http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/12/01/1267231/open-thread-plus-cartoon-of-the-week-12/

"X-Men and Lord of the Rings star Sir Ian McKellen has recorded a video for a New Zealand equal marriage campaign.

"...The New Zealand Marriage Amendment Bill, which would legalise equal marriage, passed its first reading on 22 August, with a majority of 80 votes to 40 in parliament in support of the change.

"In the video, Sir Ian said: 'New Zealand gave women the vote before every other country in the world, the rest of the world has looked towards New Zealand for social advance and here we are again- this time at the exciting prospect of two people of the same gender being able to get married and to join the rest of the population.

"'It will be a popular move, I know, and I’m glad your major political parties have embraced it, supported too by the younger generation who see things a lot more clearly than people of my age.

"'My support is with you and I hope that by the time I return to Middle-earth I might even be able to get married there.'..."

 

Via JMG: Matt Barber: People With AIDS Are Sinners Who Deserve Their Gruesome Deaths

 

Just when you think God's Gentle People™ could not possibly behave more repulsively, Christian leader Matt Barber proves you wrong.  Deliberately timed for World AIDS Day, obviously.

Labels: AIDS, Christian Love, disgusting, God's Gentle People, hate groups, horrible, Liberty Counsel, Matt Barber, pigs, religion, Sharia Law, theocracy, World AIDS Day

Reposted from Joe

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma December 1, 2012

The Key to Happiness

Grace is the key to happiness. When bad things happen, if we have confidence in grace, then we can remain grounded in that and not be overwhelmed by the soap opera of life. And grace is a circular blessing. The more grace enters your life, the more grateful you are. The more grateful you are, the more easily grace seems to enter.

- Dharmavidya David Brazier, "Let Grace In"

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through December 3rd, 2012
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Via Being Liberal / FB:

Via Gay Politics Report:

How religion helped win marriage equality

Marriage equality advocates engaged people of faith and religious leaders in successful campaigns to win ballot initiatives this year, a turnaround from four years ago when social conservatives dominated religious discussions over California's Proposition 8. A Washington state coalition distributed thousands of buttons bearing the message, "Another Person of Faith Approves R. 74," sparking conversations in which proponents were trained to speak about the issue in terms of love and commitment rather than "gay rights." Ross Murray, director of religion, faith and values at the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, helped train thousands of "conversationalists" to speak about the issue and their own faith, and to listen intently to those who described their difficulties supporting marriage equality. “All of us like to be listened to," Murray said. CNN/Belief blog

JMG Editorial Of The Day:

From Tom Goldstein at SCOTUSblog:

At their Conference today, the Justices will consider petitions raising federal constitutional issues related to same-sex marriage. These are the most significant cases these nine Justices have ever considered, and probably that they will ever decide.
I have never before seen cases that I believed would be discussed two hundred years from now. Bush v. Gore and Obamacare were relative pipsqueaks. The government’s assertion of the power to prohibit a loving couple to marry, or to refuse to recognize such a marriage, is profound. So is the opposite claim that five Justices can read the federal Constitution to strip the people of the power to enact the laws governing such a foundational social institution.
The cases present a profound test of the Justices’ judgment. The plaintiffs’ claims are rooted in the fact that these laws rest on an irrational and invidious hatred, enshrined in law. On the other hand, that describes some moral judgments. The Constitution does not forbid every inequality, and the people must correct some injustices (even some grave ones) themselves, legislatively.
The striking feature of these cases – not present in any others I have ever seen – is that that they would have been decided by the Justices’ predecessors one way and would be decided by the Justices’ successors another way.

Read the full essay.

Labels: LGBT History, LGBT rights, SCOTUS

Reposted from Joe

Via Buddhism on Beliefnet:

	Daily Buddhist Wisdom
	The one who wanders independent in the world, free from opinions and viewpoints, does not grasp them and enter into disputations and arguments. As the lotus rises on its stalk unsoiled by the mud and the water, so the wise one speaks of peace and is unstained by the opinions of the world. - Sutta Nipata More Buddhism Quotes >>

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma November 30, 2012

Great Compassion

The virtues of great compassion are infinite; they could be expounded upon forever without exhausting them, but it boils down to this: Whoever has great compassion can extinguish all obstructions caused by past actions and can fulfill all virtues; no principle cannot be understood, no path cannot be practiced, no knowledge not attained, no virtue not developed.

- Zen Master Torei, "Great Compassion"

Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection through December 2nd, 2012
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Via The Pagan Circle' / FB:

 

This January, why not start the year with an empty jar and fill it with notes about good things that happen. Then, on New Years Eve, empty it and see what awesome stuff happened that year. Good way to keep things in perspective! ~Krystal~

Via Upworthy:

http://www.upworthy.com/if-you-dont-believe-in-gay-marriage-see-this-chart-if-you-do-believe-in-gay-marr?c=upw3

Via Buddhism on Beliefnet:

	Daily Buddhist Wisdom
	It's easy to see The errors of others, But hard to see Your own. You winnow like chaff The errors of others, But conceal your own-- Like a cheat, an unlucky throw. If you focus on the errors of others, Constantly finding fault, Your effluents flourish. You're far from their ending. - Dhammapada 18, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. More Buddhism Quotes >>

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma November 29, 2012

Freedom of Heart

Sometimes suffering comes through clinging to certain emotional pain or certain stories; sometimes through not recognizing emptiness, the evanescence of life, that nothing can be claimed as I or mine. The point of dharma practice is to pay attention to where there is suffering, see the clinging and identification, and release it to find a freedom of heart.

- Jack Kornfield, "The Sure Heart’s Release"

Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection through December 1st, 2012
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Via Buddhism on Beliefnet:

Daily Buddhist Wisdom
	Think not of the faults of others, of what they have done or not done. Think rather of your own sins, of the things you have done or not done. - Buddha More Buddhism Quotes >>

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma November 28, 2012

A Radical Challenge

The Buddha presented a radical challenge to the way we see the world, both the world that was seen two millennia ago and the world that is seen today. What he taught is not different, it is not an alternative, it is the opposite. That the path that we think will lead us to happiness leads instead to sorrow. That what we believe is true is instead false. That what we imagine to be real is unreal. A certain value lies in remembering that challenge from time to time.

- Donald S. Lopez, "The Scientific Buddha"

Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection through November 30th, 2012
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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma November 27, 2012

An Honest, Enlightened Society

Enlightened society is not an idealized environment. It's an environment that actually accepts the imperfections of humanity and encourages you to open your heart and mind and work with other people and situations as they are. Enlightened society is one in which, as you make friends with yourself, your communication with other people gets clearer, more direct, more honest.

- Pema Chödrön, "No Place to Hide"

Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection through November 29th, 2012
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Via Buddhism on Beliefnet:

	Daily Buddhist Wisdom
	Whose minds are well-developed in the factors of self-awakening, who delight in non-clinging, relinquishing grasping-- resplendent, their effluents ended: they, in the world, are Unbound. - Dhammapada, 6, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. More Buddhism Quotes >>

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma November 26, 2012

The Necessity of Love

There is no denying that consideration of others is worthwhile. There is no denying that our happiness is inextricably bound up with the happiness of others. There is no denying that if society suffers, we ourselves suffer. Nor is there any denying that the more our hearts and minds are afflicted with ill-will, the more miserable we become. Thus we can reject everything else: religion, ideology, all received wisdom. But we cannot escape the necessity of love and compassion.

- H.H. the Dalai Lama, "Consider Yourself a Tourist"

Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection through November 28th, 2012
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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma November 25, 2012

Shedding Self-Protective Clinging

Too often Buddhist 'nonattachment' is misconstrued as 'non-loving.' The purpose of Buddhist practice is not to 'renounce' our families or community, but to shed habits of self-protective clinging that prevent us from loving them more unconditionally, powerfully, enjoyably.

- Lama John Makransky, "Family Practice"

Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection through November 27th, 2012
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Via Happiness' / FB:

When the light is dim, it isn’t
easy to see the old spider webs in
the corners of the room. But
when the light is bright, you can
see them clearly and then be able

to take them down. When your
mind is bright, you’ll be able to
see your defilements clearly, too,
and clean them away.

- Ajahn Chah