Religion
From Bwtm
Religion is a personal or institutionalized organized system grounded in the belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.
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There is no God
Sorry to have to break this to you.
Spirituality
Spirituality is a personal belief system which comes from the individuals own experiences. Religion teaches a belief system created by others; not always with altruistic motives.
Spirituality comes from within, religion comes from without.
Humanism
There are no valid supernatural explanations for why the world exists. Nor are any needed. See the Affirmations of Humanism.
Existentialism
Existentialism: A philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual experience in a hostile or indifferent universe, regards human existence as unexplainable, and stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequences of one's acts.
Ethical Egoism
Ethical Egoism: The ethical doctrine that morality has its foundations in self-interest; that personal behavior which benefits the individual is ethical if it does not harm others. There is a far reaching aspect to this which requires restraint so as to avoid disappointment and pain.
Flying Spaghetti Monster
The Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM) is the subject of a satirical website created by Bobby Henderson in 2005 to protest the decision by the Kansas State Board of Education to require the teaching of intelligent design as an alternative to biological evolution. In the site, Henderson facetiously professes belief in a supernatural Creator entity that resembles spaghetti and meatballs and suggests that Flying Spaghetti Monsterism should be taught in science classrooms.
The Flying Spaghetti Monster has become the center of an Internet phenomenon, with followers who call themselves Pastafarians, a play on "Rastafarians."
The Wicker Man
The Wicker Man is a highly unusual film, originally released in 1973, starring Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, and Britt Eckland. This British thriller tells the story of a devout christian policeman who is called out to a remote Scottish island by a worried resident regarding the disappearance of a missing child.
As the film progresses it appears that the islanders have shunned christianity in favour of 'the old religion'. During his time on the island, Sergeant Howie ( Woodward ) is horrified by the bizarre practices of the locals led by Lord Summerisle ( Lee ). These practices include an open orgy in the street, children dancing naked, and young men being openly deflowered by the local goddess of love ( Eckland ). It is these practices which are completely at odds with everything Howie believes and it is this notion which serves as the backbone of the film.
http://imdb.com/title/tt0070917/quotes
Buddhism
Zen monk Thich Nhat Hanh
What I would say to Osama Bin laden ? Zen monk Thich Nhat Hanh talks about how listening is the first step towards peace Interview by Ann A. Simpkinson http://www.buddhismtoday.com/english/world/facts/Bin_Laden.htm
Question: If you could speak to Osama bin Laden, what would you say to him? Likewise, if you were to speak to the American people, what would you suggest we do at this point, individually and as a nation?
If I were given the opportunity to be face to face with Osama bin Laden, the first thing I would do is listen. I would try to understand why he had acted in that cruel way. I would try to understand all of the suffering that had led him to violence. It might not be easy to listen in that way, so I would have to remain calm and lucid. I would need several friends with me, who are strong in the practice of deep listening, listening without reacting, without judging and blaming. In this way, an atmosphere of support would be created for this person and those connected so that they could share completely, trust that they are really being heard.
After listening for some time, we might need to take a break to allow what has been said to enter into our consciousness. Only when we felt calm and lucid would we respond. We would respond point by point to what had been said. We would respond gently but firmly in such a way to help them to discover their own misunderstandings so that they will stop violent acts from their own will.
For the American people, I would suggest that we do everything we can to restore our calm and our lucidity before responding to the situation. To respond too quickly before we have much understanding of the situation may be very dangerous. The first thing we can do is to cool the flames of anger and hatred that are so strong in us. As mentioned before, it is crucial to look at the way we feed the hatred and violence within us and to take immediate steps to cut off the nourishment for our hatred and violence.
When we react out of fear and hatred, we do not yet have a deep understanding of the situation. Our action will only be a very quick and superficial way of responding to the situation and not much true benefit and healing will occur. Yet if we wait and follow the process of calming our anger, looking deeply into the situation, and listening with great will to understand the roots of suffering that are the cause of the violent actions, only then will we have sufficient insight to respond in such a way that healing and reconciliation can be realized for everyone involved. In South Africa, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission has made attempts to realize this. All the parties involved in violence and injustice agreed to listen to each other in a calm and supportive environment, to look together deeply at the roots of violent acts and to find agreeable arrangements to respond to the situations. The presence of strong spiritual leaders is very helpful to support and maintain such an environment. We can look at this model for resolving conflicts that are arising right in the present moment; we do not have to wait many years to realize this.
Dalai Lama
He told the broadsheet that Westerners had become self-absorbed, burdened with too much choice.
"It is fascinating. In the West, you have bigger homes, yet smaller families; you have endless conveniences - yet you never seem to have any time. You can travel anywhere in the world, yet you don't bother to cross the road to meet your neighbours," he said.
"I don't think people have become more selfish, but their lives have become easier and that has spoilt them. They have less resilience, they expect more, they constantly compare themselves to others and they have too much choice - which brings no real freedom."
The Ten Commandments
Poem: "The Ten Commandments" by Anonymous. Public domain.
I. Have thou no other gods but me,
II. And to no image bow thy knee.
III. Take not the name of God in vain:
IV. The sabbath day do not profane.
V. Honour thy father and mother too;
VI. And see that thou no murder do.
VII. Abstain from words and deeds unclean;
VIII. Nor steal, though thou art poor and mean.
IX. Bear not false witness, shun that blot;
X. What is thy neighbor's covet not.
- These laws, O Lord, write in my heart, that I,
- May in thy faithful service live and die.
I often wonder if radical right-wing religious people like President Bush have every really read, and thought about, the Ten Commandments.
Christian Fascism
One girl's testimonial or school-sponsored religion?
Editor's note: On Thursday, the Clark County School District halted the graduation speech of Foothill High School valedictorian Brittany McComb. District officials said Ms. McCombs' references to Christianity amounted to proselytizing. Court rulings have held that graduations are school-sponsored events, and that student commentary on faith can be perceived as a school's unconstitutional endorsement of religion.
The Review-Journal is publishing Ms. McComb's speech to let readers judge whether her words amount to illegal religious expression.
Do you remember those blocks? The ones that fit into cut-outs and teach you all the different shapes? The ones you played with before kindergarten, during the good old, no-grades, no-pressure preschool days? I find it funny how easily amused we are as children. Many of us would have sat on the story rug for hours with those blocks, trying to fit the circle into the square cut-out. Thank the Lord for patient teachers.
As one of the valedictorians for our senior class, many might assume I caught on to which blocks fit into which cut-outs quickly. But, to be honest, it took me awhile. Up until my freshman year in high school, I continually filled certain voids with shapes that proved often peculiar and always too small.
The main shape I wrestled with over the years remains my accomplishments. They defined my self-worth at a young age. I swam competitively throughout junior high and high school. If I took third in a competition rather than first, I found I missed the mark; I failed.
But strangely enough, if I took first, I belittled my success, and even first place left me feeling empty. Either way, the shape entitled "accomplishments" proved too small to fill the void, constantly reminding me living means something more. Something more than me and what I do with my life, something more than my friends and what they do with their own lives.
The summer after my freshman year, I quit swimming. I quit trying to fill the huge void in my soul with the meager accomplishments I obtained there. After quitting, this amazing sense of peace rushed over me and I noticed, after 15 years of sitting on the story-time rug, this teacher standing above me, trying to help me: God. I disregarded His guidance for years, and all the while, He sought to show me what shape fits into the cut-out in my soul.
This hole gapes as a wide-open trench when filled with swimming, with friends, with family, with dating, with shopping, with partying, with drinking, with anything but God. But His love fits. His love is "that something more" we all desire. It's unprejudiced, it's merciful, it's free, it's real, it's huge and it's everlasting. God's love is so great that he gave His only son up to an excruciating death on a cross so His blood would cover all our shortcomings and provide for us a way to heaven in accepting this grace.
This is why Christ died. John 10:10 says He died so we no longer have to reach in vain for the magnificence of the stars and find we always fall short, so we can have life -- and life to the fullest. I now desire not my own will, but the will of God for my life -- however crazy and extravagant, or seemingly mundane and uneventful that might be. Strangely enough, surrendering my own will for the will of God, giving up control, gave me peace, gave me a calm I can't even begin to express with words.
Four years ago, recognition as one of the valedictorians for our senior class would have been just another attempt to fit the circle into the square cut-out. But because my heart is so full of God's love, the honor of speaking today is just that: an honor. Without it, I would feel just as full and purposeful as I do at this moment.
And I can guarantee, 100 percent, no doubt in my mind, that as I choose to fill myself with God's love rather than with the things society tells me will satisfy me, I will find success, I will always retain a sense of self-worth. I will thrive whether I attend a prestigious university next fall and become a successful career man or woman or begin a life-long manager position at McDonald's.
Because the fact of the matter remains, man possesses an innate desire to take part in something greater than himself. That something is God's plan. And God's plan for each of our lives may not leave us with an impressive and extensive resume, but if we pursue His plan, He promises to fill us. Jeremiah 29:11 says, " 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.' "
Trust me, this block fits.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Jun-20-Tue-2006/opinion/8027170.html
Ominous signs
Ominous signs are all around us concerning the accrual of power into the hands of the Presidency. If Mr. Bush stays in office I think our future will continue to witness shrinking political rights, financial collapse and endless war. Part of the power and seduction of this administration emerges from its diabolical manipulation of Christian rhetoric. I want to flesh out the ideology of the Christian Fascism that Mr. Bush articulates. It is a form of Christianity that is the mirror opposite of what Jesus embodied. It is, indeed, the materialization of the spirit of antichrist: a perversion of Christian faith and practice.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article5648.htm
not welcome in alpine
I made a new car roof sign and at the forum they asked me to take it down because it was 'disrespectful'. I finally did after showing them the First and arguing. This, to me, is typical of how Bush and Hunter have divided our country: the Neo-cons have made smear and slander standard operating procedure. The people at the church didn't come to me, they went to others behind my back. I walked right up to them and introduced myself and asked what the problem was. Dumpin' Duncan is mild compared to the slander heaped on liberals by the right wing hate community (Hunter included). I feel sorry for the minister in Alpine, he feared for his job if he allowed me to display my sign, poor guy, to be so weak. He served 30years in the Navy and then to have Randall Cuningham dishonor that by taking bribes and sex and blame it on serving in the Navy. The neo-cons will slander and then turn around and call foul on the slightest response from their victims.
In the future ECUPAC should avoid conflict of interest: just stay out of churches. The founding fathers were very clear that there is to be a separation between church and state. They intended not only freedom of religion but also freedom from religion. If the church cannot abide, even for 2hours, to live fully by the First Amendment, but must exclude those who do not worship at the Alter of the Neo-con, they should not loan out their halls.
When the Nazis came for the communists, I remained silent; I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats, I remained silent; I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists, I did not speak out; I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews, I did not speak out; I was not a Jew.
When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out.
Once you trample on the First Amendment, what other right won't you violate?
