Friday, March 4, 2016

Via Alternet / Belief: Why It's Heretical to Read the Bible Literally



Retired Bishop John Shelby Spong challenges a common tendency towards a literal reading of the Bible.

Bishop John Shelby Spong
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Creative Commons

That’s why, says retired Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong, despite his best-selling controversial books and popular speeches, his position on Jesus and the Christian church will never be the majority opinion, because he believes Jesus is not the Savior of the world and that the Bible cannot be read literally.

That hunger for security is being sated by everyone from mega-church pastors offering assurances that Jesus will save the faithful, to the current crop of presidential candidates hawking their ability to keep us safe.

“Donald Trump can say the outrageous things he says because it speaks to people’s fears,” Spong said in a recent interview with RD’s Candace Chellew-Hodge. “They respond because he says what their fears want to hear. He can’t deliver any more than anyone else can.”

But that doesn’t keep him, or any of the other candidates or pastors from promising that security, whether it’s offered through God, guns or the government.

How did we get into such as sorry state? Gentiles, Spong says.

In his new book, Biblical Literalism: A Gentile Heresy, Spong dissects the Gospel of Matthew to uncover what the Jewish writers were really trying to do in their gospel narrative, and oddly enough, building megachurches and promising safety and security in exchange for right belief isn’t anywhere to be found.

What is there, however, is a powerful message that runs counter to the idea that faith offers nothing but a sweet and secure life. Instead, the biblical writers are inviting readers into the mystery of a life that is frequently messy and often downright brutal.
 
That, Spong says, is the real Good News.

Via JMG: US Promotes LGBT Rights At United Nations By Taking Ambassadors To See Lesbian-Themed Broadway Musical

funhome

March 3, 2016 LGBT News

Reuters reports:
The United States turned to cultural diplomacy on Tuesday to push gay rights at the United Nations by taking 15 U.N. ambassadors, including those from Russia, Gabon and Namibia, to see an award-winning lesbian musical on Broadway.
Samantha Power, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, said the “Fun Home” coming-of-age production “brings home the challenges that LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) are facing every day around the world.”
“Thank you for bringing this all home in a way that resolutions and statements never can,” Power told the cast during a question-and-answer session after their performance.
According to the United Nations, being gay is a crime in at least 75 countries.
Last year, “Fun Home” won five Tony Awards – American theatre’s highest honors – including best musical and best actor for Michael Cerveris, who plays a closeted gay father.
The U.S. mission said ambassadors from the European Union, Australia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Uruguay and Vietnam also attended.




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

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 04/03/2016

“Estamos passando por uma aceleração do processo evolutivo, tanto como indivíduos, quanto como planeta. Apesar de haver uma grande fricção ocorrendo interna e externamente, estamos sendo levados a experienciar liberdade e união. Para aqueles que, de certa forma, já puderam ir um pouco além do egoísmo e das mazelas da natureza inferior, esse momento é um convite para se doarem mais; é um convite para colocar seus potenciais, dons e talentos a serviço do bem comum. Mas isso precisa ser feito de forma autêntica, verdadeiramente amorosa e desinteressada, como na passagem da bíblia que diz: ‘A mão esquerda não deve ver o que a mão direita dá’.”

“Estamos pasando por una aceleración del proceso evolutivo, tanto como individuos y como planeta. A pesar de haber una gran fricción ocurriendo interna y externamente, estamos siendo llevados a experimentar libertad y unión. Para aquellos que, de alguna manera, ya pudieron ir un poco más allá del egoísmo y de los males de la naturaleza inferior, este momento es una invitación a darse más; es una invitación para poner tus potenciales, dones y talentos al servicio del bien común. Pero esto debe hacerse de manera auténtica, verdaderamente amorosa y desinteresada, como el pasaje de la biblia que dice: ‘La mano izquierda no debe ver lo que la mano derecha da’.”

"The evolutionary process is accelerating, both on the individual level as well as the collective. Although there is a lot of internal and external friction, we are being led to the experience of freedom and unity. For those who, in some way, have already been able to surpass selfishness and the wrong doings of the lower nature, this moment isan invitation to give of yourselves even more. It is inviting us to put our potential gifts and talents at the service of the greater good. However, this must be done authentically, in a truly loving and selfless way. As a passage from the Bible says, ‘Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.'"

Via Daily Dharma: Making History Here

World history is a record of the effects of the negative and positive thoughts of human beings. This, I think, is quite clear. By reflecting on these past occurrences, we can see that if we want to have a better and happier future, now is the time to examine the mindset of our present generation and to reflect on the way of life that it may bring about in the future.

—The Dalai Lama, "The Enemy Within"

Via JMG: GEORGIA: Gov. Nathan Deal Denounces Anti-LGBT “Religious Liberty” Bill By Citing The Bible


NathanDeal

Feeling the heat from major local corporations, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal today denounced the pending anti-LGBT “religious liberty” bill by citing scripture. From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Standing in the lobby of a government building after a ribbon-cutting ceremony, he laid out a lengthy condemnation of the measure from a Biblical perspective, first noting that he is a Southern Baptist who took religion courses at Mercer University.
“What the New Testament teaches us is that Jesus reached out to those who were considered the outcasts, the ones that did not conform to the religious societies’ view of the world. We do not have a belief in my way of looking at religion that says we have to discriminate against anybody. If you were to apply those standards to the teaching of Jesus, I don’t think they fit.”
He then turned to a passage from the Gospel of John that showed Jesus reaching out to an outcast.
“What that says is we have a belief in forgiveness and that we do not have to discriminate unduly against anyone on the basis of our own religious beliefs. We are not jeopardized, in my opinion, by those who believe differently from us. We are not, in my opinion, put in jeopardy by virtue of those who might hold different beliefs or who may not even agree with what our Supreme Court said the law of the land is on the issue of same-sex marriage. I do not feel threatened by the fact that people who might choose same-sex marriages pursue that route.”
Make the jump here to read the orginal and more at JMG

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Via LGBT News/FB:

 
 
So simple is that
Visit us at lgbtfeed.com


Via JMG: UTAH: Mormon Church Helps Kill Hate Crimes Bill

UTseante

 The Salt Lake Tribune reports:
Rusty Andrade was prepared to lose. But it still felt like a punch to the gut Wednesday as he watched, from a seat on the Senate floor, lawmakers vote to kill a proposal to bolster Utah’s hate-crime laws. “It totally feels like a revictimization,” said Andrade, 35, whose 2014 beating by two men shouting gay slurs helped inspire Sen. Steve Urquhartt’s hate-crime bill. “It just re-emphasizes that they don’t see us worthy of protection.” SB107 failed on a 17-11 vote.
Urquhart said senators have made up their minds, and he can see no way to sway the votes. It’s clear, he said, that the opposition from Utah’s predominant religion, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ultimately killed his bill, changing at least three votes that would have meant its passage and shutting down the dialogue he would have needed to win back support. “I felt that we were going to pass hate crimes through the process,” he said, “and after their statement, there was really no way.”

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

Via FB: Not surprised that "WE" is a reflection of "ME" on a deeper Level of truth.


"We meet ourselves time and again in a thousand disguises on the path of life." - C.G. Jung

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 03/03/2016

“As palavras que surgem para serem transmitidas em nossos encontros são espontâneas. Não costumo preparar nada com antecedência. Não porque me oponho a esse método, mas simplesmente porque é assim que acontece comigo. As palavras, quando surgem, fazem parte de um jogo divino, elas servem como uma forma de confirmar a intuição; uma forma de auxiliar na leitura dos sinais e sincronicidades que a vida oferece. Tais sinais são a forma mais simples do Mistério se comunicar com você. A sua parte é compreender a mensagem.”

“Las palabras que surgen para ser transmitidas en nuestros encuentros son espontáneas. No acostumbro preparar nada con anticipación. No porque me oponga a este método, simplemente porque es así como sucede conmigo. Las palabras, cuando surgen, son parte de un juego divino, sirven como una manera de confirmar la intuición; una manera de ayudar en la lectura de las señales y sincronicidades que la vida ofrece. Tales señales son la forma más simple para el Misterio comunicarse contigo. Tu parte es comprender el mensaje.”

"The words that arise to be transmitted in our encounters are spontaneous. I usually do not prepare anything in advance. It’s not that I am opposed to different methods, my transmissions simply take place this way because that is how they come through me. When the words arise, they become a part of God's play. They serve as a means to confirm intuition and a way to assist us in interpreting the signs and synchronicities that life offers. Such signals are the simplest ways in which the Mystery communicates with us. Our part is to understand these messages.”

Via Daily Dharma: The Mindlessness of Aggression

In the eyes of Great Compassion, there is no separation between subject and object, no separate self. If a cruel and violent person disembowels you, you can smile and look at him with love. It is his upbringing, his situation, and his ignorance that cause him to act so mindlessly.

—Thich Nhat Hanh, "Great Compassion"

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

CONTACT 2014 MOVIE FULL HD


Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 02/03/2016

“Abençoado é cada momento em que temos a oportunidade de estar juntos, aprendendo mais sobre nós mesmos. Pois é o autoconhecimento que possibilita a liberação do sofrimento. Todo sofrimento nasce da ignorância a respeito da nossa verdadeira natureza, do esquecimento de quem somos, ou seja, da falsa ideia de eu. Portanto, o autoconhecimento é o que possibilita o acesso à realidade de quem somos, ou seja, a autorrealização.”

“Bendito es cada momento que tenemos la oportunidad de estar juntos, aprendiendo más acerca de nosotros mismos. Pues el autoconocimiento es lo que posibilita la liberación del sufrimiento. Todo sufrimiento nace de la ignorancia sobre nuestra verdadera naturaleza, del olvido de quienes somos, es decir, la falsa idea de yo. Por lo tanto, el autoconocimiento es lo que permite el acceso a la realidad de quien somos, es decir, la auto-realización.”

"Every time we have the opportunity to be together it is a blessing, as we are given the opportunity to learn more about ourselves. Self-knowledge enables our freedom from suffering. All suffering is born out of the ignorance about our true nature, the forgetfulness of who we are, and the false idea of self. Therefore, self-knowledge is what allows us to access the reality of who we are, which is self-realization.”

Via Ram Dass:

March 2, 2016

Every moment of your life, once you understand it’s purpose, is your vehicle for awakening. This moment is your vehicle for awakening. If you’re uncomfortable, allow it. If you’re fascinated, be fascinated, allow it. Give it space.

Via Daily Dharma: Intimate Compassion

In short, for compassion to develop toward a wide range of persons, mere knowledge of how beings suffer is not sufficient; there has to be a sense of closeness with regard to every being.

—Jeffrey Hopkins, "Everyone as a Friend"

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Via WORLDWIDE HIPPIES / FB:


Via FB:


Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 01/03/2016

“Estamos atravessando um momento difícil da nossa jornada evolutiva enquanto seres humanos. Precisamos olhar de frente para os nossos problemas e suas verdadeiras causas, afim de encontrarmos reais soluções. Ao fugir da solução real, aumentamos tensões e dificuldades. Em tempos como esse somos mais exigidos: devemos abandonar os velhos hábitos e mecanismos de defesa geradores dos problemas, especialmente o orgulho e o apego a crenças e pontos de vista limitantes. Porém, continuamos negando as causas e ainda não nos responsabilizamos por nossas próprias criações. Continuamos sendo guiados pelo jogo de acusações e cegos para o óbvio. Mas o preço dessa fuga é muito alto. Não é somente a destruição do planeta e da população – o pior é não termos acesso à Verdade e ao propósito maior da nossa existência.”

“Estamos atravesando un momento difícil en nuestro camino evolutivo como seres humanos. Precisamos mirar de frente nuestros problemas y sus verdaderas causas, con el fin de encontrar soluciones reales. Al huir de la solución real, aumentamos tensiones y dificultades. En tiempos como este somos más exigidos: debemos abandonar los viejos hábitos y mecanismos de defensa generadores de problemas, especialmente el orgullo y el apego a las creencias y puntos de vista limitantes. Sin embargo, seguimos negando las causas y todavía no nos responsabilizamos por nuestras propias creaciones. Continuamos siendo guiados por el juego de acusaciones y ciegos a lo obvio. Pero el precio de esa fuga es muy alto. No es sólo la destrucción del planeta y de la población, lo peor es no tener acceso a la Verdad y al propósito mayor de nuestra existencia.”

"We are going through a difficult time in our evolutionary journey as human beings. We need to face our problems and their true causes head on in order to find real solutions. If we continue to flee from the actual solutions, our tensions and difficulties will only increase. In times like these, a lot is being demanded of us: we must abandon our old habits and defense mechanisms that are generating these problems, especially our pride and attachment to our limited beliefs and points of view. We continue to deny the causes of our problems and we still refuse to take responsibility for our own creations. We continue being guided by the blame game and remain blind to the obvious truths. The price of our fleeing is very high: it does not only involve the destruction of our planet and population - the worst part is that we don’t have access to the truth and to the greater purpose of our existence."

Via Daily Dharma: Sit, Sit, Sit

The zazen period we are recommending is 20 minutes. You may find that you will want to do more—or less—and that is fine. What is important is consistency. To keep your practice consistent, remember what the famous Nike ad says: “Just do it.” Don’t concern yourself with trying to get to some particular place or state of mind. Each day’s zazen will be a little different, just like the rest of life.

—Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara, "An Introduction to Zen"

Monday, February 29, 2016

Via JMG: Nathan Lane & Matthew Broderick Revive The Producers In Anti-Trump Skit On Jimmy Kimmel Show [VIDEO]

trumped

Mediaite recaps the highlight of Jimmy Kimmel’s post-Oscars special:
Perhaps the greatest moment of the night occurred when he had Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick reprise their legendary roles from The Producers to poke fun at Donald Trump in a big way. The original musical focuses on two Broadway producing con-artists who plot to create a show guaranteed to fail so that they can present it as the next big hit and abscond with the profits. In Kimmel’s take, Lane and Broderick are political consultants with a similar plan to profit off the fundraising for a doomed candidate, and they realize that Trump is exactly the kind of “train-wreck, gold-plated nincompoop,” they’re looking for.

 Make the jump here to  see the video and more at JMG