Via JMG: World Net Daily Has The Godless City Sadz

Last week the American Family Association published a ranking of US cities based on the percentage of residents who claim to read the bible at least once a week. Today World Net Daily warns us against cities that have the largest percentage of religious “nones” – people who claim no formal affiliation with any denomination. They write:

If you’re an atheist, then the Pacific Northwest is the place for you. Three of the most godless cities in America are on the West coast, with the Rose City – Portland, Oregon – coming in as the least faithful. According to a survey of 50,000 people conducted by the nonpartisan and nonprofit Public Religion Research Institute’s American Values Atlas, 42 percent of Portland’s residents are “religiously unaffiliated.” Seattle and San Francisco tied at second place (33 percent), with Denver and Phoenix (32 percent and 26 percent) in third and fourth place.

Compared to more devout cities such as Nashville and Charlotte, Portland bills itself as “quirky and different” (the city’s unofficial motto is “Keep Portland Weird”). Daniel Cox, research director at the Public Religion Research Institute, credits this atmosphere as “very attractive to people who may not feel comfortable in other social environments, particularly with a stigma against those who are atheists.”

Studies show one-fifth (22 percent) of the U.S. population has no religious affiliation whatsoever. Numbers are rising. Last year atheists were 15 percent of the population; 10 years ago, numbers stood at 10 percent. In the 1950s, it was 1 percent. In late 2012, it was reported that atheism was the third-largest “faith” in the world after Christianity and Islam.

Make the jump here to read the original at JMG

Via DailyKos: One of Greece's respected religious leaders says homosexuals are created by God and deserve respect

Jan 05, 2016 3:47pm BRST by Walter Einenkel

About a month ago, Greece passed a law recognizing same-sex unions. It is the first step towards the inevitable downfall of civilization—or so we have been told for the past 3000 years (give or take a few hundred years). Predictably, there has been a bit of push back, specifically from the more religious elements in Greek society. More specifically from high ranking Greek Orthodox bishops publicly saying that gay people should be spit on and beaten. 

However, a few days ago Chrysostomos, the Metropolitan of Messinia was quoted in a interview with news site Pappas Post saying that homosexuals are like all humans and should be accorded the same respect.

“Homosexuals, like all humans, are a creation of God and they deserve the same respect and honor, and not violence and rejection. We shouldn’t forget the way Christ responded to the sinful woman, according to the Gospels, which became his word. ‘He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.’”

“That canon should be our guiding principle for the way in which we should handle every person and fellow human, regardless of their otherness or differences. The church doesn’t reject people.”

Bishop Chrysostomos diocese covers most of southern Greece and is one of twelve in the country. Now, Chrysostomos didn’t go so far as to say that homosexuality was an acceptable spiritual way of living but, after the very harsh and dangerous rhetoric being thrown around by other church officials, it is nice to see some dissent in opinion. Even if that dissent shows more a degree of difference than actual ideological progress. Considering that the Greek Orthodox church is the oldest Christian sect in the world, there is something to be said about how similar they are to more modern religious sects like fundamentalism, and how they must swim or sink with the changing times. 

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Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia / Flor del día / Flower of the day 1/02/2016

“Quero te convidar a olhar a vida objetivamente. Que você possa olhar para as dificuldades que surgem na vida não como um problema, mas como oportunidades de autoconhecimento e crescimento, sejam elas quais forem. Vá em frente e pergunte: o que é que a vida quer me ensinar? O que eu estou me recusando a compreender?”

“Te quiero invitar a mirar la vida objetivamente. Que puedas mirar a las dificultades que surgen en la vida no como un problema, sino como oportunidades de autoconocimiento y crecimiento, sean cuales fueran. Ve al frente y pregunta: ¿Qué es lo que la vida quiere enseñarme? ¿Qué es lo que me estoy rehusando a comprender?”

"I invite you to look at life objectively. May you be able to look at whatever difficulties arise in life, not as problems, but as opportunities for self-awareness and growth. Go ahead and ask yourself: ‘What is life wanting to teach me? What am I refusing to understand?’ "

Via Daily Dharma: Strong Determination

When you admit to yourself, “I must make this change to be more happy”—not because the Buddha said so, but because your heart recognized a deep truth—you must devote all your energy to making the change. You need strong determination to overcome harmful habits.

—Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, "Getting Started"

 

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Via Sri Prem Baba Flor do dia / Flor del día / Flower of the day 31/01/2016

“O desejo é um poder que faz as coisas se materializarem. A mente é a árvore de realização dos desejos, pois é onde eles são forjados. Você pode não perceber, mas está constantemente criando isso que chama de realidade. Você não percebe porque seus desejos, muitas vezes, são jogados nos porões do inconsciente e acabam sendo esquecidos. Mas, normalmente, os desejos inconscientes contradizem e sobrepõe os desejos conscientes, porque, sendo desconhecidos, eles ganham força e maior poder de materialização. Assim, o autoconhecimento é a única ferramenta capaz de te ajudar a criar a realidade de acordo com sua vontade consciente.”

“El deseo es un poder que hace que las cosas se materialicen. La mente es el árbol de realización de los deseos, pues es donde son forjados. Puedes no percibirlo, pero está constantemente creando eso que llamas realidad. No lo percibes porque tus deseos, muchas veces, son arrojados en los sótanos del inconsciente y terminan siendo olvidados. Pero normalmente, los deseos inconscientes contradicen y se sobreponen a los deseos conscientes, porque siendo desconocidos, ganan fuerza y mayor poder de materialización. Así el autoconocimiento es la única herramienta capaz de ayudarte a crear la realidad de acuerdo con tu voluntad consciente.” 

"Desire is a power that makes things materialize. The mind is a wish-fulfilling tree, since that is where desires are forged. You may not realize it, but you are the one creating your own reality. If you’re unaware of this, it may be because your desires are relegated to the dungeons of the unconscious, and simply end up being forgotten about. Unconscious desires usually contradict and overpower our conscious desires. The desires gain strength and have a greater power to materialize precisely because we don’t know them. Self-awareness is the only tool that can help us shape reality according to our conscious will.”

Via Daily Dharma: Painful Truths

As a teacher, one of the things that I find out about students relatively early on is whether they are interested in the real thing—do they really want the truth, or do they actually just want to feel better? Because the process of finding the truth may not be a process by which we feel increasingly better and better. 

—Adyashanti, "Bliss is a By-Product"

 

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Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia / Flor del día / Flower of the day 30/01/2016

“O Eu real pode se manifestar somente no momento presente. Por isso, a essência da prática espiritual é a ampliação da percepção através da auto-observação e da totalidade na ação. O seu corpo é o instrumento para essa prática cuja base é a atenção plena; é estar completamente presente a cada singular instante e atitude. Portanto, ao perceber-se tragado por sentimentos negativos, traga a atenção para o momento e lembre-se de ocupar o seu corpo.”

“El Yo real puede manifestarse solamente en el momento presente. Por eso, la esencia de la práctica espiritual es la ampliación de la percepción a través de la auto-observación y de la totalidad en la acción. Tu cuerpo es el instrumento para esta práctica cuya base es la atención plena, es estar completamente presente a cada singular instante y actitud. Por lo tanto, al percibirte tragado por sentimientos negativos, trae tu atención al momento y recuérdate de ocupar tu cuerpo.”

"The true self can only manifest in the present moment. Therefore, the essence of spiritual practices is to expand our perception through self-observation and wholeness in action. Your body is the instrument for this practice, whose foundation is mindfulness. The basis is to be fully present in every single moment and action. If you realize that you are being brought down by negative feelings, bring your attention to the present moment and remember to occupy your body.”

Via Daily Dharma: Buddhist Faith

As a factor of the Buddhist path, faith (saddha) does not mean blind belief but a willingness to accept on trust certain propositions that we cannot, at our present stage of development, personally verify for ourselves. 

—Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, "The Role of Faith"

 

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Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia / Flor del día / Flower of the day 29/01/2016

“Precisamos ir além de qualquer vestígio de discriminação; de qualquer resquício de separação, por mais sutil que seja. Precisamos aprender a olhar para dentro e não para fora, compreendendo que cada grupo de almas tem seu papel no processo evolutivo da humanidade. Esse é o trabalho que tenho proposto: a cura das feridas ancestrais e a harmonização com as nossas raízes, o que representa um resgate de nós mesmos, porque somos Um - uma só família. Mas temos fechado nossos olhos para alguns de nossos familiares.”

“Necesitamos ir más allá de cualquier vestigio de discriminación, de cualquier resquicio de separación, por más sutil que sea. Necesitamos aprender a mirar hacia adentro y no hacia afuera, comprendiendo que cada grupo de almas tiene su papel en el proceso evolutivo de la humanidad. Este es el trabajo que he propuesto: la cura de las heridas ancestrales y la armonización con nuestras raíces, lo que representa un rescate de nosotros mismos, porque somos Uno – una sola familia. Pero hemos cerrado nuestros ojos para algunos de nuestros familiares.”

"We need to go beyond any vestige of discrimination and any trace of separation, however subtle it may be. We must learn to look inward rather than outward, understanding that each group of souls plays a role in the evolutionary process of humanity. The work I propose involves healing our ancestral wounds and harmonizing with our roots. This in turn means rescuing our selves, because ultimately, we are one and the same. We are one family, but in one way or another we have turned out backs on some of our family members.”

Via Daily Dharma: The Limits of Niceness

The second lesson of karma is that just as you’re the primary architect of your own happiness and suffering, other people are the primary architects of theirs. If you really want them to be happy, you don’t just treat them nicely. You also want them to learn how to create the causes for happiness. 

—Thanissaro Bhikkhu, "Head & Heart Together"

 

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Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia / Flor del día / Flower of the day 27/01/2016

“A lei do karma determina que toda a ação tem uma reação. O karma individual está entrelaçado ao karma coletivo, ou seja, as crises e conflitos que vemos hoje no mundo são produto das nossas crises e conflitos internos. Momentos como esse que estamos vivendo trazem lições para todos nós. Mas não podemos esquecer de outra lei soberana: o livre arbítrio. Foi através de nossas escolhas que chegamos e é através das nossas escolhas que poderemos evoluir.”

“La ley del karma determina que toda acción tiene una reacción. El karma individual está entrelazado al karma colectivo, es decir, las crisis y conflictos que vemos hoy en el mundo son producto de nuestras crisis y conflictos internos. Momentos como este que estamos viviendo, traen lecciones para todos nosotros. Pero no podemos olvidarnos de otra ley soberana: el libre albedrío. Fue a través de nuestras elecciones que llegamos y es a través de nuestras elecciones que podremos evolucionar.”

"The law of karma states that every action has a reaction. Since the individual karma is intertwined with the collective karma, the crises and conflicts we see in the world today are the product of our internal crises and conflicts. Times such as these bring lessons for all of us. And we cannot forget another sovereign law: free will. It was through our choices that we got here and it is through our choices that we can evolve.”

Via Dialy Dharma: Unmarked by Drama

Our true nature is like the infinite sky, unmarked by whatever drama temporarily appears in its vast space.  

—Kittisaro, "Tangled in Thought"

 

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NSFW: The Last Thing on My Mind (Official Video)

Why music videos need more nude men

In their latest video, Welsh band the Joy Formidable attack the industry’s obsession with objectifying women. Here, singer Ritzy Bryan explains why she wants more bulges and erections and fewer taboos

make the jump here to  read the full article

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia / Flor del día / Flower of the day 26/01/2016

“Durante o processo de purificação e transformação do eu inferior, ocorre a desconstrução daquilo que você acredita ser a sua identidade. Esse processo não é nada fácil, mesmo que isso seja fonte de grande sofrimento; mesmo que essa desconstrução represente a derrubada das paredes de uma prisão e o fim de uma grande escuridão. Isso ocorre porque essa prisão ainda é a sua referência de identidade, e ao perder essa referência, você teme desaparecer.”

“Durante el proceso de purificación y transformación del yo inferior, ocurre la desconstrucción de aquello que crees que es tu identidad. Este proceso no es nada fácil, aunque eso sea fuente de gran sufrimiento, mismo que esa desconstrucción represente el derrumbe de las paredes de una prisión y el fin de una gran oscuridad. Esto ocurre porque esa prisión aún es tu referencia de identidad, y al perder esa referencia, temes desaparecer.”

"During the process of purifying and transforming the lower self, what we believe to be our identity gets deconstructed. This process is not easy, even if this false identity has been a huge source of suffering for us. Even though this deconstruction actually represents the crumbling of our prison walls, putting an end to a great darkness, it is still a challenging process. This is because the prison walls still give us a sense of identity,

Via DailyDharma: The Body’s Right Mind

The Right Mind is the mind that does not remain in one place. It is the mind that stretches throughout the entire body and self. 

—Takuan Soho, "The Right Mind and the Confused Mind"

 

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Via JMG: CANADA: Edmonton Oilers Become First NHL Team To Use “Pride Tape” On Their Hockey Sticks

January 25, 2016 Activism, Sports

From the National Hockey League:

The Edmonton Oilers became the first NHL team to use Pride Tape, a multicolored tape to promote inclusiveness in sports. The Oilers used the tape Sunday during their annual Skills Competition at Rexall Place. “Many view professional hockey players as role models and our team felt this was a great initiative to let every person know they’re welcome in the game of hockey,” defenseman Andrew Ference told the Oilers website. “We’re all proud to play for a team and city that supports diversity and human rights.”

Wells and Calder Bateman Communications are working together on a Kickstarter campaign to raise enough funds to produce 10,000 rolls of the tape. As of Sunday, they have raised more than $40,000 of their $54,000 campaign goal. On the Kickstarter page, Pride Tape is described as a badge of support from the teammates, coaches, parents and pros to young LGBTQ players. It shows every player that they belong on the ice, that everyone is on the same team and your help is needed to make it a reality.