"Reports in the American press state that Kanye West could be set to take a break - by heading to an Indian retreat.
India has long had a place in popular culture. The nation's vast countryside mixed with its religious subtleties have made it a rich source for pop star inspiration, with many seeking refuge in the ancient land." Robin Murray/Clash Music.Com
Kanye West has gone into seclusion since ruining Taylor Swift's big day at the MTV VMA Awards. West canceled his upcoming tour with Lady Gaga, and he snubbed the BET awards despite being nominated for nine awards.
West doesn't need to travel to India to seek spiritual enlightenment, and to work out his personal demons. The controversial rapper simply needs to look in the mirror, and admit that he's a jerk who needs to mend his ways.
West is expected to spend a month in an ashram in India, that's not long enough. West needs to stay in India for a couple of years, that's equivalent to a couple of generations in the rap game. By the time West comes back to the US nobody will remember him, or care about him.
Robert Paul Reyes is a NewsBlaze writer on Politics, Pop Culture and Pointless Pontificating. Contact him by writing to NewsBlaze.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Space Yoga Taiwan Marches to Spiritual Enlightenment
* Publication Date：10/09/2009
* Source： Taiwan Today
* By Tien-ying Hsu
With her eyes closed, she takes a deep breath, stretching her arms and legs to release tension accumulated at work. Barefooted and in comfortable clothes, Wang Ya-ching feels her worries vaporizing in the warmth and light. When she opens her eyes again, the young yoga practitioner finds the people around her all have the same joyful smile on their faces. “Namaste,” she says to her peers in the studio, an expression from Sanskrit meaning “I bow to you,” or more spiritually, “the soul in me meets the soul in you.”
The scene here is not some secluded beach resort in India, but a trendy “hot yoga” classroom in downtown Taipei.
Yoga has only recently become a fad in the metropolis. Just a few years ago, experienced practitioners existed and yoga classes were available, but for the general public, the discipline was associated more with seriously-ill patients clinging to a final hope, or religious groups practicing mysterious rituals in incense-filled rooms, than with anything else.
However, yoga has now transformed itself in the minds of locals, becoming a fashionable form of exercise that improves one’s appearance, peace of mind and health. In fact, in Taipei, yoga has quickly gained a strong foothold over the last few years.
Although the craze only started recently, “there is a rising middle class with spending power and education that realizes the importance of exercise in Taiwan,” said Colin Grant, CEO of Pure International Hong Kong Ltd., whose company’s Pure Yoga centers entered the Taipei market in 2005.
In addition, after the collapse of major fitness clubs in Taipei, such as the Alexander Clubs in 2007, large-scale commercial yoga chains, most of which are owned by foreign companies, took the chance to win fitness lovers’ hearts with their customized services, club-level facilities and comfortable environments.
Pure Yoga’s fashionable, appealing image relied at first on glamour, as the firm’s chairman, Bruce Rockowitz, was the boyfriend of singer-actress Coco Lee. The healthy and sexy-looking star helped establish Pure Yoga’s brand image while attracting young women to its studio in the eastern shopping district of Taipei.
Its recent collaboration with Bellavita has taken Pure Yoga to a new commercial peak. “Pure Yoga and Bellavita share the same marketing philosophy when it comes to brand positioning in Taipei,” Grant explained in an e-mail interview. Bellavita, a luxurious NT$9 billion (US$280 million) shopping mall opened Sept. 21 by C.C. Leung, vice chairman of Quanta Group, is situated in the Xinyi District, where the wealthy gather to shop and enjoy a leisurely life. Pure Yoga’s new studio at Bellavita will not only provide yoga classes, but also fitness and fine dining under the Pure Yoga name. The cross-sector alliance and combined approach to the provision of services enhance Pure Yoga’s brand imprint, and the establishment of the Bellavita Asian flagship center suggests that yoga has potential as a new lucrative sector in Taipei.
Serenity is something often lacking in the hectic lives of city dwellers. With deep feelings about the compressed lifestyle of many people in Taiwan, former international corporate CEO Matthew Allison decided to open Space Yoga in 2005 to share what he found in yoga. Space Yoga has since provided a spiritual getaway for more than 20,000 students, offering professional courses that help its learners relieve pressure and get inspired by the practice of yoga.
Space Yoga’s business strength lies in the caliber of its yogis. “Our teachers are selected through a strict training program. Only one out of 10 eventually becomes qualified,” Allison explained in a sunlit classroom that seemed to be filled with yoga energy. In addition, Space Yoga aims at promoting itself through recognition from its followers, instead of reaching out with commercials or promotional packages. In a high-rise building—also in the eastern section of Taipei—with breath-taking views of the city, Space Yoga has transcended urban life in a quest for a clear mind. Business is good, too.
C.S.J Yoga, one of the few locally-based chains, with 18 studios, prides itself on its three-decade-long history, stressing its high-quality teaching related to the traditional appeal of yoga—health. As General Manager Christina Chen explained it, “Our yoga practice is specially designed to help Asian people, particularly Taiwanese women, stay healthy, since our founder Chiu Su-jen regained her health through yoga. Over the years Chiu worked with a great many local students and developed a system tailored to their needs.”
With regard to the newer foreign yoga chains, Chen said, “We welcome international studios to set up in Taiwan, so that more people will get to know yoga. Our business has not been seriously impacted by this trend, because our client group is clearly and differently targeted.”
For Wang Ya-ching, a young professional who tried out several studios before settling down at True Yoga, another international group from Singapore, appearance, peace of mind and health are equally important. Convenience and a variety of classes to choose from are the most important factors in her choice. “All of the True studios in Taipei are reachable by metro, and they offer more than 30 classes in just one center, meaning I can go there any time I’m free. True offers traditional yoga classes like Ashtanga or Hatha, but it also has more alternative choices like ‘hot yoga’ and ‘Taichi yoga’.”
For yoga to be a lucrative business with a stylish image and a variety of services may sound contradictory to some practitioners, such as Alfred Chiang, a yogi with over 20 years of experience. The small studio where he teaches is part of his home in a modest suburban apartment, and the fees he charges are barely enough to cover the rent. “Yoga brings you the ultimate spiritual satisfaction. By the time you are able to integrate yoga into your life, you don’t need as many monetary rewards anymore,” Chiang said.
While yoga in Taiwan is still a developing trend, Space Yoga’s Allison, in contrast, claimed that in the United States, yoga has become an essential part of the culture. Quite a few Americans, aside from taking yoga classes, choose health food, clothing and holiday retreats according to their relationship to yoga. One may see the synthesis of yoga with one’s life as the ultimate fulfillment of the yoga spirit, but for businessmen, it also means more potential markets await exploration. (THN)
Write to Tien-ying Hsu at tyhsu@mail.gio.gov.tw
* Source： Taiwan Today
* By Tien-ying Hsu
With her eyes closed, she takes a deep breath, stretching her arms and legs to release tension accumulated at work. Barefooted and in comfortable clothes, Wang Ya-ching feels her worries vaporizing in the warmth and light. When she opens her eyes again, the young yoga practitioner finds the people around her all have the same joyful smile on their faces. “Namaste,” she says to her peers in the studio, an expression from Sanskrit meaning “I bow to you,” or more spiritually, “the soul in me meets the soul in you.”
The scene here is not some secluded beach resort in India, but a trendy “hot yoga” classroom in downtown Taipei.
Yoga has only recently become a fad in the metropolis. Just a few years ago, experienced practitioners existed and yoga classes were available, but for the general public, the discipline was associated more with seriously-ill patients clinging to a final hope, or religious groups practicing mysterious rituals in incense-filled rooms, than with anything else.
However, yoga has now transformed itself in the minds of locals, becoming a fashionable form of exercise that improves one’s appearance, peace of mind and health. In fact, in Taipei, yoga has quickly gained a strong foothold over the last few years.
Although the craze only started recently, “there is a rising middle class with spending power and education that realizes the importance of exercise in Taiwan,” said Colin Grant, CEO of Pure International Hong Kong Ltd., whose company’s Pure Yoga centers entered the Taipei market in 2005.
In addition, after the collapse of major fitness clubs in Taipei, such as the Alexander Clubs in 2007, large-scale commercial yoga chains, most of which are owned by foreign companies, took the chance to win fitness lovers’ hearts with their customized services, club-level facilities and comfortable environments.
Pure Yoga’s fashionable, appealing image relied at first on glamour, as the firm’s chairman, Bruce Rockowitz, was the boyfriend of singer-actress Coco Lee. The healthy and sexy-looking star helped establish Pure Yoga’s brand image while attracting young women to its studio in the eastern shopping district of Taipei.
Its recent collaboration with Bellavita has taken Pure Yoga to a new commercial peak. “Pure Yoga and Bellavita share the same marketing philosophy when it comes to brand positioning in Taipei,” Grant explained in an e-mail interview. Bellavita, a luxurious NT$9 billion (US$280 million) shopping mall opened Sept. 21 by C.C. Leung, vice chairman of Quanta Group, is situated in the Xinyi District, where the wealthy gather to shop and enjoy a leisurely life. Pure Yoga’s new studio at Bellavita will not only provide yoga classes, but also fitness and fine dining under the Pure Yoga name. The cross-sector alliance and combined approach to the provision of services enhance Pure Yoga’s brand imprint, and the establishment of the Bellavita Asian flagship center suggests that yoga has potential as a new lucrative sector in Taipei.
Serenity is something often lacking in the hectic lives of city dwellers. With deep feelings about the compressed lifestyle of many people in Taiwan, former international corporate CEO Matthew Allison decided to open Space Yoga in 2005 to share what he found in yoga. Space Yoga has since provided a spiritual getaway for more than 20,000 students, offering professional courses that help its learners relieve pressure and get inspired by the practice of yoga.
Space Yoga’s business strength lies in the caliber of its yogis. “Our teachers are selected through a strict training program. Only one out of 10 eventually becomes qualified,” Allison explained in a sunlit classroom that seemed to be filled with yoga energy. In addition, Space Yoga aims at promoting itself through recognition from its followers, instead of reaching out with commercials or promotional packages. In a high-rise building—also in the eastern section of Taipei—with breath-taking views of the city, Space Yoga has transcended urban life in a quest for a clear mind. Business is good, too.
C.S.J Yoga, one of the few locally-based chains, with 18 studios, prides itself on its three-decade-long history, stressing its high-quality teaching related to the traditional appeal of yoga—health. As General Manager Christina Chen explained it, “Our yoga practice is specially designed to help Asian people, particularly Taiwanese women, stay healthy, since our founder Chiu Su-jen regained her health through yoga. Over the years Chiu worked with a great many local students and developed a system tailored to their needs.”
With regard to the newer foreign yoga chains, Chen said, “We welcome international studios to set up in Taiwan, so that more people will get to know yoga. Our business has not been seriously impacted by this trend, because our client group is clearly and differently targeted.”
For Wang Ya-ching, a young professional who tried out several studios before settling down at True Yoga, another international group from Singapore, appearance, peace of mind and health are equally important. Convenience and a variety of classes to choose from are the most important factors in her choice. “All of the True studios in Taipei are reachable by metro, and they offer more than 30 classes in just one center, meaning I can go there any time I’m free. True offers traditional yoga classes like Ashtanga or Hatha, but it also has more alternative choices like ‘hot yoga’ and ‘Taichi yoga’.”
For yoga to be a lucrative business with a stylish image and a variety of services may sound contradictory to some practitioners, such as Alfred Chiang, a yogi with over 20 years of experience. The small studio where he teaches is part of his home in a modest suburban apartment, and the fees he charges are barely enough to cover the rent. “Yoga brings you the ultimate spiritual satisfaction. By the time you are able to integrate yoga into your life, you don’t need as many monetary rewards anymore,” Chiang said.
While yoga in Taiwan is still a developing trend, Space Yoga’s Allison, in contrast, claimed that in the United States, yoga has become an essential part of the culture. Quite a few Americans, aside from taking yoga classes, choose health food, clothing and holiday retreats according to their relationship to yoga. One may see the synthesis of yoga with one’s life as the ultimate fulfillment of the yoga spirit, but for businessmen, it also means more potential markets await exploration. (THN)
Write to Tien-ying Hsu at tyhsu@mail.gio.gov.tw
Tragic Deaths in Pursuit of Spirtual Awakening
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8299991.stm
Two people have died and 19 others were taken to hospital after being overcome while in a sauna-like room at a spiritual retreat in Arizona.
Police said 64 people were inside a so-called "sweatbox" at the Angel Valley resort for up to two hours before many of them became ill.
The pair who died were a middle-aged man and woman, police said.
Investigators are speaking to staff and guests and carrying out toxicity tests in an effort to find out what happened.
The 70-acre retreat near the town of Sedona, about 115 miles (185km) north of Phoenix, offers holistic treatments and spiritual retreats in a natural setting, according to its website.
Reports said some of the sweatbox participants had paid up to $9,000 (£5,700) for their stay at the retreat.
It's not something you would normally see at one of the resorts there, and it is unfortunate regardless of the cause
Dwight D'Evelyn
Yavapai County sherriff's office
The resort offers a wide range of treatments from massage to colon cleansing, healing carried out by harnessing the consciousness of a dolphin, or "vortex experiences", in which participants "experience our human energy system interacting with the earth".
Local TV images showed the "sweatbox" to be a dome-shaped frame covered by tarpaulins and blankets.
During the sweatbox experience, the tent was gradually filled with steam generated by pouring water on to fire-heated rocks brought inside the dome.
The sweatbox has traditionally been used as a ceremonial sauna in rituals practised by some Native American cultures.
The intense experience can be dangerous to people with pre-existing medical conditions or if the sweatbox is poorly constructed or badly managed.
Critical condition
The actual cause of the two deaths at Angel Valley remains extremely unclear, police said on Friday.
Homicide detectives were among investigators combing the site, with tests being carried on air inside the dome and searches of buildings at the retreat, Yavapai County sherriff's spokesman Dwight D'Evelyn said.
Map
Police are also investigating whether any of those taken ill had pre-existing medical conditions or were fasting, he said.
"There are a lot of issues that may have led up to these injuries and deaths," Mr D'Evelyn told the Associated Press.
"It's not something you would normally see at one of the resorts there, and it is unfortunate regardless of the cause."
Twenty-one people were taken by ambulance and helicopter to hospital on Thursday night.
Two were listed as being in a critical condition on Friday. Half a dozen others were said to have been discharged after making a quick recovery.
Verde Valley Fire District Chief Jerry Doerksen told AP that people had begun to emerge after about two hours in the sweatbox, feeling light-headed and weak.
He told AP he had sent a hazardous materials team into the sweatbox to test for substances such as carbon monoxide and other contaminants, but that nothing out of the ordinary had been found so far.
Two people have died and 19 others were taken to hospital after being overcome while in a sauna-like room at a spiritual retreat in Arizona.
Police said 64 people were inside a so-called "sweatbox" at the Angel Valley resort for up to two hours before many of them became ill.
The pair who died were a middle-aged man and woman, police said.
Investigators are speaking to staff and guests and carrying out toxicity tests in an effort to find out what happened.
The 70-acre retreat near the town of Sedona, about 115 miles (185km) north of Phoenix, offers holistic treatments and spiritual retreats in a natural setting, according to its website.
Reports said some of the sweatbox participants had paid up to $9,000 (£5,700) for their stay at the retreat.
It's not something you would normally see at one of the resorts there, and it is unfortunate regardless of the cause
Dwight D'Evelyn
Yavapai County sherriff's office
The resort offers a wide range of treatments from massage to colon cleansing, healing carried out by harnessing the consciousness of a dolphin, or "vortex experiences", in which participants "experience our human energy system interacting with the earth".
Local TV images showed the "sweatbox" to be a dome-shaped frame covered by tarpaulins and blankets.
During the sweatbox experience, the tent was gradually filled with steam generated by pouring water on to fire-heated rocks brought inside the dome.
The sweatbox has traditionally been used as a ceremonial sauna in rituals practised by some Native American cultures.
The intense experience can be dangerous to people with pre-existing medical conditions or if the sweatbox is poorly constructed or badly managed.
Critical condition
The actual cause of the two deaths at Angel Valley remains extremely unclear, police said on Friday.
Homicide detectives were among investigators combing the site, with tests being carried on air inside the dome and searches of buildings at the retreat, Yavapai County sherriff's spokesman Dwight D'Evelyn said.
Map
Police are also investigating whether any of those taken ill had pre-existing medical conditions or were fasting, he said.
"There are a lot of issues that may have led up to these injuries and deaths," Mr D'Evelyn told the Associated Press.
"It's not something you would normally see at one of the resorts there, and it is unfortunate regardless of the cause."
Twenty-one people were taken by ambulance and helicopter to hospital on Thursday night.
Two were listed as being in a critical condition on Friday. Half a dozen others were said to have been discharged after making a quick recovery.
Verde Valley Fire District Chief Jerry Doerksen told AP that people had begun to emerge after about two hours in the sweatbox, feeling light-headed and weak.
He told AP he had sent a hazardous materials team into the sweatbox to test for substances such as carbon monoxide and other contaminants, but that nothing out of the ordinary had been found so far.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
No Spiritual Enlightenment in a Sweat Box Today
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8299991.stm
Two die at US spiritual retreat
Aerial image of the sweatbox
The sweatbox appeared to be covered in dark tarpaulins and drapes
Two people have died and 19 others were taken to hospital after being overcome while in a sauna-like room at a spiritual retreat in Arizona.
Police said 64 people were inside a so-called "sweatbox" at the Angel Valley resort for up to two hours before many of them became ill.
The pair who died were a middle-aged man and woman, police said.
Investigators are speaking to staff and guests and carrying out toxicity tests in an effort to find out what happened.
The 70-acre retreat near the town of Sedona, about 115 miles (185km) north of Phoenix, offers holistic treatments and spiritual retreats in a natural setting, according to its website.
Reports said some of the sweatbox participants had paid up to $9,000 (£5,700) for their stay at the retreat.
It's not something you would normally see at one of the resorts there, and it is unfortunate regardless of the cause
Dwight D'Evelyn
Yavapai County sherriff's office
The resort offers a wide range of treatments from massage to colon cleansing, healing carried out by harnessing the consciousness of a dolphin, or "vortex experiences", in which participants "experience our human energy system interacting with the earth".
Local TV images showed the "sweatbox" to be a dome-shaped frame covered by tarpaulins and blankets.
During the sweatbox experience, the tent was gradually filled with steam generated by pouring water on to fire-heated rocks brought inside the dome.
The sweatbox has traditionally been used as a ceremonial sauna in rituals practised by some Native American cultures.
The intense experience can be dangerous to people with pre-existing medical conditions or if the sweatbox is poorly constructed or badly managed.
Critical condition
The actual cause of the two deaths at Angel Valley remains extremely unclear, police said on Friday.
Homicide detectives were among investigators combing the site, with tests being carried on air inside the dome and searches of buildings at the retreat, Yavapai County sherriff's spokesman Dwight D'Evelyn said.
Map
Police are also investigating whether any of those taken ill had pre-existing medical conditions or were fasting, he said.
"There are a lot of issues that may have led up to these injuries and deaths," Mr D'Evelyn told the Associated Press.
"It's not something you would normally see at one of the resorts there, and it is unfortunate regardless of the cause."
Twenty-one people were taken by ambulance and helicopter to hospital on Thursday night.
Two were listed as being in a critical condition on Friday. Half a dozen others were said to have been discharged after making a quick recovery.
Verde Valley Fire District Chief Jerry Doerksen told AP that people had begun to emerge after about two hours in the sweatbox, feeling light-headed and weak.
He told AP he had sent a hazardous materials team into the sweatbox to test for substances such as carbon monoxide and other contaminants, but that nothing out of the ordinary had been found so far.
Two die at US spiritual retreat
Aerial image of the sweatbox
The sweatbox appeared to be covered in dark tarpaulins and drapes
Two people have died and 19 others were taken to hospital after being overcome while in a sauna-like room at a spiritual retreat in Arizona.
Police said 64 people were inside a so-called "sweatbox" at the Angel Valley resort for up to two hours before many of them became ill.
The pair who died were a middle-aged man and woman, police said.
Investigators are speaking to staff and guests and carrying out toxicity tests in an effort to find out what happened.
The 70-acre retreat near the town of Sedona, about 115 miles (185km) north of Phoenix, offers holistic treatments and spiritual retreats in a natural setting, according to its website.
Reports said some of the sweatbox participants had paid up to $9,000 (£5,700) for their stay at the retreat.
It's not something you would normally see at one of the resorts there, and it is unfortunate regardless of the cause
Dwight D'Evelyn
Yavapai County sherriff's office
The resort offers a wide range of treatments from massage to colon cleansing, healing carried out by harnessing the consciousness of a dolphin, or "vortex experiences", in which participants "experience our human energy system interacting with the earth".
Local TV images showed the "sweatbox" to be a dome-shaped frame covered by tarpaulins and blankets.
During the sweatbox experience, the tent was gradually filled with steam generated by pouring water on to fire-heated rocks brought inside the dome.
The sweatbox has traditionally been used as a ceremonial sauna in rituals practised by some Native American cultures.
The intense experience can be dangerous to people with pre-existing medical conditions or if the sweatbox is poorly constructed or badly managed.
Critical condition
The actual cause of the two deaths at Angel Valley remains extremely unclear, police said on Friday.
Homicide detectives were among investigators combing the site, with tests being carried on air inside the dome and searches of buildings at the retreat, Yavapai County sherriff's spokesman Dwight D'Evelyn said.
Map
Police are also investigating whether any of those taken ill had pre-existing medical conditions or were fasting, he said.
"There are a lot of issues that may have led up to these injuries and deaths," Mr D'Evelyn told the Associated Press.
"It's not something you would normally see at one of the resorts there, and it is unfortunate regardless of the cause."
Twenty-one people were taken by ambulance and helicopter to hospital on Thursday night.
Two were listed as being in a critical condition on Friday. Half a dozen others were said to have been discharged after making a quick recovery.
Verde Valley Fire District Chief Jerry Doerksen told AP that people had begun to emerge after about two hours in the sweatbox, feeling light-headed and weak.
He told AP he had sent a hazardous materials team into the sweatbox to test for substances such as carbon monoxide and other contaminants, but that nothing out of the ordinary had been found so far.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Catholic Spiritual Enlightenment Today
ZE09100703 - 2009-10-07
Permalink: http://www.zenit.org/article-27093?l=english
Interventions From Synod's 4th Congregation
VATICAN CITY, OCT. 7, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here are the English-language summaries provided by the Vatican press office of the interventions given Tuesday afternoon at the Fourth General Congregation of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops.
* * *
H. Exc. Mons. François Xavier MAROY RUSENGO, Archbishop of Bukavu (DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO)
Starting with the damage caused by wars and violence in the East of our country, the Dem. Rep of Congo, and especially in our archdiocese of Bukavu, we estimate that reconciliation can no longer be limited solely to the harmonization of interpersonal relations. It must unavoidably take into consideration the deep causes of the crisis in relations, located on the level of the country’s interests and natural resources to be exploited and managed for everyone’s good, transparently and with equanimity. Because the causes for the violence in the East of the DR of Congo are essentially its natural resources.
To this effect, we recall the work that the commission Justice and Peace is doing to break down in the archdiocese of Bukavu so that reconciliation may be achieved through community reconstruction.
The objective is to help people reconcile themselves with their history and to commit to building a new future.
Special attention is given to the young persons. For them, we propose recreational and cultural activities able to favor reconciliation at their level, thanks to the intervention of each and every one of them in the construction of their living areas.
This approach is understood as a response to the often forgotten community traumas so as to make people responsible and actors in a positive change. It needs the reinforcement of education at the base and organization of the populations in view of a better community charge. It also requires placement of the spaces and frameworks of exchange and dialogue for the effective participation of the population in the management of the wealth to be used for the reconstruction, to the development of reconciliation and peaceful co-existence.
While we speak during these meetings, the pastoral agents in our archdiocese are worried about the enemies of peace. One of the parishes of our archdiocese was burnt down on Friday 2 October 2009, the priests were attacked, others taken hostage by uniformed men who demanded a very high ransom which we were forced to pay to save the lives of our priests that they threatened to massacre. Through these acts, it is the Church, remaining the only support for a terrorized, humiliated, exploited, dominated people, whom they would reduce to silence. Lord, may your will be done, may your kingdom of peace arrive (cf. Mt 10:6).
* * *
H. Em. Card. Walter KASPER, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity (VATICAN CITY)
While there has been, thanks to God, a rapid growth of the Church in Africa, there is sadly also an increasingly deeper fragmentation among Christians. Although this situation is not unique to Africa, it is too easy to assume that these divisions are historically entrenched through the legacy of the divided Christianity that Africa received, there are today also many new divisions in Africa itself when we think on the more recent Charismatic and Pentecostal communities, the so called Independent churches and the sects. Their growth worldwide is extensive, and their vitality on the African continent is reflected in the growth of the African Independent Churches, which have now formed an official institution, the OAIC, based in Nairobi. A certain level of dialogue is currently undertaken through the Global Christian Forum, which recently met in Nairobi.
On other levels a serious dialogue with these groups is not easy if not in many cases totally impossible because of their aggressive behaviour and -- to say the least -- their low theological standard. We have to face the urgent challenge by a self-critical attitude. For it is not enough to tell, what is wrong with them, we have to ask what is wrong or what is deficient with our own pastoral work? Why so many Christians leave our Church? What they are missing with us and searching elsewhere? The PCPCU tried to provide some help by two symposiums for bishops and theologians, one held in Nairobi and one in Dakar. We are ready to help also in the future. In this context I want to mention only two important points: Ecumenical catechetical formation and building up of small Christian communities within our parishes.
Let me now come to some of the many other challenges and tasks:
1. We look now back to almost fifty years of ecumenical dialogue. Significant ecumenical progress has been made since the Second Vatican Council, but the path to full ecclesial communion remains probably still long and arduous due to the difficulties which remain in our theological dialogues. Now appropriate steps are required to engage together with our ecumenical partners in a process of reception of the fruits of the dialogues. The commitment of the Church on the universal level must be translated and received in the local churches. This has to happen in catechesis and in theological formation, on the diocesan and on the parochial levels.
2. While traditionally the Catholic Church in Africa has maintained ongoing dialogue with the historical and nowadays also with more recent Protestant traditions, the recent rapid spread of Orthodoxy across the continent makes it essential for the Catholic Church in Africa to engage also in positive dialogue and relationships also with our Orthodox brothers and sisters.
3. The Catholic Church in Africa must give impetus to ecumenical relations with the Evangelical, Charismatic and the Pentecostal movements on the African continent also because of the relevance of their indigenous expressions and their affinity with the traditional African cultural worldview. Such an ecumenical engagement calls for inspired fidelity to the Church's principles on ecumenism on the one hand (UR, 2-4), and a specific understanding of African cultural expressions on the other. Dialogue and the pursuit of unity must therefore take seriously the context of African cultural roots. Indeed, the roots of different trees standing apart in the neighbourhood will intertwine, even as they remain distinct in their struggle to access the same life-giving sources of soil and water. This intertwining is emblematic of ecumenical rapprochement, linked to the whole question of Inkulturation and contextual relevance.
4. Our search for unity in truth and love must never lose sight of the understanding that Church unity is the work and gift of God's Holy Spirit, and goes well beyond our own efforts. Therefore spiritual ecumenism, especially prayer is the very heart of ecumenical commitment (UR, 8). Yet ecumenism will not bear lasting fruits if it is not accompanied by tangible gestures of conversion, which stir the conscience and foster the healing of memories and relationships. As the Decree on Ecumenism asserts, "There can be no ecumenism worthy of the name without a change of heart [...]" (UR, 7). Such a metanoia (UR, 5-8; UUS, 15f.; 83f.) would bring us closer to God at the centre of our lives, in such a way that we too come closer to one another.
Thus the theme of the Synod offers a challenge to the Church in Africa to sharpen its ecumenical vision and to offer the pursuit of unity to the people of Africa as an authentic treasure of the Gospel. The Catholic Church in Africa is encouraged to continue building bridges of friendship and, through prayerful spiritual ecumenism and the consequent discernment of the will of God, to engage in "the ministry of reconciliation" (2 Cor 5:18), which has been entrusted to us through Christ. That is the underlying basis of our ecumenical commitment. The renewal of the inner life of our hearts and minds is the crux of all dialogue and reconciliation, making ecumenism a mutual commitment of understanding, respect and love, so that the world may believe.
* * *
H. Exc. Mons. François EID, O.M.M., Bishop of Cairo of Maronite Rite (EGYPT)
In this intervention I speak for myself and refer to numbers 102, 126 and 128, which speak about relations with other religions, while insisting on going from dialogue between Cultures to a Culture of Dialogue, for the formation of future priests in Africa.
An Asian thinker said: “we need not only the knowledge of the other, but also of the other to know ourselves better.” This said, we can point out that the question of Dialogue is posed as the cultural and spiritual problematic “par excellence”, seeing as it is tied, more in the understanding of ourselves than in our attitude towards others.
History teaches us that the source of a Dynamism that renews cultural identities resides in its broad universal openness that draws it to welcome differences and create a continuously enriching osmosis; on the other hand, cultural isolation leads to the loss of identity.
The barometer of a good cultural health of a people or of a community lies in the centrality of the other in the community path. This explains the centrality of Love of the Other in Christianity which makes the Church a Diaconate at the service of man.
Thus, one of the Letters of the Oriental Catholic Patriarchs stated that “the presence of others in our life represents the voice of God and our relation with them is an essential element of our spiritual identity, because of this, we must go beyond conviviality towards a fraternal yet responsible communion.
1. I believe that the formation of future African priests to the one belonging to Our Lord Jesus, Teacher and Model, represents the only alternative to form these priests into instruments of peace and reconciliation. Thus, their mission should not be considered as the place for a competition of personal, family or tribal interests, rather, to the contrary, a place for the encounter between brothers beloved by the Lord and called upon to build together, in Charity, His Kingdom of Peace and Justice.
2. At this point, I see an urgent need for a better Priestly Formation that places, as its priority, the passage from a Dialogue between Cultures to a Culture of Dialogue. This mission will make the future African priests the Messengers of the Gospel of peace, for a New Africa, where Spiritual and Human solidarity moves, each and everyone, to carry their difficulties, suffering, hopes and challenges of the Other, who is our brother before God. Thus we move:
From marginalization to welcoming,From rejection to acceptance,
From rivalry to fraternity.
The Culture of Dialogue echoes what Saint Augustine said: “ET IN OMNIA CARITAS”.
* * *
H. Exc. Mons. Simon NTAMWANA, Archbishop of Gitega, President of the Association of Episcopal Conferences for Central Africa (A.E.C.C.A.) (BURUNDI)
Several categories and groups, in our lower region, suffer under the weight of various evils which have just been mentioned. Families are disrupted, destabilized, impoverished. Some do not even have their own homes to live in, nor land to cultivate in order to survive, nor the means to educate their children, nor anything with which to tend to their healthcare needs, etc. Added to these types of lacking, there are phenomena such as the rape of women, the recruitment of children into armed groups, etc. If the responsibility for this situation is shared by all the elements of society, some among them are more responsible than others. We think in particular of the leading political class. In fact, one deplores, among other facts, that political men use ethnic fractures to gain and to maintain power. Some of them consider their position uniquely as a source of personal enrichment, or even that of their families and friends, thus allowing vote-seeking and tribalism to triumph over authentic values, thus seriously compromising social peace.
In this evolution, the Church has played a role, through her messages and exhortations, but also with her witness of fraternity across borders and barriers generated by armed conflicts and wars. Some of our brothers in the Episcopate even had to manage National Sovereign Conferences to ensure mediation between different elements in their countries. In addition, our “Justice and Peace” commissions were involved, in certain countries, in the preparation of elections, providing a civic and electoral education. The Caritas-Development Commissions, in these situations of war, have helped thousands of vulnerable people.
However, not only does spiritual poverty need to be healed, but the generalized impoverishment and unrestricted pauperization of ou r people must be resolved in appropriate. Indeed, it is because these populations are poor or impoverished, that they have become vulnerable. Those well off manipulate them as pleases them; and certain fishermen in troubled waters use ethnic fractures, for example, to divide peoples, in order to continue to enrich themselves in situations of conflict, where people cannot claim their rights.
* * *
H. Exc. Mons. Martin MUNYANYI, Bishop of Gweru (ZIMBABWE)
The Church in Zimbabwe appreciates very much that the Instrumentum laboris dealt with issues which are of great concern in our country, such as poverty, violence, lack of recognition of women, children and minority groups and also issues of injustice in Church such as working conditions of Church employees.
Zimbabwe had very difficult and inhuman socio-political experiences traceable from the pre-colonial, the colonial and post-colonial eras which need to be dealt with urgently. It will be a mistake, in quest for lasting reconciliation, to simply ask people to forget the past.
Reconciliation is needed not only in the nation at large but also in the Church, for we see simmering tension in some of our parishes due to language and ethnic differences.
In Africa, when we talk of justice we certainly talk of affected parties including their families. Communities need to sit together and discuss their problems in a palaver scenario. And retributive and restorative justice should be established before the death of either party in a case.
Issues of justice in the Church are obvious in not paying our workers enough that constitutes a just wage and in the misuse of Church resources by priests at the expense of the communities. Some Church practices tend to have a bias against the girl child. For example, the girl is punished while the boy is not.
As a local Church, we have set up structures such as Commission for Justice and Peace to address negative historical aspects of our experience.
The whole undertaking should start somewhere like in the family as Pope Benedict XVI rightly stated: "The family is the first and indispensable teacher of peace... because it enables its members in decisive ways to experience peace."
In the process Pope John Paul II's words should be taken seriously, namely, "No peace without justice, no justice without forgiveness." This is the kingdom justice advocated in the Instrumentum laboris which sums up the Gospel message of reconciliation, justice and peace.
* * *
H. Exc. Mons. Daniel MIZONZO, Bishop of Nkayi (REPUBLIC OF CONGO)
It would seem that the objective of this Synod is the commitment of all the Actors and Institutions to achieve a true, real and lasting peace in Africa, in other words the advent of the Kingdom of God on this continent. To reach this objective, our primary need consists in the onto-theological search of the Truth.
In fact, in almost all of our countries, in Africa, particularly those that have known or are still at war, we have had ceremonies and gestures of national reconciliation, trials for genocide in the name of justice, symbolic gestures of peace, and other initiatives. But despite all these efforts, true, real and lasting peace, while part of the order of the day, it still does not exist in Africa. Why? Because truth is missing.
“Quid est Veritas?” (Jn 18:38). Pilate’s question is still valid today in Africa. Jesus’ answers are edifying: “I am the Way; I am Truth and Life” (Jn 14:6): “I came into the world for this, to bear witness to the truth” (Jn 18:37). In the Kingdom of God “Love and truth will meet; justice and peace will kiss. Truth will spring from the earth; justice will look down from heaven.” (Ps 84(85):11-12)
Once again, Saint Paul underlines that Christ “is our peace” (Eph 2:14) because ontologically He is Truth.
We encourage the Institution of International Tribunals (TPI), the Commissions of Truth and Reconciliation for Peace, who did good things in South Africa: because only “the truth will set you free” (Jn 8:32) and will give us a true, real, lasting peace. “Africa semper novi”.
Permalink: http://www.zenit.org/article-27093?l=english
Interventions From Synod's 4th Congregation
VATICAN CITY, OCT. 7, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here are the English-language summaries provided by the Vatican press office of the interventions given Tuesday afternoon at the Fourth General Congregation of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops.
* * *
H. Exc. Mons. François Xavier MAROY RUSENGO, Archbishop of Bukavu (DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO)
Starting with the damage caused by wars and violence in the East of our country, the Dem. Rep of Congo, and especially in our archdiocese of Bukavu, we estimate that reconciliation can no longer be limited solely to the harmonization of interpersonal relations. It must unavoidably take into consideration the deep causes of the crisis in relations, located on the level of the country’s interests and natural resources to be exploited and managed for everyone’s good, transparently and with equanimity. Because the causes for the violence in the East of the DR of Congo are essentially its natural resources.
To this effect, we recall the work that the commission Justice and Peace is doing to break down in the archdiocese of Bukavu so that reconciliation may be achieved through community reconstruction.
The objective is to help people reconcile themselves with their history and to commit to building a new future.
Special attention is given to the young persons. For them, we propose recreational and cultural activities able to favor reconciliation at their level, thanks to the intervention of each and every one of them in the construction of their living areas.
This approach is understood as a response to the often forgotten community traumas so as to make people responsible and actors in a positive change. It needs the reinforcement of education at the base and organization of the populations in view of a better community charge. It also requires placement of the spaces and frameworks of exchange and dialogue for the effective participation of the population in the management of the wealth to be used for the reconstruction, to the development of reconciliation and peaceful co-existence.
While we speak during these meetings, the pastoral agents in our archdiocese are worried about the enemies of peace. One of the parishes of our archdiocese was burnt down on Friday 2 October 2009, the priests were attacked, others taken hostage by uniformed men who demanded a very high ransom which we were forced to pay to save the lives of our priests that they threatened to massacre. Through these acts, it is the Church, remaining the only support for a terrorized, humiliated, exploited, dominated people, whom they would reduce to silence. Lord, may your will be done, may your kingdom of peace arrive (cf. Mt 10:6).
* * *
H. Em. Card. Walter KASPER, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity (VATICAN CITY)
While there has been, thanks to God, a rapid growth of the Church in Africa, there is sadly also an increasingly deeper fragmentation among Christians. Although this situation is not unique to Africa, it is too easy to assume that these divisions are historically entrenched through the legacy of the divided Christianity that Africa received, there are today also many new divisions in Africa itself when we think on the more recent Charismatic and Pentecostal communities, the so called Independent churches and the sects. Their growth worldwide is extensive, and their vitality on the African continent is reflected in the growth of the African Independent Churches, which have now formed an official institution, the OAIC, based in Nairobi. A certain level of dialogue is currently undertaken through the Global Christian Forum, which recently met in Nairobi.
On other levels a serious dialogue with these groups is not easy if not in many cases totally impossible because of their aggressive behaviour and -- to say the least -- their low theological standard. We have to face the urgent challenge by a self-critical attitude. For it is not enough to tell, what is wrong with them, we have to ask what is wrong or what is deficient with our own pastoral work? Why so many Christians leave our Church? What they are missing with us and searching elsewhere? The PCPCU tried to provide some help by two symposiums for bishops and theologians, one held in Nairobi and one in Dakar. We are ready to help also in the future. In this context I want to mention only two important points: Ecumenical catechetical formation and building up of small Christian communities within our parishes.
Let me now come to some of the many other challenges and tasks:
1. We look now back to almost fifty years of ecumenical dialogue. Significant ecumenical progress has been made since the Second Vatican Council, but the path to full ecclesial communion remains probably still long and arduous due to the difficulties which remain in our theological dialogues. Now appropriate steps are required to engage together with our ecumenical partners in a process of reception of the fruits of the dialogues. The commitment of the Church on the universal level must be translated and received in the local churches. This has to happen in catechesis and in theological formation, on the diocesan and on the parochial levels.
2. While traditionally the Catholic Church in Africa has maintained ongoing dialogue with the historical and nowadays also with more recent Protestant traditions, the recent rapid spread of Orthodoxy across the continent makes it essential for the Catholic Church in Africa to engage also in positive dialogue and relationships also with our Orthodox brothers and sisters.
3. The Catholic Church in Africa must give impetus to ecumenical relations with the Evangelical, Charismatic and the Pentecostal movements on the African continent also because of the relevance of their indigenous expressions and their affinity with the traditional African cultural worldview. Such an ecumenical engagement calls for inspired fidelity to the Church's principles on ecumenism on the one hand (UR, 2-4), and a specific understanding of African cultural expressions on the other. Dialogue and the pursuit of unity must therefore take seriously the context of African cultural roots. Indeed, the roots of different trees standing apart in the neighbourhood will intertwine, even as they remain distinct in their struggle to access the same life-giving sources of soil and water. This intertwining is emblematic of ecumenical rapprochement, linked to the whole question of Inkulturation and contextual relevance.
4. Our search for unity in truth and love must never lose sight of the understanding that Church unity is the work and gift of God's Holy Spirit, and goes well beyond our own efforts. Therefore spiritual ecumenism, especially prayer is the very heart of ecumenical commitment (UR, 8). Yet ecumenism will not bear lasting fruits if it is not accompanied by tangible gestures of conversion, which stir the conscience and foster the healing of memories and relationships. As the Decree on Ecumenism asserts, "There can be no ecumenism worthy of the name without a change of heart [...]" (UR, 7). Such a metanoia (UR, 5-8; UUS, 15f.; 83f.) would bring us closer to God at the centre of our lives, in such a way that we too come closer to one another.
Thus the theme of the Synod offers a challenge to the Church in Africa to sharpen its ecumenical vision and to offer the pursuit of unity to the people of Africa as an authentic treasure of the Gospel. The Catholic Church in Africa is encouraged to continue building bridges of friendship and, through prayerful spiritual ecumenism and the consequent discernment of the will of God, to engage in "the ministry of reconciliation" (2 Cor 5:18), which has been entrusted to us through Christ. That is the underlying basis of our ecumenical commitment. The renewal of the inner life of our hearts and minds is the crux of all dialogue and reconciliation, making ecumenism a mutual commitment of understanding, respect and love, so that the world may believe.
* * *
H. Exc. Mons. François EID, O.M.M., Bishop of Cairo of Maronite Rite (EGYPT)
In this intervention I speak for myself and refer to numbers 102, 126 and 128, which speak about relations with other religions, while insisting on going from dialogue between Cultures to a Culture of Dialogue, for the formation of future priests in Africa.
An Asian thinker said: “we need not only the knowledge of the other, but also of the other to know ourselves better.” This said, we can point out that the question of Dialogue is posed as the cultural and spiritual problematic “par excellence”, seeing as it is tied, more in the understanding of ourselves than in our attitude towards others.
History teaches us that the source of a Dynamism that renews cultural identities resides in its broad universal openness that draws it to welcome differences and create a continuously enriching osmosis; on the other hand, cultural isolation leads to the loss of identity.
The barometer of a good cultural health of a people or of a community lies in the centrality of the other in the community path. This explains the centrality of Love of the Other in Christianity which makes the Church a Diaconate at the service of man.
Thus, one of the Letters of the Oriental Catholic Patriarchs stated that “the presence of others in our life represents the voice of God and our relation with them is an essential element of our spiritual identity, because of this, we must go beyond conviviality towards a fraternal yet responsible communion.
1. I believe that the formation of future African priests to the one belonging to Our Lord Jesus, Teacher and Model, represents the only alternative to form these priests into instruments of peace and reconciliation. Thus, their mission should not be considered as the place for a competition of personal, family or tribal interests, rather, to the contrary, a place for the encounter between brothers beloved by the Lord and called upon to build together, in Charity, His Kingdom of Peace and Justice.
2. At this point, I see an urgent need for a better Priestly Formation that places, as its priority, the passage from a Dialogue between Cultures to a Culture of Dialogue. This mission will make the future African priests the Messengers of the Gospel of peace, for a New Africa, where Spiritual and Human solidarity moves, each and everyone, to carry their difficulties, suffering, hopes and challenges of the Other, who is our brother before God. Thus we move:
From marginalization to welcoming,From rejection to acceptance,
From rivalry to fraternity.
The Culture of Dialogue echoes what Saint Augustine said: “ET IN OMNIA CARITAS”.
* * *
H. Exc. Mons. Simon NTAMWANA, Archbishop of Gitega, President of the Association of Episcopal Conferences for Central Africa (A.E.C.C.A.) (BURUNDI)
Several categories and groups, in our lower region, suffer under the weight of various evils which have just been mentioned. Families are disrupted, destabilized, impoverished. Some do not even have their own homes to live in, nor land to cultivate in order to survive, nor the means to educate their children, nor anything with which to tend to their healthcare needs, etc. Added to these types of lacking, there are phenomena such as the rape of women, the recruitment of children into armed groups, etc. If the responsibility for this situation is shared by all the elements of society, some among them are more responsible than others. We think in particular of the leading political class. In fact, one deplores, among other facts, that political men use ethnic fractures to gain and to maintain power. Some of them consider their position uniquely as a source of personal enrichment, or even that of their families and friends, thus allowing vote-seeking and tribalism to triumph over authentic values, thus seriously compromising social peace.
In this evolution, the Church has played a role, through her messages and exhortations, but also with her witness of fraternity across borders and barriers generated by armed conflicts and wars. Some of our brothers in the Episcopate even had to manage National Sovereign Conferences to ensure mediation between different elements in their countries. In addition, our “Justice and Peace” commissions were involved, in certain countries, in the preparation of elections, providing a civic and electoral education. The Caritas-Development Commissions, in these situations of war, have helped thousands of vulnerable people.
However, not only does spiritual poverty need to be healed, but the generalized impoverishment and unrestricted pauperization of ou r people must be resolved in appropriate. Indeed, it is because these populations are poor or impoverished, that they have become vulnerable. Those well off manipulate them as pleases them; and certain fishermen in troubled waters use ethnic fractures, for example, to divide peoples, in order to continue to enrich themselves in situations of conflict, where people cannot claim their rights.
* * *
H. Exc. Mons. Martin MUNYANYI, Bishop of Gweru (ZIMBABWE)
The Church in Zimbabwe appreciates very much that the Instrumentum laboris dealt with issues which are of great concern in our country, such as poverty, violence, lack of recognition of women, children and minority groups and also issues of injustice in Church such as working conditions of Church employees.
Zimbabwe had very difficult and inhuman socio-political experiences traceable from the pre-colonial, the colonial and post-colonial eras which need to be dealt with urgently. It will be a mistake, in quest for lasting reconciliation, to simply ask people to forget the past.
Reconciliation is needed not only in the nation at large but also in the Church, for we see simmering tension in some of our parishes due to language and ethnic differences.
In Africa, when we talk of justice we certainly talk of affected parties including their families. Communities need to sit together and discuss their problems in a palaver scenario. And retributive and restorative justice should be established before the death of either party in a case.
Issues of justice in the Church are obvious in not paying our workers enough that constitutes a just wage and in the misuse of Church resources by priests at the expense of the communities. Some Church practices tend to have a bias against the girl child. For example, the girl is punished while the boy is not.
As a local Church, we have set up structures such as Commission for Justice and Peace to address negative historical aspects of our experience.
The whole undertaking should start somewhere like in the family as Pope Benedict XVI rightly stated: "The family is the first and indispensable teacher of peace... because it enables its members in decisive ways to experience peace."
In the process Pope John Paul II's words should be taken seriously, namely, "No peace without justice, no justice without forgiveness." This is the kingdom justice advocated in the Instrumentum laboris which sums up the Gospel message of reconciliation, justice and peace.
* * *
H. Exc. Mons. Daniel MIZONZO, Bishop of Nkayi (REPUBLIC OF CONGO)
It would seem that the objective of this Synod is the commitment of all the Actors and Institutions to achieve a true, real and lasting peace in Africa, in other words the advent of the Kingdom of God on this continent. To reach this objective, our primary need consists in the onto-theological search of the Truth.
In fact, in almost all of our countries, in Africa, particularly those that have known or are still at war, we have had ceremonies and gestures of national reconciliation, trials for genocide in the name of justice, symbolic gestures of peace, and other initiatives. But despite all these efforts, true, real and lasting peace, while part of the order of the day, it still does not exist in Africa. Why? Because truth is missing.
“Quid est Veritas?” (Jn 18:38). Pilate’s question is still valid today in Africa. Jesus’ answers are edifying: “I am the Way; I am Truth and Life” (Jn 14:6): “I came into the world for this, to bear witness to the truth” (Jn 18:37). In the Kingdom of God “Love and truth will meet; justice and peace will kiss. Truth will spring from the earth; justice will look down from heaven.” (Ps 84(85):11-12)
Once again, Saint Paul underlines that Christ “is our peace” (Eph 2:14) because ontologically He is Truth.
We encourage the Institution of International Tribunals (TPI), the Commissions of Truth and Reconciliation for Peace, who did good things in South Africa: because only “the truth will set you free” (Jn 8:32) and will give us a true, real, lasting peace. “Africa semper novi”.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Time to Pursue Spiritual Enlightenment
WASHINGTON - October 7 - Members of the National Religious Leadership Roundtable, convened by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, will participate at the National Equality March in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 11. What follows is an Article of Faith addressing the importance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, as well as straight allies, marching for equality, but most importantly it is a call for religion to embrace full inclusion and justice for LGBT people.
Article of Faith by the Rev. Nancy Wilson
Moderator, Metropolitan Community Churches
National Religious Leadership Roundtable Member
It is time for America to be America for my community, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. I say this as a religious leader, and a lesbian activist for 37 years, who first demonstrated for equal rights in front of the White House in 1976.
In 1961, President Obama’s parent’s interracial marriage was illegal in 21 states, which today seems unbelievable in America. Our country faces huge issues of unemployment, a still shaky economy, a desperate need for real health care reform, and two wars. Extending equality to millions of citizens, comparatively speaking, should be a no-brainer!
Recently Metropolitan Community Church of Portland celebrated the centennial of their church building. They are the fourth congregation to own the quaint and lovely building that once housed Universalists, Lutherans and a Divine Science Church.
On Oct. 3, 1909, President William Howard Taft, on a tour of nine American cities, stopped in Portland, and dedicated the Universalist Church on the corner of Broadway and 24th. Taft, who was Unitarian, spoke eloquently and presciently about the importance of the separation of church and state, along with valuing religious diversity. On his way to Portland, in fact, he dedicated an Orthodox Church, a synagogue and a Roman Catholic Church. The role of religion, he said, was to “elevate” communities, and enshrine values of justice and neighborliness.
Perhaps his view of religions seems a little too optimistic today, at least to my community. That day, a little over 100 years ago, in that crowd, there had to be thousands of LGBT people — closeted beyond what most of us had to suffer, but there! Could they ever have imagined a thriving LGBT church in Portland 100 years later, re-dedicated by an openly gay mayor? We have come so far, it seems, yet, we do not have full equality under the law.
Religion has the power to unite or divide; to foster oppression and hatred, or more progressive values, “elevating” us to a new day of justice. Homophobia, in our country’s culture and laws, is undergirded by deeply ingrained religious and moral assumptions. Arguments for equality do not penetrate religious bias.
That religious bias requires two kinds of responses: a reminder of the precious value of the separation of church and state which guarantees religious freedom; and, a clear, religious repudiation of homophobia, and an elevation of spiritual values of justice and inclusion.
That is why I am marching this Sunday, along with many other voices of faith at the National Equality March.
Like the earlier civil rights movement, our LGBT movement is undergirded by spiritual and religious passions. At the same time, our movement itself has a chip on its shoulder about religion and spirituality — believing that religion is the problem: can you blame us? I am marching to say that spiritual and religious values can also be the solution!
As a religious leader, I am aware that we need one more thing: fervent passion, solidarity and visibility from heterosexual allies who are religious leaders. We need the equivalent of white abolitionists, of the men who campaigned for women’s equality, to “show up and suit up” this Sunday.
There may be those who say, “this is not a good time.” It is never a “good time,” and truth be told, it is way past time. Changing laws and hearts and minds is never done at a time when there are less risk or no other priorities. There is no such time. For victims of hate crimes, and discrimination in housing, employment, in the military, in marriage and family law, now is the time.
LGBT people and our families must make our case, and not rest until full equality is ours. It is a matter of life and death for some, and the quality of life for many others. What a difference it could make for hundreds, or thousands of heterosexual religious allies who say they support our cause to show up, publicly, and say that it is time for America to be America for its LGBT citizens. For some, this would be a risky thing to do — which is why it must be done! It’s time.
About the Author: The Rev. Nancy Wilson is the moderator of the Metropolitan Community Churches and a National Religious Leadership Roundtable member.
###
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force builds the political power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community from the ground up. We do this by training activists, organizing broad-based campaigns to defeat anti-LGBT referenda and advance pro-LGBT legislation, building the organizational capacity of our movement and generating groundbreaking research through our Policy Institute.
Article of Faith by the Rev. Nancy Wilson
Moderator, Metropolitan Community Churches
National Religious Leadership Roundtable Member
It is time for America to be America for my community, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. I say this as a religious leader, and a lesbian activist for 37 years, who first demonstrated for equal rights in front of the White House in 1976.
In 1961, President Obama’s parent’s interracial marriage was illegal in 21 states, which today seems unbelievable in America. Our country faces huge issues of unemployment, a still shaky economy, a desperate need for real health care reform, and two wars. Extending equality to millions of citizens, comparatively speaking, should be a no-brainer!
Recently Metropolitan Community Church of Portland celebrated the centennial of their church building. They are the fourth congregation to own the quaint and lovely building that once housed Universalists, Lutherans and a Divine Science Church.
On Oct. 3, 1909, President William Howard Taft, on a tour of nine American cities, stopped in Portland, and dedicated the Universalist Church on the corner of Broadway and 24th. Taft, who was Unitarian, spoke eloquently and presciently about the importance of the separation of church and state, along with valuing religious diversity. On his way to Portland, in fact, he dedicated an Orthodox Church, a synagogue and a Roman Catholic Church. The role of religion, he said, was to “elevate” communities, and enshrine values of justice and neighborliness.
Perhaps his view of religions seems a little too optimistic today, at least to my community. That day, a little over 100 years ago, in that crowd, there had to be thousands of LGBT people — closeted beyond what most of us had to suffer, but there! Could they ever have imagined a thriving LGBT church in Portland 100 years later, re-dedicated by an openly gay mayor? We have come so far, it seems, yet, we do not have full equality under the law.
Religion has the power to unite or divide; to foster oppression and hatred, or more progressive values, “elevating” us to a new day of justice. Homophobia, in our country’s culture and laws, is undergirded by deeply ingrained religious and moral assumptions. Arguments for equality do not penetrate religious bias.
That religious bias requires two kinds of responses: a reminder of the precious value of the separation of church and state which guarantees religious freedom; and, a clear, religious repudiation of homophobia, and an elevation of spiritual values of justice and inclusion.
That is why I am marching this Sunday, along with many other voices of faith at the National Equality March.
Like the earlier civil rights movement, our LGBT movement is undergirded by spiritual and religious passions. At the same time, our movement itself has a chip on its shoulder about religion and spirituality — believing that religion is the problem: can you blame us? I am marching to say that spiritual and religious values can also be the solution!
As a religious leader, I am aware that we need one more thing: fervent passion, solidarity and visibility from heterosexual allies who are religious leaders. We need the equivalent of white abolitionists, of the men who campaigned for women’s equality, to “show up and suit up” this Sunday.
There may be those who say, “this is not a good time.” It is never a “good time,” and truth be told, it is way past time. Changing laws and hearts and minds is never done at a time when there are less risk or no other priorities. There is no such time. For victims of hate crimes, and discrimination in housing, employment, in the military, in marriage and family law, now is the time.
LGBT people and our families must make our case, and not rest until full equality is ours. It is a matter of life and death for some, and the quality of life for many others. What a difference it could make for hundreds, or thousands of heterosexual religious allies who say they support our cause to show up, publicly, and say that it is time for America to be America for its LGBT citizens. For some, this would be a risky thing to do — which is why it must be done! It’s time.
About the Author: The Rev. Nancy Wilson is the moderator of the Metropolitan Community Churches and a National Religious Leadership Roundtable member.
###
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force builds the political power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community from the ground up. We do this by training activists, organizing broad-based campaigns to defeat anti-LGBT referenda and advance pro-LGBT legislation, building the organizational capacity of our movement and generating groundbreaking research through our Policy Institute.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Spiritual Enlightenment is not a Path for Sale
http://living.oneindia.in/yoga-spirituality/faith-mysticism/2009/spiritual-guide-master-journey-061009.html
A visitor of Inspirations and Creative Thought site recently asked, "Why people look to other teachers, saints, etc for so much guidance. Shouldn't our devotion come from within? Do we really need all these saints and guiders to show us truth, devotion, spiritual enlightenment through their lives, which are as ordinary as ours? Their struggles, simply because they are on a larger scale are no more grander than ours. We have the same capacity, nothing differentiates them from us, can we not be the same? Achieve the same struggle and state of nothingness? So why are we so in awe of them? They are simply human men and women."
Buzz up!
"Spiritual journey is suppose to be solely concerned with one's own spiritual enlightenment and search for truth and God. Do we really need a spiritual teacher, a guide?" - that pretty much summarizes one of the most frequently asked question by people who are interested in spirituality.
This poor heart decided to keep the answer simpler here. What's important is to contemplate on what is not spoken, through the hints of the brief words. Verily God is the Granter of deeper understanding and Helper to see things as they truly are.
Newton and the living Physics teacher
It is common sense that knowledge (in any discipline) is taken from one who has attained the knowledge, or at least have learned the fundamentals well. Instead of every one doing their own experiment to come up with the law of gravity, we send children to school, to a teacher who can help the child describe and explain the law of gravity.
It is very naive to think that spirituality can be learned through self-help book..
We go to university to learn Physics from a living Professor of Physics; the learning transmit from a knowing mind to another mind. We don't just begin reading Physics lessons by grabbing the thickest book of Physics written by dead scientists without any living teacher, because that would be very inefficient, and reinventing the wheel again and again is not practical.
Similarly in the Spiritual discipline (irrespective of any spiritual path) the learning is best transmitted by a teacher who has already understood the fundamentals by his or her own journey (just as the Professor attained his own degree and approval from his own teacher who took his exam). The teacher in a science class transmit the knowledge from mind to mind. For a spiritual teacher this transmission happens from heart to heart. From time immemorial, every spiritual teacher did transmit from their heart to their disciples', companions heart. There are no exceptions.
It is very naive to think that spirituality can be learned through self-help book (which is arrogance in one hand and also a reflection of our selfish collective psyche in this age). If one to dive deep into any spiritual path, one come to know the alchemy of the self is not a subject that can be mastered through self-help book or by the parrot like memorization of holy books or book of religious rules.
In a discipline like Physics one need to learn all the definitions of different terms, before one can solve a complex equation. How naive it is to think one can understand the meaning in its depth without even 'learning how to learn' . To give an example, to arrive at the meaning of the intricate many layered meanings of every single verse of the Quran, there are ways to learn 'how to read' even with the presence of the heart which the sufis call 'hudur al-qalb'
To journey in spiritual path one encounters terminologies such as qalb (inner heart), tawba (turning back to God), true piety (wara), tawakkul (trust in God), rida (contentment) to name just a few and each of them have many different levels. The knowledge of the soul (nafs) is a precondition to master the self.
Arriving at real self-realization, not the kind which is sold as package in some yoga studio, is a matter of first discerning the delusions of the nafs which are many and unless the inner eye is open, everything seen is clouded by a veil. And the knowledge of the soul (nafs), its characteristics and inclinations are many such as the subtleties of hypocrisy (riya), hidden lust (al-shahwat al-khafiyya), and hidden polytheism (al-shirk al-khafi) - which if one is not aware then one is susceptible to failure in entering into gnosis or in attaining the knowledge which is real.
A visitor of Inspirations and Creative Thought site recently asked, "Why people look to other teachers, saints, etc for so much guidance. Shouldn't our devotion come from within? Do we really need all these saints and guiders to show us truth, devotion, spiritual enlightenment through their lives, which are as ordinary as ours? Their struggles, simply because they are on a larger scale are no more grander than ours. We have the same capacity, nothing differentiates them from us, can we not be the same? Achieve the same struggle and state of nothingness? So why are we so in awe of them? They are simply human men and women."
Buzz up!
"Spiritual journey is suppose to be solely concerned with one's own spiritual enlightenment and search for truth and God. Do we really need a spiritual teacher, a guide?" - that pretty much summarizes one of the most frequently asked question by people who are interested in spirituality.
This poor heart decided to keep the answer simpler here. What's important is to contemplate on what is not spoken, through the hints of the brief words. Verily God is the Granter of deeper understanding and Helper to see things as they truly are.
Newton and the living Physics teacher
It is common sense that knowledge (in any discipline) is taken from one who has attained the knowledge, or at least have learned the fundamentals well. Instead of every one doing their own experiment to come up with the law of gravity, we send children to school, to a teacher who can help the child describe and explain the law of gravity.
It is very naive to think that spirituality can be learned through self-help book..
We go to university to learn Physics from a living Professor of Physics; the learning transmit from a knowing mind to another mind. We don't just begin reading Physics lessons by grabbing the thickest book of Physics written by dead scientists without any living teacher, because that would be very inefficient, and reinventing the wheel again and again is not practical.
Similarly in the Spiritual discipline (irrespective of any spiritual path) the learning is best transmitted by a teacher who has already understood the fundamentals by his or her own journey (just as the Professor attained his own degree and approval from his own teacher who took his exam). The teacher in a science class transmit the knowledge from mind to mind. For a spiritual teacher this transmission happens from heart to heart. From time immemorial, every spiritual teacher did transmit from their heart to their disciples', companions heart. There are no exceptions.
It is very naive to think that spirituality can be learned through self-help book (which is arrogance in one hand and also a reflection of our selfish collective psyche in this age). If one to dive deep into any spiritual path, one come to know the alchemy of the self is not a subject that can be mastered through self-help book or by the parrot like memorization of holy books or book of religious rules.
In a discipline like Physics one need to learn all the definitions of different terms, before one can solve a complex equation. How naive it is to think one can understand the meaning in its depth without even 'learning how to learn' . To give an example, to arrive at the meaning of the intricate many layered meanings of every single verse of the Quran, there are ways to learn 'how to read' even with the presence of the heart which the sufis call 'hudur al-qalb'
To journey in spiritual path one encounters terminologies such as qalb (inner heart), tawba (turning back to God), true piety (wara), tawakkul (trust in God), rida (contentment) to name just a few and each of them have many different levels. The knowledge of the soul (nafs) is a precondition to master the self.
Arriving at real self-realization, not the kind which is sold as package in some yoga studio, is a matter of first discerning the delusions of the nafs which are many and unless the inner eye is open, everything seen is clouded by a veil. And the knowledge of the soul (nafs), its characteristics and inclinations are many such as the subtleties of hypocrisy (riya), hidden lust (al-shahwat al-khafiyya), and hidden polytheism (al-shirk al-khafi) - which if one is not aware then one is susceptible to failure in entering into gnosis or in attaining the knowledge which is real.
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