keep on loving–regardless

'One-ness' is spreading rapidly

Feliz Navidad

Click HERE to go to a very amusing and beautifully sung performance

we are 1

Love IS blind

Peshawar - not forgotten

This horrendous tragedy is still remembered with tears

Sva Marga (sanskrit - follow your way)

ps. there is also a hand woven tapestry called Sva Marga which you can see here:http://edsvik2.tapestry-art.net/#!album-0-6

knowing yourself

WHY WE SHOUT IN ANGER

 

Square peg, round hole?

The major problem with most, if not all, religious extremists/fundamentalists is.....they have not really studied the passages they quote in relation to the linguistic,cultural and historic context of those passages. They interpret in a way that suits their subjective aims.

In the Koran, for example, 2:256  "Let there be no compulsion in religion". This seems very contrary to the modern understanding of Islam and is certainly at odds with a jihadistic cry to kill non-believers.

But, before we in the west get on our high moral ground, sitting atop our trusty steed of self-righteousness, I would like to challenge the 'fundamentalist christians' with a couple of points:

1. A basic 'original' doctrine of Hebraic based faiths is that God is everywhere and that you cannot hide from God.
2. That, if (1.) is correct, there is something of an insurmountable contradiction in the penultimate words of Christ upon the cross. You recall, He said 'My God,My God, why have you forsaken me?" (why have you left me? Why aren't you here anymore?)
3. This is further confused when you remember that Christ said "I and the Father are one" and imputes the lie that somehow Christ's faith/commitment was destroyed at the end.

Of course, this scenario - 'Christ was cast out of God's presence to atone for your sins' - is an interesting construct but fails in any attempt to reconcile itself with the basic doctrine of God's omnipresence.
It's also an interesting construct for propagating the myth of man's sin and the need to surrender to some sort of man-made control mechanism posing as divine.

So, do you remember the opening paragraph of this article?

Points to remember in interpreting/understanding what Christ said and why there is no conflict with the Doctrines of Omnipresence and Omnipotence.

4. Jesus was seen and understood to be a Rabbi, so learned in scripture that He was instructing the elders in the Synogogue when he was...12?
5. It was the habit of Rabbi's (since most of the population could neither read nor write)  to quote the opening verse of a scripture passage the Rabbi could be certain most folks had memorised.
6. Check it out; "My God,My God why hast thou forsaken me". You will find it to be the opening line of a Psalm of David - you remember David, the greatest king Israel ever had, the hero warrior, the man of faith. The king whose words most every normal Jew at the time of Christ would know.
7. so read/analyse the rest of the Psalm. You will find it is not a cry of defeat but a celebration of the victory that is sure to come.

Now, this may come as a linguistic,cultural,historical shock to some...but when Christ spoke those penultimate words on the cross, perhaps He was simply telling us...victory is sure,Love will win!

Perhaps Jesus, even in His toughest time, wanted mankind to know that unconditional love will triumph.  All the rest of the rule based, sin bashing, guilt enforcing ritualised man-made control mechanisms are simply and undeniably that - man-made control mechanisms. In the face of a truer and fuller understanding of the words and their meaning at the time, these man-made mechanisms crumble into disrepute. It doesn't really matter which 'disguise of religion' they wear.

gg.

what the hell?

The civil war within Islam

“..the fight against ISIS is a struggle for the soul of Islam, and countering violent extremism and destroying ISIS must be done primarily by Muslim nations… it is incumbent on Muslim nations and communities to confront those who seek to hijack their societies and generations with intolerance and violent ideology.”  Bernie Sanders

As this blog has consistently observed for example  7 years ago…see HERE

clear faith

in sympathy

Focus

respectless Islam ?

I am anti any so called 'religiously motivated actions' that challenge or negate God's will in creating. If we wish to believe in God, One God, then part of that belief must also embrace that there is a purpose to every God-given life – and that man has not the right to take that life.

It is not enough to 'claim justification' in some delusional diatribe of dogma, concocted by man to serve man's purposes.

full article here

if we would simply listen to our hearts instead of playing with our intellect

little gods….big money

Tree talk

inescapable truth

what goes around…

no no know

eclipse yourself

the power of love changes everything

click the picture for an amazing demonstration about people's priorities and the power of love to change things

Good morning

gotcha!

 

via Buddhist Boot Camp

we can if we will

 

found on the web – not attributed

masks of mankind-0001

(NEWSER) – Thousands of exhausted, elated migrants reached their dream destinations of Germany and Austria today, completing epic journeys by boat, bus, train, and foot to escape war and poverty. Before dawn, they clambered off a fleet of Hungarian buses at the Austrian border to find a warm welcome from charity workers offering beds and hot tea. Within a few more hours of rapid-fire aid, many found themselves whisked by train to destinations in Austria and Germany.

The surprise overnight effort, which involved about 100 busloads of migrants and refugees, eased immediate pressure on Hungary, which has struggled to manage the flow of thousands of migrants arriving daily from non-EU member Serbia.

(Mailonline) The new horror for Iraq's kidnapped children: UN report reveals ISIS is selling youngsters from minorities as sex slaves, turning them into suicide bombers and crucifying them if they disobey

U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child reveals horrific fate of children
ISIS uses them as sex slaves, suicide bombers and human shields
Others are murdered by beheading, crucifixion or being buried alive
U.N. body denounces systematic killing of children belonging to minorities
Calls on Iraqi government to do everything it can to rescue the children

 

And I heard a disconnected voice fanatically screaming in the distance, 'the West is evil'.

discernment

Change is a loving action

meet and greet

the pathways of angels

Divine 'to do' list

Pride is a killer…

I wonder how the world we be if everyone else was proud to be: compassionate, understanding, caring, sharing, tolerant, peace loving….you get the idea?

In understanding, be men

In the eyes of caring children, all, all is possible.

In the minds of damaged children, nothing is possible.       gg.

 

Think about it….

paradoxical perspective

D-I-Y

ever noticed how, almost without regard to what religion or religious tradition we look at, there is always an expectation that God will do something that we are perfectly capable of doing ourselves.

to the point

unimpressed with sexy

The Thinker - 0001

self dawn

In the midst of inhumanity…

you can always, always find a shining light

 

you can read all about him at New York Times..here

Pinkney Eulogy

2b is 2bU

codex candidus 00015

straight talkin Truman

interesting observation

awakening–Lama Surya Das -001

Codex Candidus 00014

Eastern Star

Chinese salvagers have begun to right an upturned ship on which more than 400 people are thought to have died.The Eastern Star sank in the Yangtze River on Tuesday after being caught in what was said to be a freak storm.Just 14 of the 456 mostly elderly passengers are known to have survived the accident, which looks likely to be China's worst boat disaster in decades. (BBC)

 

 

In the midst of tragedy, kindness and compassion shine like a million candles.

Sometimes it takes the worst of life circumstances to bring out the best in us.

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Simple fact