Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Monday, January 26, 2015
Via Queerty: Gay Marriages Took Place In The Christian Church Nearly 2,000 Years Ago
Historian John Boswell’s seminal book on the roots of gay marriage, Same-Sex Unions in Premodern Europe, comes out for the first time in a digital edition next month. The timing seems perfect in the wake of the death of DOMA and Prop 8, though Boswell himself died from complications from AIDS before he saw that momentous day.
Author Annalee Newitz profiles Boswell, a Yale scholar and religious Catholic, as well as his work on i09. Newitz recalls how Boswell dedicated the majority of his scholarly life to researching the late Roman Empire and early Christian Church which yielded some remarkable findings:
There were dozens of records of church ceremonies where two men were joined in unions that used the same rituals as heterosexual marriages. (He found almost no records of lesbian unions, which is probably an artifact of a culture which kept more records about the lives of men generally.)The poor lesbians — always getting the figurative shaft, for lack of the literal. Anyqueer, Boswell argued that the Church tried to sweep these same-sex unions under the holy rug and redefined marriage — sound familiar — in the 13th century “to be for the purpose of procreation,” as conservatives loudly like to remind us at every turn. But if the Church — not to mention the Oxford Dictionary — can redefine marriage once, what’s wrong with doing it again?
The unions, Newitz points out, don’t necessarily fit the definition of marriage we have today. Taboos against homosexuality, which as a social construct is relatively new (the love that dared not speak its name went unnamed until the late 19th century), as well as the original purpose of matrimony — wealth/land sharing — have changed over time. But many of these unions in Boswell’s research involved the love of two people of the same-sex, which were in turn consecrated by the Christian Church.
King Felipe VI of Spain becomes world's first monarch to appear on gay magazine cover
King Felipe VI of Spain becomes world's first monarch to appear on gay magazine cover - See more at: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/king-felipe-vi-spain-becomes-worlds-first-monarch-appear-gay-magazine-cover260115#sthash.jz8wMaJd.dpuf
Via JMG: ALABAMA: Gay Lawmaker Threatens To Reveal Colleagues' Adulterous Affairs
Labels: adultery, Alabama, bigotry, BOOM, gay politicians, hypocrisy, LGBT rights, marriage equality, Patricia Todd
Via JMG: GREECE: Atheist Prime Minister "Politely" Rebuffs Clergy For Swearing-In Ceremony
Via the Economist:
Reposted from Joe Jervis
Greece's new prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, made history within hours of his victory by informing the Archbishop of Athens, very politely, that clerical services would not be required for his swearing-in ceremony. An avowed atheist who has nonetheless made a point of dealing courteously with senior clergy, Mr Tsipras lost no time in making known that his oath of office would be a secular procedure. It was also explained that when the whole cabinet was sworn in, a more junior cleric (but not the archbishop) would be invited to assist those who wished to take a religious oath.An Orthodox Christian leader praised Tsipras for declining to take a "false oath." (Tipped by JMG reader Rob)
It's hard to overstate what a rupture this marks with the ceremonial culture of Greece. For as long as anybody can remember, every senior office-holder, from socialists to right-wing dictators, has assumed the post with a ritual involving Bibles, crosses and often holy water, sprinkled about with a sprig of basil. The opening words of the Greek constitution recall the theological formulas of the early church which predate by the Hellenic state by more than 1,300 years: "In the name of the holy, consubstantial and indivisible Trinity......"
Via JMG: POLL: 73% Back Gay Athletes
Via the Public Religion Research Institute:
Reposted from Joe Jervis
Roughly three-quarters (73%) of Americans say they would support a professional sports team signing a gay or lesbian athlete, while about 1-in-5 (19%) say they would oppose this action. There is broad support for a professional sports team signing a gay or lesbian athlete across demographic and political groups, including 66% of Republicans, 75% of independents, and 79% of Democrats. A majority of all religious groups would support a professional sports team signing a gay or lesbian athlete, although white evangelical Protestants register lower levels of support. Roughly 8-in-10 white mainline Protestants (77%), Catholics (78%), minority Protestants (66%), and the religiously unaffiliated (84%) favor teams signing gay and lesbian athletes. In contrast, a significantly smaller majority (54%) of white evangelical Protestants say they would favor a team signing a gay or lesbian athlete, while 36% would oppose such a moveEmbiggen the image above or go here for more..
Via Daily Dharma
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Flor do Dia - Flor del Día - Flower of the Day - 26/01/2015
“A orientação espiritual de um mestre é a voz do seu coração, é a sua
própria intuição falando. E como nem sempre você pode ouvir a sua
intuição (que é o seu coração), você sai em busca de uma resposta,
através de uma visão, de um sinal, ou de uma orientação que te guie na
jornada.”
“Spiritual guidance from a master teacher is the voice of our hearts
and our own intuition speaking to us. Since we aren’t always able to
listen to our intuition, we seek answers through a vision, a sign, or
some guidance that orients us on our journey.”
- Sri Prem Baba
Flor do Dia - Flor del Día - Flower of the Day - 25/01/2015
“O que sustenta a negatividade é a inconsciência sobre o seu desejo
pelo negativo. E preciso reconhecer que, na verdade, você é quem escolhe
ser canal da maldade. Você escolhe segregar veneno para se proteger.
Talvez a percepção dessa escolha ainda não esteja clara, mas a escolha
existe. Enquanto não toma consciência da sua intenção de ferir o outro,
você segue acreditando não ter forças para fazer diferente. Em parte
isso é verdadeiro porque se você não se responsabiliza pela sua atuação
negativa no mundo, ela age à revelia da sua vontade consciente.”
Acesse o Satsang completo: bit.ly/25012015
“Lo que sustenta la negatividad es la inconciencia sobre tu deseo por lo negativo. Es necesario reconocer que, en verdad, tú eres quien elije ser canal de la maldad. Elijes segregar veneno para protegerte. Tal vez la percepción de esa elección aún no esté clara, pero la elección existe. Mientras no tomas conciencia de tu intención de herir al otro, sigues creyendo en no tener fuerzas para cambiar. En parte esto es verdad porque si no te responsabilizas por tus actos negativos en el mundo, ellos actúan en contra de tu voluntad consciente.”
“What sustains negativity is our unconscious desire for the negative. It’s necessary to recognize that, in truth, we are the ones who choose to be a channel for evil. We choose to spit poison to protect ourselves. Perhaps we still do not clearly perceive this choice, but the choice does in fact exist. Until we become aware that our intention is to hurt the other, we go on believing that we don’t have the power to do things differently. In part this is true because if we do not take responsibility for our negative actions in the world, life acts in defiance of our conscious will.”
- Sri Prem Baba
Flor do Dia - Flor del Día - Flower of the Day - 24/01/2015
“A poluição, o aquecimento global, a falta de água ou o excesso dela...Todas essas questões ambientais são reações, são respostas da natureza para a ignorância e o descaso com que temos tratado ela. A natureza está tentando nos ensinar alguma coisa. Mas, o que ela está tentando nos ensinar? Como o externo é somente um reflexo do interno, a resposta certamente está dentro de nós. Por isso, as ações a serem realizadas lá fora têm que nascer de dentro; elas precisam nascer da consciência amorosa.”
“La polución, el calentamiento global, la falta de agua o su exceso...
Todas estas cuestiones ambientales son reacciones, son respuestas de la
naturaleza a la ignorancia y la negligencia con la que la hemos tratado.
La naturaleza está intentando enseñarnos algo. Pero, ¿qué es lo que
está tratando de enseñarnos? Como lo externo es solamente un reflejo de
lo interno, la respuesta ciertamente está dentro nuestro. Por eso, las
acciones a ser realizadas allá afuera tienen que nacer de adentro;
necesitan nacer de la conciencia amorosa.”
“Environmental issues such as pollution, global warming, and both the lack and excess of water are all nature’s responses to the ignorance and neglect with which we have treated Her. Nature is trying to teach us something. But what is she trying to teach us? Since the external is merely a reflection of the internal, the answer certainly lies within us. For this reason, the actions to be carried out externally must be born from within us through loving consciousness.”
“Environmental issues such as pollution, global warming, and both the lack and excess of water are all nature’s responses to the ignorance and neglect with which we have treated Her. Nature is trying to teach us something. But what is she trying to teach us? Since the external is merely a reflection of the internal, the answer certainly lies within us. For this reason, the actions to be carried out externally must be born from within us through loving consciousness.”
Via Daily Dharma
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Friday, January 23, 2015
Via Daily Dharma
A Living Principle | January 23, 2015
There is no way that the dharma can survive as a living principle unless
it can be offered and received as a gift, in an atmosphere where mutual
compassion and concern are the medium of exchange, and purity of heart
is the bottom line.
- Thanissaro Bhikkhu, "The Economy of Gifts"
- Thanissaro Bhikkhu, "The Economy of Gifts"
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Via Rumi / FB:
This is how I would die
into the love I have for you:
As pieces of cloud
dissolve in sunlight. ~ Rumi
Flor do Dia - Flor del Día - Flower of the Day - 22/01/2015
“É verdade que a jornada espiritual é individual. É verdade que o
masculino e o feminino se encontram dentro de você, e que o encontro
entre o rio e o oceano é interno, porém, o mais poderoso instrumento de
realização dessa união interior é o que chamamos de relacionamentos.
Portanto, o maior desafio para o ser humano nesse atual estágio da
jornada evolutiva é aprender a se relacionar de forma pacífica e
amorosa. Essa deve ser sua principal prática espiritual.”
“Es verdad que el camino espiritual es individual. Es verdad que lo
masculino y lo femenino se encuentran dentro de ti, y que el encuentro
entre el río y el océano es interno, sin embargo, el instrumento más
poderoso para realizar esta unión interior es lo que llamamos
relaciones. Por lo tanto, el mayor desafío para el ser humano en esta
etapa actual del camino evolutivo es aprender a relacionarse en forma
pacífica y amorosa. Esta debe ser tu principal práctica espiritual.”
“It is true that the spiritual journey is an individual process. It’s true that the masculine and feminine unite within you, and that the merging of the river and ocean happens internally. However, the most powerful instrument for realizing this internal union is relationships. The greatest challenge for the human being at this current stage of evolution is to learn how to relate in a peaceful and loving way. This should be your main spiritual practice.”
“It is true that the spiritual journey is an individual process. It’s true that the masculine and feminine unite within you, and that the merging of the river and ocean happens internally. However, the most powerful instrument for realizing this internal union is relationships. The greatest challenge for the human being at this current stage of evolution is to learn how to relate in a peaceful and loving way. This should be your main spiritual practice.”
Via Daily Dharma
Giving Up Transcendent Teachings | January 22, 2015
Is Buddhism harmed by giving up claims that its teachings transcend
human time and space? I think not. In fact, I would claim that such a
view is more in accord with foundational buddhadharma than its
alternative.
- Rita Gross, "The Truth About Truth"
- Rita Gross, "The Truth About Truth"
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