Via Daily Dharma

Into Emptiness | March 16, 2015 Good and bad, happy and sad, all thoughts vanish into emptiness like the imprint of a bird in the sky. - Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, "The Dharma in a Single Drawing" Read More →

Via JMG: Cyndi Lauper: The FRC Wants Homeless LGBT Kids Excluded From Federal Act

Via press release from Cyndi Lauper:

Can you believe that there are people actively working to leave youth out in the cold? Don’t they realize it's just going to push us to work even harder to protect our kids?! The Family Research Council is one of those groups. Their target: a clause in the the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act that would specifically protect the 40% of homeless youth who identify as identify as LGBT.

This is what they had to say about the clause: “It contains a definition of gender identity (‘actual or perceived gender-related characteristics’) and sexual orientation that would require special protections for some individuals at the expense of the safety and privacy of all youth served by providers.”

I don’t understand how ensuring welcoming, affirming, and appropriate services for all youth jeopardizes anyone’s safety or privacy. Programs and services receiving federal funding must be inclusive of 100% our youth, not just 60%. This isn’t about protecting some youth, but ALL youth.

You can donate to Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Fund here.

Labels: Christian Love, Christianists, Cyndi Lauper, evil, feds, FRC, hate groups, homelessness, LGBT youth, religion, Tony Perkins

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via JMG: RUSSIA: Ikea Closes Website Over Fears About "Gay Propaganda" Laws

Via the BBC:

Ikea is to close down an online magazine in Russia over fears it could flout the country's law banning the promotion of gay values to minors. In a statement, the furniture giant said some articles in Ikea Family Live could be viewed in Russia as gay "propaganda". The controversial law was approved by President Vladimir Putin in 2013, drawing criticism from rights groups. They say it has been used to ban gay rights events, a claim Russia denies.

In the statement (in Russian), Ikea said: "When we do business, we observe the legislation of the countries where we work, therefore to avoid violations, we have taken the decision to stop publishing the magazine in Russia." It said the magazine - which is published in 25 countries - "shows different aspects of people's lives at home, regardless of their age, gender, sexual orientation, nationality and religion". "The magazine reflects the values ​​of the Ikea company, including equal rights and opportunities for all."

Late in 2013, Ikea removed a story about a British lesbian couple from its Russian website, drawing protests from GLAAD.

Labels: Ikea, LGBT rights, retail, Russia, Sweden

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día- Flower of the day 15/03/2015

“A máscara é um mecanismo de defesa que você desenvolve para evitar entrar em contato com as suas feridas infantis. Ela é uma idealização a respeito de si mesmo. E você idealiza porque ouve e assiste muita coisa a respeito do que é certo ou errado, do que é bom ou ruim. Você recebe informações sobre como ser uma pessoa aceita (ou rejeitada), e a partir disso, usando seu repertório mental e suas qualidades de raciocínio, você começa a construir um personagem para poder agradar e receber energia de alguma maneira.”

“La máscara es un mecanismo de defensa que desarrollas para evitar entrar en contacto con tus heridas infantiles. Ella es una idealización al respecto de ti mismo. Y tú idealizas porque oyes y ves muchas cosas al respecto de lo que está bien o está mal, de lo que es bueno o malo. Recibes informaciones sobre cómo ser una persona aceptada (o rechazada), y a partir de eso, usando tu repertorio mental y tus cualidades de raciocinio, comienzas a construir un personaje para poder agradar y recibir energía de alguna manera.” 

“Masks are the defense mechanisms we develop to avoid getting in touch with our childhood wounds. These masks are the idealized versions of ourselves. We create these ideals because we hear and see a lot about what is right or wrong; good or bad. We receive so much information on how to get accepted or rejected. Based on these observations, our mental repertoire, and our ability to rationalize, we begin to create a personality that will please others and receive energy in some way or another.”

Via Daily Dharma

Inner Wealth | March 15, 2015 When we’re in tune with our inner wealth—the qualities of compassion, contentment, patience, and so on—it’s endless, it’s timeless. Those are the qualities that we’re born with. Everybody. The whole process of meditation is all about trying to dig into this inner wealth, to access it. - Trinley Thaye Dorje, "Diamond-like Resolve" Read More →

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor del Día- Flower of the day 14/03/2015

“Desamor é sinônimo de vingança. E a vingança é uma mescla de ira, medo e orgulho. Uma das maneiras mais comuns de se vingar é quando você se fecha para o outro e passa a negar o amor. Muitas vezes você faz isso de forma passiva, simplesmente se isolando, o que pode se transformar em um processo de autodestruição: a energia da vingança se volta contra si mesmo na forma de doenças, fracassos, acidentes, e de uma série de situações negativas. Isso ocorre porque essa energia destrutiva, quando não exteriorizada por conta dos códigos morais sociais, se transforma em auto-ódio e autopunição.” 

“Desamor es sinónimo de venganza. Y la venganza es una mezcla de ira, miedo y orgullo. Una de las maneras más comunes de vengarte es cuando te cierras al otro y pasas a negar el amor. Muchas veces haces eso de forma pasiva, simplemente aislándote, lo que puede transformarse en un proceso de autodestrucción: la energía de la venganza se vuelve contra ti mismo en la forma de enfermedades, fracasos, accidentes, y de una serie de situaciones negativas. Esto ocurre porque esa energía destructiva, cuando no es exteriorizada por cuenta de los códigos morales sociales, se transforma en auto-odio y autocastigo.”

“A lack of love is synonymous with revenge. Revenge is a combination of wrath, fear and pride. One of the most common ways of taking revenge is by closing yourself off to others and beginning to deny them your love. You often do this passively by simply isolating yourself, which can set off a process of self-destruction. The energy of revenge turns against oneself in the form of illnesses, failures, accidents and a series of negative situations. When this destructive energy is not externalized due to social and moral codes, it turns into self-hatred and self-punishment”.

Via Daily Dharma

Returning to Meditation Practice | March 14, 2015 Getting distant from the practice is in some ways a part of it. Don’t let perfectionism drive you to procrastination. The best time to get close again is right now. - Kate Johnson, "Calming the Not Now Mind" Read More →

The Bigotry Map

Via Elephant Journal / FB:

Via Collective Evolution / FB:

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día- Flower of the day - 13/03/2015

“Colocar-se a serviço significa colocar seus dons e talentos a serviço do amor. Quando se coloca a serviço, você se sente ocupando o seu lugar no mundo, e percebe que tem muito para dar. Quando começa a dar, você começa a experimentar o sabor e a fragrância da alegria. E é justamente por isso que tenho colocado tanto foco na importância do serviço.”

“Colocarse al servicio significa colocar tus dones y talentos al servicio del amor. Cuando te colocas al servicio, te sientes ocupando tu lugar en el mundo, y percibes que tienes mucho para dar. Cuando comienzas a dar, comienzas a experimentar el sabor y la fragancia de la alegría. Y es justamente por eso que vengo colocando tanto foco en la importancia del servicio.”

“To serve means to put your gifts and talents at the service of love. When you put yourself at service, you feel that you are assuming your place in the world and realize that you have a lot to give. When you start to give, you begin to taste the flavor and smell the fragrance of joy. That is why I have focused so much on the importance of service.”

Via Daily Dharma

Quiet for a Moment | March 13, 2015 We get quiet for a moment in meditation. We sink down to a relaxedness, a calmness, abruptly free from all the crazy dreams we confuse with reality. And in that instant, by mistake maybe, or because we aren’t thinking to stop it from happening—we experience, in a flash, things as they really are. - William R. Stimson, "My Brief Career Composing Spanish Music" Read More →

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día- Flower of the day 12/03/2015

“O desejar é um poço sem fundo. Ele absorve tudo e nada satisfaz. É como um buraco que drena toda a energia que se aproxima de você, o que faz com que poucas pessoas queiram ficar perto. Porque ao ser tomado pelo desejar compulsivo, você se torna um mendigo, um ladrão de energia, que sem querer (sem ter consciência disso) rouba a energia do outro. Mesmo sem ter consciência, você se torna um especialista nisso, e descobre que a melhor maneira de roubar energia do outro é fazendo com que ele se sinta inferior e inseguro."

“El desear es un pozo sin fondo. Él absorbe todo y nada satisface. Es como un agujero que drena toda la energía que se aproxima a ti, lo que hace que pocas personas quieran estar cerca. Porque al ser tomado por el desear compulsivo, te tornas un mendigo, un ladrón de energía, que sin querer (sin tener consciencia de eso) roba energía del otro. Mismo sin tener consciencia, te vuelves un especialista en eso, y descubres que la mejor manera de robar energía del otro es haciendo que él se sienta inferior e inseguro.”

“Desire is a bottomless pit. It absorbs everything, and nothing satisfies it. It’s like a hole that drains all the energy that comes near us, which makes most people want to stay away from us. When we are consumed by compulsive desire, we become a beggar; an energy thief. Without trying to, we unconsciously rob the other’s energy. Even without knowing it, we become an expert in this area. We discover that the best way to rob the other’s energy is to make them feel inferior and insecure.”

Via Daily Dharma

What We Learn When We Beg | March 12, 2015 Although we hold the bowl open for an offering, the practice of takuhatsu [collecting alms] does not teach us to be dependent upon society, asking for something that is not earned, or pressuring a community for an entitlement to food or goods. Rather, it teaches us the fundamental lessons of the Buddha: to be dependent on everyone, to live our original homelessness, to include the homeless in thought and deed, to share everything, to accept what comes to us, to be generous, to be humble in society, to recognize the timid, to resist fame, to be modest, to resist the acquisition of goods, to throw off ego, to have the courage to be fully visible in practice. - Eido Frances Carney, "Zen and the Art of Begging" Read More →

Via John Pavlovitz: Sorry To Rainbow On Your Parade (A Pastor Sets The Record “Straight” On The Gay Agenda)

 

Brace yourselves and gird your loins, true believers; I have some earth-shattering news.

 

I’ve long heard rumors of the homosexual community’s insidious master plan to contaminate and corrupt our sweet straight setup here, and one way or another, I decided I’d get to the bottom of it, once and for all.

As you may or may not know, I’ve been a pastor in the local church for the past 18 years; listening, counseling, observing. I’ve served at house churches and mega churches; at ones with pipe organs and ones with Marshall stacks; ones with wooden pews and ones with free WiFi. This vast and lengthy resume has given me unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to the hidden lives of tens of thousands of unsuspecting families. During that time, I’ve done some covert reconnaissance on our behalf, and the raw, naked truth I’ve uncovered? Well, it’s a game-changer, to say the least.

My friends, sadly I’m afraid that the horror stories you’ve heard on the radio shows, and in the blogs, and in the Sunday sermons are all-too true: The Gay Agenda is very, very real.

I feel a responsibility to expose this grave reality now; not to frighten you, (though it certainly will), but to help arm you with the best plan of attack in the face of it. This list is by no means exhaustive, mind you, but it will give you a good working understanding of the imminent, horrible menace threatening our cozy heterosexual existence; even as you read these very words.

As much as I’ve been able to ascertain based on my research, the Gay Agenda is this:

Agenda Number 1: Gay people want to work. They seem to enjoy careers; searching to discover them, studying to prepare for them, honing their craft to develop them, using their gifts and talents to nurture and expand them. In related matters, as unbelievable as it seems, they also apparently appear to get personal satisfaction from being employed, from working hard, from supporting their families financially, and from contributing to the global economy.

Agenda Number 2: Gay people want to buy stuff. Taking part in said global economy, they have a love for commerce and material goods that appears quite similar to our own. They like to purchase things; things like cars, and lawnmowers, and patio furniture, and Mac products, and even homes; and then they enjoy going out to shop for stuff to put in those homes. They do so, both in person and online. Gay people currently use all the same stores we straight people do (though they rarely admit to shopping at Wal-Mart, either).

Agenda Number 3: Gay people want to eat. They seem to enjoy shopping for, preparing, and consuming food of all varieties; gay and otherwise. While they sometimes conveniently and mercifully do this in the privacy of their own homes, they will at times, venture out to local public eating establishments where they can order and pay for food that someone else made. They seem to be quite fine with straight people doing this. Currently, there aren’t a lot of “gay restaurants”, though people have speculated about Hooters for years. (Overcompensating, much?).

Agenda Number 4: Gay people want to go to church and worship God. Well, some of them, anyway. Contrary to popular belief, just like us straight folk; many of them would also prefer to stay home all Sunday morning in their underwear; eating cold pizza and watching football pre game shows. Others though, believe in God, and as a result, feel compelled to attend local area houses of worship. While there, they brazenly insist on doing all the “straight” stuff: praying, singing, tithing, reflecting, playing Bejewled 3 during the longer sermons. They apparently somehow feel as though worshiping God is a queer community option.

Agenda Number 5: Gay people want families. They don’t just want families, (as frightening as that in itself, is), they actually have them; siblings, parents, children, cousins, weird uncles who smell like Cheetos and tell the same story every holiday, about the time they thought they saw Bill Murray at the dog show. (It wasn’t incidentally, it was just an oversized labradoodle that resembled Murray). They insist on doing lots of “straight family” things, like going on vacations, to high school basketball games, to movies, to the park, to non-Bill Murray-attending dog shows. They invite other families over to grill food, play in their backyards, sit on the front porch, and watch UFC (Well, that one’s a little dicey anyway, I’ll admit; what with the “grappling” and all).

Agenda Number 6: Gay people want to create. Apparently queer folks have Muses too. They write songs, (even non-show tunes, songs), they paint and draw, they design bridges and buildings, and write novels, and scrapbook, and microbrew beer. They try to bake bread, and try to cure cancer, and try to get the hallway pictures to hang straight (As-if). They do all sorts of stuff that heterosexual people do with their hands, minds, hearts, and voices, as they are inspired to; and they seem to believe that somehow all this “gay creativity” actually enriches the world. The gall.

Agenda Number 7: Gay people want to feel, fully. Shockingly, they “claim” to crave the same human interaction that we do, which hardly seems probable. They aspire to tell stories, to tell jokes, (to laugh at the good ones), to remember, and dream, and show affection, and fall in love, and break-up, and grieve a loved one’s passing, and share life-giving conversation with a friend over coffee. They dare to visit sick people in the hospital, and reconnect with a childhood BFF on Facebook, and get really pissed at that guy who cuts into their lane at the last second, even though he totally saw everybody merging over, three miles ago. They would argue at having the full complement of human emotions—not only lust.

So, there you have it brothers and sisters: Working, buying stuff, eating, worshiping God, not worshiping God, having families, creating, feeling. That’s the encroaching evil we’re up against here.

If I had more time, I’d go into gory detail about some other key, vile, dangerous components of the Gay Agenda: to vote, pay taxes, take their kids to the dentist, binge watch The Walking Dead, hold grudges, forgive, have health insurance, get haircuts, regret haircuts, fart and blame someone else, sing Karaoke, volunteer, throw-up on roller coasters, shop at Trader Joes, have weddings, go to weddings, avoid weddings, and watch Frozen with their toddler… again, gladly.
For now though, at the very least I’ve hopefully given you enough to know the devious, crafty, conniving enemy, and what they’re up to.

In the face of the clear horror I’ve detailed for you here, you can now pray, and reflect on, and discuss together, your next move to adequately fight the Code Level Red threat of the Gay Agenda.

To quote the old Saturday morning sages: “The more you know…”

Be strong and courageous, true believer.



Make th Jump here to read the full story

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia - Flor del Dìa - Flower of the day 11/03/201

“Todo o ser humano sem exceção traz consigo dons e talentos que são a forma particular como o amor se expressa através de cada um. Embora na essência sejamos um, essa essência se manifesta de maneira única em cada um de nós. É como a sua marca digital - só você faz desse jeito. E quando dá passagem esse jeito específico, você sente um encaixe, um contentamento. Você sente satisfação em acordar de manhã porque sabe a razão de estar acordando.”

“Todo ser humano sin excepción trae consigo dones y talentos que son la forma particular como el amor se expresa a través de cada uno. Aunque en la esencia seamos uno, esa esencia se manifiesta de manera única en cada uno de nosotros. Es como tu huella digital – solo tú lo haces de esa manera. Y cuando le das paso a esa forma específica, sientes un encaje, un contentamiento. Sientes satisfacción al despertar por la mañana porque sabes la razón de estar despertando.”

“All human beings, without exception, have gifts and talents that are the special ways love expresses itself through them. While in essence we are all one, this essence manifests itself in a unique way in each one of us. It is like your fingerprint. You’re the only one who does something in a particular way. When you allow this special way to come through you, everything fits together and you feel satisfaction. You feel content when you wake up in the morning because you know why you are getting up.”

Via Daily Dharma

The Truth about Religion | March 11, 2015 Our world is dangerously polarized at a time when humanity is more closely interconnected—politically, economically, and electronically—than ever before. If we are to meet the challenge of our time and create a global society where all people can live together in peace and mutual respect, we need to assess our situation accurately. We cannot afford oversimplified assumptions about the nature of religion or its role in the world. - Karen Armstrong, "The Myth of Religious Violence" Read More →

Owning Our Faith

JMG REPORT: ISIS Beheads Gay Men In Iraq

Via News 24:

ISIS has publicly beheaded three men in northern Iraq, two of them for allegedly engaging in homosexual acts, according to photos shared by sympathisers on social media on Tuesday. The jihadist group, which controls swathes of Iraq and neighbouring Syria, has carried out hundreds of executions as it has imposed its brutal version of Islamic law, many of them photographed or videotaped. The latest images did not show the claimed beheadings and their authenticity could not be independently verified. A series of photographs shows the blindfolded men kneeling in the centre of what appears to be a traffic circle with a crowd of people looking on as a masked, black-clad executioner stands by with a long, rusty blade. Accompanying captions said the trio were then executed, the third of them for alleged blasphemy.

Some reports say all three young men were accused of homosexuality, adding that two of them may have been a couple. However ISIS is known to accuse its enemies of being gay in order to "justify" their executions.

Labels: Iraq, ISIS, Islamists, terrorism

Reposted from Joe Jervis