Doomsday Revisited

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Back in the dim, dark past of this blog ( Jan. 18th in non-cyber-time), I had a post called Doomsday.
My cyber-friend (real friend not met in person), Jeanne, took up a challenge and asked some people what they thought about the ideas I'd expressed (check out the extensive comments with that post...).

Yesterday, she surprised me again and won herself the bestowal of the title Honorary E-Mail Reporter!

She sent the following (which I reproduce exactly as I received it...):

"This is a comment I got from a friend...

"The end of the world as we know it could be anytime considering the "as we know it" part. Think of the fact of how strange or foreign our everyday world would be to a person who traveled through time from the 1500's and saw what we have in the year 2007. Our radios, phones, and cars, not to mention other modern inventions would be mind baffling to a person of the 16th century.

"Now, let's think of 50 or even 100 years in the future. Modern science and advances will have leaped again. Who knows what we will possibly see in our lifetimes or what will become of our world after we are gone. But I can tell you this... The world of the future will probably be nothing like it is today. We live in the world 'as we know it', but that world is ever changing so one day it might be the end of the world as WE know it, but it will be the world as our great great great great grandchildren know it.

"Speaking about the 'end of the world' is a whole statement in itself. Religiously, I'm not sure if I know enough to answer this question. Spiritually, I think a person is screwed if they have not found God and it's the end of the world. You do want your golden ticket into heaven when it all goes down. There's that movie and book that focuses in on the worshipers of God being taken to heaven and spared of all harm or evil when the end comes. Personally, I don't think that will happen, but I do think that I want to be on God's good side and be one of his followers when the 'end' comes. I want to know that when I die I can go to heaven and face it... If a large asteroid comes hurling at the Earth and wipes out all life on Earth, we will all die. I think it's good to know you will be with all your loved ones in heaven with God.

"Also, I have heard some religious people push that the end of the world has to do with religious stuff. I am not so sure about that. God is all powerful. He can control a lot. But he can't control us from blowing each other up in a nuclear war. He puts so much faith in mankind, but it's mankind that I sometimes don't trust. Will we kill ourselves in the end and be our own doom?

"There are so many science fiction and horror movies and books focused on the 'end of the world.' I do believe that the images and ideals sometimes portrayed in our movies and books are sometimes a reflection of our own fears. Who knows, the end of the world may come out of an alien attack or a final world war or our destruction of the ozone layer or radiation exposure, pollution, or an asteroid destroying Earth, or melting of polar ice caps. Heck, I don't know... The 'end' may come from a natural event, our own undoing, or something unimaginable like contact with an alien race. I do believe if the end comes, it will have to be be because something happened that made it come. It won't just come. Did Y2K kill us all? No, but some things in life can happen. It would have to be something so powerful that it kills us all or kills many leaving survival near to impossible for the living. For instance, I would be screwed if we were suddenly stripped of modern electricity and put back into a time
of no outlets because I take medicine from a machine that plugs into a wall. In the 'end', it may become survival of the fittest or maybe... we'll just be all wiped out at once. But something will have to happen to cause the 'end' to come.

"Or maybe the end will never come and humans will continue to advance with our world changing with us. No one knows and time can only tell, but the end of the world will be a debate till the world does end. As it's ending, people will probably be discussing this question and debating it's answer.

"It kind of reminds me of that song, 'It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.'

"My question is what would you be doing if you knew that the end was coming?

"What would you want to be doing if you knew it would come and you could die?

"What would you want to be doing that last few minutes before the 'end?'

"That's my food for thought. You don't have to answer. Just curious...."


"...and here is her husband's comment:

"our world can end in a multitude of ways...it depends on what you mean by world...world as in our earth...earth will be here a long time, until of course the sun goes to red giant and sometime years after that nova...our world as in reality...it could be infinite because our new reality would be heaven if we die and heaven is infinite...while this reality here is finite in space and time..."

Poems Like Warm Wine

Many people are like me--we have some very good friends who we've never met in person. Something happens and the conventionally abnormal distancing that the Internet can instill is warmed way up and a true friendship blossoms.

This is what happened with Anna...

I'm a poet and she's a poet. She's young and I'm old. We're both religious (in "different" Faiths). And, we're both "weird"...

Not so long ago, I was blessed by technology. There, in my e-mail, was a link to an audio file of Anna Saying one of her poems!

I get nice chills just remembering the sound of her voice mingling with the meaning of the words...

So, prepare to be positively Enchanted...

Turn up your volume and relax into the magic of Anna's poetry...

strange



i

dusting for prints

Here's a link to Anna's blog...

Blogger Interview One with Nneka

I met this woman through my use of GoogleReader (it collects feeds from news sites, blogs, etc.). I immediately sensed a sincerity about her spiritual commitment so I posted a few comments to her blog. After the second or third comment, she asked me if I'd do a GuestPost (which was an honor...). Then, I asked her for an e-mail interview. But, before that brief exchange, here's some info about her from her site:

" Hi, I’m Nneka (pronounced en-nay-kah), the daughter of a musician and a closet fashionista. That’s me singing. I was born and raised in the southern-most island in the Caribbean, Trinidad. At 8, I was taught to meditate and I’ve been experimenting with it since (present commitment to daily meditation). I was exposed and acculturalized to diverse creeds and cultures.

"I’m passionate about expressing Spirit in my life and helping you do the same. For me, right now, that means writing about spirituality and how to apply it to life on Balanced Life Center. For you it may mean composing a symphony, being a conscious entrepreneur, a magnetic salesperson, or a patient, loving stay-at-home mom....

"I believe that God is everywhere present all the time. I write this here because a lot of the ideas that are discussed here will come from that premise. When I speak of God, I speak of the Spirit/Consciousness, the essence of all that is. It courses through our lives, our being, our world. It abides everywhere.

"I believe that within everyone lies their Divinity. Since God is everywhere present, He must be within each and everyone of us. Whether or not we choose to act out of that Divinity is up to us. Whether we are aware of it or not is a matter of our consciousness. Part of my purpose is to help everyone discover this Divinity within themselves and to help them uniquely express it."

The Interview (short and sweet):

Alex: Nneka, what led you to your current Internet activities?

Nneka: My husband started an online business in 2002. In 2003 when I wanted to start writing, he suggested I start a blog. I had no idea what a blog was at the time, or what a content management site was about. I was used to old school html. Anyway, I got the domain for Balanced Life Center and intended to start an online magazine about building a balanced life. That lasted for about 4 months before I got involved in the business side of his business. I ended up having to learn a lot about online marketing, pay per click, search engine optimization, and this new thing about building community around a business online.

I left the business in early 2006 to re-focus on what I consider my purpose. I resurrected Balanced Life Center, and here we are.

Alex: Is the Balanced Life Center Site a "shell" surrounding your blog or is the blog the "heart" of the Site or neither?

Nneka: At this moment, Balanced Life Center - the blog, is the heart of the site.

Alex: Are you able to sum up your "Sense of Spirituality" in 25 words or less? How about 10 words or less?

Nneka: In 10 words or less: God is All there is.

By that I mean that God is the essence of all things seen and unseen and that we are expressions of God. We may witness God to varying degrees and see "illness" in the world because of how much of our Divinity we allow to express through us and as us.

Alex: What might you say to the oft expressed "issue" where "Spirituality" and "Religion" are discussed, sometimes as antagonists, sometimes as parts of a whole?

Nneka: I think that religion is your chosen path to know the God of your being or the way that you choose to experience and express God. Most religions come with a set customs and rules that help frame the moral and social code of a community. It also sets up a framework to learn about spirituality from a given perspective.

Spirituality, on the other hand, is about your relationship with the Divine and your experience of it. Religion can help you find what works for you, but only you will know what that is.

Alex: What would be your "best advice" for healing the Illnesses of our World? (If you need to "define" those Illnesses first, please, go right ahead.)

Nneka: "Physician heal thyself."

We cannot heal the world until we heal ourselves. Then we can take up the yoke to heal our families, our schools, our churches, our communities, and the world. Ironically, we will find that once we heal ourselves, the world around us will take on a different hue. Much of the heavy lifting that we do to "make" things happen in our world today either won't be needed or will be done with different intentions.

Dangerous Blogging

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Blogging can be dangerous ( Check out two and three posts before this one...) .

Just this morning, on the way to a religious party with my best friend, the topic of blogging and controversy came up--the tact necessary, especially when one steps into the arena of Spiritual Commentary On Current Events...

The other day, as I responded to a discussion post on a spiritually-oriented site (mentioning my Faith), I was met with extreme prejudice--"How in the world can you believe that?!" I responded with as much tact and gentleness as I could muster and will lay low for a bit in that particular discussion thread...

I want to mention our B.I.D.E. Global Blog Feed again (down the sidebar on the left).
I found the meat for this post there: Free Kareem: Egyptian Bloggers Speak Out.

A blogger being jailed (if the appeal doesn't work) for speaking his mind. . .

Here's a snippet of a very interesting blog post:

"Once again a religious institution is confusing itself with God: instead of seeing that they are part of the problem, they interpret any criticism of the institution as criticism of Allah, whereas Karim only did what Allah has told every Muslim to do: [Qur'an 4:135]: “O you who believe! be maintainers of justice, bearers of witness of Allah’s sake, though it may be against your own selves or (your) parents or near relatives; if he be rich or poor, Allah is nearer to them both in compassion; therefore do not follow (your) low desires, lest you deviate; and if you swerve or turn aside, then surely Allah is aware of what you do.”

Reprise

Tomorrow's my guest post on the Balanced Life Center's Blog. The title will be The Great Spirit and the content's about my personal experiences with Native American Spirituality.

Even though I was raised by two Christian ministers (Mom and Dad), my Indian experiences were much more "spiritual" then what our family did...

Now that I'm in my 60's I can see the value in all Spiritual Traditions.

~~~~~~~~~

Since I wrote that guest post for Balanced Life Center, I've begun reading Black Elk Speaks
--had to; couldn't help it even though I had other, more "important" things to read...

So, here I am in a rather contemplative mood--a Caucasian with a love for Indians, a blogger who's actually a poet, a man who has his feminine side well-honed, a Baha'i who loves all religions, an American who's striving to be a Global Citizen...

And that Global Perspective brings me back to a focus in this blog's recent past:

Please check out the post, Be The Change.... It's only a couple days old but, in the Blogosphere, that's ancient.

I really want to shift from the Personal Commentaries to a more Global Perspective but I'd really rather have some of You steer me in the direction of the stories or topics or issues You'd like Spiritual Commentary on...

Blogospheric Response To Egypt's Action

Amazing speed of supportive action for the blogger arrested by the Egyptian Government!

He's being nominated for the 2007 Index Awards Ceremony.

Plus, the folks who created FreeKareem.org had this to say:

"This campaign is our way of fighting to further the cause of brave people who continue to practice their right to freedom of expression even when such rights are not recognized.

"Kareem is a writer who always found the courage within him to keep speaking his mind freely in the name of not only freedom of speech, but the freedom to think in an otherwise sheltered society. Because of that, he was interrogated and arrested this morning, but apparently not for the first time. We stand by and fully support Kareem through these difficult times and will continue working on this campaign until he is freed."

They also created a Forum to discuss his case.

Independent Investigation of Truth is sorely lacking in our world-at-large. Without this important principle in place, censorship and blind imitation of the past can unleash rank oppression:

"One of the main sources of conflict in the world today is the fact that many people blindly and uncritically follow various traditions, movements, and opinions. God has given each human being a mind and the capacity to differentiate truth from falsehood. If individuals fail to use their reasoning capacities and choose instead to accept without question certain opinions and ideas, either out of admiration for or fear of those who hold them, then they are neglecting their basic moral responsibility as human beings. Moreover, when people act in this way, they often become attached to some particular opinion or tradition and thus intolerant of those who do not share it. Such attachments can, in turn, lead to conflict. History has witnessed conflict and even bloodshed over slight alterations in religious practice, or a minor change in the interpretation of doctrine. Personal search for truth enables the individual to know why he or she adheres to a given ideology or doctrine."

Bahá'í International Community

The Truth Shall Set You Free..

Dave Lucas published "Egyptian Blogger Sentenced to Prison" today.

I haven't checked out the facts to assertain the guilt or innocence of the blogger in question, but the posting made me remember a link off the site I've recommended here a few times, GlobalVoices ( Dave likes it, too!) .

The link takes you to a "Handbook for bloggers and cyber-dissidents" which helps those under governmental oppression get their words out to the world.

After this foray into the story's context, I went to GlobalVoices itself and found Much More Coverage...

This in turn reminded me of the oppression of a religious group in Egypt. Here's that story...

"Be The Change..."

"Each one has to find his peace from within. And peace, to be real, must be unaffected by outside circumstances."

Mohandas Gandhi

I'm sure you can see the connection between the quote from Gandhi and the picture of the children...

Three posts ago, our E-Mail Reporter, Sandy, had some provocative questions about "starving" children. Those kids over there sure aren't starving; at least not physically (and their spirits look pretty bright...)

The post just before this one concerned our Vision and how it shapes our action.

Here's Sandy once more with her take on that post:

Alex,
This, what you say here, is to me, an extremely important thing to be said!!! I think it's also one reason why Abdu'l-Baha exhorts us to BE HAPPY!! BE HAPPY!!! I mean, not to be of such good cheer and so giddy that all good sense goes out the window, but to be on a level of happiness, because of detachment from this material world, that our wings don't become helplessly and hopelessly stuck in the mess on the ground! God's guidance has always been here with us and always will be. The quote below that came in yesterday on quote-a-day says it perfectly, I think.
~ Sandy

"It behooveth him who is a wayfarer in the path of God and a wanderer in
His way to detach himself from all who are in the heavens and on the earth.
He must renounce all save God, that perchance the portals of mercy may be
unlocked before his face and the breezes of providence may waft over him.
And when he hath inscribed upon his soul that which We have vouchsafed unto
him of the quintessence of inner meaning and explanation, he will fathom all
the secrets of these allusions, and God shall bestow upon his heart a divine
tranquillity and cause him to be of them that are at peace with themselves."

Baha'u'llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries--Javahiru'l-Asrar, pp. 25-26, para 33

"...be of them that are at peace with themselves."

Starting with this post, I'm going to veer in the direction of Spiritual Commentary on Global Events; and, I certainly pray you'll help me out...

The posts recently have dealt with our personal spiritual perspective, which is crucial for any attainment in the global arena!

So...

I'll begin by pointing to GlobalVoices once again: the site that pulls together blogs from all over the world (sort of a global perspective on many individuals' spiritual quests). If you scroll down the sidebar aways, you'll see the B.I.D.E. Global Blog Feed. It's from GlobalVoices.

Next, I want to bring your attention to a global "news" site that stresses reporting on the areas of maximum activity that aim at making our World a better place to live on: getting it back to a self-sustaining state (which includes a whole lot of inner spiritual strength...). The site is called OneWorld. This site is extremely dense with ripe information!

Yes! Magazine is the publication of Positive Futures Network: "an independent, nonprofit organization supporting people’s active engagement in creating a just, sustainable, and compassionate world." Here we have the awareness of personal tools we need in our global striving.

Next is OneCountry, a publication that stresses the deeper spiritual weapons we need to Wage Peace!

Finally, I present WorldPress.Org, the most "HardNews" site of the bunch. And, right here is where I need Your help...

Just below is a string of recent articles from WorldPress. I want to bring some Spiritual Commentary to one of those articles.

Will You Help?

Leave a comment (or, e-mail me: amzolt {at} gmail {dot} com) with your pick, O.K.?

In the Spotlight

'Shia Democracy': Myth or Reality? (Part I) Shiism is another Islam, with its own identity and at least 200 million worldwide adherents. Perhaps the concept of "Shia democracy" holds a ray of hope for furthering democracy in the Muslim world. By Sreeram Chaulia.

Chile Surpasses One Million Broadband Connections Leading Latin America in Internet access and use, Chile also boasts the highest broadband penetration rate and is beginning to emerge as a regional leader in information technology. By Nathan Crooks.

Congo: Prisoners Endure Appalling Conditions As they dug a grave for one of their fellow inmates, detainees in Bunia Central Prison decided to use the occasion to protest against appalling conditions in the jail. From IRIN.

Paris Journal: Hype Happens Unlike hell, the Jeu de Paume contemporary art museum is not paved with good intentions. But it is hung with them at the moment. By Brent Gregston.

Congo: Rights Groups Call for Marie Therese Nlandu's Release Nlandu was arrested on Nov. 21, three weeks before President Kabila's inauguration, when she went to Kin-Maziere Police Station to visit and bring food to six of her associates. By Ambrose Musiyiwa.

NATO: Quo Vadis? Recently as part of the on going "war on terror," however, NATO has been active well beyond its traditional area of operations—in Afghanistan, the horn of Africa, and Lebanon. By Michael Werbowski.

Return of Somalia's Warlords The Islamic regime, which had progressively taken control of much of Somalia, was overthrown in December by an Ethiopian invasion force backed—financially and militarily—by the United States. From Green Left Weekly.

North Korea Offers to Halt Nuclear Program Senior North Korean negotiators have expressed Pyongyang's willingness to reach an agreement in return for economic and financial concessions. By Rich Bowden.

Child-Safety Experts Call For Restrictions On Childhood Imagination

Child-Safety Experts Call For Restrictions On Childhood Imagination

WASHINGTON, DC—"By constantly reminding kids that they're human children with no magical skills, you ensure that they will live a long life", said child-safety expert Kenneth McMillan.

Some penetrating, provocative "nonsense"...

How Do You Feel? >>> What Do You See?

I've been on a path of treatment for chronic depression for the last six months. This blog is a clear therapeutic aid for me.

To focus on what's Important, to clear my Vision, to reach out for Understanding and Share what I find...

God created us to Relate!

Some would, undoubtedly, say that the Internet isn't the place to do it. Actually, finding friends in cyberspace and maintaining those friendships is , to me, like what folks call "talking to angels".

All the normal cues for a physical relationship are removed. It's down to mostly words and the meaning they can carry. I'm certainly aware of all the techno-aids that are trying to mimic real-space interaction and the only one I use is provocative pictures--I'm not trying to cheat myself and pretend I'm in the same physical space when I'm not; I want to feel like I'm talking to Angels...

I chose that picture of roses because of my cyber-friend, Alexys Fairfield. I purposely defocused most of the picture to hint at something she wrote about the other day: Eyes In The Sky.

In that blog post, she said:

"I've always felt that there were eyes watching me. Eyes that need no invitation. Eyes that emanate warmth and kindness. Eyes that remind me of my past. Eyes that guide me to my future. Eyes that said nothing, but said it all. Eyes of resplendent glory and faith. Eyes of the invisible that became very clear.

"I do know that we are more susceptible to blind spots when we are overburdened. We can decrease our blind spots by becoming more aware of their existence. By becoming aware of "another set of eyes." They have always been there. Just ask your inner spirit to show you your blind spots. To define your vision. You may be surprised at what you find.

"When we do things that keep us from achieving the best we can achieve, we are blinded by the light. When there is a cohesion of our action and spirit, we are guided by the light.

"So on your journey to your ultimate self, don't forget to pack your extra set of eyes to help you through the murkiness. You are not alone. The eyes in the sky are upon you. Now and always."

Alexys always gives me a spark of Inspiration, a nudge toward clearer Vision.

I have another Friend, my most trustworthy human Angel, a man who spent 40 years in prison for His beliefs and left this physical realm in 1921. On the topic of Vision and what brings Joy or Pain He said:

“In this world we are influenced by two sentiments, Joy and Pain. Joy gives us wings! In times of joy our strength is more vital, our intellect keener, and our understanding less clouded. We seem better able to cope with the world and to find our sphere of usefulness. But when sadness visits us we become weak, our strength leaves us, our comprehension is dim and our intelligence veiled. The actualities of life seem to elude our grasp, the eyes of our spirits fail to discover the sacred mysteries, and we become even as dead beings. There is no human being untouched by these two influences; but all the sorrow and the grief that exist come from the world of matter--the spiritual world bestows only the joy! If we suffer it is the outcome of material things, and all the trials and troubles come from this world of illusion.”

~~~ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, pp. 109-110

Where In The World ?

I have no idea where in the world this picture was taken. That's just fine, though, 'cause I wanted a place that was extremely different from where I am.

I live in southwestern Ohio in the United States--no mountains, just hills; no isolated cabins on the edge of glaciers...

Pictures from space have shown us how "small" our planet is but pictures down here can definitely show how "small" We are.

And, when it comes to my feelings about the big/small world and my small/big place in it, the best way I've seen it said is: "Glory not in love for your country, but in love for all mankind."

There's a service down aways on the sidebar called "B.I.D.E. Global Blog Feed". It comes from a site I want to praise and encourage you to visit: GlobalVoices

Their slogan is: "The world is talking. Are you listening?"

And, here's their agenda:

"GlobalVoices seeks to amplify, curate and aggregate the global conversation online - with a focus on countries and communities outside the U.S. and Western Europe. We are committed to developing tools, institutions and relationships that will help all voices everywhere to be heard."

It's exhilarating just to go there and browse the blogs from so many countries but it's downright uplifting to peruse their Resources:

How-to guides:

Reporters Without Borders Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents
(Mirror sites: here for English and for Chinese here and here.)

Anoniblog Guide: Guide to anonymous blogging by Ethan Zuckerman

Useful Documents:

Infrastructure of Democracy: Statement by a working group at the Club de Madrid on how not to destroy the internet while fighting terrorism

Six recommendations to ensure freedom of expression on the Internet from Reporters Without Borders and the OSCE.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights: including the universal right to free speech for all human beings.

Communities:

The Digital Divide Network: the Internet’s largest community for educators, activists, policy makers and concerned citizens working to bridge the digital divide.

Media Bloggers Association: a non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting MBA members and their blogs, educating bloggers, and promoting the explosion of citizen’s media.

Omidyar Network: online community dedicated to making the world a better place.

Free hosting, free content:

Internet Archive: Universal access to human knowledge.

Ourmedia: free storage and free bandwidth for your videos, audio files, photos, text or software. Forever. No catches.

Creative Commons: a nonprofit that offers a flexible copyright for creative work.

Organizations supporting online free speech:

Berkman Center for Internet & Society: host organization for Global Voices Online.

Internet Freedom of Expression Exchange: defending global freedom of expression. Check out their Tunisia monitoring group.

Reporters Without Borders: fighting for freedom of the press worldwide.

Committee to Protect Bloggers: an independent organization dedicated to bloggers’ rights around the world.

Electronic Frontier Foundation: Defending freedom in the digital world.

Human Rights Watch: Defending human rights worldwide.

Spirit of America: supporting champions of freedom, democracy, and peace.

Who's Starving ?

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The post preceding this was only hours old when our intrepid E-Mail Reporter, Sandy, fired off a provocative response. It's more questions than answers and it set me to searching for understanding.

It'll take me awhile to answer all her questions but, in my search for the image over there, I did find the article:
When Endemic Malnutrition is Labeled as Famine...

Here's Sandy:

"Just a thought and some questions.....

"Have you ever noticed that in the photographs of the starving babies and children, that the adults in the photos don't ever look as emaciated as the babies and children do?

"Sometimes in these same photos the adults don't even look like they are starving or very hungry. I read somewhere, once, that it was because in these countries the parents and adults will eat first and then give what is left over to the children. The adults must be eating the same nutritionally poor food the children are right? Why don't the adults look worse the wear? If there isn't much food left over, which many times there isn't, the children then, well, ... just starve.

"This may not be the norm all over the world but, in some parts of the world, it would seem that education on this matter would be extremely important to these people.

"Now, if disease in these children is preventing what little poor nutrition they are getting from providing nourishment to their bodies, then, one would have to say, it's not only from lack of good food but from childhood disease as well, which was documented in the article, but my question is:

"The parents of these children appear to be very young themselves so how did they stave off these same diseases themselves in their childhoods and how did they get through and survive the lack of food, which was not very long ago, and how is it that they're not dying of starvation and disease themselves like their children are?

"Or are they?"

~ Sandy

Rich Kids + Poor Kids = Our Kids

There have been a number of posts here covering the issues of children. You can find some of them by clicking on the words in our Tag Cloud over in the sidebar.

Today's post was sparked by an article on the OneWorld site entitled, UNICEF report on childhood in industrialised countries.

At first I wondered why all that time and money was spent on assessing kids in the rich countries. Then it dawned on me that seeing the sad plight of children in the "best" countries on Earth could spur action to help All children.

Another thought I had was: Why does it take an official study to "prove" what most of us already know? I'm sure there's someone out there who could supply a rational reason but it'll still amaze me...

If you want to bypass the commentary about the report and read the original, it's available as a .pdf file: Report Card 7, Child Poverty in Perspective: An Overview of Child Well-being in Rich Countries.

OneWorld is a dynamite site with a wealth of information you'll rarely see in mainstream media.

Here are a few links from a sidebar of their article:

Other stories on Child poverty full listing

	Disparities affecting children cloud economic good news story
	A quarter of the world’s children seriously underweight
	UNICEF, MSF and WFP join forces to save children’s lives in Niger

Science & Religion

This is one of the latest pictures of our Solar System neighbor, Saturn.

It was taken by the spacecraft, Cassini, which has been tirelessly working to expand our knowledge of Saturn since 2004. And that mission began after the spacecraft had taken seven years just to reach Saturn.

Some folks like to say we shouldn't spend so much on space missions when people here on earth need so much. This is a valid concern, yet there's much more money than is spent on space in the pockets of people who have more money than they know what to do with...

Sure, they earned it (hopefully honestly) and have the right to decide what they want to do with it. Still, there's a crying need for all members of humanity to become more spiritual and truly help each other.

I'll leave final answers of this money-for-space issue to history...

Carolyn Porco, the Cassini Imaging Team Leader, maintains a site full of marvelous images called, CICLOPS/Space Science Institute.

Just in case you haven't thought about our neighbor Saturn recently, here's a picture showing the relative sizes of our major neighbors (Saturn's the one to the right of Jupiter...):

And for those who doubt that Science and Religion can agree, I propose looking into the message, Science and Religion Explored.

One closing thought:

Many people think Spirituality is somehow divorced from daily living. To me this seems to fall far short of the evidence. If God created everything, wouldn't it make sense that Spirituality would hold all the answers for our mundane, day-to-day problems (personal or global)?

Where Do I Turn? - Continued . . .

Please read the post preceding this first.

I'd finished writing that post and began scanning B.I.D.E. Global Blog Feed in the sidebar, had a blog post catch my eye, followed it down and it lead me to another blog from which I must quote.

I put that man's picture here because he looks like a really decent person and I really can't tell what Faith he may have. Also, I bet he wouldn't hold it against a person if they belonged to a Faith other than his.

If you haven't read the post before this one, please do 'cause it will make this one make more sense; although, the 14-year-old Iraqi girl that I'll be quoting, really does make a ton of sense all on her own.

So . . .

Here's a quote from the blog, Days of My Life ~ Talk about daily life of a teenage girl in Iraq:

"I got a letter from a dear friend of mine telling me that the media says that the Sunnis kill the Shiites and the Shiites kill Sunnites in Iraq .. OOOOHHHHH Of course that is not true , Sunnites and Shiites have been living together for ages , they marry each other , I have relatives married Shiites women\men, if that was true , that means my parents’ uncle should kill his wife ,my mom’s uncle should kill his wife , some of my parents’ cousins should kill their wives\husbands !!!!!!!! and I should kill my two best friends , that is ridiculous…

"In my grandparents’ neighborhood, there are people from many religions there are Muslims(Sunnites, Shiites) , Christians , Subba , &Armenians.. they are more than neighbors , like one family , when my eye problem happened ( I had Deplopia) our Christian neighbors went to the church and lightened candles for me , and our Shiites neighbors went to Karbala , she traveled to another city , just to pray for me ( Karbala is a religious place specially for Shiites ), the examples are so many . I’ve talked about that in many posts . and said that in many interviews , and I will keep saying that till the people in the world start to realize , that Iraqis (Sunnites and Shiites) live in Iraq for more than 1400 years, they are MUSLIMS and IRAQIS.

"We go shopping together , if we need any help , we ask our neighbors to help us , because we are all Iraqis , no matter what are our religion , nor creeds , I didn’t know what are Shiites and Sunnites until I was 12 years old, and lately it appears that there are more creeds , Shafee and hanafy !!!!!! and other creeds , I don’t know which one I belong to , and I don’t even want to know , those names are not important , we all believe in the same god , and say the same prayers , no matter how do we stand and those formals if we put our hand together when we pray or not !!!!!!, what’s important is what is there inside our hearts .

"So , NO we don’t kill each other , the terrorists who kill Shiites are the same who kill Sunnites , it is impossible that Good Iraqis kill each other , no matter what is their religions nor creeds …
In my own big family , there are Arabs and Kurd , Sunnites and Shiites , Iraqis Americans , British , Turks , and Germans ( my parent’s uncle married a British lady , his daughter married a guy originally from Germany , and my dad’s cousin has a Turkish wife, many of my relatives married Shiites ) , what a mixture !!....

"From many nationalities and creeds. We are one big family..."

Where Do I Turn?

So much is wrong in the world...

So much effort must be spent just to stay slightly positive...

Most folks just give up.

Oh, they may still go to a church or mosque or temple but beyond a passing prayer for peace, not much gets done...

Our post, The Death of Violence !, has 64 simple and powerful things each of us could do, every day, to further peace...

But...

Beyond the good deeds we all need to do lies the need for a solid connection to a Spiritual Path.

Back in the post, My God, Your God, Our God, I listed quite a few Names of God from different cultures and Faiths. Right here, I want to list these names of the major Founders of Religion: Zarathustra, Krishna, Buddha, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, The Báb, and Bahá’u’lláh.

More and more people are coming to realize that these Prophets of God were all speaking the same "Language". When you look carefully at the core teachings of each of Their Faiths, you find the very same Truths. The only real variance in what They each brought to us is in the social laws, which must change periodically as humanity grows up...

So, how does a person decide which Faith to cleave to? If they're all teaching basically the same thing why do people fight over their religious beliefs?

According to a WebPage titled, Major Branches of Religions Ranked by Number of Adherents, there are twelve "classical" major world religions and 65 "branches" in those twelve "classical" styles of Faith.

If you look at that page, you'll find Many More "sub-branches"...

Ever get the suspicion that all those flavors of religion are created by people and may or may not have much to do with God's Wishes?

The more I talk to earnest believers in various Faiths, the more I find agreement that the Prophets each brought the Faith of God and people immediately began to erode It's pristine beauty and purity, created their own materialized variants, and made it quite easy for massive human slaughter due to "religious" strife !

This is one post I really hope to get many comments on...

Sing A Song of Peace

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<---- That's Cat Stevens. Thirty years ago, he took most of the world by storm.

He's back!

You can hear him sing his mega-hit, Peace Train, on this Video, as well as appreciate some images of Iran that are rarely seen.

Plus, there's a good message interwoven with the pictures and music about a different approach to current events!

Tags: music, Cat+Stevens, Peace+Train, Iran, muslim

How Dare You Show This Picture !

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I debated putting this picture here but things are getting to me. . .

How dare anyone do that to children !

How dare we not do more to put an end to it !

For those just tuning in to this blog, the post, The Death of Violence !, has 64 simple yet powerfully effective things most anyone can do to add to the momentum of peace in our world.

Some may say there will never be an end to violence since humans are just wired that way. For anyone inclined to say that (or even harbor it in the dark recesses of their minds), I'll offer A Force More Powerful. It's a WebSite, a book, a TV documentary, and much more. Their effort chronicles 100 years of non-violent response to violent circumstances--responses which
Worked !!!

Tags: dead+babies, dead+children, death, children, youth, child, global+warming, violence, non-violence, Season+for+Non-Violence

Losing Our Future . . .

This image is from the Guardian Unlimited and carries this caption: Iraqi boys in a refugee camp in Baghdad play with toy guns.

Since this is still a Season for Non-Violence and since children Are our Future, I want to make a Major Comment. If you're in your teens or twenties, you may not even be aware if it; if you're in your thirties or forties, you may be tuning in to it; if you're in your fifties or sixties, you're probably dealing with it big-time; and, if you're in your seventies or more, I hope you're over the hump and can relax...

Major Comment: The teachings from our parents and the signals from our environment are so powerful an influence in our childhood that most people have never gotten beyond them to discover their True Selves.

Just because most haven't doesn't mean you can't; but, the only sure way to break the bonds of unsuitable upbringing is the Spiritual Path. (Naturally, we can praise God for all the good influences...)

Here are some links for further exploration:
From Case Western Reserve University, an article on a new study, Kids Who Threaten Are Likely to be Violent.

From the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, the article, Children and TV Violence, which has further links for exploration.

And, from the National Institute of Mental Health, a page full of valuable links for further study.
Here's a quote from that site:

"Not all children enjoy the "carefree" days of childhood. Unfortunately, when things start to go wrong, people often despair of being able to repair the damage.

"This is a time of high concern about violent behavior by young people. As a nation, we are in a period of reflection as to what can be done to stem this tide. Helping young people avoid or overcome emotional problems in the wake of violence or disaster is one of the most important challenges a parent, teacher, or mental health professional can face. Moreover, children often face violence in their own homes..."

N.B.: This is still a Season for Non-Violence.

Tags: non-violence, war, child, children, play, toys, childhood+development, parental+influence, youth

The Death of Violence !

We're already 8 days into A Season for Non-Violence.

Violence is still rampant on our Earth.

Can one person actually do anything about it?

Absolutely!

In fact, without many single people deciding they've had enough of animalistic responses to differences of opinion, we will All die (far too soon...)...

I want A Season for Non-Violence to speak to the world:

Vision

"As a human family we are asking the question: “How can any act of violence be recognized as a solution to the consequences of violence that we face today?” Violent actions and reactions are the scars of social, educational, and economic wounds... the voices of a spiritually inarticulate culture.

"The practice of nonviolence is initiated by choice and cultivated through agreement. The time has come to agree upon this as a global community--as if our lives, and those of our children’s children, depended on it. Our vision is of a better world for all human beings.

"To this end, we undertake “Gandhi & King: A Season for Nonviolence” by applying our efforts and resources to identifying, then bringing into focus the spectrum of grassroots projects and programs by individuals and organizations who are pro-actualizing a peaceful social order."

Mission

"Our mission is to create an awareness of nonviolent principles and practice as a powerful way to heal, transform and empower our lives and communities.

"Through an educational and community action campaign, we are honoring those who are using nonviolence to build a community that honors the dignity and worth of every human being.

"We are demonstrating that every person can move the world in the direction of peace through their daily nonviolent choice and action."

Still don't think You can do anything to help our embattled World?
I dare you to look through this list and Not find at least one positive action for yourself:

A Season for Nonviolence - 64 Ways in 64 Days ~
Daily Commitments to Live ByThese

principles for nonviolence were adapted by the Denver Area Task
Force for: A Season for Nonviolence - January 30-April 4, 1998

Inspired by the 50th & 30th memorial anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi
and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

1 -- Today, I will reflect on what peace means to me.
2 -- Today, I will look at opportunities to be a peacemaker.
3 -- Today, I will practice nonviolence and respect for Mother Earth by making good use of her resources.
4 -- Today, I will take time to admire and appreciate nature.
5 -- Today, I will plant seeds--plants or constructive ideas.
6 -- Today, I will hold a vision of plenty for all the world's hungry and be open to guidance as to how I can help alleviate some of that hunger.
7 -- Today, I will acknowledge every human being's fundamental right to justice, equity, and equality.
8 -- Today, I will appreciate the earth's bounty and all of those who work to make my food available (i.e., grower, trucker, grocery clerk, cook, waitress, etc.)
9 -- Today, I will work to understand and respect another culture.
10 -- Today, I will oppose injustice, not people.
11 -- Today, I will look beyond stereotypes and prejudices.
12 -- Today, I will choose to be aware of what I talk about and I will refuse to gossip.
13 -- Today, I will live in the present moment and release the past.
14 -- Today, I will silently acknowledge all the leaders throughout the world.
15 -- Today, I will speak with kindness, respect, and patience to every person that I talk with on the telephone.
16 -- Today, I will affirm my value and worth with positive "self talk" and refuse to put myself down.
17 -- Today, I will tell the truth and speak honestly from the heart.
18 -- Today, I will cause a ripple effect of good by an act of kindness toward another.
19 -- Today, I will choose to use my talents to serve others by volunteering a portion of my time.
20 -- Today, I will say a blessing for greater understanding whenever I see evidence of crime, vandalism, or graffiti.
21 -- Today, I will say "No" to ideas or actions that violate me or others.
22 -- Today, I will turn off anything that portrays or supports violence whether on television, in the movies, or on the Internet.
23 -- Today, I will greet this day--everyone and everything--with openness and acceptance as if I were encountering them for the first time.
24 -- Today, I will drive with tolerance and patience.
25 -- Today, I will constructively channel my anger, frustration, or jealousy into healthy physical activities (i.e., doing sit-ups, picking up trash, taking a walk, etc).
26 -- Today, I will take time to appreciate the people who provide me with challenges in my life, especially those who make me angry or frustrated.
27 -- Today, I will talk less and listen more.
28 -- Today, I will notice the peacefulness in the world around me.
29 -- Today, I will recognize that my actions directly affect others.
30 -- Today, I will take time to tell a family member or friend how much they mean to me.
31 -- Today, I will acknowledge and thank someone for acting kindly.
32 -- Today, I will send a kind, anonymous message to someone.
33 -- Today, I will identify something special in everyone I meet.
34 -- Today, I will discuss ideas about nonviolence with a friend to gain new perspectives.
35 -- Today, I will practice praise rather than criticism.
36 -- Today, I will strive to learn from my mistakes.
37 -- Today, I will tell at least one person they are special and important.
38 -- Today, I will hold children tenderly in thought and/or action.
39 -- Today, I will listen without defending and speak without judgment.
40 -- Today, I will help someone in trouble.
41 -- Today, I will listen with an open heart to at least one person.
42 -- Today, I will treat the elderly I encounter with respect and dignity.
43 -- Today, I will treat the children I encounter with respect and care, knowing that I serve as a model to them.
44 -- Today, I will see my so-workers in a new light--with understanding and
compassion.
45 -- Today, I will be open to other ways of thinking and acting that are different from my own.
46 -- Today, I will think of at least three alternate ways I can handle a situation when confronted with conflict.
47 -- Today, I will work to help others resolve differences.
48 -- Today, I will express my feeling honestly and nonviolently with respect for myself and others.
49 -- Today, I will sit down with my family for one meal.
50 -- Today, I will set an example of a peacemaker by promoting nonviolent responses.
51 -- Today, I will use no violent language.
52 -- Today, I will pause for reflection.
53 -- Today, I will hold no one hostage to the past, seeing each-as I see myself-as a work in process.
54 -- Today, I will make a conscious effort to smile at someone whom I have held a grudge against in the past.
55 -- Today, I will practice compassion and forgiveness by apologizing to someone whom I have hurt in the past.
56 -- Today, I will reflect on whom I need to forgive and take at least one step in that direction.
57 -- Today, I will forgive myself.
58 -- Today, I will embrace the spiritual belief of my heart in my own personal and reflective way.
59 -- Today, I will enlarge my capacity to embrace differences and appreciate the value of every human being.
60 -- Today, I will be compassionate in my thoughts, words, and actions.
61 -- Today, I will cultivate my moral strength and courage through education and creative nonviolent action.
62 -- Today, I will practice compassion and forgiveness for myself and others.
63 -- Today, I will use my talents to serve others as well as myself.
64 -- Today, I will serve humanity by dedicating myself to a vision greater than myself.

Tags: Season+for+Non-Violence, action, individuals, non-violence, vision

Who Are The Victors ?

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I watched the Game (Super Bowl XLI) but not with as much enthusiasm as this fellow...

I never liked playing football as I grew up (loved basket ball, though) but I love watching it (and hate watching basket ball)! I think, since I'm a peaceable sort who would rather we all used non-violent means to resolve difficulties, my willingness to watch the sport is to admire sheer ability and rock-solid determination.

Actually, yesterday's display of rabid enthusiasm, strictly physical ability, and emotional determination had some redeeming qualities:

The Latino community was wonderfully represented in the pre-game show, the fact that the head coaches were black was celebrated (as well as their spiritual predilections and their years-long friendship), and I didn't see one personal fight on the field...

I don't fully understand why violent sports and war still hold such fascination for so many people. Sure they have marvelous examples of individual effort, team spirit, valor, courage, discipline, and determination (all exemplary virtues) but they certainly aren't the only (or best) places to find those virtues.

I'm reading a book now about the history of non-violence and, since we're in the Season for Non-Violence, you can expect to see posts inspired by that history . . .

Tags: "individual effort", "super bowl", "team spirit", black, courage, determination, discipline, football, sports, valor, virtue