What Sets Buddhism Apart From The Others

Believe nothing,
No matter where you read it,
Or who has said it,
Not even if I have said it,
Unless it agrees with your own reason
And your own common sense.

Buddha

It's compatible with science, new knowledge, and skepticism. What more could you ask for in a religion? Out of all the ones trying to convert others via divine command, threats of condemnation, or some method of deception, such as presenting historical legend as fact; here's Buddha saying don't agree with me because of some divine authority, only agree with me if you genuinely agree with my reasoning. It allows for advancements to be made instead of being a roadblock using absolutist principles hindering scientific discovery attempting to drag us back to the bronze age. Not only this, but it suggests that everyone's ideas are on a level playing field, which is unique to religions and makes Buddha more of a philosopher than prophet. I think it would be interesting to see how Buddha would have responded to the scientific revolution, if he would have dropped some of his obsolete ideas and hopped on board, or if he would have held his ground.

When someone says that atheists are intolerant against religions, this is the first thing I bring up: Buddhism and Jainism. If all the Muslims and Christians were Buddhists and Jains, I would not have one iota of objection against religion. It's just that Islam and Christianity is so demonstrably harmful that it is hard not to speak up.