Revoked

Friday, November 13, 2015

Via JMG: Michelangelo Signorile Calls Out Media For Ignoring GOP Candidates’ Embrace Of “Death To Gays” Pastor

November 12, 2015 2016 Election, Extremists, Religion

As I noted again in the post below this one, so far only Rachel Maddow has reported on last weekend’s “death to gays” convention, where three GOP presidential candidates were interviewed by Pastor Kevin Swanson in between his calls for the genocide of LGBT Americans. Today Michelangelo Signorile calls out the rest of the mainstream media. He writes:

Where is The New York Times? The Washington Post covered the conference and the candidates’ comments, but didn’t mention the “kill the gays” speech. Not news to them apparently. Several online sources that did focus on the conference placed more attention on Cruz telling Swanson that an atheist shouldn’t be president, or on the unhinged Swanson’s advice to parents that they should drown their children rather than let them read Harry Potter, than on Swanson calling for the extermination of an entire group of people at an event at which presidential candidates spoke.

It’s 2015 and much of the media seem to accept, still, that LGBT people can be talked about this way at an event attended by presidential candidates and that it’s not news. They view it as par for the course, religious conservatives doing what they do. It’s as if they have blinders on. Indeed, if Ted Cruz — or Huckabee or Jindal — attended an event at which the host hinted at mass murder of Jews, African-Americans or any other group it would be a massive media story. He’d be forced to answer questions about it, at debates (and it didn’t come up at the last debate), in press conferences and in interviews non-stop. He’d be pressured to condemn both the comments and the pastor — as when John McCain had to dump Pastor John Hagee in 2008 because of his ugly comments about Catholics — or he’d face the consequences.

Signorile goes on to note that the mainstream media is “running for cover” lately after the ridiculous “gotcha” questions whining made by GOP candidates after a recent debate. Hit the link and read his full piece.

Make the jump here to read the original and more on JMG

Via Religion Poisons Everything / FB:

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 13/11/2015

“Quando a relação amorosa se torna eminentemente destrutiva e não há mais espaço para crescimento, perdão liberdade, é preciso ter coragem de parar e tirar umas férias. É preciso ter coragem para olhar de frente para a situação e assumir que, desse jeito, você está cavando a sua própria cova. Só você pode fazer algo por você. Tenha coragem de ir além do medo da solidão. Você tem pavor de ficar consigo mesmo. Você não se suporta, mas acha que o outro tem obrigação de suportar você. Você não se ama de forma alguma, mas acha que o outro tem obrigação de te amar. Isso não é amor, é carência.”

“Cuando la relación amorosa se torna eminentemente destructiva y no hay más espacio para el crecimiento, perdón y libertad, es necesario tener coraje para parar y tomarse unas vacaciones. Es preciso tener coraje para mirar de frente a la situación y asumir que, de ese modo, estás cavando tu propia fosa. Sólo tú puedes hacer algo por ti. Ten coraje de ir más allá del miedo a la soledad. Tienes pavor de quedarte contigo mismo. No te soportas, pero crees que el otro tiene la obligación de soportarte. No te amas de ningún modo, pero crees que el otro tiene la obligación de amarte. Eso no es amor, es carencia.”

“When loving relationships become highly destructive and there is no more space for growth, forgiveness, and freedom, it is time to have the courage to take a break. We must be brave enough to look at the situation we are in straight on and accept that we are just digging our own graves. We are the only ones who can do something for our own well being. We must find the courage to go beyond the fear of loneliness, as we dread being on our own. On the one hand, we can’t stand ourselves, yet we believe that the other is obliged to withstand us. We do not love ourselves at all, yet we believe the other must love us. This is not love;it’s sheer neediness.”

Today's Daily Dharma: Time with Your Own Mind

Time with Your Own Mind

Spending time with your own mind is humbling and broadening. One finds that there's no one in charge, and is reminded that no thought lasts for long.

—Gary Snyder, "Just One Breath"

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 12/11/2015

“O que te impede de querer ver o outro feliz? Quando falo do ‘outro’ me refiro a todos os seres sencientes, incluindo animais e vegetais. Porque assim como fechamos o coração para o ser humano, também fechamos o coração para a natureza. Assim como nos tornamos amortecidos e insensíveis em relação ao ser humano, nos tornamos insensíveis em relação ao meio ambiente e aos animais. E ao invés de nos tornar canais de amor, nos tornamos canais de destruição. Portanto é de grande valia tomar consciência do que te mantém separado, querendo ver o outro sofrer.”

“¿Qué te impide querer ver al otro feliz? Cuando digo el ‘otro’ me refiero a todos los seres sensibles, incluyendo animales y vegetales. Porque así como cerramos el corazón para el ser humano, también cerramos el corazón para la naturaleza. Así como nos volvemos anestesiados e insensibles en relación al ser humano, nos volvemos insensibles en relación al medio ambiente y a los animales. Y en lugar de volvernos canales de amor, nos volvemos canales de destrucción. Por lo tanto es de gran valor tomar consciencia de lo que te mantiene separado, queriendo ver al otro sufrir.”

“What prevents us from wishing to see the other happy? When I speak of the other, I am referring to all sentient beings, including the animal and plant kingdoms. If we close our hearts to human beings, we also close our hearts to mother nature. As we become numb and insensitive to humans, we become numb towards the environment and to animals. Instead of becoming channels of love, we become channels of destruction. Therefore, it is extremely important that we become aware of what keeps us separate andwanting to see the other suffer.”

Today's Daily Dharma: Relating to Our Emotions

Relating to Our Emotions

When anger arises, or sorrow or love or joy, it is just anger angering, sorrow sorrowing, love loving, joy joying. Different feelings arise and pass, each simply expressing its own nature. The problem arises when we identify with these feelings, or thoughts, or sensations as being self or as belonging to 'me': I’m angry, I'm sad.

—Joseph Goldstein, "If There Is No Self, Who Is Born,
Who Dies, Who Meditates?"

Protect: LGBT couples share their stories

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 11/11/2015

LOKAH SAMASTAH SUKHINO BHAVANTHU

~ Que todos os seres, em todos os mundos, sejam felizes. ~

“Amar a ponto de desejar que todos sejam felizes. Essa é a essência do ser humano, o amor. O amor é a seiva da vida; é a fragrância principal do Ser. O amor habita o núcleo mais profundo da sua interioridade.”

~ Que todos los seres, en todos los mundos, sean felices. ~
“Amar al punto de desear que todos sean felices. Esa es la esencia del ser humano, el amor. El amor es la savia de la vida, es la fragancia principal del Ser. El amor habita el núcleo más profundo de tu interioridad.”

~ May all beings, in all worlds, be happy ~
“Love all, to the point oftruly wishingfor everyone to be happy. The essenceof human beings is to love. Love is the nectar of life, and the main fragrance of the Being. Love dwells in the deepest corewithin us.”

Today's Daily Dharma: Freeing the Heart

Freeing the Heart

Practice is facing the truth of suffering, seeing its cause, and abandoning that cause so the heart can be released.

—Tracy Cochran, "Does Race Matter in the Meditation Hall?"

Via JMG: BREAKING: White House Backs Equality Act

The Washington Post reports:

The White House endorsed legislation Tuesday that would amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, plunging into the next front in the national battle over LGBT rights. Speaking to reporters, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said the administration “has been reviewing for several weeks” the bill. “It is now clear that the administration strongly supports the equality act,” he said, adding it would advance the civil rights of “millions of Americans.”

Earnest added the White House would “work to ensure that the legislative process produces something that balances “the bedrock principles of civil rights with the religious liberty that we hold dear in this country.” Although there is little chance that this Congress will approve the legislation — which was introduced in July by Democratic Sens. Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Tammy Baldwin (Wis.) and Cory Booker (N.J.) — President Obama’s support elevates to greater prominence the question of whether lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans need greater legal safeguards.

The Human Rights Campaign reacts:

The unfortunate reality is that, while LGBT Americans can legally get married, millions remain at risk of being fired or denied services for who they are or who they love because the majority of states still lack explicit, comprehensive non-discrimination protections,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “By endorsing the Equality Act, the White House sent a strong message that it’s time to put the politics of discrimination behind us once and for all. Now it’s time for Congress to act. Everyone should be able to live free from fear of discrimination and have a fair chance to earn a living and provide for their families, including people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender.”

Note that today’s move comes on the same day that President Obama’s Out Magazine “Ally Of The Year” cover story was issued.

Read this and more at JMG here

Via JMG: Obama Becomes First Sitting President To Pose For Gay Title As Out Magazine Names Him Ally Of The Year

Out Magazine has named President Obama its “Ally Of The Year” in their annual Out 100 issue. They write:

The 44th President of the United States is our Ally of the Year—a president who came to office on a wave of euphoria, appeared to lose momentum halfway through, and has since rallied, helping us secure marriage equality, among other landmark initiatives that are transforming our place in America.

This is the first time a sitting president has been photographed for the cover of an LGBT title, a historic moment in itself, and a statement on how much his administration has done to advance a singularly volatile issue that tarnished the reputations of both President Clinton and President Bush. It might have tarnished this president, too, but for his late-hour conversion in 2012, which set the stage for the extraordinary succession of events that led to this year’s Supreme Court ruling, on June 26, making it unconstitutional to deny same-sex couples the right to wed.

Many things led up to that decision—“decades of our brothers and sisters fighting for recognition and equality” as the president notes—but once his administration decided to join that fight it created what people like to call a “transformative” moment. It helped tip the balance, and it put our elected leader on the right side of justice.

A slideshow of this year’s Out 100 honorees is here.

Read the original and more on JMG here

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 10/11/15

“O verdadeiro seva ou serviço desinteressado, é um fenômeno que ocorre quando você pode seguir o programa estabelecido pela sua alma. Porém, muitos ainda não têm clareza sobre esse programa ou propósito da alma. Isso ocorre simplesmente porque ainda não chegou a hora de ter essa consciência. Mas tudo nesse mundo tem seu tempo. Enquanto isso eu sugiro que se dedique ao seva, seja ele qual for, até que tenha a humildade suficiente para perguntar: Como posso ajudar?”

“El verdadero seva o servicio desinteresado, es un fenómeno que ocurre cuando puedes seguir el programa establecido por tu alma. Sin embargo, aún muchos no tienen claridad sobre ese programa o propósito del alma. Esto ocurre simplemente porque aún no llegó el momento de tener consciencia. Pero todo en este mundo tiene su tiempo. Mientras tanto, sugiero que te dediques al seva, sea cual fuere, hasta que tengas la humildad suficiente para preguntar: ¿Cómo puedo ayudar?”

“True seva, selfless service, is a phenomenon that happens when we are able to follow our soul’s purpose. Many people still lack clarity as to what their purpose truly is. This happens simply because the time has not yet come for them to have this consciousness. But everything in this world has its time. Until that moment arrives, I suggest that we dedicate ourselves to seva, in whatever form that may be, until we are humble enough to ask: ‘How may I be of help?’ ”

Today's Daily Dharma: What Meditation Is About

What Meditation Is About

One must learn how to do [meditation] properly. It’s not just about trying to find a comfortable quiet corner to hide in. There is more to it than that. It is about wisdom awareness, knowing, seeing clearly.

—His Holiness the Twelfth Gyalwang Drukpa, "Awareness Itself"

Via Join the Coffee Party Movement / FB:

What politicians do you know who vote and support issues according to their conscience even if it may not be politically advantageous? We need to make them all household words.

Via PAPO RETO / FB:

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 09/11/2015

"A sensação de separação faz parte da natureza deste plano da existência no qual estamos vivendo a experiência da individualidade através do ego. O ego é como uma gota de água que está separada do oceano: estando separada, ela não se sente pertencendo, porém ela desconhece que sua própria essência é o oceano. Assim é a entidade humana em evolução: tomada pela ilusão da separação, acredita ser apenas um corpo isolado, enquanto a realidade é que ela é o próprio Espírito que habita todas as coisas."

"La sensación de separación es parte de la naturaleza de este plano de la existencia en el cual estamos viviendo la experiencia de individualidad a través del ego. El ego es como una gota de agua que está separada del océano: estando separada, no se siente perteneciendo, sin embargo desconoce que su propia esencia es el océano. Así es la entidad humana en evolución: tomada por la ilusión de la separación, cree ser solamente un cuerpo aislado, cuando la realidad es que es el propio Espíritu que habita todas las cosas."

"A sense of separation is one of the pillars maintaining the existential anguish that pervades human life. Therein lies the sense of failure. After all, what else can be the fate of a droplet of water that is separate from the ocean but to dry up and disappear? The only way for the droplet to survive is to return to the ocean."

Today's Daily Dharma: Simple as That

Simple as That

Actions conditioned by greed, hatred, and delusion bring a heavy burden of suffering. On the other hand, actions conditioned by generosity, loving kindness, and wisdom lead to a light and happy sense of well-being. Simple as that.

—Vaddhaka Linn, "Does Self-Help Help?"

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 08/11/2015

“Sinto que estamos vivendo um momento no qual a Mãe divina, na forma da crise de sustentabilidade, está vivendo as dores do parto - ela está parindo a Verdade. Ela está tentando nos ensinar alguma coisa. Esse processo é bastante caótico, porém o universo nasce do caos. Esse é o movimento que possibilita a transformação.”

“Siento que estamos viviendo un momento en el que la Madre Divina, en la forma de la crisis de sustentabilidad, está viviendo los dolores del parto –está pariendo a la Verdad-. Está intentando enseñarnos algo. Este proceso es bastante caótico, sin embargo el universo nace del caos. Este es el movimiento que permite la transformación.”

“Due to the current sustainability crisis we are experiencing, I feel that the divine Mother is going through intense labor pains, as she is birthing the truth. The Divine Feminine is trying to teach us something. This process is rather chaotic though,just as the universe was born out of chaos. This movement is what enables the possibility for transformation to occur.”

Satsang completo:
http://www.sriprembaba.org/pt-br/satsang/181014

Today's Daily Dharma: No Matter What

No Matter What

We train our minds by looking into them. We just look in, not allowing ourselves to be carried away by our perceptions; we just look into what is going on, and ask, “Where does this come from?” We are training ourselves in the practice and study of Buddhism so that our thoughts and emotions do not disturb our true-nature mind, so that we can sit imperturbably no matter what.

—Maurine Stewart, "Our One and Only Commandment"