When I Like Christians

I like Christians better when they're a lot less Old Testament and more about living the New.

Then again, isn't that what a true follower of Christ should be anyway?

No Cake For You?

It has been my observation t,hat the nice thing about saying you're a Christian is that you can pick and choose which parts of the Bible you'd like to adhere to. I see Christians who say homosexuality is an abomination. I see Christians who say dressing immodestly is a sin. I see Christians who use the Bible to justify hateful action towards anyone who is different from them.

On the positive side, I see Christians who say you should accept everyone, turn the other cheek, and love your neighbor as yourself.

I'm a Taoist, a follower of an 81 verse book much older than the Bible. My little book says we are all part of the whole and that accepting that, and seeking to live in harmony with others, whether you think that they are good or bad, you will find peace and happiness. I try. All may shop at my store.

Truthers or Liars?

It's not 100%, but it's interesting to note that, in general, when my more liberal friends on Facebook post something political, it can be easily verified from multiple sources, and when my more conservative friends post something it's almost as easily discredited. Why? 

Are my more conservative friends more easily fooled, after years of accepting lies as truth from Limbaugh, Hannity, O'Reilly, Beck, and Fox?

Maybe they just like to stir up the pot with half-truths, because that's what they see their conservative talk radio heroes doing?

Since most conservatives are in church every Sunday, is it because they're used to being handed their "truth" from the pulpit, trained to not question what they're told, by those who they believe think like them?

Are my more liberal friends less willing to accept a quote or a statement at face value and willing to spend the time fact-checking to make sure that it's true before they re-post it? Are the liberals more likely to question everything?

The conservatives will claim that it's the liberal mainstream media that's hiding the REAL truth. But that doesn't check out. There are dozens of good ways to cross-check a story and it doesn't take that much time to confirm or refute one. Heck, the last conservative posting I checked was debunked by Fox News!

Are the majority of conservatives too lazy to be bothered? Dumb? Trolls?

Tao

Tao is the omnipotent, omniscient force that created and powers the Universe. It has always existed.
 
Trying to describe Tao, we limit our understanding of what Tao is.

Omniscient Tao hears our thoughts and prayers but does not answer them. Tao does nothing to change our situation. That is not what Tao does. Change is up to us.

There is no heaven or hell, only being or not being. (Remember what it was like before you were conceived? That's exactly what death is like.)

Happiness is a choice. And by living in harmony with Tao we will be happier.

Surrounding yourself with unnecessary things will not make your life better. The fewer possessions, the better. The simpler your life, the better.

Rant

I'm not happy about what's happening in D.C. , but if you're a Tea Party member you've got to be pretty excited, right?

I mean, isn't this exactly what the Tea Party REALLY wanted? Washington shut down. Smaller government and fewer services. Millionaire senators and congressmen refusing to get a paycheck so that they can suffer with the common man.

Doesn't it seem a little hypocritical if you claim to support the Tea Party candidates and then whine about how the shutdown is hurting you? So you're thinking that this is a great thing. Seriously, deep down, you're getting a huge thrill out of this, right?

You're not blaming it on Obama, he's the least effective president ever, right? What a wimp. YOU should be taking credit, and flying your Tea Party flag high! You've won the first real battle! You've brought the government down!

Thousand of government workers are not getting paid. Those wasteful federal parks and monuments are closed. Thousands of folks who are, or will be, on welfare will be begging in the streets, or applying to do your job for lower pay. Retired, veterans, and handicapped folks receiving federal assistance will just have to suffer a little more for the good of the country. Abolish public schools! Close the FDA! Proclaim your victory! America is only for the strong, privately-educated, and wealthy!

Remember to support your candidate in the upcoming election! A vote for the Tea Party is a vote for the continued austerity you all demanded!

Woo Hoo...

I Don't Believe... But I Do.

I don't believe in Karma.
While I think it would be wonderful if people who did bad things got their just desserts (and vice versa for the good folks), I don't think it happens often enough for it to be real.

I don't believe in gods.
While it would be nice to think that there was an all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful god or gods (maybe with a kind face and a beard) watching over us, answering prayers, rewarding the good people and smiting evil, I don't think they exist. If a god is all powerful, more powerful than evil, why even allow bad things to happen to begin with. Why are there innocent children starving? Why are there pedophiles who continue to molest generations of children? Why is there war... or even arguing for that matter? Why do good people die young and evil ones live to ripe old ages?

I don't believe in holy books.
Books that have been declared to be holy by men who have declared themselves to be in contact with gods. Holy books that contradict themselves. Holy books that people quote and obey to their benefit and ignore the parts that they don't like.

I don't believe in prayers to gods.
I don't believe that anything is listening and reacting. I don't believe that how much faith you have in a god determines whether or not your prayers are answered. (I do believe that how much faith you have in yourself can affect the outcome of certain situations.)

...


I believe in Tao.

To me, one of the things that Tao is, is the truly all powerful force that created the universe and all its physical laws. A force that is found in everything... in every proton, neutron, and electron.

Separation is an illusion of ego.You are made of the same stuff as everything else. The same sun will shine on you, the same rain will fall on you whether you are "good" or "bad".

Tao doesn't care what you do or how you live your life. Tao doesn't judge if you sit on your butt or dedicate your life to saving the starving millions or molest innocent children. Humans judge.

Tao doesn't care what you choose to worship: gods, stars, trees, pasta, or even Tao. Worship of anything at all is ineffective. Tao doesn't care if you're a duck, a rock, or the richest, most powerful person in the world. Tao doesn't care about men's or god's laws. Tao's laws overrule and apply to everything equally. You cannot create a "law" that violates Tao's laws and expect it to work.

Everything has an opposite, a yin for the yang. Tao's laws keep them in balance, in harmony. Those trying to force them out of balance, for any reason, will eventually lose.

To try and describe Tao is to limit what Tao is.

Tao is all.

My vote

FWIW: As has been my tradition for almost 40 years, this fall I will not be voting for a Republican or a Democrat in any races where there is another choice. I will be voting against the incumbent in any race where Republican or Democrat is my only choice.

Rather than wasting my vote with the herd, I choose to stand out from the crowd and vote against continued bad government and career politicians.

I just received notification that my state senator finally opened an email I sent 14 months ago. Way to listen to the people!