Dog prays at Japanese Zen temple

I just thought this was really cool and I wanted to share. Click on the title to see the article!

Chinese media: 'crush' Tibet protests

Notice? We are only hearing from the "Chinese media". Apparently, they are using videos of the violence to post photos of rioters on TV. People are then supposed to turn in their friends and family members. Doesn't that sound like a good time?

China is officially an atheist country. Your loyalty is supposed to be towards the State, not some "non-existent" deity or religion. Tibet, with a government that is officially "Tibetan Buddhist", which is a distinct form of Buddhism which evolved specifically in Tibet, is considered "feudal" and "medieval" by the "progressive" Chinese. From the Chinese point of view, they are helping Tibet. Tibet has tons of mineral resources on their land that would be just going to waste (from the Chinese point of view) if they were left to their own devices. The Chinese want to utilize those resources, and, in return, they want to "modernize" Tibet. Of course, Tibet didn't really agree that that needed modernization, any more than the Native Americans in this country did, but that is besides the point.

It is important, too, to realize that even though China is officially atheist, there are several religions that are practiced there, including Confucianism, Ancestor worship, Taoism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Indigenous religions, and new religious movements such as Xiantianism and Falun Gong. There are also the remnants of Heaven Worship, Manichaeism and Zoroastrianism. With so much religious diversity, it is easy to see why the government may want to remain officially atheist.

The overwhelming attitude, though, is Confucsianism, with its emphasis on social order and personal responsibility to maintain it. Chaos is abhorrent and embarrassing, and China is no doubt mortified over the current conflict in Tibet. Under Confucsianism, the individual's responsibility is to maintain a peaceful and harmonious society. Hence, actions taken by the Chinese governement which may seem horrendous to us, may be accepted as necessary to maintain order to most Chinese. It is always important to realize that different people have different value systems.

3 candidates' passport files breached

This is another news story that is a bigger story than many people may realize. Apparently, the passport files of Sens. Barack Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton and John McCain have all been illegally viewed by State Department employees.

The State Department is ultimately under the control of the President of the United States. In fact, Condoleeza Rice has already apologized for it and the employees have been reprimanded. These were contract employees, not direct hires of the U.S. Government.

This all may add up to nothing. A mistake, perhaps. After all, the privacy of candidates of both parties were violated. Worse case scenario, the employees saw the candidates Social Security Numbers which would allow them to obtain credit reports, right?

No, actually, the worse case scenario is actually that the White House knowingly sent people in there to obtain this information for the purpose of launching a smear campaign. Does that sound paranoid?

It shouldn't. The Nixon Administration did just that in 1972, when they thought it was a good idea break into the Watergate Hotel to dig up dirt and Democratic candidates and, thus, influence the election.

Yes, I know that candidates of both parties were affected. And, I am not saying that this is at all the same thing. But, I do think that anyone not familiar with Watergate very least read the Wikipedia article about it here. Knowledge is Power.

BTW, if this DID turn out the same way as it did in 1972, then both Presdident Bush and Vice President Cheney would end up resigning. I can't see that happening, because Bush and Cheney are a LOT more arrogant than Nixon and Agnew were. They would have to be frog-walked out in handcuffs rather than give up the keys to the kingdom. And, presumably, they learned a lot from Watergate and are not likely to make the same mistake. Not only that, but Cheney actually worked IN the Nixon Administration, and in 1975, in a handwritten note, he actually suggests that the Ford Administration consider the same type of covert strategy to deal with another issue.

There is already a lot out there about comparisons between W. and Nixon. Here is a very interesting comparison of presidential popularity that was published by the Wall Street Journal. However, it is a little dated. I am sure that W.'s popularity is much lower, now. I don't know if he has fallen below Nixon yet, or not.

It is interesting to notice that almost EVERY president looses popularity as they go. In fact, the ONLY president shown to have a higher popularity when he left office than when he came in was Bill Clinton.

And, I am told, he was the anti-Christ.

Chinese troops converge in Tibetan areas

The situation is Tibet is a very serious one. Most Americans only even know where Tibet is because of the rock-star popularity of the Dalai Lama. Today the Chinese government has sent thousands of troops into Tibet to, allegedly, hunt down rioters. The question that has to be asked is obvious. How does one identify a "rioter" if they are not caught in the act of "rioting"? Call me paranoid, but I have a bad feeling that people are just going to rounded up indiscriminately and publicly executed. In addition, Beijing has warned tourists and journalists away from Tibet. This is also very significant. For one thing, tourism is a big income generator for the area (and, since it is part of China, presumably the rest of the country as well). So, a lost of tourism costs money. But, more importantly, journalists are being warned away. This is never a good sign. It appears to me that Beijing would like to "punish" the country for creating this embarrassing situation.

Which brings us back to the Dali Lama. Last week, he threatened to resign if the violence didn't stop. This was an interesting, even shocking, move on his part. China is accusing him of inciting the violence, but it is obvious, to me, anyway, that this is not the case. The Dali Lama is both the spiritual and the political leader of Tibet. He performs both functions from Darmsala, India, since he has been in exile since 1959. China, of course, is in a difficult position with this, because if they recognize the Dali Lama as leader, it implies that China is not completely in control of the region. However, when the Dali Lama says that he is going to resign, be must be talking about his political role, since his spiritual role is established by the fact that he is the 14th incarnation of the office. He cannot "resign" and still be alive.

This threat is a two-edge sword. On the one hand, it says to Tibet "You MUST stop the violence. If you do not, I will resign as your political leader, and you will be on your own." Why would he do such a thing? Why would he not stand beside his countrymen in their struggle for freedom? Because, the Dali Lama is the "incarnation of compassion". His whole being is a symbol of peace. And, besides, China is likely to squash them like a bug.

Secondly, it says to China "You must back off, or I will resign. That will leave Tibet with no leadership (since they do not recognize yours), and the entire area will fall into chaos and anarchy. This will be a very embarrassing situation for you right before you host the Olympics"

Hosting the Olympics is a big deal in the International Community. China has been working very hard in recent years to be taken seriously as a world power. The recent problems with poison dog food and lead contaminated toys have been real problems for them in the recent past. Just think what a large scale punitive public execution would do!

And, finally, do not underestimate the power of the rock-star in this country. China makes a LOT of money on us. What would happen if the U.S. finally enacted a large-scale boycott of all Chinese goods and services? We won't do it to strengthen our own economy, but perhaps we would do it for the Dali Lama. Wouldn't that be interesting?

This is big news.

The Religious Right Has Already Lost (And They Don't Even Know It)

This is an interesting blog entry from Street Prophets dated March 19, 2008 by pastordan, who believes that the Religious Right's power in the country is on the decline. He has made a survey of several influential conservative bloggers and quoted them to make his point. I agree with him in that I do think that the so called "Religious Right" is in a period of change, but I think they are a long way from being out.

At any rate, it is interesting to see all the different viewpoints on Barack Obama's recent racism speech from a Conservative point of view.

Moses was high on drugs: Israeli researcher

I actually have thought this for a long time. I never had the resources to research it.

Early Lent puts fasting on fast track

The author uses the fact that Easter falls unusually early this year to make a statement about the rich cultural diversity of Los Angeles. The story is about the Christian tradition of Lent. It is also, about one ritual practiced by many different denominations and cultures. The article not only explains the tradition of Lent, where it comes from, and how it is celebrated, but it talks about how the date of Easter is determined and where the word Lent comes from. It also makes a point of mentioning many different denominations as well as quoting people of differently ethnically identified names. Therefore, even though it is about religion, it is also about diversity and finding commonality.

Here are the people who are quoted: Rev. Ken Fong, senior pastor of Evergreen Baptist Church-L.A, Rev. Guillermo Garcia, pastor of St. Gertrude Catholic Church in Bell Gardens, Rev. Mark Nakagawa, senior pastor of the one of the oldest Japanese American churches in California, Rev. Charles G. Robertson Jr., pastor of Wilshire Presbyterian Church (who does not celebrate Lent, by the way), Gailen L. Reevers, pastor of Lincoln Memorial United Church of Christ in the Crenshaw district. (The people who live in Los Angeles would identify the last church as an African American church by virtue of its location in the Crenshaw district).

I liked this story because it says something about so many different things. Not only did it tell me something about the tradition of Lent in Christianity, (which I would not have know about had it not been for my time here at SU) but it also showed me how the sharing of that tradition crosses cultural boundaries in a highly diverse area such as Los Angeles.

An Altar Beyond Olympus for a Deity Predating Zeus

Geologists and archeologists from the University of Pennsylvania have found a site on Mount Lykaion, in the region of Greece called Arcadia, which they believe to be an altar to a god worshipped there before Zeus. Although many people think of ancient Greek deities as a part of "dead" religions, many 21st century neo-Pagans will find this new discovery very interesting. However, the actual worshipers of this deity, as well as his female counterpart, are going to be a mystery for some time. The worshipers of this god and goddess would have been prehistoric people, and, therefore, they left no written record.

The Times intended this as an "archeology" article. In fact, it appears on the Science page of the New York Times. Therefore, religion is not as much a part of the story as it is in some people's eyes. A pre-Greek deity is an exciting discovery for certain people in the neo-Pagan movement, as this is represents new information about pre-Christian religion which more neo-Paganism is based upon. However, because neo-Paganism is still not widely accepted as a religion, the writer and/or the editor may not have even considered the religious significance that this story may have for some people.

Even though I happen to be in a position to recognize the importance of this event to neo-Pagans, I do not necessarily think there was any reason for the authors to mention this in the article. The interested parties will no doubt know that they are interested, (in fact, this article has already shown up on the blog of at least one Pagan author) and most of the rest of the population either will not care, or will find reason to be derogatory. However, had a previously unknown Christian, or Jewish, or even Muslim site had been mentioned, the religious aspect would have featured prominently.

The author quotes David Gilman Romano of the University of Pennsylvania, Jack Davis, director of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Ken Dowden, director of the Institute of Archaeology and Antiquity at the University of Birmingham, England, all academics, and rightly so. At this stage, these scientists would have the most important things to say on the matter. The author also quotes Pausanias, a Greek traveler who wrote in the second century c.e. He refers to a sanctuary of Zeus in the approximate location. This quotation tells us nothing about the newly discovered deity, but it lends credence to the theory that the Temple of Zeus was on a pre-existing site, and also gives the reader a connection with the past. The author also quotes Jane Ellen Harrison, a British scholar from the early 1900s who talked about ritual sacrifice to Zeus in the age of Homer. There was quite a lot of interest in ancient religion during that time, and this is a fun reference for neo-Pagans, but not particularly useful to other readers of today. Many dramatic misconceptions passed as fact during that time. Today’s readers would have to ask themselves about the validity of the sacrifice story. The article also quoted Dr. Mary E. Voyatzis, Dr, Jack Davis, and Dr. Gullog Nordquist, all academics who had various opinions about the find.

It is very important to recognize that neo-Paganism is not the same as the ancient religion that worshiped the pre-Greek god. Neo-Paganism is largely rooted in the Victorian period and much expanded upon over the last 30 years. However, there is a conscious effort made to tie this new religion to the old, and that is why this story has religious significance.

Survey: U.S. religious landscape in flux

This was in my email this morning. This is a big deal. The various Protestant denominations employ a lot of people in this country.

Religions that are growing include Church of Latter Day Saints, Islam, and neo-Paganism.

Accused witch gives birth in tree

It is hard to believe that this is still going on anywhere in the world, but apparently it is.

Papua New Guinea is largely Christianize today, with several different denominations. However, the pre-Christian animist roots are still very prevalent. This incident could possibly be a result of what American Pagans might call a "witch war". In other words, two groups with a long standing disputes, each using traditional magic against the other. The one that was losing decides to resort to more direct violence.

Bishop fined in gay discrimination case

This is an example of a power struggle between religion & secular government. The gay-rights issue is only the latest incarnation of it.

CURRENTS / Religion gets personal

This was so interesting! This is an article from the Daily Yomiuri about new innovations in funerary customs in Japan.

"Buddhism came to play a big part in funeral services in Japan in the late Edo period (1603-1867) at the politically motivated instruction of the shogunate. Before that, community leaders had conducted rituals in accordance with Shinto-influenced customs when a member of their community died.

In an attempt to stamp out Christianity, the shogunate required all families to register with a temple and placed the Buddhist institution in charge of ritual care of the dead. With the funeral being such an important Christian rite, the shogunate could deduce that anyone who did not follow the Buddhist service after death was likely to be a Christian."

I had no idea that there was this much tension between the Shogun and the Christians in the 1600s, but it makes sense.

Dispute Over Salary Survey of Christian Ministries

Jack Siegel, a Chicago lawyer, says that "Mr. Dehler is playing the role of “armchair compensation expert” and may be condemning Christian leaders for perfectly acceptable pay levels given their workload and successes". I don't know. Is $465,000 in combined compensation a little much? I wonder what the Office Coordinator makes?

The Story Behind the Killings of Congo's Rare Mountain Gorillas

I got into an argument (well, rather, let us say a passionate discussion) on my hobby blog about over population. It started with me saying that there are just too many people in the world, and someone else insisting that human population will eventually control itself. My point was that, yes, human population will be controlled, but it will not control itself. Mother Nature with control it for us. In the mean time, there are an awful lot of endangered species whose existences hangs by a threat because, well, gee, there are just too many people.

This article kind of proves my point. Yes, people need firewood. And, now there is a charcoal black market. And, whenever there is a black market, there is a mafia. And, gee... this is what a mafia does, no matter where it is.

Putting the clock back 10,000 years

I found this in my email this morning. The interesting thing here (besides the fact that the information is just fascinating to anyone who is interested in ancient proto-Celtic civilization, is that the information is coming to us through Avon Corp. What is up with that? Is Avon somehow connected to the River Avon? I have no idea, but enjoy, anyway!

Gorillas Found Tossing "Weapons," Study Says

I am, quite frankly, am shocked that they think this is such a big deal. Caesar, the incredibly beautiful gorilla that used to live at the L.A. zoo (sadly, he died of an intestinal infection a few years back), used to hurl turds and visitors, then hide behind the rocks. This was his very own brand of gorilla-game, and I always felt very honored when he hurled turds at me.

Taoist homosexuals turn to the Rabbit God

I found this in my email this morning.

My exposure to Taoism is mostly through the New Age Movement. New Agers tend to be very tolerant towards the LGBT community. However, it never occurred to me to wonder what Taiwanese Taoists think about the matter. This article was a gift!

Christian author has problem with conservatives

Unfortunately, every it is getting so that when one thinks "Christian", Jerry Falwell, or, Goddess forbid, Fred Phelps springs to mind. However, this is only because the people who make the most noise get the most attention.

There are plenty of liberal Christians out there who are reasonable, loving... dare I say it... Christian Christians out there who are not spewing hate. Here is one of them.

Galileo protest halts pope's visit

Apparently, Pope Benedict, when he was still Cardinal Ratzinger, called the trial of Galileo "reasonable and just"

Click on the title to read the whole article