Via Hadley-Ives family update

A response to a Gay Baha'i - by Eric Hadley-Ives

Back before the Internet's widespread use, when people were using electronic bulletin boards and e-mail lists to discuss various things, I was often engaged in groups that discussed the Baha'i Faith.  Back then, a common topic was the fact that our religion, the Baha'i Faith, teaches that people ought not express love through homosexual behaviors.  The sources of that teaching, the actual teaching, how that teaching is interpreted, what was actually intended, how the teaching is implemented in Baha'i community life... all these things were regularly discussed.  And then, in the later 1990s more people became involved in internet discussions of these things.  It seemed to me the same things kept getting discussed, and the same ideas were repeated so often that I became very bored with the whole topic.  It's been over ten years since I've ever posted on this topic, but a recent blog post inspired me to write about it again.  I think I offer a few insights that are not often repeated in these discussions.
I've never actually cared much about this issue.  For a while, perhaps for several months when I was in my late teens or early 20s, I did think that homosexuality was probably unhealthy or wrong, but I never felt any emotional negativity about gay people. I've had very close friends, whom I loved very much, admit that they felt homosexual attraction to me, and I have felt some slight regret that I was never able to reciprocate those feelings in any way, and I have sometimes felt that my non-sexual or non-erotic love for other men has been devalued because, in general, American culture devalues non-sexualized love.  But, anyway, gay behaviors don't strike me as worth much attention, outside of the social context that makes them important (because of the persecution of gay people). I understand that because many people feel extremely prejudiced against gay people, and society inflicts harm on gay persons, therefore we have a need to protect the rights of gay people, and defend them, and so forth, and that appeals to me.  But, having never had strong emotions about it, I sometimes don't understand the fuss at an emotional level.  Some people enjoy playing chess, and some don't, but who cares?  If there was no persecution and discrimination against homosexuality, people's sexual orientation would be, for me, of about the same importance as people's orientation toward enjoying a game of chess.
I am, however, very thankful for the social critique that gay activists have brought to us, because in my opinion, heterosexual behaviors are generally quite problematic in this world; and I think gay theorists give us some very useful insights into the problems of sexism, homophobia, machismo, and so forth.

Anyway, I'll share my response to the blog post here on my own blog.  The original post to which I was responding was at this link, and may still be there.
*******
Thanks for sharing a lovely essay with the world. Your heart seems pure and loving, and your faith seems strong.  I agree with your friend, the Baha'i Faith needs famous gay Baha'is who stick with the Faith.
A few points to consider:
Homosexuality and homosexual behaviors, and the experiences of homosexual behavior or identity, will be extremely diverse. In different times and places, with various cultures, such behaviors have been quite frequent or extremely rare. Evidently, the social context matters for how people express their sexuality.
There is always a biological (emerging from our biochemistry and evolution quite independently of the family and cultural environment we grow up in) element to everything in human behavior. Obviously.  What else could there be? Even supernatural or spiritual aspects will be manifested in actual body changes and chemistry, which will exist because of biological evolution.
Homosexual behavior and feelings, or sexual orientation, in general, speaking about populations of humans, seems to exist along a continuum, which is sometimes measured by the Kinsey scale.  If you are at an extreme end of the Kinsey scale, your orientation may be purely homosexual or heterosexual, but some sexuality researchers believe most people exist along the continuum, and it is our language (which divides us into pure categories) which pushes us into "homosexual" or "heterosexual" categories (although, if you are at extreme end of the scale, you would presumably be purely homosexual or heterosexual, and so, from that point of view, it might be appropriate to think of the issue in dichotomous--homosexual or not homosexual--terms).
All speech is, to some degree, political.  After all, Baha'u'llah pointed out that "utterance is an essence which aspires to exert an influence".  When we use language, we are attempting to influence others.  "Politics" (broadly defined) is the effort to influence others.  So, suggesting someone's work is "politically motivated" rarely tells us much that is useful.  What work isn't?
The Baha'i Faith and the "Cause of God" can be understood in many ways.  In one sense, the Baha'i Cause is the general cause of God for this age and for all ages: people ought to create societies that maximize human flourishing and happiness; people ought to be ethical and treat each other well; men and women ought to be equal; prejudices should be eliminated; peace should replace war; justice should dominate, while tyranny and injustice should be diminished; people should cultivate their spiritual natures and seek to worship and respect the Divine, etc. In such a general sense, many people who have never heard of the Baha'i Faith are already "Baha'is".  In another sense, Baha'is are members of the organized religion of the Baha'i Faith.  To what extent that organized religion is an imperfect but honest attempt by flawed human beings to create a system and organization that reflects the intentions of Will of the Creator of the Universe, and to what extent it is an actual incarnation of the Will of that Creator, is somewhat mysterious, and it may be impossible to distinguish those two aspects of religion (its existence as a creation of humans and their societies, and its existence as a supernatural embodiment of Providence).  In another sense, the "Baha'is" are persons who actually live up to the teachings and ideals promoted and revealed by Baha'u'llah, and in that ideal sense, everyone can strive to be a Baha'i, but no one should expect to actually be one, just as no one can realistically expect to be "perfect" in some absolute moral sense.  
Baha'i individuals and Baha'i communities vary tremendously in regards to their strengths and weaknesses, their failures and successes. Gay Baha'is might be able to find complete acceptance and love in some Baha'i communities, and certainly in some loving friendships with Baha'i individuals, whereas in other communities the homosexual Baha'is might suffer cruel persecution and ostracism.
Religions must offer guidance to persons in many different cultures, in many different times. On one hand, they need to stand above historical trends, so they can condemn what is wrong, even in times when what is wrong becomes widely accepted.  On the other hand, they must also be flexible, embracing moral thinking and new insights about reality as civilization advances and humanity matures.
When it comes to moral laws and truth, we must consider what is absolutely true, and what is true in particular contexts.  As a thought experiment, imagine that homosexual identities and behaviors are objectively morally correct and favored by God in 0.5% of humanity, discouraged but tolerated in 1.5% of humanity, and spiritually harmful in 98% of humanity.  Suppose that human nature being what it is, if a religion is entirely supportive of homosexual behaviors and identities, 5% of the population would identify as homosexual, and 20% would sometimes engage in homosexual behaviors; whereas if a religion is mildly unaccepting and discouraging, only about 0.5% of its believers will take on the homosexual identity and perhaps fewer than 2% will ever engage in homosexual behaviors.  From a utilitarian point of view, if that was the objective situation, which position would be more spiritually healthy for the religion to take?  But, I'm not a strict utilitarian, and the psychological and social suffering of the small minority who would persist in following their core nature in their homosexuality while worrying about their rejection of the guidance offered by their religion concerns me.  And, by the way, I'm not at all certain the scenario I've suggested bears any resemblance to the actual situation. Perhaps homosexuality in the modern North American sense is objectively morally neutral, and what Shoghi Effendi was describing was the homosexual behaviors he knew from the Middle East and upper-class 1920s England. Or, perhaps homosexuality really is a spiritual sickness or distortion in all its forms and manifestations. I don't know, and I don't even have an opinion, it just doesn't matter to me, as there are so many other problems in the world that are very clearly wrong.  
God doesn't seem overly concerned with our psychological suffering or physical suffering.  After all, this universe relies on natural selection, with all the death and misery that includes, and uses predation, competition for scarce resources, mutations, diseases, and death, as the process that forms atoms and molecules into bodies capable of manifesting the human spirit. Also, natural evil, like the disasters that kills thousands, millions, or possibly somewhere in the universe, billions of lives, seem fairly regular.  God seems mostly concerned with our spiritual well-being, and supposedly, when we understand that, the emotional, mental, and physical suffering we sometimes endure may seem more acceptable, since such suffering offers us opportunities for spiritual growth.
I hope some of these ideas or observations are useful in our mutual search for truth and "whatever is pleasing to God".  Please remember that I write with no more authority than anyone else on this subject. 

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Jackson Browne - A Child In These Hills - Jackson Browne (1972)

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 19/08/2015

“Todo filho desta Terra quer sentir alegria. Todos estão em busca disso. Essa busca nos move e nos leva a realizar diferentes experiências na vida. Algumas delas proporcionam alegria, mas muitas vezes também nos levam ao sofrimento. Vamos nos movendo de uma experiência para outra, de um relacionamento para outro, até que percebemos que essa alegria passageira não é suficiente, porque ela sempre vem com esse outro componente: o sofrimento. Com isso, ansiamos transitar desse estado de dualidade para um estado de unidade e equilíbrio, no qual a alegria seja permanente. Aí se inicia a busca pela iluminação espiritual.”

“Todo hijo de esta tierra quiere sentir alegría. Todos están en busca de eso. Esta búsqueda nos mueve y nos lleva a realizar diferentes experiencias en la vida. Algunas de ellas proporcionan alegría, pero muchas veces también nos llevan al sufrimiento. Nos vamos moviendo de una experiencia a la otra, de una relación a otra, hasta que percibimos que esta alegría pasajera no es suficiente, porque ella siempre viene con este otro componente: el sufrimiento. Con eso, ansiamos transitar de este estado de dualidad hacia un estado de unidad y equilibrio, en el cual la alegría sea permanente. Ahí se inicia la búsqueda por la iluminación espiritual.”

“All children of this world want to feel joy. Everyone is in pursuit of this happiness. This search moves us and takes us towards different life experiences. Some of these experiences are joyful, but they oftentimes lead us to suffering as well. We continue moving from one experience to another, from one relationship to the other, until we realize that this fleeting happiness is not enough. This happiness always comes with another ingredient: suffering. Due to this, we yearn to transition from the state of duality to a state of unity and equilibrium, where joy is permanent. This is where the search for spiritual illumination begins.”

Today's Daily Dharma: The Mere Fact of Being

The Mere Fact of Being

 

It is precisely our recognition of life’s inevitable hardships, along with our uprooting of the attachment that exacerbates them, that allows us to appreciate the mere fact of being. Suffering and its unwholesome causes are not to be escaped but to be confronted—and eventually transformed into wisdom and compassion.

- Rev. Patti Nakai, "Someone Is Jealous of You"

 

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Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 18/08/2015

“O caminho da autorrealização é o caminho da união. Quando se realiza, você experiencia essa união - dentro e fora. Dentro porque ocorre uma integração das várias partes de você que estavam separadas, ou seja, tudo aquilo que você desconhece a respeito de si mesmo é trazido à consciência; tudo que está no plano da sombra é iluminado; tudo que está na periferia é trazido para o centro. E quando ocorre essa integração dentro, você percebe que não há separação entre você e o mundo lá fora, já que a separação que está fora é somente um reflexo da separação que está dentro.”

“El camino de la autorrealización es el camino de la unión. Cuando te realizas, experimentas esta unión - adentro y afuera. Adentro porque ocurre una integración de varias partes tuyas que estaban separadas, es decir, todo aquello que desconoces acerca de ti mismo es traído a la conciencia; todo lo que está en el plano de la sombra es iluminado; todo lo que está en la periferia es atraído al centro. Y cuando ocurre esta integración adentro, percibes que no hay separación entre tú y el mundo exterior, ya que la separación que está afuera es solo un reflejo de la separación que está adentro.”

“The path of self-realization is the path of union. When we awaken, we experience this union: internally and externally. Internally, the various parts of us that were once separate begin to integrate. Everything that was unknown to us about ourselves is brought to consciousness. All that exists in the realm of the shadow is illuminated. Everything that was on the periphery is brought to the center. When this integration happens within, we perceive that there is no separation between ourselves and the external world. Any separation that exists outside is merely a reflection of the separation that exists within.”

Today's Daily Dharma: What Meditation Is About

What Meditation Is About

When you feel the fear and you feel the rage in meditation, there’s no storyline. . . . Meditation practice is about the experience of what is, of what’s going on. That is what is liberating. And this truth is quite beyond 'the story.'

- Gavin Harrison, "Lotus in the Fire"

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It Gets Better Video: Jenni and Lisa 2015

Via Stop Telling Lies About Liberals And We'll Stop Telling The Truth About You / FB:

Via SBMG:

"In the twenty-first century, we will have to practice meditation collectively- as a family, a city, a nation, and a community of nations. The Buddha of the twenty-first century - Maitreya, the Buddha of Love- may well be a community rather than an individual. Sanghas that practice loving kindness and compassion are the Buddha we need."

- Thich Nhat Hanh

https://sacdharma.org/

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 17/08/2015

“Conscientes disso ou não, nos movemos da consciência humana em direção à Consciência divina. Porém, algumas dimensões da consciência humana ainda são tão primitivas que se assemelham à consciência animal, na qual a crueldade serve para suprir o instinto básico de sobrevivência. Na natureza, muitas vezes é necessário ser cruel, como um animal que se alimenta do outro para sobreviver. Isso não é certo ou errado, simplesmente é. Mas, aos poucos vamos alcançando dimensões humanas mais elevadas, e à medida em que nos libertamos da crueldade e nos tornamos capazes de amar, esse amor nos conduz à Consciência divina.”

“Conscientes de ello o no, nos movemos de la conciencia humana en dirección a la Conciencia divina. Sin embargo, algunas dimensiones de la conciencia humana aún son tan primitivas que se asemejan a la consciencia animal, en la cual la crueldad sirve para suplir el instinto básico de supervivencia. En la naturaleza, muchas veces es necesario ser cruel, como un animal que se alimenta del otro para sobrevivir. Esto no está bien ni mal, simplemente es. Pero, poco a poco, vamos alcanzando dimensiones humanas más elevadas, y a medida que nos liberamos de la crueldad y nos volvemos capaces de amar, este amor nos conduce a la Conciencia divina.”

“Whether we are aware of it or not, we move from human consciousness towards divine consciousness. However, some dimensions of human consciousness are still so primitive that they resemble animal consciousness. In this animalistic state of awareness, cruelty results from a basic survival instinct. In nature, it’s often necessary to be cruel, so that one animal preys on another animal in order to survive. This is not right or wrong; it simply is the way things are. Gradually, as we reach more elevated dimensions of human awareness, we free ourselves from cruelty and become capable of loving. This capacity to love is what then guides us towards divine consciousness.”

Today's Daily Dharma: Direct Liberation

Direct Liberation

The Buddhist teachings say that when we can actually feel pain directly, we spontaneously let go, just as feeling the hot handle of a cast-iron skillet makes us let go. When we feel the powerful, undeniable suffering of jealousy, we want liberation in the most direct way possible. We feel it, and we let go.

- Judith Simmer-Brown, "Transforming the Green Ey'd Monster"

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Kids Speak Out on Religion

Via Spirit Science / FB:

A little known fact of history...

http://fusion.net/story/183139/san-franciscos-stonewall-the-landmark-transgender-rights-riot-of-1966/

and thanks to WGB for the heads up here: http://www.wickedgayblog.com/2015/08/san-franciscos-stonewall-landmark.html

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 16/08/2015

"Quando a mente se aquieta, tudo fica bom. Assim, quando Deus quer, ele te pega. Mas eu descobri que Deus sempre quer te pegar; ele está sempre de braços abertos. O que ocorre é que o ser humano ainda não aprendeu a usar esse instrumento que lhe foi dado, esse grande poder que é a mente." 
Satsang completo -> bit.ly/1TIbdhM

“Cuando la mente se calma, todo está bien. Así, cuando Dios quiere, él te agarra. Pero yo descubrí que Dios siempre quiere agarrarte; él está siempre con los brazos abiertos. Lo que ocurre es que el ser humano aún no aprendió a utilizar este instrumento que se le dio, este gran poder que es la mente”

“Once the mind quiets down, all is well, and when God sees fit, God catches a hold of us. I have discovered that God’s arms are always wide open, waiting to catch us. But human beings have not yet learned how to properly use this powerful instrument of the mind, making it still so God may take us…”

Today's Daily Dharma: The Fact of Suffering

The Fact of Suffering

The Four Noble Truths are grounded in the fact of suffering. People might think that's negative, but it's only the truth. It's our human condition. So Buddhism has us just look at it nakedly. Look and ask yourself, 'What is this? What am I?' - Barbara Rhodes, "Village Women"

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Poet, Blanco, urges U.S., Cuba "to breathe together, to heal together"

Gay Adoption | What Would You Do? | WWYD

Stonewall Trailer (Parody)

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 15/08/2015

“Ao se perceber sofrendo, identifique com qual parte da sua personalidade você está identificado. Por exemplo, se estiver identificado com o ciúme, se pergunte: “Se eu abrir mão disso será que não sobra nada”? Assim, aos poucos você começa a perceber que existe alguém em você que quer sentir ciúme. Esse é o carcereiro dessa prisão de sofrimento. Descubra quem é ele, pois é ele que quer sentir isso - ele tem prazer nisso. E é esse prazer negativo que te impede de abrir mão dos padrões destrutivos. Porque prazer é vida, e o ego teme abrir mão disso, pois ele teme morrer.”

“Al percibirte sufriendo, identifica con cuál parte de tu personalidad estás identificado. Por ejemplo, si estuvieses identificado con los celos, pregúntate: “Si yo suelto esto, ¿será que no queda nada?” Así, de a poco, comienzas a percibir que existe alguien en ti que quiere sentir celos. Ese es el carcelero de esa prisión de sufrimiento. Descubre quién es él, porque es él quien quiere sentir eso – él tiene placer en eso. Y es ese placer negativo lo que te impide soltar los patrones destructivos. Porque placer es vida, y el ego teme soltar eso, porque teme morir.” 

“When we perceive ourselves to be suffering, we can first observe which part of our personality we are identified with. For example, if we are identified with jealousy, we may ask ourselves, ‘If I let go of this jealousy, will there be nothing left of me?’ Gradually, we can see that there is someone inside of us that wants to feel jealous. This prison guard called jealousy wants us to remain in this jail of suffering. Find out who this guard is, because he is the one wanting to feel this jealousy and get the pleasure out of it. It is this negatively oriented pleasure that prevents us from letting go of destructive patterns. Since pleasure is life, the ego fears giving up this pleasure because it fears that it will die.”

Today's Daily Dharma: Abide in Patience

Abide in Patience

Praise and so on distract me and remove my disillusionment with the cycle of existence. They stir up jealousy toward gifted people, and anger at their success. . . . It is wrong to feel anger toward someone, thinking that person impedes my merit. As there is no austerity equal to patience, shall I not abide in that? - Shantideva, "The Way of the Bodhisattva"

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Via Collective Evolution / FB:

How Sitcoms Handled Homos in the 70s and 80s

Via JMG: Totally Not-Gay Catholic Priest Tells Ex-Gays: Homosexuality Is Like Trying To Eat A Bagel With Your Ear

August 14, 2015 Crackpots, Religion

Gay Star News reports:

A Catholic priest has come up with one of the strangest analogies yet for gay sex, claiming it is like cramming a piece of bagel in your ear. Preacher John Riccardo was speaking at a conference in Michigan on Wednesday, called Welcoming and Accompanying Our Brothers and Sisters with Same-Sex Attraction. It was a Catholic conference in order to help gay and lesbian people stay celibate. He was taking part in a lecture called ‘HIV and Other Health Risks Associated with Men Who Have Sex With Men’, led by HIV researcher Timothy Flanigan. Riccardo said junior high students have asked him why God hates gay people, and he responded that it is because gay sex is unnatural. “If i just rip open a bagel, I take it, and I cram it in my ear. What would you say?” he said he tells them. “That doesn’t go there. It’ll ruin your ear canal.”

(Reposted from JMG)

Via WGB: San Francisco Public High School Becomes First-Ever To Offer LGBT History Class

A San Francisco public high school offering an LGBT history class to students next fall is the first in America to do so, according to several reports.

Lyndsey Schlax, the teacher who’ll spearhead the class at the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts, told CBS that other private schools around the country have offered similar classes, but this will be the first time one will be offered at a public high school.

According to Schlax, the course will cover the history of gender and sexuality, how they intersect in major media, how different LGBT equality is around the world, and a number of national and international struggles the community still faces. Full story here!

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 13/08/2015

“Estou trabalhando para que haja cura nas relações. Me refiro a uma mudança do eixo: querer receber menos e dar mais. Porque essa é a chave para o fim daquilo que é uma das principais causas do sofrimento neste planeta, a carência afetiva. Não depender de ninguém para ser feliz é liberdade. Você não fica com alguém porque precisa, mas simplesmente porque quer. Somente essa liberdade permite a escolha.”

“Estoy trabajando para que haya cura en las relaciones. Me refiero a un cambio de eje: querer recibir menos y dar más. Porque esta es la llave para el fin de aquello que es una de las principales causas de sufrimiento en este planeta, la carencia afectiva. No depender de nadie para ser feliz es libertad. No estás con alguien porque necesitas, sino simplemente por querer. Solamente esta libertad permite la elección.”

“I am working to promote a healing within all relationships. This will require a complete change in axis, in which each partner truly wants to receive less and to give more. This can put an end to one of the greatest causes of suffering on the planet: emotional neediness. Not having to depend on anyone for our own happiness is freedom. In other words, this means not staying in a certain relationship because you need to, but simply because you want to. Only by having freedom are we able to make this choice.”

Today's Daily Dharma: The Wisdom of Anger

The Wisdom of Anger

Anger is traditionally thought to be close to wisdom. When not projected outward onto others or inward toward the self, it gives us the necessary energy and clarity to understand what needs to be done. - Thanissara, "Don't Worry, Be Angry"

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Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 13/08/2015

“Quando a moral religiosa é muito forte, alguns casais acabam ficando juntos movidos pelo medo de desagradar à família, o sacerdote ou Deus. Permanecem na relação, fechados, muitas vezes inconscientes do autoengano, esperando a morte chegar para resolver o problema. E quando a moral religiosa não é tão aguda, com o menor sinal de dificuldade alguns se separam e partem para a próxima relação. Esses são sintomas do que chamo de “síndrome de Walt Disney”, a crença de que existe um príncipe (ou princesa) encantado que te fará feliz para sempre.”

“Cuando la moral religiosa es muy fuerte, algunas parejas terminan quedándose juntos movidos por el miedo de desagradar a la familia, al sacerdote o a Dios. Permanecen en la relación cerrados, muchas veces inconscientes del autoengaño, esperando que la muerte llegue para resolver el problema. Y cuando la moral religiosa no es tan aguda, con la menor señal de dificultad algunos se separan y parten hacia la próxima relación. Estos son síntomas a los que llamo “síndrome de Walt Disney”, la creencia de que existe un príncipe (o princesa) encantado que te hará feliz para siempre.”

“When religious morals are very strong, some couples wind up getting together out of the fear of displeasing their families, their clergymen or God. They stay in a relationship while being closed off to one another, oftentimes unaware of their own self-deceit as they are waiting for death to arrive and solve their problem. In other cases, when religious morality is not as acute, upon the slightest sign of difficulty, some couples separate and run off to the next relationship. These are symptoms of what I call the ‘Walt Disney syndrome’: the belief that there exists a prince charming or an enchanted princess with whom you will live happily ever after.”

Today's Daily Dharma: The Best Remedy

The Best Remedy

Rejoicing [in the well-being of others] is the best remedy for jealousy and envy. Rejoicing does not depend on material or physical actions—it can be done while you are working, eating, or sleeping. It can be done at any time, and it is such a simple way to create good karma. - Lama Zopa, "Friendvy"

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Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 12/08/2015

“Quanto mais identificado com a criança ferida, maior a necessidade de receber amor exclusivo. Por conta disso, o ser humano desenvolve estratégias para receber esse amor: se é atenção que o outro quer, você dá somente se ele fizer o que você quer. O outro se transforma num escravo para atender as suas necessidades e expectativas. Mas, o outro começa a fazer a mesma coisa com você. Esse é um jogo nefasto no qual um rouba energia do outro.” 

“Cuanto más identificado con el niño herido, mayor la necesidad de recibir amor exclusivo. A causa de esto, el ser humano desarrolla estrategias para recibir ese amor: si es atención lo que el otro quiere, tú se la das solamente si él hace lo que tú quieres. El otro se transforma en un esclavo para atender tus necesidades y expectativas. Pero el otro comienza a hacer lo mismo contigo. Este es un juego nefasto en el cual uno roba la energía del otro.”

“The more identified we are with the wounded child, the greater our need is to receive exclusive love. Because of this, human beings develop strategies to receive this love. Since we are aware of what the other wants, we only give it to them when they do what we want them to first. The other becomes a slave to fulfilling our needs and expectations. Eventually, they begin to do the same thing to us, and this becomes a never-ending game of stealing the other’s energy.”

Today's Daily Dharma: Rethinking Inner Peace

Rethinking Inner Peace

I don’t envision inner peace as the cessation of struggle, arriving at some sun-washed placeless place from which I can distribute refreshments. . . . it comes down to taking my human-sized place in the human race. - Patrick McMahon, "The Question"

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Via Lizzy the Lezzy / FB:

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 11/08/2015

“A austeridade inteligente te prepara para a verdadeira renúncia. Porém, essa austeridade só é possível quando você já compreendeu o condicionamento ou aspecto do eu inferior que precisa ser redirecionado. Caso contrário, ela pode servir apenas para aumentar o vício e o sentimento de impotência.”

“La austeridad inteligente te prepara para la verdadera renuncia. Sin embargo, esta austeridad solo es posible cuando ya comprendiste el condicionamiento o aspecto del yo inferior que necesita ser redireccionado. En caso contrario, esta puede servir solo para aumentar el vicio y el sentimiento de impotencia.”

“Intelligent austerities prepare us for true renunciation. This austerity is only possible when we already understand our conditioning, or the aspect of the lower self that needs to be redirected. Otherwise, it will only serve to increase the addiction or the feeling of helplessness within us.”

Today's Daily Dharma: Jealousy Can Guide Us

Jealousy Can Guide Us

If we can resist the urge of jealousy and envy to pull us deeply into the fantasies we weave about ourselves and others—'she has this or that, and I have nothing'—we can see them as signposts that point the way to a truth about ourselves, and use their appearance as an urgent call to look within. - Emma Varvaloucas, "Jealousy & Envy"

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Via FB:

Via Just a Baha'i:

Just a Bahai Blog

President Obama Says Racism And Homophobia Come From The Same Mindset by justabahai I am very busy working on a few blogs but in until I have time, I leave you with these inspiring words of Obama Barack “You can’t, on the one hand, complain when somebody else does that to you, and then you’re doing it to somebody else," the president pointed out. "You can’t do it. […] Read more of this post

Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 09/08/2015

“Há determinados karmas que precisamos vivenciar, não há nada que possamos fazer em relação a isso. Outros karmas podem ser retirados como se retira um xale. Mas esse não é um fenômeno que a mente pode compreender, ou que o ego pode controlar. O ego entende somente aquilo que os sentidos podem mensurar, mas a realidade espiritual vai muito além disso.”

“Hay determinados karmas que necesitamos vivir, no hay nada que podamos hacer en relación a esto. Otros karmas pueden ser retirados como se retira un chal. Pero este no es un fenómeno que la mente puede comprender, o que el ego pueda controlar. El ego entiende solamente aquello que los sentidos pueden medir, pero la realidad espiritual va mucho más allá de eso.”

“There are certain karmas that we need to experience in this lifetime, and there is nothing that we can do about them. Other karmas can be removed from our paths, as if taking off a shawl. However, this is not a phenomenon that the mind can undersatnd, nor that the ego can control. The ego only understands what the senses can measure, but spiritual reality goes way beyond this plane

Today's Daily Dharma: Between Pride and Confidence

Between Pride and Confidence

Those who practice correctly must not lack confidence in their true nature, nor should they give in to pride. - So Sahn, "The Zen of Confidence"

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Today's Daily Dharma: We Can't Overlook Our Bodies

We Can't Overlook Our Bodies

There are two truths in Buddhism; one is relative and one is absolute. We tend to want to be in the absolute, where we are all the same, we are all one. But that is not where our suffering lies. Our suffering lies in the relative truth, in how we are embodied. So we have to acknowledge and explore these bodies to experience the absolute truth, the truth that we are one from the source of life. We can't skip it.   - Zenju Earthlyn Manuel, "Black, Bisexual, and Buddhist"

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Via JMG: More Corporate Support For Equality Act

From the Human Rights Campaign:

Four new major American companies have become the latest to endorse the Equality Act, federal legislation that would establish full, federal equality for all LGBT Americans. In doing so, these leading companies - IBM, Oracle, Orbitz, and Symantec - made clear that they believe all LGBT Americans should have the protections from discrimination in federal law that they deserve. They join American Airlines, Apple, The Dow Chemical Company, Facebook, General Mills, Google, Levi Strauss & Co., Microsoft, and Nike as part of a national business coalition supporting comprehensive, federal LGBT non-discrimination protections. Additionally, Hewlett-Packard in Fortune recently announced its support for the Equality Act.

STATEMENT BY IBM: “IBM’s workplace culture is built on the principles of non-discrimination and equal opportunity for all. We established a corporate policy on equal opportunity more than a decade before the Civil Rights Act. We championed an industry-leading policy of non-discrimination based on sexual orientation over 30 years ago, and expanded it in 2002 to cover gender identity and expression. IBM is proud to support the Equality Act and maintains our steadfast support for all employees to experience equality in the workplace."

STATEMENT BY ORBITZ: “At Orbitz we’ve been advocates of equality and inclusion since our founding in 2001. Our support for the Equality Act is consistent with our other actions, such as signing the amicus brief calling on the Supreme Court to find gay marriage bans unconstitutional.”

STATEMENT BY SYMANTEC: “At Symantec, we are proud to support full and equal rights for the LGBT community. We believe having a diversity of perspectives ensures we make better business decisions and the products and services we offer meet the needs of the broad spectrum of people we serve worldwide, which is why we couldn’t be more proud to support the expansion of legal protections. We unequivocally support the Equality Act – for the future of our business and society.”

As I've mentioned before, the Equality Act will see little traction in the current GOP-dominated Congress, but this early groundwork is critical to what most consider to be the "heaviest lift" in our movement's history.

Labels: business, Congress, employment, Equality Act, feds, housing, HRC, LGBT rights, public accommodations

Reposted from Joe Jervis

WELL-STRUNG - Blank Space (feat. Johann Sebastian Bach)

The Real Queens and Kings of Stonewall

HRC & Jim Obergefell Ask Candidates to Defend Marriages of Same Sex Couples Across The Nation

Via Huffington Post: Want to Know if Being Gay Is a Choice? Let Me Tell You the Answer

Last night when debating equal marriage someone asked on Facebook "What is it that the LGBT don't have?" So I decided to put together a comprehensive little list for those who are 'getting tired of all this equality sh*t' as they have put it.

Until I can hold my partner's hand in the street of the city that I live in, pay taxes in and work in and not be told that I'm a faggot, that I'm going to get my head kicked in or that I'm going to die of AIDS (as my boyfriend and I were told on Saturday) then we don't have everything that those people keep telling us we already have.

Until I can walk out the door on a night out and not hear that little voice in my head tell me that I might look too gay, that I might want to not hold my boyfriend's hand in certain bars, that I should probably not wear that flamboyant t-shirt, that maybe I should tone it down in case a guy gets offended by my gayness and decides to crack a bottle over my head. Until I can be sure that I don't need to 'straighten up' when I get in the back of a taxi, talk to someone new at work, go into a non-gay bar or even talk on the phone on the bus then we don't have everything that those people keep telling us we already have.

Until I can turn down an invite in work to donate blood at the blood drive and not have to out myself to random strangers in the office because unlike the rest of the UK sexually active gay men cannot donate blood in Northern Ireland. Until I can walk into a blood bank and not have to lie about who I am in order to donate blood...Until I can walk into a blood bank and not feel like I am dirty, disgusting, shameful and a constant reminder of a time when gay men and AIDS shared the headlines then then we don't have everything that those people keep telling us we already have.

Until I can say the word marriage when talking to my gay friends who are engaged and not follow it up with "well you know, not a real marriage" and accidentally remind us all that despite being law abiding, tax paying citizens that we still don't have the right to marry the person we love and spend the rest of our lives together in Northern Ireland then we don't have everything that those people keep telling us we already have.

Until I can look at the gay news section of BBC and not read about another trans young person that has taken their own life because their church, their family and their teachers told them they were unnatural or sick or until I no longer have to read about the latest young gay man that has been beaten to death, stoned to death or locked up because they sent a text message to the guy they crushed on or because they just wanted to be happy and treated as a human being and not a walking sex act, pervert or something to be pushed away until they feel that they can't come back then we don't have everything that those people keep telling us we already have.

Yes I am angry. And you should be too. This is the life we have to live day in and day out as LGBT people. You think it's a choice? Read back over what I have written and ask yourself why anyone would choose this.

Read the original and full article here

Via JMG: IOWA: Man Tries To Marry Lawnmower

"Congressman Steve King (R - Iowa) said last week that the recent Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage meant you could marry your lawnmower. So I decided to test his theory and see if I could, in fact, wed my lawnmower in Iowa."

 

(Tipped by JMG reader Blair)

Labels: Christianists, GOP, Steve King, teabaggers

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via JMG: KENTUCKY: Anti-Gay Clerk Files Religious Discrimination Suit Against Governor

 

The Liberty Counsel is suing Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear on behalf of renegade county clerk Kim Davis. Via the Lexington Herald-Leader:

Late Tuesday, Davis filed a lawsuit against Beshear in federal district court. She blamed the governor for instructing all 120 of the state's county clerks to comply with this summer's U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized gay marriage. Beshear's stance left dissenting county clerks vulnerable to lawsuits, including two that she currently faces, filed by groups of her constituents, Davis said. U.S. District Judge David Bunning is expected to rule in these cases in coming days. "The Commonwealth of Kentucky, acting through Governor Beshear, has deprived Davis of her religious-conscience rights guaranteed by the United States and Kentucky constitutions and laws, by insisting that Davis issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples contrary to her conscience, based on her sincerely held religious beliefs," Davis' lawsuit says.

The suit also names the head of the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, which changed the marriage license forms to gender-neutral.

The Liberty Counsel has issued a press release:

“Governor Beshear is unlawfully picking and choosing the conscience-based exemptions to marriage that he deems acceptable,” said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. When Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway refused to defend Kentucky’s natural marriage laws after “pray[ing] over this decision,” Governor Beshear did not command that he perform his duties, but hired private attorneys to pursue the appeal. “In no uncertain terms, Governor Beshear’s policies and directives are intended to suppress religion—even worse, a particular religious belief,” Liberty Counsel’s complaint points out. “Thus, although Attorney General Conway was given a pass for his conscience about marriage without any threats of repercussion, clerks like Davis are being repeatedly told by their Governor to abandon their religiously informed beliefs or resign.” “Simply put, Governor Beshear is making secularism a litmus test for holding office in Kentucky,” said Mat Staver. “The governor is forcing clerks like Davis to choose between following the precepts of her religion and forfeiting her position, on the one hand, and abandoning one of the precepts of her religion in order to keep her position, on the other,” Staver concluded.

The ruling in the ACLU's suit against Davis is expected next week. (Tipped by JMG reader Allen)

Labels: ACLU, Christianists, hate groups, Kentucky, Kim Davis, Liberty Counsel, Obergefell, religion, Steve Beshear

Reposted from Joe Jervis

I Kissed A Boy - Kar Karaoke