Via NPR //

 

Via White Crane Institute //

 

---

The Swedish Parliament

2009 -

The Swedish Parliament was presented with legislation that would allow Gay couples to marry in civil ceremonies or in the Lutheran Church, which until 2000 was the official church of Sweden. "The main proposal in the motion is that ... a person's gender will no longer have any bearing on whether they can marry. The marriage law and other laws concerning spouses will be rendered gender neutral according to the proposal," a statement from Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt's conservative Moderates said.

 

The proposal had wide backing in parliament. While heterosexuals in Sweden could previously choose to marry in either a civil ceremony or a church ceremony, homosexuals were only allowed to register their "partnerships" in a civil ceremony. Civil unions granting Gays and Lesbians the same legal status as married couples were allowed in Sweden since 1995. On October 22, 2009, the governing board of the Church of Sweden, voted 176–62 in favor of allowing its priests to wed same-sex couples in new gender-neutral church ceremonies, including the use of the term marriage. Same-sex marriages have been performed by the church since November 1, 2009

 

With the adoption of the new legislation, Sweden,  became the first country in the world to allow Gay people to marry within a major Church. Under the proposal, Lutheran pastors are permitted to opt-out of performing Gay marriages if they have personal objections.

|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|

Gay Wisdom for Daily Living from White Crane Institute

"With the increasing commodification of gay news, views, and culture by powerful corporate interests, having a strong independent voice in our community is all the more important. White Crane is one of the last brave standouts in this bland new world... a triumph over the looming mediocrity of the mainstream Gay world." - Mark Thompson

Exploring Gay Wisdom & Culture since 1989!
www.whitecraneinstitute.org

|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|

Via Ram Dass - Love Serve Remember Foundation //

 

Unconditional love exists in each of us. It is part of our deep inner being. It is not so much an active emotion as a state of being. It's not, "I love you" for this or that reason, not "I love you if you love me." It's love for no reason, love without an object. - Ram Dass -

Via Daily Dharma: Innate Buddhanature

 

Support Tricycle with a donation »

Innate Buddhanature  The Pure Land is neither inside us nor outside but both; it discloses to us the sacred context of our lives. Nagapriya, “Demythologizing Amida”  CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

The Dancing Skeletons By Jeff Watt A Himalayan art expert explains the meaning and ritual uses of the image of the dancing skeletons, or “Revered Lords of the Cemetery.” Read more »