't perfect. Being born into an Asian Buddhist family or taking refuge don't free a person from greed, anger, or ignorance - although hopefully it will help! We live in an increasingly multi-cultural connected world, and avoiding what is offensive to other cultures is important. Asking for Buddha imagery to be regarded as objects of veneration as opposed to decoration is quite reasonable.
That being said, I don't police strangers about such things - I don't have enough tact to tell people such things in a way that they will respond to positively. The only people around here who don't respect Buddhist imagery are the occasional foreign tourists anyways.
Nanrin (Southern Forest)
Sat today
Looks like Buddha has recently put on a couple of pounds, by the way. 
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