There’s
no school that says, 'Cling.' Liberation is about cutting, or
dissolving, or letting go of, or seeing through the attachment to
anything. The description of the mind of no-clinging may be different in
the different schools, but the experience of the mind of no-clinging is
the same. How could it be different?
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You didn't get the memo John.
Liberals and the non-religious don't get religious freedom. Such freedoms are only for conservative Christians and occasionally certain kinds of conservatives practitioners of Judaism.
Christian conservatives, for example, object to gays getting married, so gays can't get married. That's their religious freedom.
Christian conservatives demand they don't have to follow the rules others have to follow and to be allowed to deny their employees birth control, question them about their private sexual practices as employees, and fire them. They're conservative, so that's their religious freedom.
Many liberals both desire and demand that states and the Federal government recognize same sex marriage and sign same sex marriage licenses out of their religious convictions concerning equality.
They're liberals, though - so they have no religious freedom and no say in the matter.
The problem with Romney is that Mormonism, no matter how out of the mainstream, is conservative.
That means he gets every freedom about his religion, including how to impose it on other people, and as a non-conservative, or non-religious person, you just, uh, DON'T.
It's not that mormons get to do things against other people and they get to hide if you have a problem with what they do, the problem is that you aren't a right wing religious conservative so you just get to shut up about it. Another right wing religionist would have, and has had, every power to question Romney's religion.
That is the true double standard here. Not about Romney's religion versus Obama's ethnic heritage. It's about only right wing religionists in this country having any kind of religious privileges whatsoever.
Until we recognize and have a national outcry against only conservatives having religious freedom while no one else does and actually having liberals loudly demanding their own religious freedom, nothing about this will change. Because it's only with lopsided religious freedom - with some having it all, others having none of it - that these lopsided power structures exist.
Right wing religionists have special rights, including rights in the media to tell you what you must do to observe their religion, even if you aren't part of it at all.
The true question that needs to be asked is why do only conservative religionists get any religious freedom or political or media consideration in this country?
People think 'no-self' means there's no one home. That's wrong. Free of fixed self, a living being thrives.
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Compassion
doesn’t always mean being nice to people. Sometimes the best thing you
can do in a situation is to be rough with someone. We have to be
balanced in accord with each situation.
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In
lovingkindness, our minds are open and expansive—spacious enough to
contain all the pleasures and pains of a life fully lived. Pain, in this
context, doesn’t feel like betrayal or an overwhelming force. It is
part of the reality of human experience, and an opportunity for us to
practice maintaining our authentic presence.
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People
who are attached to sutras and a scriptural teaching of words can lack
faith in the living, mysterious experience of meditation that leads to a
sudden insight.
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Buddhism asks us to go beyond the self, not to perfect the self.
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Every
moment of experience is contingent on a vast complex of myriad
conditions. Nothing exists in and of itself as 'this' or 'that,' 'self'
or 'other.' Everything is what it is only in relation to what it is not.
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When
we make the effort to understand what may seem strange in the religious
practices of others, we may find that it opens the door to something
beyond the particular case, something quite general: the capacity of
humans to participate in divinity.
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The
more we can get the self out of the way, the more clearly we can see
the effect of our thoughts, words, and action upon ourselves and others.
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Today’s order is yet another federal court victory for loving, committed gay and lesbian couples in California and around the nation,” said AFER co-founder Chad Griffin. “The final chapter of the Proposition 8 case has now begun. Should the United States Supreme Court decide to review the Ninth Circuit’s decision in our case, I am confident that the Justices will stand on the side of fairness and equality.” On February 7, 2012, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit concluded that Proposition 8 violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Ninth Circuit panel majority held: "Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples. The Constitution simply does not allow for laws of this sort.”Human Rights Campaign
Once again, a federal court has affirmed that the cherished guarantees of our Constitution are there to protect all Americans – including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. For over three years, the plaintiffs, the American Foundation for Equal Rights, and attorneys Ted Olson and David Boies have shown tremendous fortitude and perseverance in their fight for marriage equality. With today’s announcement, we are one step closer to ensuring that gay and lesbian Californians – and, one day, our entire community nationwide – are able to join the institution of marriage and have their love and commitment respected equally.Marriage Equality USA
The momentum for the freedom to marry seems unstoppable. Three weeks ago, the President of the United States announced his support for marriage equality. Last week, the 1st Circuit Federal Court of Appeals held that the so-called Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional. And today, the 9th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals upheld its earlier decision striking down Proposition 8. Nationwide polls have shown majority support for the freedom to marry for the last two years, and Californians now favor marriage equality by a 59 – 34 percent margin, according to the latest polling.National Center for Lesbian Rights
Today’s refusal by the Ninth Circuit to grant further review is a testament to the meticulous and well-reasoned opinion originally issued by the Court. While the supporters of Proposition 8 will now seek review by the U.S. Supreme Court, there is no doubt that they are on the wrong side of history. Excluding same-sex couples from the right to marry runs counter to our highest ideals of equality and fairness.More reactions to follow as they arrive...
Here's the ruling: The full court was advised of the petition for rehearing en banc. A judge requested a vote on whether to rehear the matter en banc. The matter failed to receive a majority of the votes of the non-recused active judges in favor of en banc consideration. Fed. R. App. P. 35. The petition for rehearing en banc is DENIED. The mandate is stayed for ninety days pending the filing of a petition for writ of certiorari in the Supreme Court. If such a petition is filed, the stay shall continue until final disposition by the Supreme Court.Reactions and analysis to follow shortly....
For
Buddhism, faith doesn't mean the blind acceptance of teachings as
unquestionable dogmas. Rather, faith suggests a combination of trust in
the Buddha as a fully enlightened teacher, confidence in the Buddha and
in his guidance, and feelings of devotion and reverence towards the
Buddha. This quality of faith is to be strengthened because it's what
builds our own commitment to the entire practice.
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KQED's Scott Shafer said this is almost surely the decision on whether to rehear the case en banc. An en banc panel is made up of 11 judges, chosen at random from the circuit. If the 9th Circuit denies the request, Prop 8 supporters will almost certainly ask the United States Supreme Court to hear the case. Proponents of Prop 8, California's same-sex marriage ban, asked the 9th Circuit for the en banc review in February, after a ruling by a three-judge panel upheld Judge Vaughn Walker's 2010 decision striking down the law as unconstitutional.Prop 8 Trial Tracker has more on what could happen.
If that happens, Judge Reinhardt’s narrow opinion stands, and the proponents of Proposition 8 can then petition for certiorari at the Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court were to deny review, the Ninth Circuit’s decision would stand, and Proposition 8 would be struck down. Gay and lesbian couples would be allowed to marry in California. If the Supreme Court grants review, there will be briefing and oral argument and a decision next year.
Government should treat all citizens impartially, without regard to wealth, race, ethnicity, disability, religion, sex, political affiliation or national origin. We oppose all forms of invidious discrimination. Sexual orientation is not an appropriate category.The GOP's platform also opposes adoption by same-sex couples.
Hundreds of straight Mormon allies marched yesterday in Salt Lake City's gay pride parade. Before
the drag queens in heels danced across Main Street, more than 300
members of the LDS Church left Utah Gay Pride Parade spectators in tears
Sunday morning. One Mormon father turned to the crowd and thanked
people for forgiving him. The group, Mormons Building Bridges, said they
wanted to send a message of love to the state’s LGBT community, a
message they believe is compatible with their faith. Emily Vandyke, 50,
carried a sign with the words from an LDS children’s song: "I’ll walk
with you, I’ll talk with you. That’s how I’ll show my love for you."
Several blocks along the parade route, she embraced a tall woman weeping
at the edge of the crowd who said, "Thank you." "I haven’t recognized
them as equals," Vandyke said a few minutes later. "They have been
invisible to me." Later, parade Grand Marshal Dustin Lance Black,
tweeted: "In tears. Over 300 straight, active Mormons showed up to march
with me at the Utah Pride parade in support of LGBT people."
Moments after expressing support for transgender beauty pageant contestants, Miss Rhode Island was crowned Miss USA last night. GLAAD reports:When asked "Would it be fair if a transgender woman won the Miss USA title," Culpo responded, "I do think it would be fair..." because "there are so many people who have a need to change for a happier life. I do accept that because I believe it's a free country." The crowd erupted with cheers.
What
it all comes down to is that even if you practice meditation to become a
paragon of love and wisdom, all it can do is put you face-to-face with
who you are and with what is, which is where all meditation begins.
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Free Republic is ever so pissed: While conservative activists have focused on the promotion of gay marriage by store chains J.C. Penny and Target, Macy's has gone under the culture radar in its partnership with the Obama-allied homosexual group, the Human Rights Campaign. The incoming president of HRC, Chad Griffin is an Obama bundler. You won't see it in Macy's weekly sales circular, and you'd be hard pressed to find it on the front page of the Macy's website, but the Human Rights Campaign is loud and proud in declaring its partnership with Macy's urging customers to purchase "election year" Vote Equality t-shirts with the proceeds going to the Human Rights Campaign.
Last
month we snickered when the One Million Moms bitched that JC Penney was
blocking their emails. And now Target is doing the same. Snork! Via the
Christian Post: When Target began selling the pro-gay shirts late May, the American Family Association sent out an alert to supporters, asking them to let Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel "know that a majority of Americans oppose same-sex marriage and are able to use their pocketbooks to voice their opposition to companies that support it." In a recent update, AFA stated, "Target is blocking emails from the AFA Action Alert system." The family group is asking supporters to contact the retailer through other means. Steinhafel says that diversity is a "core value" at the retailer and that Target fosters "an inclusive culture." Family Equality Council is now among a dozen groups that Target partners with.Target, Macy's, JC Penney, Home Depot.... There sure are a lot of shopping options for loyal gays these days.
If
I’m torn between truth and falsehood, I have to ask myself if the
choice I’m leaning toward would be self-serving or selfless, harsh or
kind, harmful or harmless. Only then can I know what’s best to do.
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Gratitude,
the simple and profound feeling of being thankful, is the foundation of
all generosity. I am generous when I believe that right now, right
here, in this form and this place, I am myself being given what I need.
Generosity requires that we relinquish something, and this is impossible
if we are not glad for what we have. Otherwise the giving hand closes
into a fist and won’t let go.
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Dear JCP, I love you guys. I have never been into a JC Penney store, but after seeing your ad with Cooper Smith and Todd Koch and their kids ... well, you guys rock. I will find something to buy, just to say thank you!! sincerely, mikeAnd that, kids, is how you win business.
Dear Mike, Thank you for sharing with me your very valuable feedback. As a company founded on “The Golden Rule,” we consider it our top priority to treat each customer as we would like to be treated. Fair and Square. We are in the process of dreaming up new ways to make you love shopping with us and your comments help us move one step closer to becoming your favorite store! Hope you have a great weekend! Sincerely, Chris, Customer Care Representative.
"While
I doubt that Elizabeth II is a raging homophobe, she certainly doesn't
appear to gay-friendly. Not once in her 60-year reign has she publicly
acknowledged the existence of the LGBT community – or gay members of her
own royal family. The Queen has turned her back on queens. While she
has spoken approvingly of the UK's many races and faiths, for six
decades she has ignored LGBT Britons.
The
First Lady has posted a video response to some questions she's gotten
via her Twitter account. The final question (listed above) comes at the
5:15 mark.
If approved by the Assembly and signed by the Governor, Senate Bill 1172, authored by Senator Ted Lieu and co-sponsored by Equality California, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Mental Health America of Northern California, Gaylesta, and Lambda Legal, would make California the first state in the nation to ban licensed mental health professionals from engaging in sexual orientation change efforts of any kind for a minor patient, regardless of a parent's willingness or desire to authorize participation in such programs. "Being lesbian or gay or bisexual is not a disease or mental disorder for the same reason that being a heterosexual is not a disease or a mental disorder," Senator Lieu said. "The medical community is unanimous in stating that homosexuality is not a medical condition."Earlier today "ex-gay" crackpots NARTH sent out an urgent alert demanding that its followers call California's senators to demand they block the bill. Because the proper way NARTH likes to handle gay youth is to hire them as prostitutes for "daily erotic massage to release."
Big news! The First Court of Appeals ruled in Boston today that it is unconstitutional to deny federal marriage benefits to same-sex couples. The ruling applies to Section Three of the Defense Of Marriage Act.The appeals court agreed with a lower court judge who ruled in 2010 that the law is unconstitutional because it interferes with the right of a state to define marriage and denies married gay couples federal benefits given to heterosexual married couples, including the ability to file joint tax returns. The court didn't rule on the law's other provision, which said states without same-sex marriage cannot be forced to recognize gay unions performed in other states.Metro Weekly provides a portion of the ruling:
[M]any Americans believe that marriage is the union of a man and a woman, and most Americans live in states where that is the law today. One virtue of federalism is that it permits this diversity of governance based on local choice, but this applies as well to the states that have chosen to legalize same-sex marriage. Under current Supreme Court authority, Congress' denial of federal benefits to same-sex couples lawfully married in Massachusetts has not been adequately supported by any permissible federal interest.Massachusetts AG Martha Coakley
Today’s landmark ruling makes clear once again that DOMA is a discriminatory law for which there is no justification. It is unconstitutional for the federal government to create a system of first- and second-class marriages, and it does harm to families in Massachusetts every day. All Massachusetts couples should be afforded the same rights and protections under the law, and we hope that this decision will be the final step toward ensuring that equality for all.Lambda Legal
We are thrilled that another court- this time, the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit - has ruled that it is unconstitutional to deny respect to the marriages of lesbian and gay couples. The so-called Defense of Marriage Act is being challenged in multiple cases and it won't be long before that bad law is gone for good. We congratulate our colleagues at Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) and the State of Massachusetts for achieving this wonderful victory.Freedom To Marry
Today’s unanimous decision issued by the First Circuit Court of Appeals is a powerful affirmation that the so-called Defense of Marriage Act is an unconstitutional and unjust law whose days are numbered. This ruling will return the federal government to its historic role of respecting marriages performed in the states, without carving out a ‘gay exception’ that denies thousands of protections. As more loving same-sex couples commit their lives to one another in marriage, the harms of this unjust law become more clear – from service members, risking their lives to protect ours, being denied the ability to protect their own families through military medical insurance or survivor benefits to senior citizens having to move out of their homes after their partners of many decades pass on because they cannot access Social Security protections afforded any other legally married couple.Servicemembers Legal Defense Network
At SLDN, we applaud the court for affirming that legal marriages in the states - and all the rights and protections that come with those marriages - should be recognized and respected by our federal government. Though a narrow decision, this important victory nonetheless paves the way further for litigation like McLaughlin v. U.S., SLDN's case on behalf of married gay and lesbian service members and veterans who are denied equal recognition, support and benefits for their families by this discriminatory law. We congratulate the GLAD attorneys and plaintiffs in this case and look forward with them to the day when every American - especially those putting their lives on the line to protect our nation - has the freedom to marry the person they love, knowing that their commitment will be honored by their government.Human Rights Campaign
This ruling is a historic victory for loving gay and lesbian couples and their children. For the first time, a federal appeals court has recognized that our constitution will not tolerate a law that forces the federal government to deny lawfully-married same-sex couples equal treatment. The writing is clearly on the wall for the demise of this unjust and indefensible law that hurts real families.We applaud GLAD, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the courageous plaintiffs for their incredible efforts on behalf of gay and lesbian couples in Massachusetts and across the nation.
They're only on screen for less than a second, but predictably Tony Perkins is furious that a gay couple is shown in a new international ad promoting U.S. tourism. Via Right Wing Watch:In 236 years, America's never had an international tourism ad. So when Congress passed the Travel Promotion Act, people thought it'd be a great chance to highlight American attractions. What they didn't know is that it would highlight same-sex attractions. That's right. The commercial invites people to America-not to see the Grand Canyon, but to celebrate homosexuality. In one scene, a gay man is sleeping on his partner's shoulder in a trolley. The actors said they were specifically recruited to add a "homosexual presence" to the commercial. According to Brand USA, the ads were supposed to "open up some minds as to what America really is"-which, based on this commercial, is a country of radical values and backwards priorities. I suppose this is part of the President's push to "rebrand" America. It's just too bad he used a travel ad to feature so much cultural baggage.
