Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma December 15, 2012

Removing Hindrances

With proper motivation, prayer becomes an important component of our practice because it helps to remove obstacles—counterproductive circumstances, imbalances of the subtle energies in the body, confusion and ignorance in the mind. Even in listening to the teachings, we may mentally edit what we hear, adding more to them than is being said or ignoring certain aspects. Prayer offsets these hindrances.

- Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche, “Prayer”

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through December 17th, 2012
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JMG Quote Of The Day - Ezra Klein

"If roads were collapsing all across the United States, killing dozens of drivers, we would surely see that as a moment to talk about what we could do to keep roads from collapsing. If terrorists were detonating bombs in port after port, you can be sure Congress would be working to upgrade the nation’s security measures. If a plague was ripping through communities, public-health officials would be working feverishly to contain it.

"Only with gun violence do we respond to repeated tragedies by saying that mourning is acceptable but discussing how to prevent more tragedies is not. But that’s unacceptable. As others have observed, talking about how to stop mass shootings in the aftermath of a string of mass shootings isn’t 'too soon.' It’s much too late." - Ezra Klein, writing for the Washington Post.

Labels: Connecticut, gun control, tragedy

Reposted from Joe

Via Karmic Blessings / FB:

 Being happy is a mindset. It's a choice that we have. Every obstacle is opportunity in disguise. It stops being an obstacle when you stop seeing it as a problem and see the opportunity.

Via Buddhism on Beliefnet:

Daily Buddhist Wisdom
	Subhuti asked: "Is perfect wisdom beyond thinking? Is it unimaginable and totally unique but nevertheless reaching the unreachable and attaining the unattainable?" The Buddha replied: "Yes, Subhuti, it is exactly so. And why is perfect wisdom beyond thinking? It is because all its points of reference cannot be thought about but can be apprehended. One is the disappearance of the self-conscious person into pure presence. Another is the knowing of the essenceless essence of all things in the world. And another is luminous knowledge that knows without a knower. None of these points can sustain ordinary thought because they are not objects or subjects. They can't be imagined or touched or approached in any way by any ordinary mode of consciousness, therefore they are beyond thinking." - Prajnaparamita More Buddhism Quotes >>

JMG Tweet Of The Day - Nancy Pelosi

 

Here link goes here. Stand by for trolls. #TotallyBraggable

Labels: DOMA, GOP, Nancy Pelosi

Reposted from Joe

JMG Headline Of The Day:

 

No sex until marriage! One man, one woman, FOR LIFE! Details. (Tipped by JMG reader David)

Labels: abstinence, divorce, hypocrisy, sanctity of marriage, Sarah Palin, Tea Party, teabaggers

Reposted from Joe

Via JMG: "Give Me" Vs "Let Me"

"Among voters who saw the desire by gays and lesbians to be legally wedded as a bid primarily for the rights and protections that heterosexual couples have, same-sex marriage was a loser. Only 26 percent of them voted for its legalization, while 74 percent voted against. But among voters who believed that gays and lesbians were chiefly interested in being able to pledge the fullest and most public commitment possible to their partners, same-sex marriage was a huge, huge winner. Eighty-five percent of those voters supported it, while only 15 percent opposed it.

"That’s a fascinating microcosm of, and window into, broader political dynamics. When an initiative in this country is framed or understood largely as an attempt by a given constituency to get more, the opposition to it is frequently bolstered, the resistance strengthened. Even if the constituency is trying to right a wrong or rectify a disadvantage, 'Give me' can be a risky approach. 'Let me' is often a better one, and when voters hear gays and lesbians asking to participate in a hallowed institution for the most personal and heartfelt of reasons, voters may have a more positive reaction." - Frank Bruni, writing about an analysis of Washington state's voters.

Labels: Frank Bruni, marriage equality, Washington state

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JMG Editorial Of The Day:

From the Washington Post:

In striking down both laws, the Supreme Court could adopt the logic of the various appeals courts, or it could find other legally acceptable ways to avoid a sweeping ruling just yet. Same-sex couples could then marry in California, and married same-sex couples across the country could obtain federal benefits — but other states would have more time to consider their own policies on the issue. Such an outcome might disappoint those who see no justification for continued discrimination. But it would nevertheless be an important step in the right direction.
Of course, the justices have a third option: upholding DOMA, Proposition 8 or both. Choosing that way would be a historic mistake. The court’s job is to determine judges’ proper role in moving the country away from discrimination, not to enshrine that discrimination in constitutional doctrine. However the court rules, its decision will be a guidepost on a road that eventually ends in legal and social acceptance of equal rights. It should not point backward.

Has your own paper opined on this topic?

Labels: DOMA, Proposition 8, SCOTUS, WaPo

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Via JMG: World Net Daily Endorses Uganda's Plan To Imprison Homosexuals For Life

World Net Daily has republished Scott Lively's endorsement of Uganda's allegedly revised Anti-Homosexuality Act, which he claims now only plans to imprison LGBT people and their allies for the rest of their lives.  Christian Love™ in action.

Labels: Africa, Christian Love, gay death penalty, Joseph Farah, religion, Scott Lively, Uganda, World Net Daily

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Via JMG: VATICAN CITY: Pope Blesses Uganda's Rebecca "Kill The Gays" Kadaga

Ugandan Parliament Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, who last month promised the passage of the Anti-Homosexuality Act as a "Christmas gift to Christians," yesterday appeared in Vatican City to receive a blessing from the Pope. From the website of the Uganda Parliament:

Kadaga who led a delegation of Ugandan legislators to the Vatican expressed delight at meeting the Pope and visiting St Peter’s Basilica. “I think this is a moment that cannot be repeated. We have been reading about him, hearing stories about St.Peter’s Basilica but now we are here physically. I think it is something that I will remember all my life. Its a very great moment and I thank God for this opportunity,” she said minutes after meeting the Pope. The Speaker dedicated to all Ugandans readings from the book of St. Mark which the Pope quoted in several languages during the Vatican mass.

And there you have it. A blessing from the Pope upon the woman who wants you executed. It can't get any plainer than that, can it?

Labels: Catholic Church, Christian Love, cults, gay death penalty, organized crime, pope, Rebecca Kadaga, religion, Uganda, Vatican

Reposted from Joe

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma December 14, 2012

Giving Without Regret

Buddhism praises the value of generosity but warns that you shouldn’t give something away if you’re likely to be upset later and regret giving it away. Similarly, although it’s good to help others, we shouldn’t agree to do something for another person if it will likely lead us to feel exhausted, resentful, and angry at the other person. Each of us has to judge our own capacities and set our boundaries accordingly.

- Lorne Ladner, "Taking a Stand"

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through December 16th, 2012
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Via JMG: House GOP Raises DOMA Defense Budget

The Republican House secretly raised their budget to defend DOMA by $500,000 according to September documents just revealed.

House Administration Chairman Dan Lungren, R-Calif., signed off in September on a $500,000 increase in the maximum value of the contract with the firm, Washington-based Bancroft. Republicans have raised the cap of the contract twice: first on Sept. 29, 2011, from its original maximum of $500,000 to $1.5 million, and again on Sept. 28 to its new maximum of $2 million. Although the latest lifting of the contract cap occurred almost three months ago, House Democrats — and the public — were in the dark about the move until this week.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi reacts on her official website:

Here they go again. It’s bad enough that Speaker Boehner and House Republicans are wasting taxpayer dollars to defend the indefensible Defense of Marriage Act – and losing in every case. Now, they have reached a new low – signing a secret contract to spend more public money on their legal boondoggle without informing Democrats. Their actions are simply unconscionable; their decisions are utterly irresponsible. “Hiding this contract from voters in the midst of an election season was a cynical move at best, and a betrayal of the public trust at worst. With Americans focused on the creation of jobs and the growth of our economy, Republicans should not be spending $2 million to defend discrimination in our country.

Labels: DOMA, GOP, John Boehner, LGBT rights

Reposted from Joe

Via Buddhism on Beliefnet:

Daily Buddhist Wisdom
	Hostilities aren't stilled through hostility, regardless. Hostilities are stilled through non-hostility: this, an unending truth. - Dhammapada, 1, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. More Buddhism Quotes >>

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma December 13, 2012

Necessary Closeness

It is not sufficient merely to see that sentient beings are suffering. You must also develop a sense of closeness with them, a sense that they are dear. With that combination—seeing that people suffer and thinking of them as dear—you can develop compassion.

- Jeffrey Hopkins, "Everyone as a Friend"

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through December 15th, 2012
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Via United Nations For a Free Tibet (India)'s FB:

Via Buddhism on Beliefnet:

	Daily Buddhist Wisdom
	There are, bhikkhus, two successive Dhamma-teachings of the Tathagata, the Arahant, the Fully Enlightened One. What are the two? 'See evil as evil'--this is the first Dhamma-teaching. 'Having seen evil as evil, be rid of it, be detached from it, be freed from it'--this is the second Dhamma-teaching. - Itivuttaka More Buddhism Quotes >>

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma December 12, 2012

Accepting the Pain of Relationships

Mindfulness can transform all our personal relationships—but only if we are willing to feel the inevitable pain that relationships entail. When we turn away from our distress, we inevitably abandon our loved ones as well as ourselves. But when we mindfully and compassionately incline toward whatever is arising within us, we can be truly present and alive for ourselves and others.

- Christopher K. Germer, "Getting Along"

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through December 14th, 2012
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Via JMG: Your Mother Made You Gay

Researchers at the University of California believe they've found another clue to the origins of homosexuality.

A group of scientists suggested Tuesday that homosexuals get that trait from their opposite-sex parents: A lesbian will almost always get the trait from her father, while a gay man will get the trait from his mother. The hereditary link of homosexuality has long been established, but scientists knew it was not a strictly genetic link, because there are many pairs of identical twins who have differing sexualities. Scientists from the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis say homosexuality seems to have an epigenetic, not a genetic link.
Long thought to have some sort of hereditary link, a group of scientists suggested Tuesday that homosexuality is linked to epi-marks — extra layers of information that control how certain genes are expressed. These epi-marks are usually, but not always, "erased" between generations. In homosexuals, these epi-marks aren't erased — they're passed from father-to-daughter or mother-to-son, explains William Rice, an evolutionary biologist at the University of California Santa Barbara and lead author of the study.

Hit the link for much more and enjoy the uproar from God's Gentle People who are pouring into the comments.
UPDATE: Wasn't Fischer just saying it's a choice? 

Labels: homosexuality, science, sexuality

Reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Scott Lively Endorses Uganda's "Revised" Plan To Imprison Homosexuals For Life

Hate group leader Scott Lively, whom many believe to be the person most responsible for Uganda's "Kill The Gays" bill, announced today that he is endorsing the allegedly revised version of the bill which only calls for gay people and their allies to be imprisoned for life.
Lively writes on his blog:

Just because Secular Humanist America began to decriminalize sexual sins in civilian law starting in the early 1960s doesn’t mean criminal sanctions against homosexuality are “un-Christian.” Indeed, given the enormous damage to our culture from the so-called sexual revolution, it was obviously a big mistake for us to have done this. Knowing what we know now it is arguably more “un-Christian” to support the status quo than to support a return to the legal framework of the 1940s and 50s regarding sexual misbehavior.[snip]  There is one easy, guaranteed method of protecting oneself from ever being subject to the Anti-Homosexuality law in Uganda: Don’t Commit Sodomy! We all seem to forget, in the dense propaganda haze of American popular opinion, that homosexuality is defined by voluntary sexual acts. Homosexuals are no more compelled to commit sodomy with each other than a married man is compelled to cheat on his wife.

He concludes: "Since the alternative to passing this bill is to allow the continuing, rapid, foreigner-driven homosexualization of Ugandan culture, I am giving the revised Anti Homosexuality Bill my support."
It's important to note that Scott Lively enjoys the full-throated endorsement of other anti-gay hate groups, including the Family Research Council, Mission America, and Americans For Truth About Homosexuality.  Will any of these groups object to Lively's support for life imprisonment for LGBT people? Don't hold your fucking breath.

Labels: Africa, bigotry, Christian Love, fascists, gay death penalty, God's Gentle People, hate groups, religion, Scott Lively, Uganda

Reposted from Joe