Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Today's Daily Dharma: Waking up to Racism.


 
Waking up to Racism


Waking up to Racism

I am often asked when talking about racism in Buddhist circles to be specific, give examples. In part, this longing emerges from the reluctance of white people in power to accept, and see clearly by opening their eyes, that white supremacy informs the shaping of Buddhist communities, individual interactions, publications, etc. That reluctance can only be transformed in spiritual practice, not by proof. There is never enough proof.
 
- bell hooks, "Waking up to Racism"

Monday, July 27, 2015

Via JMG: Quote Of The Day - Sen. Cory Booker


"Almost 50 years ago, a couple tried to purchase a home in suburban New Jersey in a neighborhood they loved, but found their efforts thwarted when the house they wanted was inexplicably pulled off the market. The couple later learned from fair housing advocates who had investigated on their behalf that the home was made unavailable to them because of their skin color. The couple's names were Cary and Carolyn Booker. They were my parents.

"You'd think this problem is relegated to the history books. But in 2015 — today — a couple can try to purchase a home and in 31 states be told it is not available to them on the basis of their sexual orientation. More than half a century after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the federal government has yet to pass a large-scale law that protects Americans from discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. It's time for that to change." - Sen. Cory Booker, writing in support of the Equality Act.


Reposted from Joe Jervis

Wille Nelson's Gay Cowboy Song


Freeheld - Trailer


Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 27/07/2015

“Um passo fundamental para a desconstrução de um padrão negativo é conseguir perceber que existe prazer investido nele. Primeiro você identifica as situações negativas que se repetem e qual o ponto comum entre elas, ou seja, o que causa a repetição. Depois você vai atrás da voz dentro de você que diz: “Eu quero ficar isolado; eu quero do meu jeito ou não quero nada”; “Eu quero fracassar”, ou ainda: “Eu quero ficar doente, não quero mais viver”. Com isso você começa a identificar o prazer que dá sustentação ao sofrimento.”

“Un paso fundamental para la desconstrucción de un patrón negativo es conseguir percibir que existe placer invertido en él. Primero identificas las situaciones negativas que se repiten y cuál es el punto en común entre ellas, es decir, lo que causa la repetición. Después vas en busca de la voz dentro tuyo que dice: “Quiero quedarme aislado, quiero que sea a mi manera o no quiero nada”, “Quiero fracasar”, o aún: “Quiero enfermarme, no quiero vivir más”. Con esto comienzas a identificar el placer que da sustento al sufrimiento.” 

“A fundamental step towards deconstructing a negative pattern is being able to perceive the pleasure we feel in it. First, we identify the negative situations that repeat themselves in our lives and the common denominator between them. This means identifying what causes the repetition. Next, we go after the voices inside of us that may be saying, ‘I want to remain isolated,’ ‘It has to be my way or I don’t want it at all,’ ‘I want to fail,’ or even, ‘I want to get sick: I don’t want to live anymore’. By becoming aware of these aspects within us, we begin to identify the pleasure that sustains the suffering.”

From a FB amiga, soemhwre in Phoenix, AZ:


Today's Daily Dharma: The World Is Made of Stories

The World Is Made of Stories
The stories that make sense of this world are part of this world. It is not by transcending the world that we are transformed but by storying it in a new way.
 
- David Loy, "The World Is Made of Stories"

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Via Green Renaissance / FB:


Via Mountain Stream Meditation Center / FB:


BREAKING: Despite Threats, President Obama Makes A Case For Gay Rights In Kenya



President Obama is visiting Kenya, the first sitting American president to do so, where he lost no time addressing the subject of gay rights in spite of warnings and threats from some Kenyan lawmakers and demonstrations by Kenyan churches. The president held a joint press conference today with Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta, and "went there" on the very first question.
President Obama: 
"Similarly, with respect to the rights of gays and lesbians, I have been consistent all across Africa on this. I believe in the principle of treating people equally under the law, and that they are deserving of equal protection under the law, and that the state should not discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation, and I say that recognizing there may be people who have different religious or cultural beliefs.
But the issue is, how does the state operate relative to people. If you look at the history of countries around the world, when you start treating people differently, not because of any harm they are doing, but because they are different, that's the path whereby freedoms begin to erode, and bad things happen. And when the government gets in the habit of treating people differently, those habits can spread. And as an African American on the United States, I am painfully aware of what happens when people are treated differently. And there were all sorts of rationalizations by the power structure that were provided for decades in the United States for segregation and Jim Crow and slavery, and they were wrong.
So, I'm not equivocal on this; if somebody is a law abiding citizen, is going about their business and working at a job, obeying the traffic signs and doing all the other things good citizens are supposed to do and not harming anybody, the idea that they are going to be treated differently or abused because of who they love, is wrong. Full stop.
And, you know, the state does not need to weigh in on religious doctrine. The state just has to say, we're going to treat everyone the same under the law. And then everyone else can have their own opinions. Alright?"
Kenyan President Kenyatta then replied to the reporter's question, saying about gay rights:  
"There are some things that we must admit we don't share, our culture, our societies, don't accept. It is very difficult for us to impose upon people what they themselves do not accept. This is why I repeatedly say that for Kenyans today the issue of gay rights is really a non-issue. We want to focus on other issues that are day-to-day living foe our people." 
I would suggest to President Kenyatta that as long as Kenyans can be legally imprisoned for having sex, gay rights are an issue.

We'll let you know what the President says on gay rights when he addresses the Kenyan Parliament, where lawmakers have threatened to walk out and/or have him removed, should he bring up the issue. 

Read the original posting here

Today's Daily Dharma: Chanting for Things

Chanting for Things
In my experience, the activity of chanting for material or spiritual things becomes a process of cleansing one's spirit, not corrupting it; and Buddhists who began by chanting for hotter cars ended up driven to awaken themselves and help others, at times with great energy and joy. 
 
- Sandy McIntosh, "As American as Apple Pie?"

Friday, July 24, 2015

If Gay Marriage, Why Not Polygamy? - John Corvino


Via WGB:


Via WGB: 9.5M LGBT Adults Nationwide Would Be Protected under New Comprehensive Non-Discrimination Bill


Public opinion polling indicates that 78% of Americans support federal protections from discrimination for LGBT people.
The Equality Act, introduced today in Congress, would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, public accommodations, education, credit, federal funding and jury service.

About 9.5 million adults in the U.S. identify as LGBT, according to Williams Institute Research Director Gary Gates. Discrimination against LGBT people has been well documented in a variety of sources.
  1. In nine surveys conducted in the past 10 years, 19% to 78% of LGBT people reported experiencing discrimination or harassment based on their sexual orientation or gender identity at work.
  2. Gay men earn 10 percent to 32 percent less than heterosexual men who have the same productive characteristics, such as experience and level of education.
  3. About 83% of American adults report in recent polls that LGBT people face moderate to high levels of discrimination.
  4. LGBT workers file complaints under employment non-discrimination laws at comparable rates to female employees and employees who are people of color.
  5. Research has demonstrated that LGBT-supportive policies and workplace climates are linked to greater job commitment, improved workplace relationships, increased job satisfaction, and improved health outcomes in LGBT employees. 

Via JMG: Houston Mayor Annise Parker: We'll Take This To The Voters And We'll Win


"Obviously, I am disappointed and believe the court is in error with this eleventh hour ruling in a case that had already been decided by a judge and jury of citizens. Nonetheless, we will proceed with the steps necessary for City Council to consider the issue. At the same time, we are consulting with our outside counsel on any possible available legal actions. Houston’s Equal Rights Ordinance is similar to measures passed by every other major city in the country and by most local corporations. No matter the color of your skin, your age, gender, physical limitations, or sexual orientation, every Houstonian deserves the right to be treated equally. To do otherwise, hurts Houston’s well-known image as a city that is tolerant, accepting, inclusive and embracing of its diversity. Our citizens fully support and understand this and I have never been afraid to take it to the voters. We will win!" - Houston Mayor Annise Parker, via press release.
Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via http://islamicommentary.org: Same-Sex Relationships & the Fluidity of Marriage in Islamic History

 One scholar’s response to Reza Aslan and Hasan Minhaj’s “Open Letter to American Muslims on Same Sex Marriage”  by ALI A. OLOMI for ISLAMiCommentary on JULY 17, 2015:

"Aqa Mirak" - 16th Safavid watercolor by Aqa Mirak depicting two young princes and lovers. (currently located in the Smithsonian)
“Aqa Mirak” – 16th Safavid watercolor by Aqa Mirak depicting two young princes and lovers. (currently located in the Smithsonian)

Since the legalization of same-sex marriage by the U.S. Supreme Court on June 26th 2015, various religious groups have responded to the ruling. Muslim Americans, who themselves are a minority group in the United States, have struggled to find consensus.

Some have openly condemned the ruling. Others have urged a more hesitant acceptance of the court’s decision. Cognizant of the precarious position of minorities in the United States, Imam Suhaib Webb posted an online message where he encouraged a nuanced perspective that respected the ruling and supported it politically, while acknowledging the theological and ethical dilemmas for conservative Muslims. A group of Afghan American thinkers and activists on The Samovar Network took a more accepting stance when they held an online panel (via a Google hangout) and showed support for the ruling and the LGBTQ community as a whole.

Author, Reza Aslan and comedian, Hasan Minhaj wrote an open letter, published in Religion Dispatches, to Muslim Americans encouraging acceptance and tolerance, reminding Muslims that they too are a minority in the United States and should stand for the rights of their fellow minorities.

People were surprised by the letter and some have attributed the position of the authors to Western influence. Popular representations in America and Europe, tend to depict Muslims as staunchly against same-sex marriage. But I would point out that positions like Reza’s and others like him actually highlight a forgotten part of Islamic history.

Just as in the case of Christianity, the history on same-sex relationships in Islam is far more complex than some would have you believe.

First, we have to acknowledge that though same-sex relationships are timeless and gay people have existed throughout history, according to theorists, like Michel Foucault, homosexuality as an identity emerged alongside heterosexuality in modernity. Indeed, an argument can be made that homophobia itself is a predominantly modern fear tied to anxieties about masculinity within nationalist contexts. The Qur’an itself does not address homosexuality directly, but refers to specific practices.

When it comes to same-sex relationships, Muslims point to the infamous Qur’anic verses on the People of Lot (7:80-84), which some modern scholars — by projecting modern sensibilities on the verse — interpret as being a condemnation of homosexuality. Yet, other scholars point out the context of the verse in the Qisas Al Anbiya, a commentary and history on the lives of the Islamic prophets by Al Kisa’i, that relates the tale of Lot as a condemnation of the corruption festering in the people of Lot, whose bestial carnality led to rape and sodomy; i.e. it’s not a direct condemnation of sodomy.

2. "Haft Awrang"- The Seven Thrones, an illuminated manuscript by 16th Century Jami. Depicts a male youth with his male suitors.
2. “Haft Awrang”- The Seven Thrones, an illuminated manuscript by 16th Century Jami. Depicts a male youth with his male suitors.

In fact, the Qur’an actually supports diversity of desires when it states that God created various mates for mankind (30:21). Furthermore, the Qur’an uses homoerotic imagery to describe paradise as full of eternally youthful manservants so attractive that “when you see them, you’d think them as beautiful as scattered pearls.” (52: 24, 76: 19).

We must also consider the Prophet Muhammad’s life and how his wife, Umm Salama, had a gay or interest manservant, Hit. In addition to Hit, there was also Tuways and Al Dalal. These individuals, known as mukhanathum, were counted as companions of Muhammad, or disciples and friends. The mukhanathum even served as guardians of Muhammad’s tomb when he died.

Same-sex relationships and romance existed throughout the history of Islamic civilization from the 7th century on. The famed Persian poet Rumi and the father of Classical Islamic poetry, Abu Nawas, wrote verses extolling the beauty of young men. Indeed, in medieval Abbasid, Ottoman, and Safavid empires, the normative standards of beauty in works of poetry and art revolved around the youthful and desirable appearance of young men.

While women were absolutely praised, the normative standard of beauty focused primarily on a concept of youthfulness that was equated to vitality and desire. In many of the poems like those of Abu Nawas and Rumi and many others, this meant young men, but these young men were attributed with feminine qualities, highlighting the fluid nature of masculinity and femininity.

Caliphs like Al Amin in the 8th century Abbasid caliphate engaged in same-sex relationships, and it is written that the warriors of Abu Muslim, who overthrew the Umayyads, lay with their male pages. While periods of oppression certainly existed and scholars anxiously debated whether acts were permissible or prohibited, on the whole, Islamic civilization tended to be not only tolerant, but accepting of same-sex romances.

Textual evidence for same-sex relationship between women were not as widespread in the Arabic and Islamic literary tradition, but there is still ample evidence of the tolerance and even praise of same-sex relationships between women. For example, in the 10th century, Jawami al-Ladhdha or, Encyclopedia of Pleasure by Abul Hasan Ali, he relates a story of love and romance between two women, Hind bint al Nur’man and Al Zarqa.

"Shah Abbas and Wine Boy"- 17th Century art by Muhammad Qasim depicting Safavid ruler, Shah Abbas with his lover and wine boy.
“Shah Abbas and Wine Boy”- 17th Century art by Muhammad Qasim depicting Safavid ruler, Shah Abbas with his lover and wine boy.

Some periods of Islamic history were more accepting than others and we should acknowledge that there was regional variation, but the historical arc was significantly towards toleration. When famed 19th century Moroccan scholar, Muhammad al Saffar traveled to Europe he was surprised to find same-sex courtship repugnant to the Europeans in contrast to its acceptance in the Islamic world. Indeed, that acceptance of same-sex courtship and romance was used by European Christian and orientalist writers as a sign of the supposed moral laxity of the “orient.”

Same-sex relationships between men, for example, were depicted in art, including in these images (now in the public domain): 1) “Shah Abbas and Wine Boy”- 17th Century art by Muhammad Qasim depicting Safavid ruler, Shah Abbas with his lover and wine boy; 2) “Haft Awrang”- The Seven Thrones, an illuminated manuscript by 16th Century Jami. Depicts a male youth with his male suitors; 3) “Aqa Mirak” – 16th Safavid watercolor by Aqa Mirak Tabriz depicting two young princes and lovers (currently located in the Smithsonian) and 4) “Sawaqub”– 19th Century Ottoman depiction in Sawaqub al Manaquib depicting sexual relations between a man and his wine servant.

These cultural and social realities of same-sex relationships in Islam have been made subterranean in historical reflection. People who wish to push a singular interpretation of religion conveniently ignore these parts of Islamic history in favor of narratives hewn from their prejudices. While the historical existence of relationships between couples of the same sex is an irrefutable fact, these narratives are often swept under the rug and the history of tolerance is forgotten in favor of depictions of Islam as a homophobic and aggressive faith.

Make the jump here to read the full article
Same-Sex Relationships & the Fluidity of Marriage in Islamic History (by Ali A. Olomi) - See more at: http://islamicommentary.org/2015/07/same-sex-relationships-the-fluidity-of-marriage-in-islamic-history-by-ali-a-olomi/#sthash.evhCQAj6.dpuf
Same-Sex Relationships & the Fluidity of Marriage in Islamic History (by Ali A. Olomi) - See more at: http://islamicommentary.org/2015/07/same-sex-relationships-the-fluidity-of-marriage-in-islamic-history-by-ali-a-olomi/#sthash.evhCQAj6.dpuf

Om Mani Padme Hum - Original temple mantra version


Pastor Dewey Smith - Homosexuality


Today's Daily Dharma: Look to Life

 
Look to Life

I don’t believe we should look to any metaphysical order on the far side of experience nor to any metaphysical subject on the near side of experience but simply, as it were, to life.
- Don Cupitt, "The Eclectic Cleric"

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Today's Daily Dharma: Wishing Others Well

Wishing Others Well
When we really see, in our mind?s eye, a person we think we don?t like, and instead of solidifying our reasons for hatred we honestly wish them happiness, good health, safety, and an easeful life, we start to forget what we thought we hated and why we felt that way in the first place. A sense of equanimity toward everyone arises as we do this practice?we feel compassion for those who were once invisible to us, and our disregard and apathy morph into concern for their well-being and safety.
 
- Cyndi Lee, "May I Be Happy"

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Via JMG: Obama Jokes On Daily Show: I'm Issuing Executive Order That Stewart Must Stay


The Guardian reports:
Barack Obama mocked foes, talked up his legacy and teased Jon Stewart in a nostalgic final appearance as president on The Daily Show, providing a bittersweet farewell for the old sparring partners. “I can’t believe you’re leaving before me,” Obama told his host, who is due to retire in two weeks after 16 years in the Comedy Central hot seat. “I’m going to issue an executive order: Jon Stewart cannot leave the show. It’s being challenged in the courts.”

The two men bantered on Tuesday night’s show over Iran, Donald Trump, lost opportunities and the “Hope” posters – gentle jabs rather than blows that yielded a fond, affectionate coda to the satirical news show’s prickly relationship with the president. Obama joked that critics of the Iran nuclear deal seemed to think that “if you had brought Dick Cheney to the negotiations everything would be fine”.

Stewart, who reflected liberals’ initial euphoria and later disappointment with the Obama era, noted his guest’s recent run of victories: “It appears that you’re feeling it a little bit right now. Do you feel like seven years in …” “I know what I’m doing,” Obama interrupted. “A lot of the work that we did early starts bearing fruit late. The way I’m feeling right now is, I’ve got 18 months.” He vowed to tackle climate change and fuel-efficiency standards before leaving.






Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via JMG: STUDY: HIV Transmission Is Virtually Zero For Patients "Reliably" Taking Their Meds


Via the Charlotte News & Observer:
Groundbreaking research conducted at UNC-Chapel Hill has demonstrated that potent drug cocktails can disable HIV to the point that the deadly virus can’t be transmitted to other people through sexual activity. The findings were announced Monday by AIDS researcher Myron Cohen at the eigth International AIDS Society Conference in Vancouver, Canada. Cohen, UNC’s chief of the Institute for Global Health & Infectious Diseases, has headed the global research project for a decade and studied more than 1,700 couples.

The landmark study, financed with more than $100 million in federal research grants, confirmed initial results reported in 2011 and demonstrated that AIDS medications known as antiretroviral therapy, or ART, can suppress the virus for years. The virus can reemerge if the patient stops taking the medicine, but as long as it’s suppressed, the virus essentially is harmless and most patients can lead normal, healthy lives. “If people are taking their pills reliably and they’re taking them for some period of time, the probability of transmission in this study is actually zero,” Cohen said by phone from Vancouver. “Let me say it another way: We never saw a case of HIV transmission in a person who is stably suppressed on ART.”
The researchers stressed that they are not advocating unprotected sex for those taking anti-retrovirals.


Reposted from Joe Jervis

The Muppets - First Look Presentation


Today's Daily Dharma: Not Always So

Not Always So
Once we notice the preconceptions that we are carrying around with us, then it is possible for us to let them go and say, "Well, maybe so, maybe not." Suzuki Roshi once said, "The essence of Zen is "Not always so."Not always so. It's a good little phrase to carry around when you're sure. It gives you an opportunity to look again more carefully and see what other possibilities there might be in the situation.
 
- Zenkei Blanche Hartman, "The Zen of Not Knowing"

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Today's Daily Dharma: True Seeing

True Seeing
It seems to me that the advice of the Buddha was not to change how you think about things so that you?re happy and content with them as they are, but rather to see things as they are.
 
- Richard K. Payne, "Brief Teachings Summer 2015"

Monday, July 20, 2015

Via JMG: PETITION: Turn NYC's Christopher Park Into Nation's First LGBT National Park


 
The petition is here.


Reposted from Joe Jervis

The Huffington Post: Thomas Roberts Becomes First Openly Gay Evening News Anchor On Network TV

 Thomas Roberts anchored NBC's "Nightly News" on Saturday, a huge milestone for both the 42-year-old journalist's career and gay rights history.

Until the broadcast, an openly gay person had never anchored the nightly news on network TV. Roberts told The Advocate that it was a "huge honor" to fill the role. 

During the week, Roberts hosts "MSNBC Live With Thomas Roberts." 

There are a few openly gay evening news anchors on cable TV -- MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, CNN's Anderson Cooper and Don Lemon -- but Roberts is the first for one of the big three networks.

Watch the historic broadcast

Via JMG: LOUISIANA: Married Gay Man Denied Communion At His Mother's Funeral


Via the New Orleans Advocate:
Tim Ardillo said he was standing next to his mother’s coffin leading his young son to receive a blessing when the priest presiding over the funeral Mass denied him communion. The longtime Catholic said the priest told him it was because he married outside the church, but Ardillo doesn’t think that’s the whole story. He believes he was denied the sacrament because, as is stated in his mother’s obituary, he is married to a man. The priest in question, the Rev. Mark Beard [PHOTO], of St. Helena Catholic Church in Amite, did not return multiple calls seeking comment in the week following the July 10 funeral. Ardillo said the church passed out a quotation from 1 Corinthians at Mass the next Sunday, which states, in a portion highlighted in red ink, “Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks in judgment of himself.”
Ardillo says he has gotten an apology from the Diocese of Baton Rouge and from the Archbishop of New Orleans. (Tipped by JMG reader Ken)
 
Reposted from Joe Jervis

The Baha'i Faith is Homophobic: Compilation: Concerning issues related to homosexuality

 

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 20/07/2015

“Por conta da repressão e dos traumas de exclusão, humilhação e abandono, a criança cria mecanismos de defesa que servem para protegê-la da dor, mas que a desconectam da sua verdadeira identidade. Com isso, ela se torna carente daquilo que é a sua própria essência. Na maioria das vezes a única maneira que ela encontra de suprir essa carência é tirando energia do outro, ou seja, invalidando e colocando o outro para baixo. Quando o outro se sente menos, ela se sente forte. Isso é o que tenho chamado de círculo vicioso do sadomasoquismo, uma doença coletiva gerada pelo rompimento com a essência, com fonte que é o coração - a fonte que é o amor.”


“Por causa de la represión y de los traumas de exclusión, humillación y abandono, el niño crea mecanismos de defensa que sirven para protegerse del dolor, pero que lo desconectan de su verdadera identidad. Con esto, él se vuelve carente de aquello que es su propia esencia. La mayoría de las veces, la única manera que encuentra de suplir esta carencia es sacando energía del otro, es decir, invalidando y poniendo al otro por abajo. Cuando el otro se siente menos, él se siente fuerte. Esto es lo que vengo llamando círculo vicioso del sadomasoquismo, una enfermedad colectiva generada por la ruptura con la esencia, con la fuente que es el corazón - la fuente que es el amor.”

“Due to repression and the traumas of exclusion, humiliation and abandonment, children create defense mechanisms to protect themselves from pain. These mechanisms disconnect them from their true identity. As a result, they become needy for their own essence. Oftentimes, the only way children can make up for this neediness is by robbing the other’s energy, which happens by invalidating the other and putting them down. When the other feels less than, the child feels stronger. This is what I call the vicious cycle of sadomasochism. It is a collective disease generated by the split with our true essence and the Source. The Source is our heart and love.”

Today's Daily Dharma: Religion Resurrected

Religion Resurrected
If we allow religion to be identified exclusively with a particular form that it took in the past, something that will always be inadequate to the present, we fail to take our own moment in time seriously and surrender the opportunity for renewal and reform.
 
- Dale S. Wright, "Religion Resurrected"

Sunday, July 19, 2015

Via WGB: Most Republican and Christian business owners believe it’s wrong to turn away LGBTI customers



Two-thirds of small business owners from across the political spectrum oppose discrimination against gay people in US – but one in three still believe it’s OK.

The survey’s main findings were as follows:


55% of Republican small businesses and 62% of Christian small business owners oppose denying goods or services based on an owner’s religious beliefs.

• Eight in 10 entrepreneurs support a federal law to protect LGBT individuals against discrimination in public accommodations, such as restaurants, hotels and other businesses that are open to the public. Nearly half (47%) strongly favor a federal law banning this type of discrimination. Twenty per cent were opposed to any such federal law.

• Sixty per cent believed it to be wrong for a business owner to fire someone for being LGBT, while 40% believed it was acceptable. Full story here!


Via JMG: Evil Alabama Mother Still Won't Let Dead Son's Husband Have His Estate



Remember Patricia Fancher, the evil Alabama mother who hired the Foundation For Moral Law to petition SCOTUS to keep her former son-in-law, Paul Hard, from inheriting his dead husband's estate? Despite the Obergefell ruling, she is still fighting. From the FML's executive director Matthew Kidd:
"The issue is not whether someone may marry a member of the same sex today. The issue is whether a court may or should look back four years and recognize a marriage that was not legally valid. Of course, if the marriage is recognized it will only cause further economic harm to a family which has already lost one its own. And if recognized, this man will be awarded an entire spousal share of the wrongful death proceeds which would be unjust even under normal circumstances considering the two were 'married' less than 3 months."
From FML president Kayla Moore, wife of Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore:
"It is outrageous that five unelected lawyers on the U.S. Supreme Court think they can invalidate a constitutional amendment adopted by 81% of Alabama voters in 2006, on the flimsy ground that violates a so-called 'right' found nowhere in the Constitution. It adds insult to injury to contend that this so-called 'right' should be applied retroactively to matters that should have been settled long ago."
Back in November 2014 the Social Security Administration advised Paul Hard that since he and his late husband were not married "under the laws of Alabama," he is not eligible for federal death benefits. In February 2015, when same-sex marriage first became legal in Alabama, Paul Hard was granted an amended death certificate declaring him to have been the legal spouse of his late husband. That's when Hard's evil former mother-in-law employed the FML in an attempt to thwart Hard's receipt of his share of the settlement in a wrongful death suit filed following his late husband's car accident. According to yesterday's press release, the FML is now claiming that Obergefell does not retroactively apply to unsettled legal actions. Not incidentally, the FML openly advocates for replacing the government of the United States with a Christian theocracy ruled by "biblical law."


Reposted from Joe Jervis

Carly Rae Jepsen - Run Away With Me


Via WAMU: Mirabai Bush — Search Inside Yourself: Contemplation in Life and Work

 
 
She works at an emerging 21st century intersection of industry, social healing, and diverse contemplative practices. Raised Catholic with Joan of Arc as her hero, Mirabai Bush is one of the people who brought Buddhism to the West from India in the 1970s. She is called in to work with educators and judges, social activists and soldiers. She helped create Google’s popular employee program, Search Inside Yourself. Mirabai Bush’s life tells a fascinating narrative of our time: the rediscovery of contemplative practices, in many forms and from many traditions, in the secular thick of modern culture.

http://onbeing.org/program/mirabai-bush-search-inside-yourself-contemplation-in-life-and-work/7731

Via Daily Kos: Hilarious Letter To The Editor


This appeared in todays Forum in Fargo, ND, reprinted from the Wishek ND Star and Ashley ND Tribune, about several items from the recent news:
Letter: High court goes gay; GOP frets.

Here are a couple of quotes. But really you should click on the link above to read the whole thing. I think it's very funny and well-written.
Bobby Jindal, one of 666 Republicans seeking the nomination for president, said, “If we want to save some money, let’s just get rid of the court.” Presumably after conservatives dump the EPA, IRS and other troublesome letters of the alphabet. Ted Cruz called it, “the darkest 24 hours in our nation’s history.” The. Darkest. Day. Ever. Worse than Pearl Harbor, 9/11, JFK’s assassination, or the day the Baha Men released “Who Let the Dogs Out?”
I don’t blame Republicans for being upset. If Americans no longer have the freedom to discriminate on the basis of their personal beliefs, well, what is this world coming to? It’s not like this is a Woolworth’s lunch counter in 1960. Still, I see a silver lining in the apocalyptic cloud. With American ingenuity and the entrepreneurial spirit, we can turn lemons into ... Mike’s Hard Lemonade and get really plastered. No! No! That’s not it, although that’s not a bad idea.

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 18/07/2015

“Máscaras são mecanismos de defesa criados para nos proteger da dor dos traumas da infância, e que podem ser identificados através de sintomas como ansiedade, depressão, angústia, vergonha, além de compulsões e vícios. Quando começamos a bater na porta da verdade, as estruturas das máscaras começam a se romper. Esse não é um processo fácil porque tudo que conhecíamos até então estava atrelada a isso. Nós começamos a perder as referências e a entrar em contato com aspectos da natureza inferior que desconhecíamos. Inicia-se uma séria mas bendita crise, pois é através dela que a transformação é possível.”

“ Las máscaras son mecanismos de defensa creados para protegernos del dolor de los traumas de la infancia, y que pueden ser identificados a través de síntomas como ansiedad, depresión, angustia, vergüenza, además de compulsiones y vicios. Cuando empezamos a golpear en la puerta de la verdad, las estructuras de las máscaras comienzan a romperse. Este no es un proceso fácil, porque todo lo que conocíamos hasta entonces estaba ligado a esto. Empezamos a perder las referencias y a entrar en contacto con aspectos de la naturaleza inferior que desconocíamos. Se inicia una seria pero bendita crisis, ya que es a través de ella que la transformación es posible.”

“Masks are the defense mechanisms we created in order to protect ourselves from the pain of childhood traumas. Anxiety, depression, anguish, shame, compulsions, and addictions are the symptoms we can observe to help us identify our masks. When we begin to knock on the door of the truth, the structures of our masks begin to fall apart. This is not an easy process because, up until this moment, everything we knew was dependent on these masks. We start to lose our reference points and we get in touch with unknown aspects of our lower nature. A serious yet blessed crisis begins to unfold, as this crisis is what allows for transformation to occur.”

Today's Daily Dharma: Facing Impermanence

Facing Impermanence
Change is continuous in spite of our efforts to resist it. We begin to realize that we do not have any way to stop it or to slow it down. The more we try, the more we suffer. But there is a way to let go, to break this cycle of suffering. We can slow down and have a closer look at our experience of it. When we have a look, we begin to realize what we have been doing, and the whole enterprise begins to feel more and more dubious. It becomes more difficult to hide from what in our hearts we know to be true?the fact of impermanence.
 
Judy Lief, "Letting Go"