Brian D McLaren

Pastor, author, musician, speaker and modern Christian activist Brian McLaren is on the Board of directors for Sojourners, the Christian social justice magazine and movement, and was a founder member of Red Letter Christians, red letters being the printed words reported as spoken by Jesus in the New Testament.

He is part of a growing number of Christians concerned that christian evangelism has often been manipulative and exclusive, and that some issues, such as interfaith or relationships, are overemphasised whilst official church policies do not reflect the true teachings or values of Jesus.

I don’t believe making disciples must equal making adherents to the Christian religion. It may be advisable in many (not all!) circumstances to help people become followers of Jesus and remain within their Buddhist, Hindu or Jewish contexts … rather than resolving the paradox via pronouncements on the eternal destiny of people more convinced by or loyal to other religions than ours, we simply move on … To help Buddhists, Muslims, Christians, and everyone else experience life to the full in the way of Jesus (while learning it better myself), I would gladly become one of them (whoever they are), to whatever degree I can, to embrace them, to join them, to enter into their world without judgment but with saving love as mine has been entered by the Lord.

~ from A Generous Orthodoxy, 2004

His next book is due out in February 2010 and tackles the ten issues which McLaren sees as important for defining and redefining the Christian faith, including homosexuality:

While people have vigorously and sometimes viciously debated isolated verses in Leviticus, Romans, and 1 Corinthians (versus which, I explain in the book, may have very little or nothing to do with contemporary understandings of sexual orientation) … Acts 8 was waiting with a story that is more powerful than many have realized.

~ June 2009

And as they went on, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said ‘look, water; what prevents me to be baptized?’ And Philip said ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may. And he answered and said ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’ And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

~ Bible, Acts 8:36-39

We want to be a safe and accepting place for people, whatever their background. We believe that without a conscious pursuit of diversity we will tend to fall back into our “looks like me” comfort zone. We reach out to a wide variety of people and encourage them to explore their questions and progress in their spiritual journey at their own pace. We welcome them with their unique blends of experiences, gifts, challenges, and insights, believing that we will be enriched as a community by the contributions of each individual.

~ from ‘Our Values’, Cedar Ridge Community Church in Maryland, started in 1982 by Brian McLaren and friends

Halloween

All-Hallows-Even or the night before All Saints Day on the Christian calendar is a secular festival where people dress up, decorate their homes, tell stories, share party food and carve pumpkins into scary masks:

Children go door-to-door collecting candy and trinkets, known as ‘trick or treat’ across Canada, the US, much of Europe and more recently in  Japan and India.

Costumes, props and foods have become big business, over $5 billion in the US alone this year!

Though most people do not see the festival as having any spiritual or religious significance, in some conservative churches congregants are encouraged not to participate and some churches hold a ’safe house’ event instead without the gothic costumes or reference to ghosts or death.

 

 

Angela Montez

On Monday an Indianapolis loan store clerk was robbed by 23 year old Gregory Smith; victim Angela Montez, who admits she was terrified, responded by talking and listening to the gun-wielding desperate man, praying with him and hugging him.

He gave Ms Montez the bullet from his gun, left with just $20, and later handed himself in to police.

The big-hearted lady said later in a news interview:

I believe that the Lord sent us both together. It touched me, and it brought back religion that I’ve kind of let loose. This is pitiful these young men feel like they have nothing and nowhere to turn to. If you have a company … give these people a chance.

praying together

The story has moved people across America.

You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how does that help anyone?

~ Bible, Matthew 5: 43-47

 

See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil

Nikkō Tōshō-gū, Japan

The three monkeys are Mizaru, who covers his eyes and sees no evil; Kikazaru who covers his ears to hear no evil; and Iwazaru with a hand over his mouth to speak no evil. They are symbols of the eastern Kōshin faith which is influenced by Shintō, Taoism and Buddhism and the proverb is interpreted both as a Japanese version of the Golden Rule and as a warning not to gossip or behave badly.

Mahatma Ghandi’s only possessions at his ashram were three small figures of the wise monkeys; in 2005 Indian sand artist Sudarsan Patnaik won the Berlin International Sand Festival first prize with his  representation of Ghandi and the monkeys symbolising world peace:

Diwali

The Festival of Lights in Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain religions signifies the triumph of good over evil in each person, it is celebrated all over the world with displays of colour, fireworks, candles and oil lamps. Although one of the five days is often observed as a fast it is also a time of feasting, large communal vegetarian meals are served and especially sweet treats.

Barack Obama became the first US President to publically acknowledge the festival by lighting a ceremonial lamp at The White House last week.

Jalebi Recipe

• 2 cups self raising flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup yogurt
• cooking oil for deep frying
• 1 cup sugar
• strands saffron
• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
• 2 drops orange food colour
• 2 tbsps rose water

Preparation:

• Mix the flour, baking powder and yogurt into a batter and keep aside for 24 hours to ferment.
• Pour batter into a squeezy-plastic condiment bottle.
• To make sugar syrup: Melt the sugar with the rose water and boil to get a one thread consistency. To check for one thread consistency, carefully dip the tip of your index finger into the syrup, touch your finger and thumb together and genly tease apart. If one thread is formed between your finger and thumb the syrup is done.
• Turn off fire, add the saffron strands and cardamom and stir well.
• Heat the oil in a deep wok-like dish. To test for the right temperature, drop a small amount of batter into the oil. If it sizzles and rises to the top of the oil, the oil is hot enough. Keep the flame on medium at all times to ensure all round cooking of the jalebis.
• Now hold the ketchup dispenser over the hot oil and squeeze the batter into the oil into a wiggly, randomly coiled circle. Squeeze out several at a time.
• Fry till light golden and then remove and put directly into the sugar syrup.
• Allow to soak for 2-3 minutes and then remove
• Serve immediately

Shrine of Bahá’u'lláh

In the Bahá’í religion the most holy spot is the burial place of the remains of the Prophet Bahá’u'lláh in Acre near Haifa in northern Israel:

This is the direction followers pray towards in their daily prayers, known as their Qiblih. The dead are buried facing the Quiblih also. It is a place of pilgrimage for followers.

All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization.

~ Bahá’u'lláh

The Charter for Compassion

Karen Armstrong

On November 12 2009 The Charter for Compassion which has been drawn up by a multi-faith, multi-national group of thinkers will be revealed:

Like the Charter of Human Rights, this Charter for Compassion is a yardstick against which the laity as well as religious and secular leaders can measure their behaviour; it can empower congregations to demand a more compassionate teaching from pastors and preachers; it can mobilise youth, who have seen at a formative age what happens when bigotry becomes rife in a society; it can make interfaith understanding a priority; inspire exegetes, scholars, educators and the media to explore the role compassion has played in the traditions, and ensure that compassion is a focal point in the curricula of schools, colleges and seminaries.

The Charter seeks to change the conversation so that compassion becomes a key word in public and private discourse, making it clear that any ideology that breeds hatred or contempt - be it religious or secular - has failed the test of our time.

The Charter was the wish of religious scholar and writer Karen Armstrong after she won the 2008 TED Prize and has been supported by The Fetzer Institute an organisation promoting global love and forgiveness.

Religion isn’t about believing things. It’s about what you do. It’s ethical alchemy. It’s about behaving in a way that changes you, that gives you intimations of holiness and sacredness.

~ Karen Armstrong

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

~ Dalai Lama

Do you love your creator? Love your fellow-beings first.

~ Prophet Muhammad

Swastikas & Social Reform

Vandalism at Lakeville Country Club near Boston, Mass. US as the US Healthcare reforms go ahead

 The swastika both left and right-facing has been used as a religious symbol from ancient times, it is a universal shape comparable to the sun cross or Chinese yin-yang.

It was adopted as a propaganda symbol for Nazi Germany in the 1930s after Hitler incorporated it into a new German flag in his political blueprint Mein Kampf.

The  left-facing swastika is sometimes called a sauwastika; this is a common Buddhist symbol representing the sun, symbol of eternity.

In medieval Manji era Japan the left-facing symbol represented great luck and protection against evil.

A Jain swastika has three dots on the top with a crest and another dot, it is the holiest symbol in the Indian religion of non-violence.

The Red Swastika Society was a 20 th century Chinese philanthropic organisation providing disaster and war relief, soup kitchens and healthcare; today it is a religious organisation focusing on charitable works.

Red Swastika Society member

Half of the results of a good intention are evil; half the results of an evil intention are good.

~ Mark Twain

The Druze

The Druze religion officially stopped recruiting adherents to the faith in 1043, no one is allowed to convert or recruit converts today. However communities of Druze persist in the volcanic region of Southern Syria, in Israel and in Lebanon. In these countries the followers are recognised as an independent faith with their own religious legal system.

Their beliefs incorporate gnosticism, neoplatonism and Shi’a Islam. God is the essence of all things without form or description and unknowable; followers believe in oneness with god and incorporate the teachings, prophets and scriptures of other religions.

They follow their interpretation of the Seven Pillars of Ismailism: unity, speaking the truth to each other, submission to the will of God, charity and protecting other Druze, renunciation of evil, no idol worship, pacifism of the wise.

The Druze don’t engage in regular or repeated prayer, and do not go on pilgrimage to Mecca; they see the concept as a metaphorical journey. They celebrate Eid, the Festival of Sacrifice. They do not believe in intermarriage with other faiths, if a Druze marries a non-Druze their children are not considered Druze.

80 % of Druze are considered secular; they are called Juhhal and typically wear non-traditional or Western clothes and have no access to sacred texts or to the meetings of the other ‘initiated’ followers called the Uqqal. The most influential Uqqal become Ajawīd, the religious leaders.

Women have equal rights to men and are generally educated; their honor is of geat importance to the family so they are expected to dress modestly and wear a white veil.

There is an American Druze Society with Sheikhs in the US and Canada formed to preserve the Tawhid or ‘doctrine of oneness’ faith and assist with marriages and funeral arrangements.

 

Initiated religious dress

ICANN

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is a not-for-profit corporation organised by the US government to oversee regulation of the internet.

Today the government signed an affirmation of commitments document giving the body autonomy and international accountability.

The world wide web is meant as a global utility where information and ideas are exchanged freely, ICANN will supervise and promote internet security, consumer choice and freedom of access to internet services worldwide.

Today’s announcement bolsters the long-term viability of the internet as a force for innovation, economic growth, and freedom of expression.

~ Lawrence Strickling, US Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information