I Speak of Dreams

Mission to Convert The Devil Worshipers Buddhists

I was looking for a Buddhist prayer, the text of which I couldn't remember. So I asked Google "Dalai Lama's prayer"--because I believed it was his--and came across this:

Sonrise Center for Buddhist Studies, Inc. (SCBS) is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization whose vision is to see a church established and leadership discipled among every unreached Buddhist people group.

Our mission is to equip the Christian community with relevant information and appropriate training for ministry in a Buddhist pluralistic context so that they can intelligently share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with their friends, relatives, co-workers and neighbors next door.

Personally, I believe that proselytizing (actively trying to bring someone into your own religous beliefs) is at the very best misguided. At worst, it is morally reprehensible.

It turns out that the founder of Sonrise, James Stephens, was a dedicated member of Soka Gakkai Buddhist from 1970 to 1984. On pilgrimage to Japan in 1985, Stephens was injured. The Soka Gakkai functionaries in Japan did not come to his aid. So he became disillusioned with SG, and "became a seeker"

New Year's Invocaton

WOULDN’T THIS BE WONDERFUL!
 
May you get a clean bill of health from your dentist, your cardiologist, your gastro-enterologist, your urologist, your proctologist, your podiatrist, your psychiatrist, your plumber and the I.R.S.

May your hair, your teeth, your face-lift, your abs and your stocks not fall; and may your blood pressure, your triglycerides, your cholesterol, your white blood count and your mortgage interest not rise.

May New Year's Eve find you seated around the table, together with your beloved family and cherished friends. May you find the food better, the environment quieter, the cost much cheaper, and the pleasure much more fulfilling than anything else you might ordinarily do that night.

May what you see in the mirror delight you, and what others see in you delight them. May someone love you enough to forgive your faults, be blind to your blemishes, and tell the world about your virtues.

May the telemarketers wait to make their sales calls until you finish dinner, may the commercials on TV not be louder than the program you have been watching, and may your check book and your budget balance - and include generous amounts for charity.

May you remember to say "I love you" at least once a day to your spouse, your child, your parent, your siblings; but not to your secretary, your nurse, your masseuse, your hairdresser or your tennis instructor.

And may we live in a world at peace and with the awareness of the preciousness of life in every sunset, every flower's unfolding petals, every baby's smile, every lover's kiss, and every wonderful, astonishing, miraculous beat of our heart.

Creationism is bunk

Just in case you were wondering, Creationism is bunk.

Here are the top 5 people that Google says agree with me: (for right now, it is 2, because I have to go pick up my daughter.)

Creationists Lie

What is with the creationists? They lie, then lie again. According to the good folks at Creation "Science" Debunked Lennie Flanks reveals that the Institute for Creation Research has a pattern of stretching the truth.

The Good Citizens of Boise vs. Hate

This is sick. I imagine that Matthew Shepard's family is tormented by Fred Phelps' sick insistence. (On The Fritz told me about it.)
How the Picketing Started -- Gage Park This is in Phelps' own words, and the link will get you to the Topeka Constitution-Journal's long series on the church and Phelps.

Eleven years ago we began our picket ministry;

December dilemma

Poor Baraita:

Namely: sinus infections and the air pressure changes which take place during airplane flights do not mix. Owowowowowowowowowowowow. And ow. (On the plus side, I gained a whole new appreciation for those first accounts of martyrdom. One more connecting flight and I would've sacrificed to idols in a heartbeat. ;)

But also hysterically funny Baraita:

So, about admiring lights? At what point does it stop being Aesthetic Appreciation and start being Reindeer Envy? Also, is there some reason why we can't have a huge illuminated menorah in our front yard? What about lights hung on the bushes? Does it matter if they are clear, colored, or blue-and-white? Are clear lights too WASP-y? (My mother's solution: she wants clear lights, but my father has to take the initiative in putting them up. So far he has resisted being used as our Christmas goy, but I suspect he will give in soon enough.)

Serious multi-culturalism and cultural competence is danged hard to pull off. It works better when you laugh.

The Trouble With Islam

Allah told me I should never read The Trouble With Islam so of course I ordered it.

The Trouble with Islam is an open letter from me, a Muslim voice of reform, to concerned citizens worldwide -- Muslim and not. It's about why my faith community needs to come to terms with the diversity of ideas, beliefs and people in our universe, and why non-Muslims have a pivotal role in helping us get there.

The themes I'm exploring with the utmost honesty include:

the inferior treatment of women in Islam;
the Jew-bashing that so many Muslims persistently engage in; and
the continuing scourge of slavery in countries ruled by Islamic regimes.

Pagan Anti Defamation League

I forget how I got here, but evidently Fundamentalist Christians spend a lot of energy being critical of Pagan or Wiccan beliefs. Unfortunately, some police officers are spreading lies:

Are Pagans the members of a secret underground cult that sacrifices babies? Are some 'unsolved' murders really covered ups perpetuated by law enforcement personnel as part of an evil conspiracy to overthrow Christianity and to promote a devilish agenda?

The answer would be 'yes' if you believed the claims of people such as Michael Warnke (The Satan Seller), Bill Schnoebelen (Wicca: Satan's Little White Lie) or Lawrence and Michelle Pazder (Michelle Remembers).

And many people DO believe.

So Charles A Ennis, who is a Wiccan and a police officer, decided to engage in law enforcement education. It is a very interesting collection of articles.

Kerr's Bio: Kerr Cuhulain the author of this article, is known to the mundane world as Detective Constable Charles A Ennis of the Vancouver Police Department, Youth Services Unit. Ennis, a child abuse investigator for the VPD, is the author of several articles on child abuse investigation that appeared in Law & Order Magazine. Better known to the Pagan community by his Wiccan name, Kerr Cuhulain, Ennis was the first Wiccan police officer to go public about his beliefs 25 years ago. Kerr is now the spokesperson for Officers of Avalon. Kerr went on to write three books: The Law Enforcement Guide to Wicca (Horned Owl Publishing) as well as Wiccan Warrior and Full Contact Magick: A Book of Shadows for the Wiccan Warrior. (Llewellyn Publications).

France to ban religious expression

I am not sure yet what I think about this, other than the suspicion that Chirac is going in the wrong direction. I cannot believe that banning religious dress (and other displays such as large crosses) will increase tolerance and understanding The LA Times has an onerous sign in policy. Here's the gist of the article by Sebastian Rotella
PARIS — President Jacques Chirac proposed a law Wednesday to ban Muslim head scarves, Jewish skullcaps and large crucifixes in public schools, stepping into a divisive cultural conflict by reaffirming the secularism at the core of the French national identity.

The proposal follows months of political debate and increasing tension in schools, hospitals and other public institutions as religious practices, primarily those of a fast-growing Muslim community, clash with the secular tradition of the French state.

Scientology is an Evil Cult

Scientology, is a money-making racket disguised as a cult that's intimidated the IRS into granting tax-exempt status. (By the way, that means that means you and I are supporting this cult).

Scientology is a dangerous, mindbending cult. Menace to Society or Just Plain Silly (tm)?

Well, evil cult But not the only one.