Monday, January 5, 2015

Via Just a Baha'i: Homosexuality and the Baha’i Community: a conversation

Recently I was told that writing for a Baha’i gay audience was an oxymoron, and when I pointed out that I found this comment offensive the response was that the problem was with me and the writer went so far as to state that I needed to take this up with the House of Justice, as if his statement automatically reflected their views. My point here is that so often when in discussion with Baha’is on the topic of homosexuality, at some point a Baha’i tells me I am disagreeing with the House of Justice or the Baha’i Teachings as a way of trying to silence me. To start this discussion I’d like to focus first on homosexuality as a form of identity.

It seems to me that some Baha’is pretend that gay Baha’is don’t exist or don’t have a voice, viewpoint or audience. I’m an artist and a Baha’i, and while I might not have any sort of Baha’i audience, I certainly have a Baha’i artistic voice, which is informed by my experiences and beliefs. This is what I mean by a gay Baha’i voice. What do you think?

Of course there’s a huge difference between no one in my Baha’i community being interested in what sort of art I’m making and a gay Baha’i having to keep their sexuality a secret in order to be treated with dignity and equality.


Via Daily Dharma


Awareness Unmoved | January 5, 2015

Beautiful thoughts and ugly thoughts, all arise and cease in awareness, and yet awareness remains unmoved.

- Kittisaro, "Tangled in Thought"


Sunday, January 4, 2015

Via God Bless the President of the United States / FB:


Via The Master Shift / FB:


Flor do Dia - Flor del Día - Flower of the Day - 04/01/2015

“Espiritualidade é sinônimo de união. Se existe separação; se existe barreira ou julgamento, não podemos chamar de espiritualidade. A espiritualidade considera tudo como sagrado, porque tudo tem seu papel dentro do jogo. Tudo aquilo que faz parte da vida humana é natural, caso contrário não faria parte. Determinadas frequências de energia estão distorcidas, mas isso também faz parte do jogo. E se negamos essas distorções acabamos dando mais força para elas. A chave é manter o coração puro, pois só um coração puro pode transitar no inferno sem se contaminar.”
Acesse ao satsang completo: http://www.sriprembaba.org/pt-br/satsang/221014

“Espiritualidad es sinónimo de unión. Si existe separación, si existe barrera o juicio, no podemos llamarlo espiritualidad. La espiritualidad considera todo como sagrado, porque todo tiene su papel dentro del juego. Todo aquello que es parte de la vida humana es natural, de lo contrario no sería parte. Ciertas frecuencias de energía están distorsionadas, pero esto también es parte del juego. Y si negamos estas distorsiones terminamos dándoles más fuerza a ellas. La llave es mantener el corazón puro, porque sólo un corazón puro puede transitar el infierno sin contaminarse.”

“Spirituality is synonymous with union. If separation, barriers or judgments exist, there is no spirituality. In spirituality everything is considered sacred, because everything has its own role in the game of life. Everything that’s part of human life is natural; otherwise, it wouldn’t be part of it. Certain energy frequencies are distorted, but this is also part of the game. If we negate these distortions, we end up giving more power to them. The key is to keep your heart pure, as only a pure heart can go through hell without getting contaminated.”

Via Daily Dharma


Why Wisdom? | January 4, 2015

Perfection of Wisdom continuously generates, offers, dedicates, and contributes the immeasurable meritorious energy of selfless thought and action. Why? To bring about the awakening of all lives into the bliss of Buddhahood.

- The Buddha, "Mother of the Buddhas"


Saturday, January 3, 2015

Via JMG: Today On Truth Revolt


 
DeGeneres doesn't actually have any children, but hey, people are being mean to Sarah Palin.

UPDATE: They've quietly changed the headline and text of the story, but have posted no notice of correction.


Reposted from Joe Jervis

JMG Headline Of The Day


Details.


Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via JMG: On Highsexuality


Dr. Marcie Bianco writes at Mic.com:
Does getting high make you a little gay? If so, you may just be a "highsexual." The term, ensconced in Urban Dictionary since 2009, made its way onto two Reddit forums in recent weeks as a way to describe the alleged phenomenon of participating in sex with someone of the same gender or having same-sex fantasies when getting incredibly high. But while perhaps not common parlance, these two threads — "Can LSD make you temporarily gay?" and "Weed makes me temporarily gay. Anyone else?" — are example of a phenomenon that's been around for awhile. It seems straight guys have wondered about "highsexuality" for a few years, given the plethora of online evidence. Are drugs the key to sexual fluidity in men? Responses in both Reddit threads exhibited an awareness of "highsexuality," as well as the fact that getting high makes you horny and just might lead to a more unconventional sexual encounter. But they also were encouraging in their acceptance of sexual fluidity.
Hit the link for examples from the Reddit threads.


Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via Out & Proud Veterans of America / FB:


Flor do Dia - Flor del Día - Flower of the Day - 03/01/2015

“Para evoluirmos enquanto humanidade precisamos aperfeiçoar nossa capacidade de nos relacionar, ou seja, precisamos aprender a nos relacionar com o outro sem machucar. Esse é o nosso maior desafio. Nesse “outro” está inclusa a natureza, a nossa casa. Precisamos aprender a conviver em harmonia, preservando, não destruindo. Destruir é muito fácil. Cortar o tronco de uma árvore é simples, mas não é possível colocá-lo de volta. Estamos agora colhendo os frutos do que plantamos, ou melhor, do que não plantamos (destruímos). Estamos sendo convidados a rever nossas ações, nossos hábitos e condicionamentos, pois a forma como vivemos até agora não tem funcionado.”

“Para evolucionar como humanidad necesitamos perfeccionar nuestra capacidad de relacionarnos, es decir, precisamos aprender a relacionarnos con el otro sin lastimar. Este es nuestro mayor desafío. En este "otro" está incluida la naturaleza, nuestra casa. Precisamos aprender a convivir en armonía, preservando, no destruyendo. Destruir es muy fácil. Cortar el tronco de un árbol es simple, pero no es posible colocarlo de vuelta. Ahora estamos cosechando los frutos de lo que plantamos, o mejor dicho, de lo que no plantamos (destruimos). Estamos siendo invitados a revisar nuestras acciones, nuestros hábitos y condicionamientos, pues la forma como vivimos hasta ahora no viene funcionando.”

“In order for humanity to evolve, we need to improve our capacity to relate to others. We need to learn how to relate to others without hurting anyone. This is our greatest challenge. This ‘other’ also includes nature, which is our home. We need to learn to live with one another in harmony, by preserving and not destroying. It is very easy to destroy something: it’s simple to cut a tree trunk, but impossible to put it back together. We are now harvesting the fruit of what we planted - or rather of what we did not plant, but destroyed. We are being invited to reflect on our actions, our habits and conditioning, because the way we’ve been living until now hasn’t been working.”

Via Daily Dharma


Help Buddhism Evolve | January 3, 2015

Buddhist practice is a wonderful, very important expression of people's interest in something that goes beyond their own self-interest. It is a profound practice, a lineage practice. We actually have the capacity, and, in a sense, each of us has the responsibility—whether we know it or not or like it or not—to understand it. Study it. Practice it. Make it available to others. And in that way, this lineage can continue to be sustained and evolve and develop and be helpful.

- Myogen Steve Stücky, "To the Last Moment"


Friday, January 2, 2015

Via For Harriet / FB: Nina knew


Get "You've Got to Learn" by Nina Simone


Via Lizzy the Lezzy / FB:


Via Daily Dharma


Our Ability to Forgive | January 2, 2015

Our ability to forgive allows us to make space for our ability to meet suffering—our suffering as well as the suffering of others—with a kind heart.

- Gina Sharpe, "The Power of Forgiveness"


Thursday, January 1, 2015

Flor do Dia - Flor del Día - Flower of the Day - 01/01/2015


“Awaken Love é um movimento que busca ancorar a consciência amorosa em todos os setores da sociedade através de seis valores: Honestidade - romper com a mentira em todas as suas manifestações; Autorresponsabilidade - ter coragem de assumir que você está onde se coloca, e dar fim ao jogo de acusações; Gentileza - sinônimo de não-violência, ou seja, não ferir o outro de maneira alguma. Dedicação - sinônimo de foco e direcionamento da força de vontade; renovar, renascer e recomeçar e cada instante; Serviço - colocar seus dons e talentos a serviço do bem comum; Beleza – uma expressão da essência amorosa que nos habita; ao manifestar esses valores você se torna belo, e passa a ser uma fonte de inspiração e reconexão para os outros.”

“Awaken Love es un movimiento que busca anclar la conciencia amorosa en todos los sectores de la sociedad a través de seis valores: Honestidad - romper con la mentira en todas sus manifestaciones; Auto-responsabilidad - tener el coraje de asumir que estás donde te colocas y poner fin al juego de acusaciones; Gentileza - sinónimo de no violencia, es decir, no herir al otro en ninguna forma; Dedicación - sinónimo de foco y dirección de la fuerza de voluntad; renovar, renacer y recomenzar a cada instante; Servicio - poner tus dones y talentos al servicio del bien común; Belleza - una expresión de la esencia amorosa que habita en nosotros; al manifestar estos valores te vuelves bello y pasas a ser una fuente de inspiración y reconexión para los demás.”

“Authentic spiritual orientation is like a compass that helps you navigate “Awaken Love is a movement that aims to anchor a loving consciousness in all sectors of society through six values. Honesty means putting an end to all kinds of lies. Self-responsibility is having the courage to accept that you are where you put yourself and to end the blaming game. Kindness is synonymous with non-violence, and avoiding to hurt others in any way. Dedication requires focus and directing your willpower; it means constantly renewing yourself, being reborn and starting over. Service implies placing your gifts and talents at the service of the common good. Beauty is an expression of the loving essence within us. When you manifest these values, you become a beautiful source of inspiration and reconnection for others.”
- Sri Prem Baba

Via Daily Dharma


Out with the Old, In with the New | January 1st, 2015

The real purpose of Buddhist practice is to cut down your addictions and to correct your habitual patterns and this can be achieved as a layperson or as a monk or nun. That brings us to the question of Buddhist ethics—changing habitual patterns and getting rid of the old addictions, such as attachments, and replacing them with love, compassion, generosity, and patience. 

- Gelek Rinpoche, "A Lama for All Seasons"
 

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Via Daily Kos: It's Finally Official - Pope Francis Demotes Highest-Ranking US Cardinal Over LGBT Issues

attribution: None Specified

It's been in the news. Now it has been confirmed. As of this past weekend, Raymond Leo Burke, America's highest-ranking cardinal at the Vatican, was officially removed from the Vatican's Supreme Court, and demoted to chaplain of the Knights of Malta, where he will reign with much less responsibility. The ultra-Conservative and anti-gay cardinal, continuously challenges the jurisdiction of Pope Francis, and the Catholic Church's new receptive stance on homosexuality. 
 How ironic it is to find the demoted cardinal is from the United States. What does that say about America - that even the Catholic Church and a pope are ahead of so many anti-LGBT lawmakers and extremists in this country.

Weeks after taking office in 2013, Pope Francis asked, 'Who am I to judge?' speaking of the LGBT community. Since then, he has had great support for his progressive views, and of course, great opposition. Raymond Burke is one of the pope's strongest opponents. The 66 year-old Burke believes homosexuality is, 'always and everywhere wrong [and] evil,' and continuously questioned the authority of Pope Francis, now 77. Burke told Buzzfeed in October:
“The pope is not free to change the church’s teachings with regard to the immorality of homosexual acts or the insolubility of marriage or any other doctrine of the faith.”
Apparently the Pope is free, at minimum, to encourage change. This is one more reason why so many free-thinkers in America, and in other countries love Pope Francis. 
 Raymond Burke is also staunchly outspoken with his anti-choice views. He once protested well-known pro-choice advocate, Sheryl Crow, for performing at a benefit concert. Burke stated:
"A Catholic institution featuring a performer who promotes moral evil gives the impression that the church is somehow inconsistent in its teaching."
Many of us love these new Catholic Church 'inconsistencies,' Burke denounces. They represent the over-due distancing of archaic religious dogma that drove many people away from the church. As a pro-choice Liberal woman, I cannot end this diary, in good conscience, without conveying my hope that Pope Francis will vocally extend his progressive efforts to defend the reproductive rights of women, as well as women's position in the church. One step at a time. Meanwhile, here's to a great pope and a great man, who continues to be a breath of fresh air for many, many people around the world.

h/t Karen Hartjen

Originally posted to Leslie Salzillo on Mon Nov 10, 2014 at 09:23 AM PST.

Also republished by Street Prophets , LGBT Kos Community, and Anglican Kossacks.


Via Daily Kos / FB: