Via Buddhism on Beliefnet:

	Daily Buddhist Wisdom
	A mantra is not like a prayer to a divine being. Rather, the mantra is the deity, is enlightenment, immediately manifest. - Lorne Ladner, "Wheel of Great Compassion" More Buddhism Quotes >>

Via JMG: FRC: Church Membership Is Shrinking Because They Don't Hate Gays Enough

The Family Research Council says that the reason 20% of Americans now say they have no religious affiliation is because churches aren't being hateful enough to keep people interested. Via press release:

As more churches move away from biblical authority, their attendance suffers. Just ask the Episcopal Church, whose pews are virtually empty after the decision to endorse homosexuality. It's time to push back on the spin that's feeding our weak brethren who say that compromising truth in pursuit of love is the way to reach the lost. Intuitively, people want to anchor their lives to something meaningful--something that demands the sacrifice and discipline of "taking up your cross." When a denomination abandons the truth and waters everything down to love, it reduces the church to another hour of Dr. Phil--which is something Americans can get without ever leaving home.

There's "too much love" in the church. Yeah.

Labels: FRC, hate groups, Pew Project, religion

Reposted from Joe

JMG Church Sign Of The Day

Source.

Labels: advertising, brainwashing, religion

Reposted from Joe

Via Buddhism on Beliefnet :

Daily Buddhist Wisdom
	Worldly afflictions are as extensive as an ocean, noisy and clamorous; but they all arise from the thoughts in your own mind. When not a single thought is conceived, you are liberated from them all. - Ta-t More Buddhism Quotes >>

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 16, 2012

Where We Are Transformed

Buddhist practice only works when it's on the edge. And that's what the renunciant lifestyle is about, what living in the wilderness is about, what meditation is all about—getting to the edge. Because that's where we are transformed.

- Ajaan Amaro, "Just Another Thing in the Forest"

Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection through October 18th, 2012
For full access at any time, become a Tricycle Community Supporting or Sustaining Member

The Indigo Girls Speak Out for LGBT Immigrant Families

Reason 12 Why I left Christianity...

Via JMG: NEBRASKA: Christian Groups Work To Repeal LGBT Protections In Omaha

God's Gentle People are working to make it legal again to discriminate against LGBT people in Omaha, which only narrowly approved its workplace protection ordinance in March of this year.

Some churches involved in the effort put the call to sign the petition more directly than others; approaches range from reminders to sign petitions after Sunday services to one pastor's 39-minute sermon urging congregants to demonstrate their faith by signing their names. But the step into city politics reflects a similar perspective from some churches: that the ordinance limits their right to express their Christian views. “I think from time to time the people of God are called to resist their government at key crossroads, and I'm convinced that we stand at one of those crossroads right now in our city,” the Rev. Mark Ashton, lead pastor of Christ Community Church, said in a sermon last Sunday. “Every signature makes a difference in the future of our city,” he said later. “I'd encourage every registered voter who lives within the City of Omaha and follows Jesus to sign your name.”

Leading the repeal charge is the Nebraska Heritage Coalition, which has this message on their website:

Homosexual activity (not temptation or preference) is explicitly prohibited as sin in multiple passages in the Old and New Testament. We do not have the right to change God's moral law to fit our sexual preferences. We believe that when we admit our sin, the Lord is faithful to forgive. Whether it is gossip, greed, violence, hatred, homosexual activity or heterosexual adultery, every last one of us is guilty. Fortunately, our welcome before God is not based on our 'religion resume,’ or our ability to live up to a moral code. It is based on what Jesus did on the cross to pay for our wrongdoing. He forgives us and begins to change us from the inside out to become more like him. This is the Good News for men and women, young and old, rich and poor, clergy and laity, gay people and straight people alike. Therefore, everyone is welcome to attend our churches. Together, we can discover God’s forgiveness and the strength to live a life in obedience to his moral law.

There are 242 churches listed as backers of the repeal. (Tipped by JMG reader Sam)

RELATED: Last month Omaha Archbishop George Lucas issued a letter demanding that Nebraska's Catholics support the repeal petition.

Labels: assholery, bigotry, Christian Love, disgusting, employment, evil, LGBT rights, Nebraska, religion

Reposted from Joe

JMG HomoQuotable - Andrew Sullivan

"As an Obama supporter, I remain committed, if deeply demoralized. The reason for that new ambivalence is not that the reasons for re-electing him have changed - we desperately need to raise revenues to tackle the debt, we cannot launch a new Judeo-Christian war against Islam in the Middle East without igniting an even more ferocious global religious conflict; it's just wrong to cut off healthcare access for tens of millions, while ending homecare for countless seniors, while not even making a dent in the actual budget - because of give-aways to the extremely rich. And the way the Obama campaign had made those arguments clearly and consistently and built a brilliant campaign all the way to the first debate was quite something to behold.

"To be given a gift like the Romney 47 percent video is a rare event in national politics. To get it in the fall of an election should have made an Obama victory all but assured. But Obama threw it all back in his supporters' faces, reacting to their enthusiasm and record donations with a performance so execrable, so lazy, so feckless, and so vain it was almost a dare not to vote for him. What he has to do now is so nail these next two debates, so obliterate Romney in both, that he can claw his way back to victory. But if he manages just evenly-matched debates, let alone another Romney win, he's a goner." - Andrew Sullivan.

Labels: 2012 elections, Andrew Sullivan, HomoQuotable

Reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Dozens Of Business Leaders Publish Full-Page Ad Supporting WA Marriage

 

Embiggen the images to see all the high-rollers or go here for a PDF of the full ad.

Labels: advertising, marriage equality, Washington state

Reposted from Joe

Via JMG: I Have Two Fathers

Published on Oct 13, 2012 by depfox

Gay Family Values and Sean Chapin Productions team up to perform a wonderful song from the Netherlands about a kid who has two fathers, in response to the four states voting on marriage equality this upcoming election (Washington, Minnesota, Maine, Maryland).

See the original song and video from the Netherlands in 2006 here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qf0puHJ-KM

Help marriage equality in the four affected states in the upcoming 2012 election by going to a great website called TheFour2012:
http://www.thefour2012.com

Check out Sean Chapin Productions on his YouTube channel here:
http://www.youtube.com/SeanChapin1

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