FREEDOM OF RELIGION…FOR WHOM? by Archbishop Lazar (Puhalo)

https://orthodoxyindialogue.com/2020/01/26/freedom-of-religion-for-whom-by-archbishop-lazar-puhalo/

Religious entities which lobby for legislation to favour themselves or to disenfranchise others should in no way be exempt from all legislation pertaining to lobby groups, and to forfeit their tax exempt status. There is no reason why religious bodies should be exempt from laws which govern everyone else.

Generally, when religious groups lobby about “religious freedoms” anywhere in North America, they are striving to deprive others of their liberties, and want legal authority to do so.

If we were to restore school prayers, then it cannot be only Fundamentalist Christian prayers, but must include also Muslim and Jewish as well as Orthodox Christian prayers. This certainly means providing for the purification rituals of Jews and Muslims that are required of them before their prayers. It certainly must include the Orthodox version of the Lord’s Prayer and mention of the Most-Holy Theotokos.

If Christian prayers are going to be public and broadcast on the school’s intercom system, then surely in those schools where there is a Muslim minority, Muslim prayers must also the broadcast in the same manner and given equal time, otherwise we are curtailing religious freedom rather than advancing it.

We also should allow nonreligious people to exit from all classrooms where prayers are being carried on or broadcast if they wish to, otherwise we are interfering with their religious freedom—religious freedom must include freedom from religion, and honour and respect that.

We cannot allow the assertion of freedom for only one religion or a sect of one religion, while depriving the freedom of other religions or those who have no religion and do not wish to participate.

Otherwise we are simply not a democracy and have no claim to constitutional freedoms and liberties, and we can only say that we have destroyed religious freedom under the pretext of vouchsafing it.

Archbishop Lazar (Puhalo) is a retired hierarch in the Archdiocese of Canada of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), founder of All Saints of North America Monastery in Dewdney BC, and author of On the Neurobiology of Sin.

Why a humpback whale for my first tattoo? She is my totem animal. This beauty is the “Judy Dike” named after my mom who shared with me her love of the sea and my Aunt Dee and Uncle Larry who taught me about the creatures in the sea every time I came to California at the Monterey Aquarium. She was designed and inked by Paul Regalado, the owner of Skinhouse Tattoo Studio in Longmont, CO https://skinhousestudio.com/

The first time a whale appeared in my life was in the bathtub. I remember having a long blue whale that you put a bar of soap in and pushed around in the water.

I saw this album “Songs of the Humpback Whale” by Roger Payne (1970) when I was working as a page at the Longmont Public Library in 1977. I borrowed it and played it on one of those old portable record players with so so sound. But what I heard blew me away. 

The Iowa Premiere of “And God Created Great Whales” Symphonic Poem for Orchestra and Recorded Whale Sounds by Alan Hovhannes (1970) was in Cedar Rapids at Coe College in Sinclair Auditorium in 1982. It was performed by the Cedar Rapid’s Chamber Orchestra in which I was a cellist. This version uses the full whale voices tape Hovhannes intended and the CRCO used. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Too2tqNZAVc

Who could forget “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” (1986). George and Gracie--the humpbacks, Monterey, wessels, colorful metaphors, the crew as family. My favorite Star Trek movie and one of my favs in general.

Then came “Whales Alive” by Paul Winter and Paul Halley, Narration by Leonard Nimoy, with Voices of the Humpback Whales (1987). It has readings by my honorary grandfather Leonard Nimoy. He was a very loving and caring man. He offered to be anyone’s grandfather if the sent him a note asking, and he would say yes. He did this the in what turned out to be the last year of his life. It was just a simple thing on his part. But it really got me. Still does. I mean who does that. OK, big tangent.

Save the Whales! Letters, donations, Greenpeace, keeping it on the front page. It was a big deal. It still is a big deal! A lot of effort on hundreds of thousands of peoples parts kept the whales from going extinct. And from still going extinct.

In 1991, I was working on my Masters in Library Science on an annotated bibliography. I was so pumped and turned in my 64-page bib on whales. The profs were ok with my “exhaustive investigation” into the subject. They actually knew someone needing background info on whales for a film project and wondered if they could pass on my bib? Cool. Didn’t get the name though or if anything came of it.

Humpbacks truly became my totem animal when Patti and I spent a week in Trinity, Newfoundland during the summer of 1992 at a cetacean researcher’s bed and breakfast (he used the profits to fund his research in addition to grants). Twice a day for three hours at a time we would go out on Trinity Bay and the Atlantic in a 24-foot zodiac and spend time with the humpbacks. Not every trip were we able to find humpbacks. We also hung out with minke whales, a fin whale, puffins, some icebergs (which we got up next to and touched), and the open sea. And I decided to eat what the Humpbacks were eating--capelin, an 8-inch smelt.. So we got some in the shallows and the cook made some up for me. You eat them whole, heads, scales, innards, tails, the works. I had all we caught over two breakfasts. Actually, not too bad. One other person tried one and remarked, “Whatever you say Jeff.” Would I do it again? Absolutely.

It is hard to describe the experience sitting in a zodiac in the middle of a group of humpbacks. The whales that were curious about us swam around us, turning on their sides with an eye out of the water to look at us, came up to us waving their fins, swimming under us, blowing out their breathe in a spray of heavy droplets (that may have had an odd fishy smell but I welcomed it , spyhopping (sticking their whole heads out), tail slapping, fin slapping, then diving. The way they dive is very cool. It starts with a slight upward movement up at the base of their tail, Then the entire tail goes up with the fluke coming up last. Then it all slides down effortlessly into the water leaving a flat ring on the surface that looks like a round drop of oil. We saw whales jump out of the water. One humpback jumped out over ten times in a row. 

As we were coming back the to harbor from our final trip out, I was taking it all in. I didn’t want to leave. And I was given a gift right then. I saw two humpbacks leaping out of the water right next together at the same time. Was I meant to see it? Coincidence? Was it a goodbye? I’d like to think so.

"There are no coincidences in life. Look at your life as a series of possibly random looking events that in retrospect add up to a grand design of purpose. Each of us has a purpose in life, one that we were actually born to do. Unfortunately, the structure of life in our society tends to cause us to forget our purpose rather than encouraging us to remember and pursue it.Therefore, life often becomes a search for meaning rather than a quest to fulfill our true purpose.

Those who connect to their purpose early in life seem to be those who achieve incredible things. However, it is never too late to discover and pursue your life’s purpose. Simply ask for guidance and listen to your heart and allow it to lead you. Once you truly desire to live your purpose then you will see that the so-called coincidences that lead you closer to that purpose keep happening with increased frequency. The universe will work with you to enable you to manifest a life that is stimulating, satisfying, and making a contribution to the growing awareness of the world."

  

--Ted Murray

it's an incredible week at ALA in Chicago. it boils down to authors. i have got two new favs. Hannah Moskowitz is a talented young author i chanced upon at a reading. i thought i was there for another author. i am so glad i was early. she is incredible. i mean i feel like a fanboy (at my age). i am not in the YA demographic. not even close. yet her presence is magical--makes me remember when i was that age and i was so intent on living (i am not so earnest now just more relaxed i reckon). i heard her read from "Teeth" which i am now devouring. got an autographed copy in which she drew me a bow-tie (i'm easily amused). i even ate out in a restaurant by myself (really) and read her book while chowing down on deep dish pizza. it gave me strength to go out, get in the middle of an extremely uncomfortable situation, and be part of the maddening crowd. my agoraphobia be damned. that's something. i just had to go to another book signing of hers for "Gone, Gone, Gone." even got my picture taken with her. i know--pretty geeky. but what can i say.

and as if it couldn't happen again. i spent 45 minutes trying to find a meeting. never did. changed the room on me and never told me. after walking around in circles (i even passed the room the meeting was in four times) i said fuck it, not worth it. so i went up to the exhibition hall and meandered around. went by the reading stage and had to stop. the author was talking about how he came to write his book and i was hooked. there was just something that compelled me to hang around and listen. Samuel Park is his name. he wrote a book based on his mother and it sounded very good. about lost love, the chances we take, and what happens if the lost love comes back into your life. what do you do? "This Burns My Heart." immediately on my list after Hannah. he autographed the book and was so nice. he accepted my praise like he never heard it before and i know he has gotten so much. i appreciate that in an artist--humility. those musicians i have had the honor to play with that are my favorite people possess this humility regarding their gifts. so excellent!

    

My Liberal Identity

You are a    Reality-Based Intellectualist, also known as the liberal elite. You are a   proud member of what’s known as the reality-based  community, where science, reason, and non-Jesus-based thought reign supreme.

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About.com Political Humor

There is a hurricane ablowing and just by knowing what you know, you have an advantage to the blind morons that surround you everyday. However not everyone can be saved. Ancient proverb: don't bother telling the TRUTH to your friend because he already knows and don't bother telling the TRUTH to your enemy because he won't believe you. Civilize those you can and fuck the rest. There are too many people in this world. It is not our responsibility to be constantly cleaning up after the weak-minded. Nature will eventually run its course and those too stupid to live will fortunately be crushed beneath the wheels of our progress. Assume your individuality. Culture can rob you of your uniqueness. That's how stereotypes exist, and not without reason. Anyone too wrapped up in the sheep mentality of their ethnicity can never truely express themselves as individuals. READ, Watch, LISTEN, DO what you want. BUT BE WARNED! You cannot have this freedom at no cost. You must pay in responsibility. If you listen to MARILYN MANSON and MURDER your FAMILY then you will go to jail. That's reality. If you decide to commit suicide for a song-SO LONG SUCKER! That kind of thinking has no place in our movement. Right now as a Family, as an Army we are limited as a minority. Laws bind us. But it is important to remember the law is only what is popular. Not whats right or wrong. Marilyn Manson rejects conventional morality and societys self-serving standards. When WE become the majority, we will decide who doesn't belong. As misanthropes and throw-away lods we will not submit to the mainstream. You will become it. And America should be very, very afraid. I AM YOU.
Marilyn Manson

The Journey

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice —
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
“Mend my life!”
each voice cried.
But you didn’t stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do —
determined to save
the only life you could save.

Mary Oliver