Buddhism teaches us that desire, for all the agony and ecstasy, is no match for the truth.
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The
morning the ACLU sent out a blistering denouncement of Rep. Paul Ryan's
track record on LGBT rights and civil liberties. Via press release:In response to Mitt Romney’s announcement of his vice presidential pick of Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), the American Civil Liberties Union Liberty Watch 2012 campaign this morning released a brief report that reveals an appalling civil liberties record for Ryan.Read the ACLU's brief on Ryan.
The report finds that Ryan, the congressman representing Wisconsin’s 1st District, holds almost uniformly harmful views on five key civil liberties issues including a humane immigration policy, LGBT equality, reproductive rights, torture and indefinite detention and fair voting access.
The report is based on the white paper released by ACLU Liberty Watch 2012. “Paul Ryan may end up a heartbeat away from the presidency but he’ll be light years from civil liberties,” said Anthony D. Romero, ACLU executive director. “Paired with Romney’s already-abysmal record on civil liberties, Ryan’s positions only take this ticket further from the vision of our founding fathers.”
| Daily Buddhist Wisdom | |||
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Although
desires can be remarkably stubborn, they share a goal—happiness—and
this can form the common ground for an effective dialogue: If a desire
doesn’t really produce happiness, it contradicts its reason for being.
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We support the right of all families to have equal respect, responsibilities, and protections under the law. We support marriage equality and support the movement to secure equal treatment under law for same-sex couples. We also support the freedom of churches and religious entities to decide how to administer marriage as a religious sacrament without government interference.Geidner notes that the group that created the above language is different from the one that will be voting on it at the convention. Should the plank pass out of the convention committee, it must then be voted upon by the delegates.
We oppose discriminatory federal and state constitutional amendments and other attempts to deny equal protection of the laws to committed same-sex couples who seek the same respect and responsibilities as other married couples. We support the full repeal of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act and the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act.
| Daily Buddhist Wisdom | |||
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If
you are not leading a morally upright life, you cannot expect to sit
down on a little pillow and find yourself secluded from sense desires,
secluded from unwholesome states of mind. If there is not sufficient
morality, there is too much to desire, too much hate or fear, too much
to worry about.
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"Everybody
in this country has the right to say what they think and feel and what
best represents them. The people at Chick-fil-A have the absolute right
to say and do what they want. It doesn’t matter that all of these people
disagree with their opinion. The question was how would the people that
agree with what that man said do to support the company and how would
the ones against his anti-gay remarks protest. What you’re seeing here
are the elements of the American Constitution in all of their glory.
It’s a wonderful thing to see happening and talk about and the fact that
everyone is discussing the gay rights issue is great. I don’t think
that man thought too much about the business consequences of what he
said, but I think he was standing for what he believes in. I don’t agree
with him at all, but God bless the man. It’s as simple as that." -
Openly gay heavy metal star Rob Halford, speaking to Ultimate Classic Rock. (Tipped by JMG reader Greg)
On next Monday's episode of House Hunters International, HGTV's flagship series will feature a gay couple forced to leave the country due to DOMA. From the show's episode guide: Ivan and Devin, built a life together in DC: they worked jobs they loved, shared their home with their beloved dog and exchanged wedding vows. But when Ivan's work visa expired, he had no other choice but to head back to his native Bogota, Colombia with his American husband, Devin, and their dog, Danger. Ivan's mother is delighted her son is back home and has extended her indefinite hospitality, but the couple agrees it's time to find their own digs. With few dog-friendly buildings, and an extensive wish-list, real estate agent, Sam Miller has his work cut out for him. But will he deliver the goods? Find out, when House Hunters International sets its sights on Bogota, Colombia.The show was filmed prior to last week's announcement that Homeland Security will now deprioritize the deportations of LGBT partners.
For years here on JMG we've been following the case of Lisa Miller, the "ex-gay" woman who kidnapped her daughter
to Central America after losing several court cases that awarded
custody to her former partner. The preacher accused of facilitating that
crime is about to go on trial, prompting American Family Association
radio host Bryan Fischer to issue calls for an anti-gay "Underground
Railroad" to help shield the kidnappers of the children of gay parents.That semester’s midterm exam, obtained by Religion Dispatches, included a question based on Miller’s case asking students to describe what advice they would give her “as a friend who is a Christian lawyer.” After laying out a slanted history of the protracted legal battle, the exam asked, “Lisa needs your counsel on how to think through her legal situation and how to respond as a Christian to this difficult problem. Relying only on what we have learned thus far in class, how would you counsel Lisa?”As word broke late last year that the federal government was about to find Lisa Miller, Fischer and other anti-gay sites declared that the FBI had been infiltrated by the "gaystapo."
Students who wrote that Miller should comply with court orders received bad grades while those who wrote she should engage in civil disobedience received an A, the three students said. “People were appalled,” said one of the students, adding, “especially as lawyers-to-be, who are trained and licensed to practice the law—to disobey that law, that seemed completely counterintuitive to all of us.” Still, some knew what they needed to “regurgitate,” in order to get a good grade. “It was obvious by the substance of the class during the semester the answer that they wanted,” said one of the students. “The majority of people that I am acquainted with who did get As wrote that because it was expected of them.”
Lisa and Isabella are not free. The FBI is after them. At any time, they may be captured. At any time, Isabella may be kidnapped by the FBI and her mother arrested. America is resurrecting Sodom with a vengeance, supported by the formidable power of the State. While Christian social services in the US are losing their traditional right to help children because they refuse state orders to adopt children to homosexual couples.Fischer's tweets from yesterday (at the top of this post) have generated widespread condemnation, which is an everyday occurrence when he bloviates on any topic. But this time even some anti-gay and Christian sites are backing away from him, resulting in today's flurry of "clarifications."
I recommend reading last week's exhaustive New York Times
cover story on the kidnapping. We can only hope that after the
preacher's trial will come multiple conspiracy counts for Mat Staver and
his Liberty Counsel accomplices.| Daily Buddhist Wisdom | |||
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Thoughts
come and go. Feelings come and go. Allow yourself to experience the
transient nature of thoughts and feelings, welcoming everything that
arises as Just this, not me, not mine.
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1-Parents can go to their middle school and/or high school websites and find out which teachers sponsor gay and straight alliances and liberal political activist groups (e.g. AWARE).Friendly Atheist blogger Hemant Mehta, who IS a teacher, has posted a great response.
2- Parents can also ask what texts will be taught or used (e.g. The Chocolate War, Fat Kid Rules the World, Angels in America, The Laramie Project, or The People’s History of the United States) by a particular teacher. Parents should ask for the reading list for the entire year. Teachers who have a reasonable degree of respect for the values and beliefs of all parents will not have highly controversial texts on either required or recommended reading lists.
3- If parents have children who have already gone through the school or have already completed a year or more, they should ask those children and/or their friends or friends’ parents which teachers are known for bringing their politics into the classroom or who displays a “Safe Space” sticker, the inverted pink triangle, the rainbow flag, or the lower case Greek letter “lambda” on their desk, classroom door, or wall. Students usually know who the liberal, activist teachers are. Liberal teachers develop reputations, often as the “cool” teachers.
They want to rail against liberal teachers — even ones like me, who keep our religious beliefs out of the classroom — but they’re silent when it comes to Christian teachers who proselytize instead of teaching. And you can bet that happens far more often. They’re hypocrites who refuse to acknowledge it and school districts know better than to take them seriously. That’s why IFI has to make up fake enemies. That’s why they go after atheist teachers and English departments and pink triangles and lambda symbols.
Because the teachers who preach atheism or Islam or Hinduism in the classroom don’t exist. Preaching instead of teaching is something certain Christians do, not the rest of us. And if you’re a Christian and you agree with me, then say something about it to them. Stop being silent. It’s not like they care what atheists have to say. On the brighter note, IFI staffers won’t be teaching in any public schools this fall. But I will be. Me and my evil, liberal, hippie, godless, proof-loving, triangle-drawing, “cool” ways.
