Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
The West, Islam and Sharia
The West, Islam and Sharia
Why can't these inconsistencies be debated and discussed? In most religions there is a level of debate and questioning of both those in the faith and those outside of it looking from a detached perspective. What is the consequence of having so much of a society beyond reproach?
Why can't these inconsistencies be debated and discussed? In most religions there is a level of debate and questioning of both those in the faith and those outside of it looking from a detached perspective. What is the consequence of having so much of a society beyond reproach?
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Guest Voices: In defense of Peter King's Muslim hearings - On Faith at washingtonpost.com
Guest Voices: In defense of Peter King's Muslim hearings - On Faith at washingtonpost.com
I hope we take this a a jump off point to look at all radicalization in all extremist religious sects.
I hope we take this a a jump off point to look at all radicalization in all extremist religious sects.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Querry
Is is possible to lead such a rich and comfortable life, full of great friendships, job satisfaction, beauty and good yet still be unsatisfied? Yes! Curiosity about what more life has to offer pushes me onward, but to where?
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Life is Elastic
Dreams change
Ideas are reframed
Ideals are threatened
Convictions are discredited
Beliefs are confronted
Trust is broken
Faith is challenged
Decisions altered
No promise is sure
Ideas are reframed
Ideals are threatened
Convictions are discredited
Beliefs are confronted
Trust is broken
Faith is challenged
Decisions altered
No promise is sure
Saturday, March 19, 2011
War
War is not fought on battlefields alone
War is waged in hearts and minds
War shreds love and peace
War removes hope and life from anyone it touches
War steals the very breath of civilization
War breaks families
War blights the future
War is the destroyer of possibility
Why must humans turn to war so often then?
Why must humans see war as purposeful?
Why must humans need war in order to rebuild?
Build, change, reinvest in the future without the oppression of war!
Invest your values, your time, your money in progress not oppression.
Intreat the world to join you through your hard work and commitment.
Prove your commitment to quality of life for all through your actions!
War is waged in hearts and minds
War shreds love and peace
War removes hope and life from anyone it touches
War steals the very breath of civilization
War breaks families
War blights the future
War is the destroyer of possibility
Why must humans turn to war so often then?
Why must humans see war as purposeful?
Why must humans need war in order to rebuild?
Build, change, reinvest in the future without the oppression of war!
Invest your values, your time, your money in progress not oppression.
Intreat the world to join you through your hard work and commitment.
Prove your commitment to quality of life for all through your actions!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Government and religion
It seems to me that humans make many mistakes in their interpretations of religion and of God. They often hold two opposing thoughts about God as both being true. Such as when reading the book of Genesis it states that God created all things and that humans are created in His image. His creation, His likeness and yet a religious person can believe that one person is better than another. Who created the lesser person? Religions answer for this is illogical as well, they are only lesser for not choosing to follow the [insert title] religion. If one religion is the only right one, then why would God only give it to a few causing humans (his children) to war and kill over their beliefs?
Religious teachers and their followers believe that God is not much different than themselves. In most religious teachings God has human like ideas. He thinks and feels much like a human but with greater power to punish (or bless). A God who is jealous, angry, and petty is hard to appease. If people have governmental backing those beliefs, their judgements can have large consequences and terror.
To me this limited God of human emotion is in direct contradiction to the concepts of omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscient. When humans hijack God and the human desire to appease God, they hijack free will, choice and humanity itself.
Religions have an incredible amount of influence over their followers and thereby the political structure of nations. In the formation of many new governments smaller devout groups imposed their beliefs on the greater populations, sometimes with devastating effects (it only took 30 years for sharia laws to remove all of women's rights and destroy the educational system and progressive forward economy of Afghanistan). These groups are usually more organized, have more activist members and are better funded than their secular counterparts, which often represent a significantly larger percentage of the population (there are many examples in U.S. and Iraq of this). So how do countries secure the civil rights of all their citizen and appease their loudest most organized populations that want their own way?
What is the path to coexistence and political security? Are there strong examples of governments not only founded to provide such an equality but also living up it?
Religious teachers and their followers believe that God is not much different than themselves. In most religious teachings God has human like ideas. He thinks and feels much like a human but with greater power to punish (or bless). A God who is jealous, angry, and petty is hard to appease. If people have governmental backing those beliefs, their judgements can have large consequences and terror.
To me this limited God of human emotion is in direct contradiction to the concepts of omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscient. When humans hijack God and the human desire to appease God, they hijack free will, choice and humanity itself.
Religions have an incredible amount of influence over their followers and thereby the political structure of nations. In the formation of many new governments smaller devout groups imposed their beliefs on the greater populations, sometimes with devastating effects (it only took 30 years for sharia laws to remove all of women's rights and destroy the educational system and progressive forward economy of Afghanistan). These groups are usually more organized, have more activist members and are better funded than their secular counterparts, which often represent a significantly larger percentage of the population (there are many examples in U.S. and Iraq of this). So how do countries secure the civil rights of all their citizen and appease their loudest most organized populations that want their own way?
What is the path to coexistence and political security? Are there strong examples of governments not only founded to provide such an equality but also living up it?
A first.
I am not much of a writer, but I am definitely a thinker. I am somewhat of an introvert and I certainly never thought I would blog, but I have so many questions about the world, religion, people, ideas, violence, and love. I both hope that my blog is discovered and that it is anonymous. Contradiction which is only available in the human psyche. I know people all over the world and I see we have more in common than not. More of our feelings, hopes, ideals are similar than our separating fears would indicate. I hope this blog allows me an opportunity to send out my thoughts, perhaps meet new people and new ideas.
I feel inadequate to pose questions of similarity and oneness in that I currently only speak and write English. It is a failing on my part. Twenty years ago I spoke German, Spanish and English but did not have opportunities to practice anything but English and as a result did not retain much of the other. My father spoke Hungarian and I wish he had taught us. My mother spoke Latin when she wanted to talk over us, but she also spoke to us in English, Spanish and signed to us. My eldest brother speaks several languages and I am jealous of him. So please forgive me if you find my postings only in English, I am not one of the linguistically gifted.
I have a varied educational background. I dropped out of high school to attend college. I had gotten bored in high school and would have failed if I stayed. In college I was like a ravenous dog, taking in every bit of information with abandon. I settled on five majors: Cultural Anthropology, Art History, Animal Behavior, Equine Science and Studio Art. I obtained a Masters degree in Secondary Education and did my thesis research on creativity and the brain. I am consistently interested in neuroscience, behavioralism, politics, religion and culture.
I am personally a deist. I have a very strong belief in a creator, but no faith in religion. I see that religion has the ability to control the masses and therefore is capable of great good but also great harm. I pray and meditate daily. I have a morning ritual of clearing my mind and being at peace before leaving my bed. I know that I am blessed and I constantly foster an attitude of appreciation for all that is in my life.
I have loved deeply, unconditionally, passionately and lost. I have been loved. I have had love for someone who did not return it to me in the same package as I gave it to them. I have had love given to me freely that I could not reciprocate. I am currently in love with someone who is very far away and I often do not hear from him. Many days I do not know if he is safe, if he has experienced any peace or kindness, if he has felt warmth. It is an odd way to have a relationship. We have been apart for eighteen months and out of consistent communication the last four. Our relationship feels the brunt of world politics.
I have children. They are good people, strong in their character, willing to help others, intelligent, of good humor. I am blessed. They want to make a difference with their lives. I hope we all can.
It is from this perspective of my life experience that I will pose my questions, preview my thoughts and share my experiences. I hope we enjoy getting to know one another.
Sincerely,
Nanette
I feel inadequate to pose questions of similarity and oneness in that I currently only speak and write English. It is a failing on my part. Twenty years ago I spoke German, Spanish and English but did not have opportunities to practice anything but English and as a result did not retain much of the other. My father spoke Hungarian and I wish he had taught us. My mother spoke Latin when she wanted to talk over us, but she also spoke to us in English, Spanish and signed to us. My eldest brother speaks several languages and I am jealous of him. So please forgive me if you find my postings only in English, I am not one of the linguistically gifted.
I have a varied educational background. I dropped out of high school to attend college. I had gotten bored in high school and would have failed if I stayed. In college I was like a ravenous dog, taking in every bit of information with abandon. I settled on five majors: Cultural Anthropology, Art History, Animal Behavior, Equine Science and Studio Art. I obtained a Masters degree in Secondary Education and did my thesis research on creativity and the brain. I am consistently interested in neuroscience, behavioralism, politics, religion and culture.
I am personally a deist. I have a very strong belief in a creator, but no faith in religion. I see that religion has the ability to control the masses and therefore is capable of great good but also great harm. I pray and meditate daily. I have a morning ritual of clearing my mind and being at peace before leaving my bed. I know that I am blessed and I constantly foster an attitude of appreciation for all that is in my life.
I have loved deeply, unconditionally, passionately and lost. I have been loved. I have had love for someone who did not return it to me in the same package as I gave it to them. I have had love given to me freely that I could not reciprocate. I am currently in love with someone who is very far away and I often do not hear from him. Many days I do not know if he is safe, if he has experienced any peace or kindness, if he has felt warmth. It is an odd way to have a relationship. We have been apart for eighteen months and out of consistent communication the last four. Our relationship feels the brunt of world politics.
I have children. They are good people, strong in their character, willing to help others, intelligent, of good humor. I am blessed. They want to make a difference with their lives. I hope we all can.
It is from this perspective of my life experience that I will pose my questions, preview my thoughts and share my experiences. I hope we enjoy getting to know one another.
Sincerely,
Nanette
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