Thursday, July 27, 2006
Buddhas are human
Buddhas are human, they are not devas, they are not gods. They are enlightened men and women. But the point is that they are not afraid to be human, they are not afraid to let themselves participate in the pains, difficulties and struggles that naturally go with human existence. The only difference is--and it's almost an undetectable difference--it takes one to know one.
Zen...Alan Watts
the fish of reality is more like water--it always slips through the net. And in water you know when you get into it there's nothing to hang on to. All this universe is like water; it is fluid, it is transient, it is changing. And when you're thrown into the water after being accustomed to living on the dry land, you're not used to the idea of swimming. You try to stand on the water, you try to catch hold of it, and as a result you drown. The only way to survive in the water, and this refers particularly to the waters of modern philosophical confusion, where God is dead, metaphysical propositions are meaningless, and there's really nothing to hang on to, because we're all just falling apart. And the only thing to do under those circumstances is to learn how to swim.
Clementine Recognitions
Simon Magus asks Peter in the Simon Magus asks Peter in the Clementine Recognitions
Could not God have made us all good, so that we could not be anything else but virtuous? To which Peter replies with a statement of the ancient law of liberty; A foolish question, for if God made us unchangeably and immovably inclined to good, we would not really be good at all, since we couldn’t be anything else; and it would be no merit on our part that we were good, nor could we be given credit for doing what we did by necessity of nature. How can you call any act good that is not performed intentionally? In this world every man is given a fair chance to show his real desires.
Simon Magus then asks...@Did not the Creator know that those he created would do evil?
To which Peter replies; Certainly, He considered all the evil that would be among those whom he created; but as one who knew there was no other way to achieve the purpose for which they were created he went ahead. He did not draw back or hesitate, nor was he afraid of what would happen... Evil is forced on no one, it is only there for those who want it. No one comes under its sway save he who of his own free will deliberately subjects himself to it....We must bear wicked men with patience, brethren, knowing that God who could easily wipe them out, suffers them to carry on to the appointed day in which the deeds of all shall be judged...Why do we not bear with fortitude of spirit the wrongs they commit against us, when he who can do all things does not avenge himself for the wrongs they do Him?
Clementine Recognitions, II 23-25,
As Quoted in The World and The Prophets
Hugh Nibley
Could not God have made us all good, so that we could not be anything else but virtuous? To which Peter replies with a statement of the ancient law of liberty; A foolish question, for if God made us unchangeably and immovably inclined to good, we would not really be good at all, since we couldn’t be anything else; and it would be no merit on our part that we were good, nor could we be given credit for doing what we did by necessity of nature. How can you call any act good that is not performed intentionally? In this world every man is given a fair chance to show his real desires.
Simon Magus then asks...@Did not the Creator know that those he created would do evil?
To which Peter replies; Certainly, He considered all the evil that would be among those whom he created; but as one who knew there was no other way to achieve the purpose for which they were created he went ahead. He did not draw back or hesitate, nor was he afraid of what would happen... Evil is forced on no one, it is only there for those who want it. No one comes under its sway save he who of his own free will deliberately subjects himself to it....We must bear wicked men with patience, brethren, knowing that God who could easily wipe them out, suffers them to carry on to the appointed day in which the deeds of all shall be judged...Why do we not bear with fortitude of spirit the wrongs they commit against us, when he who can do all things does not avenge himself for the wrongs they do Him?
Clementine Recognitions, II 23-25,
As Quoted in The World and The Prophets
Hugh Nibley
The Ancient Law of Liberty
Irenaeus said in the middle of the second century;
God made man free from the beginning. Now if God made some men good and some bad simply by nature, there would be nothing praiseworthy in their virtue or blameworthy in their vice,... God wants men to do good, but even the Gospel allows anyone who does not want to do good to do evil. To obey or disobey is in every man’s power...God forcing no man... The ancient law of liberty is, that God trusts men while on this earth to make their own choices while they trust Him alone to judge whether those choices have been good or bad.
Irenaeus, Contra Haereses IV, xxxvii, 1.
As Quoted in The World and the Prophets
Hugh Nibley
God made man free from the beginning. Now if God made some men good and some bad simply by nature, there would be nothing praiseworthy in their virtue or blameworthy in their vice,... God wants men to do good, but even the Gospel allows anyone who does not want to do good to do evil. To obey or disobey is in every man’s power...God forcing no man... The ancient law of liberty is, that God trusts men while on this earth to make their own choices while they trust Him alone to judge whether those choices have been good or bad.
Irenaeus, Contra Haereses IV, xxxvii, 1.
As Quoted in The World and the Prophets
Hugh Nibley
Monday, July 24, 2006
MUST READING
I agree 110% , and am passing on her sentiments because it says all!
"Are we fighting a war on terror or aren't we? Was it or was it notstarted by Islamic people who brought it to our shores on September 11, 2001?Were people from all over the world, mostly Americans, not brutally murdered that day, in downtown Manhattan, across the Potomac from ournation's capitol and in a field in Pennsylvania ?Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible,burning or crushing death that day, or didn't they?And I'm supposed to care that a copy of the Koran was "desecrated" when an overworked American soldier kicked it or got it wet? Well, I don't. I don't care at all.I'll start caring when Osama bin Laden turns himself in and repentsfor incinerating all those innocent people on 9/11.I'll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East startcaring about the Holy Bible, the mere possession of which is a crime in Saudi Arabia.I'll care when Abu Musab al-Zarqawi tells the world he is sorry forhacking off Nick Berg's head while Berg screamed through his gurgling slashed throat.I'll care when the cowardly so-called "insurgents" in Iraq come out and fight like men instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in mosques.I'll care when the mindless zealots who blow themselves up in search of nirvana care about the innocent children within range of their suicide bombs.I'll care when the American media stops pretending that their FirstAmendment liberties are somehow derived from international law instead of the United States Constitution's Bill of Rights.In the meantime, when I hear a story about a brave marine roughing up an Iraqi terrorist to obtain information, know this: I don't care.When I see a fuzzy photo of a pile of naked Iraqi prisoners who have been humiliated in what amounts to a college-hazing incident, rest assured that I don't care.When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank that I don't care.When I hear that a prisoner, who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and fed "special" food that is paid for by my tax dollars, iscomplaining that his holy book is being "mishandled," you can absolutely believe in your heart of hearts that I don't care.And oh, by the way, I've noticed that sometimes it's spelled "Koran" and other times "Quran." Well, Jimmy Crack Corn and ---- you guessed it - - - I don't care ! ! ! ! !If you agree with this viewpoint, pass this on. Sooner or later, it'll get to the people responsible for this ridiculous behavior! Should you choose the latter, then please don't complain when more atrocities committed by radical Muslims happen here in our great country.--"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made adifference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem."-- Ronald Reagan"If we ever forget that we're One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under." also by... Ronald Reagan
"Are we fighting a war on terror or aren't we? Was it or was it notstarted by Islamic people who brought it to our shores on September 11, 2001?Were people from all over the world, mostly Americans, not brutally murdered that day, in downtown Manhattan, across the Potomac from ournation's capitol and in a field in Pennsylvania ?Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible,burning or crushing death that day, or didn't they?And I'm supposed to care that a copy of the Koran was "desecrated" when an overworked American soldier kicked it or got it wet? Well, I don't. I don't care at all.I'll start caring when Osama bin Laden turns himself in and repentsfor incinerating all those innocent people on 9/11.I'll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East startcaring about the Holy Bible, the mere possession of which is a crime in Saudi Arabia.I'll care when Abu Musab al-Zarqawi tells the world he is sorry forhacking off Nick Berg's head while Berg screamed through his gurgling slashed throat.I'll care when the cowardly so-called "insurgents" in Iraq come out and fight like men instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in mosques.I'll care when the mindless zealots who blow themselves up in search of nirvana care about the innocent children within range of their suicide bombs.I'll care when the American media stops pretending that their FirstAmendment liberties are somehow derived from international law instead of the United States Constitution's Bill of Rights.In the meantime, when I hear a story about a brave marine roughing up an Iraqi terrorist to obtain information, know this: I don't care.When I see a fuzzy photo of a pile of naked Iraqi prisoners who have been humiliated in what amounts to a college-hazing incident, rest assured that I don't care.When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank that I don't care.When I hear that a prisoner, who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and fed "special" food that is paid for by my tax dollars, iscomplaining that his holy book is being "mishandled," you can absolutely believe in your heart of hearts that I don't care.And oh, by the way, I've noticed that sometimes it's spelled "Koran" and other times "Quran." Well, Jimmy Crack Corn and ---- you guessed it - - - I don't care ! ! ! ! !If you agree with this viewpoint, pass this on. Sooner or later, it'll get to the people responsible for this ridiculous behavior! Should you choose the latter, then please don't complain when more atrocities committed by radical Muslims happen here in our great country.--"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made adifference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem."-- Ronald Reagan"If we ever forget that we're One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under." also by... Ronald Reagan
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Islam in Muhammads Own Words
Islam in Muhammad's Own Words
Islam is a caustic blend of regurgitated paganism and twisted Bible stories. Muhammad, its lone prophet, conceived his religion solely to satiate his lust for power, sex, and money. He was a terrorist. And if you think these conclusions are shocking, wait until you see the evidence.
Critics of Prophet of Doom claim it is offensive, hatemongering, and unnecessarily violent. We agree—but we didn't write those parts. They came directly from Islam's scriptures. Over the course of these pages, we quote from almost every surah in the Qur'an—many are presented in their entirety. But more than that, we put each verse in the context of Muhammad's life, quoting vociferously from Islam's most trusted sources.
GOTO www.prophetofdoom.net
Islam is a caustic blend of regurgitated paganism and twisted Bible stories. Muhammad, its lone prophet, conceived his religion solely to satiate his lust for power, sex, and money. He was a terrorist. And if you think these conclusions are shocking, wait until you see the evidence.
Critics of Prophet of Doom claim it is offensive, hatemongering, and unnecessarily violent. We agree—but we didn't write those parts. They came directly from Islam's scriptures. Over the course of these pages, we quote from almost every surah in the Qur'an—many are presented in their entirety. But more than that, we put each verse in the context of Muhammad's life, quoting vociferously from Islam's most trusted sources.
GOTO www.prophetofdoom.net
While America Slept
While America Slept
...Islam Attacked
Wednesday night, the 13th of January 2005, a loving Christian family was brutally murdered inside their Jersey City home by hateful Muslims following Muhammad’s example and Allah’s orders. The victims were innocent of any crime and yet their throats were slit in barbaric fashion. Their bodies were bound and savagely mutilated. Then, to add insult to injury, jealous American Muslims gathered in the street outside the church to lob insults at the Christian families attending the funeral. Mourners, too sad to be angry, had kind words for the deeply religious family, especially young Sylvia, who was murdered a day before her Sweet 16 party.
The victims of the kind of violence a good Muslim is expected to display towards Islamic critics, were a Christian Egyptian American man, Hossam Armanious, 37, his wife, Amal Garas, also 37, and their two daughters, Sylvia, 15, and Monica, 8. Their rotting corpses, soaked in pools of their own blood, were found in their Oakland Avenue home early Friday after relatives told police nobody had heard from them in days. A family member who viewed photos of the bloodbath said Sylvia seemed to have taken the most savage punishment. “When we saw the pictures, you could tell that they were hurt really, really bad in the face; especially Sylvia,” said Milad Garas, the high-school sophomore's great-uncle. “The heartless killer not only slit Sylvia's throat, but also sliced a huge gash in her chest and stabbed her in the wrist, where she had a tattoo of a Coptic cross.”
Look into Monica’s eyes and consider the demonic indoctrination and sadistic depravity required to murder and then mutilate this beautiful and precious girl. And while that is difficult, until every American can do this, and come to grips with the motivation for so many murders like this—Islam’s Satanic nature—holding the religion itself accountable for the acts of its most fundamental and jealous adherents, everyone who has died at the hand of a Muslim aboard planes, busses and ships, in hotels, nightclubs, office buildings and schools, will have died in vain. This may be another wake-up call, America. Are you listening, or are you going to push the snooze button on your alarm once again?
Investigators said each victim was bound, gagged, stabbed, and slashed in the neck and chest. Sylvia’s wrist was mutilated where she displayed a small Copt cross. This is indicative of an act of Islam. It is an act of terror. Members of Jersey City’s Coptic community—many of whom left Egypt like the Armanious family to escape religious threats—understand the connection between fundamental Islam and the murders of their friends and family. That sentiment was expressed loudly by one parishioner inside who began yelling at Muslims, including a sheik, who attended the service. “Islam is the killer,” he said over and over before he was dragged from the church by five police officers who hustled him into an unmarked police car and quickly drove away. Welcome to America where accountability and truth are now crimes.
Tensions were high even before the first copper-colored casket arrived, when, during a procession to the church from Journal Square, family members asked mourners to put away anti-Muslim protest signs. But emotions really boiled over in the moments after the wistful service when a skirmish broke out as the four black hearses adorned with the victims’ pictures were being loaded. Punches were thrown, people were shoved and police rushed in to break up the brawl that had moved up Bergen Avenue to a nearby parking garage.
Family friend, Henry Simon, 35, said of the tension, “The sheik came at the wrong time. It’s like spitting on their graves.” What Simon said was right. It is why I continue to be grieved by President Bush’s decision to have an Islamic Imam give the benediction at the National Cathedral ceremony to mourn the victims of the Islamic attack on September 11th. It was like asking Adolf Hitler to give the benediction for Auschwitz.
Note also this interesting detail buried at the end of the story: Investigators learned that a relative of the Armanious family had helped prosecutors in their case against Lynne Stewart, the lawyer charged with passing messages to followers of her client, blind Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, the convicted terrorist ringleader responsible for the assignation of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat and the initial car bombing of the World Trade Center. For those squeamish about blaming Islam for the acts of Islamic Jihadists, consider the fact that Sheik Rahman was Islam’s foremost authority on the Qur’an. He was senior professor of Qur’anic Studies at Islam’s most prestigious university, Al Azhar, inCairo, Egypt.
...Islam Attacked
Wednesday night, the 13th of January 2005, a loving Christian family was brutally murdered inside their Jersey City home by hateful Muslims following Muhammad’s example and Allah’s orders. The victims were innocent of any crime and yet their throats were slit in barbaric fashion. Their bodies were bound and savagely mutilated. Then, to add insult to injury, jealous American Muslims gathered in the street outside the church to lob insults at the Christian families attending the funeral. Mourners, too sad to be angry, had kind words for the deeply religious family, especially young Sylvia, who was murdered a day before her Sweet 16 party.
The victims of the kind of violence a good Muslim is expected to display towards Islamic critics, were a Christian Egyptian American man, Hossam Armanious, 37, his wife, Amal Garas, also 37, and their two daughters, Sylvia, 15, and Monica, 8. Their rotting corpses, soaked in pools of their own blood, were found in their Oakland Avenue home early Friday after relatives told police nobody had heard from them in days. A family member who viewed photos of the bloodbath said Sylvia seemed to have taken the most savage punishment. “When we saw the pictures, you could tell that they were hurt really, really bad in the face; especially Sylvia,” said Milad Garas, the high-school sophomore's great-uncle. “The heartless killer not only slit Sylvia's throat, but also sliced a huge gash in her chest and stabbed her in the wrist, where she had a tattoo of a Coptic cross.”
Look into Monica’s eyes and consider the demonic indoctrination and sadistic depravity required to murder and then mutilate this beautiful and precious girl. And while that is difficult, until every American can do this, and come to grips with the motivation for so many murders like this—Islam’s Satanic nature—holding the religion itself accountable for the acts of its most fundamental and jealous adherents, everyone who has died at the hand of a Muslim aboard planes, busses and ships, in hotels, nightclubs, office buildings and schools, will have died in vain. This may be another wake-up call, America. Are you listening, or are you going to push the snooze button on your alarm once again?
Investigators said each victim was bound, gagged, stabbed, and slashed in the neck and chest. Sylvia’s wrist was mutilated where she displayed a small Copt cross. This is indicative of an act of Islam. It is an act of terror. Members of Jersey City’s Coptic community—many of whom left Egypt like the Armanious family to escape religious threats—understand the connection between fundamental Islam and the murders of their friends and family. That sentiment was expressed loudly by one parishioner inside who began yelling at Muslims, including a sheik, who attended the service. “Islam is the killer,” he said over and over before he was dragged from the church by five police officers who hustled him into an unmarked police car and quickly drove away. Welcome to America where accountability and truth are now crimes.
Tensions were high even before the first copper-colored casket arrived, when, during a procession to the church from Journal Square, family members asked mourners to put away anti-Muslim protest signs. But emotions really boiled over in the moments after the wistful service when a skirmish broke out as the four black hearses adorned with the victims’ pictures were being loaded. Punches were thrown, people were shoved and police rushed in to break up the brawl that had moved up Bergen Avenue to a nearby parking garage.
Family friend, Henry Simon, 35, said of the tension, “The sheik came at the wrong time. It’s like spitting on their graves.” What Simon said was right. It is why I continue to be grieved by President Bush’s decision to have an Islamic Imam give the benediction at the National Cathedral ceremony to mourn the victims of the Islamic attack on September 11th. It was like asking Adolf Hitler to give the benediction for Auschwitz.
Note also this interesting detail buried at the end of the story: Investigators learned that a relative of the Armanious family had helped prosecutors in their case against Lynne Stewart, the lawyer charged with passing messages to followers of her client, blind Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, the convicted terrorist ringleader responsible for the assignation of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat and the initial car bombing of the World Trade Center. For those squeamish about blaming Islam for the acts of Islamic Jihadists, consider the fact that Sheik Rahman was Islam’s foremost authority on the Qur’an. He was senior professor of Qur’anic Studies at Islam’s most prestigious university, Al Azhar, inCairo, Egypt.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Complete and constant Integrity
“Complete and constant integrity is a great law of human conduct. There need to be some absolutes in life.”
President James E. Faust
Ensign, May 1982, 48
President James E. Faust
Ensign, May 1982, 48
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Old and Confused
Old and ConfusedFive million of our older Americans have not signed up yet for their Medicare, Part D, drug plan. They are old and confused. If they haven't signed up yet, the Government is not going to grant them an extension.However, 12 million illegal aliens are in our country; and we are going to allow them to stay, protest, procreate, receive support monies, attend schools, avoid paying income taxes, have our teachers take 300 hours ofESL (English as a Second Language) training at our expense, etc. No wonder people in other countries think we are stupid as hell.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
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