oil and water

The highly influential writings of Sayid Qutb,generally regarded as the 'father of the modern Jihad movement' (a.k.a terrorist movement), such as Fi Zalal al-Koran, have at their core the argument against the western tendency to seperate church and state.

This is the main objection of the Jihad movement and an objection that is vociferously voiced.

As the Vatican discovered in the last century it is highly detrimental to a religion to formally politicise it's actions. Israel has also witnessed the same process – the de-ethicalisation of it's religion.

In Iran we,today,also see the folly of attempting to graft the power of the state onto the roots of a religion. It ends up with an impotent hybrid that eventually withers away.It is not a protesting public that most harms the tenets of a religion – but it is the bitter and power hungry response of so-called 'spiritual men' who deal the death blow.

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What happens in Iran today more clearly defines the tenets of Islam than anything the Jihadist movement has done in the last 30 years.It more clearly reveals to the world what is truly meant by a ruling Caliphat. It seems to differ little from self-centred capitalism or elitist communism.

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We are witnessing the clearest statement yet of what is really meant by democracy in a Muslim state where the 'church' is not seperate from the state.

personal or national

“In retrospect, all revolutions seem inevitable. Beforehand, all revolutions seem impossible.”      Michael McFaul

photo courtesy of Huffington Post

It is always interesting to watch massive movements of public opinion,political activism,religious fervour. To be a bystander of events that herald massive change, a quantum shift in the perceptions. Of course, it's always easier to opinionate on circumstances in which we are not directly involved.

Much harder to apply Michael McFaul's words on a personal basis.

Or is it?

Consider all the events in your life experiencing that you had one time thought totally impossible and yet which turned out to be absolutely inevitable.

Then,if I may respectfully suggest, consider this:

the reality of One-ness,all of us and everything being directly interconnected, may seem wholly impossible to you at this time.Yet a small shift in perception will demonstrate the inevitability of this reality.

gg

we are what we perceive……

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Balance in Middle East PR

Like many people of my generation who grew up with films like ‘Cast a giant shadow’  and the images of concentration camps (I remember being only about 9 years old when I saw my first – and still don’t understand) – like many people my ‘sideline support’ for the State of Israel has waned in the face of the Palestinian tragedy.

The State of Israel,as a political institution, has bankrupted Judaism as a faith of honour – in much the same way as jihadism and Imman silence has bankrupted Islam. I am deeply indebted,therefore, to Andre Aciman for his article which presents some interesting FACTS about the ‘other side of this PR coin’.

If you want some balance in the equation about injustices visited upon the long suffering peoples of the MIddle East (usually in the name of some religion or other) – then take a good read of this

The Exodus Obama Forgot to Mention

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oldest surviving mammalian group

And in that level head sits a mighty brain. Among humans, the neocortex that allows us to reason and remember accounts for 30 percent of the brain; in echidnas, that figure is 50 percent

“They’re one of the most pacifistic mammals,” Dr. Rismiller said. “Nobody bothers them; they don’t bother anybody. There’s a lot we could learn from them.”

Does this suggest a link between neo-cortex functions and peace-loving ways?

full article here.

11-year-old college grad: I’m no genius

Devotee of martial arts, astrophysics says he’s ‘regular kid who works hard’

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NBCLosAngeles.com

updated 9:13 p.m. ET June 5, 2009

Moshe Kai Cavalin, 11, graduated with honors Friday from East Los Angeles College, but he'd rather you not call him a genius.

"I consider myself a regular kid who works hard and does his best," says this only child of a Taiwanese mother and an Israeli father.

When Moshe started college at the age of 8, he may have been the youngest person in class, but he ended up tutoring some of his 19- and 20-year-old classmates in math and science.FULL STORY HERE

Juan update….

Beyond all previous hope, a Guatemalan teenager with a deadly heart condition who found his way into the hearts of many Romans may soon learn if he is eligible for a heart transplant.Follow the story HERE

What people can achieve when they open their loving hearts to the needs of others is a remarkable coagulator of miracles :)

Knowledge is Power (KIPP)

Here’s one of those ‘good to know’ stories about determination,hard work,excellence and achievement…..

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48 of 48

By BOB HERBERT

Published: June 5, 2009

The teenager’s voice on the other end of the phone on Thursday was more than exuberant. It was ecstatic.

“I’m going to college!” she said, virtually singing. “I’m going to college!”

FULL STORY HERE

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and since Knowledge is power….that’s one of the main reasons I LOVE the internet :)

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Anyone who had a heart…….

18 years old and dying with a weak heart condition having gone to America to support his family back home in Guatemala,Juan was alone…until good.hearted people did something about it.

You can read the full story of kindnesses HERE

H.D.B.------ B.E.D

Beyond that which we see or hear or touch are dimensions of lovingness that glitter and shine like multi-faceted diamonds.Once you have been the recipient of such shinings you can never find fulfillment without shining yourself.

gg

In tribute to a treasured friend who travelled to the light on 28th April 2009.

It would be no exaggeration to call this a holocaust of abuse. Time after time, victims complained, even though in most cases merely speaking out constituted an immense act of courage. And time after time, Catholic priests, monks and nuns claimed the accusations were lies.

Torture, rape and beatings. That’s the story of Roman Catholic Ireland in the 20th century. No one will ever know the true tally of evil in this catalogue of unredeemed sin, but the miracle is that not every victim committed suicide or went insane.

full article HERE…

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Treated………..

For if there is one law that we can be most certain of, it is the law that binds people of all faiths and no faith together. It is no coincidence that it exists in Christianity and Judaism; in Islam and Hinduism; in Buddhism and humanism. It is, of course, the Golden Rule - the call to treat one another as we wish to be treated. The call to love. To serve. To do what we can to make a difference in the lives of those with whom we share the same brief moment on this Earth.

Barack Obama,Notre Dame 17 May 2009

Miracles are all around…..

British soldier Phil Packer was told a year ago that he would never walk again, but on Saturday he finished the London Marathon.

He completed the race 13 days after it started, walking on crutches for two miles a day -- the most his doctor would allow -- in order to raise money for charity.

Flanked by cheering soldiers and supporters, an obviously emotional Packer had defied medical opinion after his lower spine was badly injured in the aftermath of a rocket attack on his base in Basra, Iraq, in February 2008. Read full article »

and do you know this young guy from the film ‘Australia’ ?

The latest star of the film industry – capturing everyone’s heart with his amazing acting (his first acting role). But did you know that Brandon Walters (Nullah in the film) who is now 13 years old, fought with Leukaemia when he was 6 years old?

del.icio.us Tags: Australia,Nullah,Brandon Walters,Packer

Bodhisattva

The Sanskrit term Bodhisattva is the name given to anyone who, motivated by great compassion, has generated bodhichitta, which is a spontaneous wish to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings. What makes someone a Bodhisattva is her or his dedication to the ultimate welfare of other beings, as expressed in the prayer:

If you are experiencing an unhappy time at the moment, check this out:

Happiness is not a destination to be reached but a journey of self-motivated experiencing and manifestation.

thks Kristine for the link

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Bless the internet :)

As readers of this blog will note over the many years that it has been running,I am not exactly unbiased when it comes to ‘religious lies,misrepresentations or downright manipulations”.

In the age of the Twitter,YouTube,SMS texting,blogging – you would think that ‘persons of supposed influence’ would have learnt the absurdity of lying.

Well, just to show how arrogant and disrespectful this can be,have at look at this video from ’MediaMatters’  about the blatant way in which FoxNews

‘misunderstands’ the value of accurate reporting:

Now that’s what they do with modern technology…….. imagine what ‘wrong motivated persons’ managed to do in times when people did not receive education,could not read or write…..

If this is what they do with video/tv reports…imagine what could have been done with linguistic/grammatic/translation alterations in some of the more famous religious ‘Holy Books’

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chaos theory in religion

I am always fascinated by the ability of the human mind to pole-vault the obvious in favour of the obnoxious.

Take, for example, the creation stories that are fundamental to Middle Eastern originated religions. In the first place ‘God creates…and it is good”

Then along comes another story,added later , which becomes a judgmentalists heaven, full of implications about human failings and such stuff.

And – amazingly – the obvious contradiction that ‘all is not good’, or the assumption that Man can defy God (thus creating a far lesser God), doesn’t seem to arise in the consciousness of  so-called ‘dedicated followers

Thus have such intellectual athletics developed and promoted the ‘chaos theory of religious understanding’.  This theory postulates that there can be no other truth in the universe beyond that which they themselves are willing to accept and promote.

gg

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“…as a man thinketh so he is…”

Coyle and Colvin describe dozens of experiments fleshing out this process. This research takes some of the magic out of great achievement. But it underlines a fact that is often neglected. Public discussion is smitten by genetics and what we’re “hard-wired” to do. And it’s true that genes place a leash on our capacities. But the brain is also phenomenally plastic. We construct ourselves through behaviour. As Coyle observes, it’s not who you are, it’s what you do.

an extract from another David Brooks NYT article which can be viewed HERE

Moderation speaks…

JAKARTA, Indonesia — From Pakistan to Gaza and Lebanon, militant Islamic movements have gained ground rapidly in recent years, fanning Western fears of a consolidation of radical Muslim governments. But here in the world’s most populous Muslim nation just the opposite is happening, with Islamic parties suffering a steep drop in popular support.

Altogether, the major Islamic parties suffered a drop in support from 38 percent in 2004 to less than 26 percent this year, according to the Indonesian Survey Institute

By NORIMITSU ONISHI

Published: April 24, 2009   NYT  full article HERE

Logos

“The power of language to reconcile is as great as its power to kill”

Roger Cohen, NYT columnist.

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