ethical leadership

http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/eboo_patel/2009/10/ethical_leadership_in_jerusale.html
This is a nice article about an Israeli Arab Muslim who has earned several high ranking degrees and created, supported and is aiding communities and businesses that help bring communities and people of different faiths together. He helped establish a YMCA in Israel that is run equally by Christians, Muslims and Jews. Quite a nice little article about him. His name is Forsan Hussein by the way.

Side comment

SO I was paging through the washington posts online submissions for religious conflict and 98% of the articles were about ... guess- ISLAM, the alqueda, Obama and Palestinians. I find this kind of upsetting. There should be 100 articles of religious conflict with Islam alone. where are the other articles hiding?

Islam free speech

http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/eboo_patel/2010/05/free_speech_vs_fundamentalist.html
Here's another interesting article about free speech versus Islam. It is based off the controversy about the south park episode presenting Muhammad. Some college group chalked stick figures on themselves and called it Muhammad and said it was their right to free speech to do so and that south park was just doing the same ( I think). But the article goes on and has some good comparisons It's a little like sticking your chest out and claiming you beat up the school bully, when all you really did was pick on the little kid on the playground. The former may make you a hero. The latter makes you a jerk. Doing the latter while claiming the former, that just makes you a joke.""
The point it states clearest is It's not so different than saying that the black students on your campus remind you of the armed robber you saw on the 5 o'clock news because they share a skin color. That's called bigotry when it involves race, and it's called bigotry when it involves religion."" and I think that is quite true. All in all it is a good article, down to earth about how we seem to attack anything that's different or more restricted/ free than our own society or religion and claim it is under 'good' pretenses.

Pope takes back earlier statement: takes partial blame

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/11/AR2010051104949.html?wprss=rss_nation
So here is an interesting article that quotes the pope changing his stance on the pedophilia cases on his way to Spain. He had previously blamed media and bishops of the church for the scandal but in this article, sand I find this interesting, he is actually saying the church has been its own downfall, never giving justice to those who need it.Its scandals and secret pedo's have dug themselves this hole. It is still not surprising though to read further that he isn't doing more than accepting the resignations of a few bishops and clerics. He is doing the bare minimum, past due that is required for the actions of his people. Also at the end the pope mentions people not thinking about the ramifications of hum life in regards to abortion, and this is completely out of the blue (it was made legal there in 2007) and just not founded on his part. Of course they've considered it...

Was she really a pagan.

SO I stumbled across this article in the star tribune dated April 8th 2010 about this woman in ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. who killed a man in a park; claiming to of been raped and killed the man in self defense. Problem is, she said she was a Wiccan- an earth worship based religion which does not advocate the killing of any creature or human, and she had the fellows name in her book as 'sacrifice' as well as stabbing him 11-13 times rather than the 3 she said she did. It is assumed that she killed him as a sacrifice for said ritual but stated in the article that she was not a known Wiccan (and they do not sacrifice people) and that the celebration she was 'celebrating' was still weeks away.
I'm just glad they mentioned what Wicca is an earth based religion, but did not mention the no sacrifice thing. Wicca is part of a wider range of religions known as paganism.
http://www.startribune.com/nation/90219062.html?page=1&c=y

Hello all. here is a new article about scientology, this couple, featured in the New York Times left scientology recently.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/07/us/07scientology.html?scp=2&sq=scientology&st=cse
Mrs. Collbran was on the Today show talking about it this morning.

Tommy Davis, the current spokesperson, said that she and her husband were banned from the church and are bitter while the Collbrans said they went through an extensive process to leave, Mrs. Collbran needed to get pregnant to get out of their 'Elite organization' the SEA org.

Katie Holmes and Scientology

While looking through articles in PEOPLE (my Mom's subscription---really), I was drawn to an article about the actress Katie Holmes and the speculation that she was thinking of having another child because she had been spending a lot of time at the Scientology center "auditing," to see whether she was indeed worthy to have another child. The article went on to give a quick explanation of "auditing." It said it was somewhat like therapy, but a person is hooked up to a weird machine called an e-meter. The article said Katie had been getting "reprogrammed," to be the perfect Scientology wife. The whole process intrigued me and I spent time researching more about auditing and its role in a woman's decision to have another child.
According to a website run by the Church of Scientology, followers believe the "health and the sanity of the child begin long before birth." Scientology auditing is "used to restore confidence, happiness and spiritual freedom and involves answering questions or following directions with the aim of being freed from unwanted barriers that inhibit natural ability." (www.auditing.org)
The definition of auditing from the site is: auditing: Scientology counseling, taken from the Latin word audire which means “to hear or listen.” Auditing is a very unique form of personal counseling which helps an individual look at his own existence and improves his ability to confront what he is and where he is.
An auditor is: a minister or minister-in-training of the Church of Scientology. Auditor means one who listens, from the Latin audire meaning “to hear or listen.” An auditor is a person trained and qualified in applying auditing to individuals for their betterment. An auditor does not do anything to a preclear, he works together with the preclear to help the preclear defeat his reactive mind.
A testimony from an audited person claims, "“Scientology auditing cleared away the cobwebs that were standing in my way. In other words, my intelligence had always been there, but it was dormant. Auditing totally expanded my viewpoint in terms of what I want for my life and the people around me.”— S. R.
Whew.
This is not the first time Katie has undergone a special treatment at the Scientology Center.
Last year, it was written that she had had a Scientology Sparkle Makeover. (PEOPLE, June 19, 2009). Katie followed the Purification Rundown. It involves a heavy-duty detox. High doses of vitamins are taken and a person spends many hours in a sauna. One person on the Church's website said of the Purification process: "After the Purification Process, I was more aware of my environment around me and I felt more alive, with much more energy. "
As I read and learned more about the auditing and the sparkle makeover process, I wondered what "state of mind," auditing and the makeover left Katie in and what controlling influences they had on her and her existence and her life decisions. It's intriguing to me.

Pooh and the Tao

I sat down to read THE TAO OF POOH by Benjamin Hoff on a Saturday evening after a long day at work. I would rather have been out with friends, but.....

I found I enjoyed reading the book and found it introduced me to and helped me understand the general tenets of Tao through the five main characters and their experiences. It helped me understand that Taoism can be applied to our daily lives and give insights into modern society and reflections on real live journeys. It can guide a person to prioritize life goals and give perspective when life seems to get too complicated.It can help a person appreciate what is really important in life.
The book is charming and funny. I understand Taoism Philosophy better and understand Pooh and Piglet better, too. Pooh guides to understand that life is not as hard or confusing as we sometimes let it seem. All the religious teachings and rituals in the world can at times, confuse the simple idea of what the meaning of a person's life really is and should be. It teaches us appreciation for the creation of the world, for nature, for friendships and family, for being.
The book offers simple ideas about Taoism and the balance of the universe. It is imaginative and the symbolism used in the book by Benjamin Hoff made it easy to understand and enjoyable to read. I plan to read it again and recommend it to others.

Religion Panel

Here is the link to the audio from the religion panel:

http://www.shelbymehl.com/2010/02/panel/

There is a password on it, but everyone should be able to figure it out (if you can't send me an email - shelby at shelbymehl.com)

Music and Zen Masters

I enjoy music and its impact on a person's life. Recently I read an interesting article on the website, www.squido.com/rocksprituality. It was entitled: SHRED MASTER-ZEN MASTER. It pointed out that usually musicians and Zen masters are known in two very different categories, but the article's author believed that they are really one in the same. When a person first is learning about music it might seem rigid and unnatural. After a time, it appears simple and natural, something "that flows like water." He believed that music is a gate way to the soul. Music is a universal language, uniting people, giving them peace. A person's soul responds to music, "it dances with the music." It can relax you or inspire you to dance wildly, letting your emotions whirl. Like Zen Masters and the teachings of Zen, music lets you give your life over to a power greater than self. It is a uniter and lets you live your life with purpose.
Music can help as a person seeks fulfillment or purpose. Help create "quantum moments," in a person's life and gives a person the ability to share purposeful, creative moments of discovery and peace with others. Music helps a person to turn his/her talents over to a greater power and seek avenues for creativity and sharing as Zen spirituality instructs. Music helps a person shift music from just notes to a powerful action, a life filled with happiness, serenity and purpose given to use and share by our creator.

An Odd Way To Get Youth To Believe

I found this article on CNN.com

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/01/21/japan.monks.rap.religion/index.html#cnnSTCText

You get the full affect of what these Buddhists are doing from the video.

They call it Buddhism 2010. A Buddhist monk, Kansho Tagai, believes that religion needs to change for the future. They achieve this through rap, though it's the same chants. He even has a street name, Mr. Happiness.

Another idea is to make religion more fun. Zenshin Fujioka has set up what he calls a Monk Bar. Apparently other Monks are even asking for advice.

Eastern Religion/Philosophy journal archive

This is a link to an archive of selected [not sure how they were selected] articles on various topics in Asian religion/philosophy from a couple of journals, mostly published by University of Hawaii press, which has a strong Eastern religion/philosophy focus. Chronologically it starts in the 50s and runs through about 2000, though the older stuff is as good or better than the more recent.

Pat Robertson/Haiti/Voodoo

Pat Robertson, the "voice" of conservative Christians, remarked in the news that he felt the earthquake in Haiti was God's retribution for a voodoo "pact with the devil." I believe Mr. Robertson's remarks were cruel and discriminatory and very hurtful especially in light of the suffering the Haitian people are currently suffering. Mr. Robertson said that the earthquake was God's revenge for a pact Haitian slaves made with the devil to overthrow French colonists in the late 1700's.
What happened according to historical record was "that there was a voodoo ceremony where the symbol of freedom sang out, which was the sound of the conch shell trumpet spurring slaves to rebel against French coffee and sugar plantation owners in 1791." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitian_Voodoo). It was the call for and the beginning of a successful slave revolt and it began with a voodoo ceremony.
I am sad for all that has happened to the people of Haiti. And saying that, I realize that I know very little about the country and even less about what Voodoo, a major religious practice in Haiti, is about. What is Haitian Voodoo about and what do its followers believe in?
Reading about Haitian Voodoo I've learned that Voodoo is a religion, a complex spirituality that comes from religious ideas which came over from Africa during the slavery era and with the passing of time and traditions, meshed together with the religious rituals from the Catholic missionaries, the Haitian culture and the African influences.
A human being has both a physical body and a soul or spirit and when a person dies, the two separate. The spirit of the individual slips away and must be reclaimed by a priest in a ceremony, usually after a day and a year in Haiti. This is one reason with the high number of deaths in Haiti, many people fear that their loved ones' spirits will never be at peace because they weren't properly buried or be reclaimed accordingly to tradition. In this time of great tragedy, many Haitian people need to find comfort and peace in their faith, whether it be Voodoo or Christianity, and do not need to be condemned for their beliefs.

--- DJS

Wiccan/Pagan worship space.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/01/air-force-academy-gives-p_n_444800.html

Air force academy in colorado dedicates religious space to Pagans/Wiccans

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-wicca3-2010feb03,0,3367750.story

less than a week later, religious space is desecrated.

Don't do it, Mr. Obama!

As a BBC News story reports, China is urging President Barack Obama not to meet with the Dalai Lama later this month. According to the BBC, "Communist Party official Zhu Weiqun said such a meeting would "threaten trust and co-operation" between Beijing and Washington."

Comparative religion

Hello, I was meandering around the net and found this site, I thought it was cool enough to share.
http://www.comparativereligion.com/
It talks about studying religions to see if they all are pieces of the same puzzle/different paths to the same place or not.
~Eowyn

Religious mash-ups?

As it turns out, it's more common than one might think for people to mix beliefs from different religions. A recent Washington Post article reveals some interesting findings...