I'm not feeling particularly Taoish today. Or maybe I am.
A homophobic Utah legislator has proposed a law which would include wording that speaks of legal marriage as being between a man and a woman and that marriage and family "predate all governments and are supported by and consistent with the Laws of Nature and Nature's God, the Creator and Supreme Judge of the World, affirmed in the nation's founding Declaration of Independence."
This is so unconstitutional on so many levels that it's not even funny.
Here's my Taoish opinion: Anybody of legal age that wants to get married for any reason should be allowed to. Men to women, men to men, women to women, first cousins, brother to brother, who cares? If a woman with health insurance wants to marry her poor widowed grandmother so that grandma can be covered under granddaughter's plan, let 'em!
Certainly, in spite of what some religions would like you to believe, it has been well proven that you don't need to be married to have kids, so who says that married couples are required to have sex??? (I know, I know... some folks say the sex ended the day they got married.)
Religions have hijacked the word marriage and made it "ordained of God and between a man and a woman". That's bull. It's a contract ordained by the state, and if you don't believe it try and get married without a marriage license.
And on the subject of civil unions, why can't a man or woman enter into as many of those as they want? It's really a contract, so why stop a wanna-be polygamist from "unionizing" a half dozen women? Let 'em! More money in license fees for the county coffers.
And that's my Taoish thought for today.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
Da Pope
"VATICAN CITY, Jan. 14 (UPI) -- Pope Benedict XVI formally credited a miracle to his predecessor, paving the way for Pope John Paul II to be beatified May 1, the Vatican said Friday."
"The Vatican said the late John Paul II miraculously cured a nun who reportedly had Parkinson's disease... "
Reportedly ? So maybe she didn't r-e-a-l-l-y have it? Kind of a low standard for a 'medical miracle' isn't it? Not exactly like raising her from the dead.
Maybe she was just jittery from too much caffeine?
"The Vatican said the late John Paul II miraculously cured a nun who reportedly had Parkinson's disease... "
Reportedly ? So maybe she didn't r-e-a-l-l-y have it? Kind of a low standard for a 'medical miracle' isn't it? Not exactly like raising her from the dead.
Maybe she was just jittery from too much caffeine?
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Life is (still) perfect.
Now that I've realized that I DO live in a perfect world, I do it fairly free from desire.
What could be better? A world where I could have everything I desired? A world entirely at peace? A world where the sun shines every day? A world where I didn't have physical and mental challenges? BORING!
No question that there are others who have lives much, much harder than mine and would probably be happy with just regular meals and a safe place to sleep.
For 25+ years I went through that "highly driven for success" part of my life, desiring a bigger house and fancier cars. Now I'm happier to just accept what comes and be satisfied with what I've got. And I'm getting rid of stuff I don't use, need, or care about.
My life may not always easy or fun, but it's mine.
And life is perfect. ;)
(Posted this at ramblingtaoist.blogspot.com and I liked it so much, thought I'd put it here.)
What could be better? A world where I could have everything I desired? A world entirely at peace? A world where the sun shines every day? A world where I didn't have physical and mental challenges? BORING!
No question that there are others who have lives much, much harder than mine and would probably be happy with just regular meals and a safe place to sleep.
For 25+ years I went through that "highly driven for success" part of my life, desiring a bigger house and fancier cars. Now I'm happier to just accept what comes and be satisfied with what I've got. And I'm getting rid of stuff I don't use, need, or care about.
My life may not always easy or fun, but it's mine.
And life is perfect. ;)
(Posted this at ramblingtaoist.blogspot.com and I liked it so much, thought I'd put it here.)
Friday, January 7, 2011
Attacking Christians? Me??
A semi-Christian (he doesn't go to church, not sure that he believes all of the Bible) friend of mine took offense at this quote from my ...You Might Be a Taoist website.
"If you have a hard time reconciling proven historic and scientific facts with contradictory stories passed down by uneducated superstitious desert dwellers, edited and re-edited by generations of religious and government leaders for their own benefit, constantly quoted out of context by followers with their own agendas, about a god who's described as jealous, petty, indecisive, and ruthless, having murdered millions, including admittedly innocent victims... you might be a Taoist."
He felt that I was attacking certain people whose religion was important to them, had maybe even saved their lives.
I tried to explain that he was missing the point. I wasn't attacking anyone, I was just sayin...
"If you have a hard time reconciling proven historic and scientific facts with contradictory stories passed down by uneducated superstitious desert dwellers, edited and re-edited by generations of religious and government leaders for their own benefit, constantly quoted out of context by followers with their own agendas, about a god who's described as jealous, petty, indecisive, and ruthless, having murdered millions, including admittedly innocent victims... you might be a Taoist."
He felt that I was attacking certain people whose religion was important to them, had maybe even saved their lives.
I tried to explain that he was missing the point. I wasn't attacking anyone, I was just sayin...
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Symmetry
I took my 6 year-old granddaughter to an indoor playground Wednesday.
At the playground there was a young boy about her age who was not symmetrical.
His features were not symmetrical, his physical movements were not symmetrical.
His behavior was not symmetrical, his speech pattern was not symmetrical.
His eagerness to attract a playmate shown in the ear-to-ear crooked smile he flashed at anyone who came near. Adults and older children regarded him with curiosity and pity, so he was left alone, except for his mother.
He was sitting on the ground near the jungle-gym when a little girl, maybe 2 years old, baby-staggered up to him and held out a toy. The asymmetrical boy smiled an asymmetrical smile and gently took the toy from her, examined it and handed it back. The little one smiled back at him, retrieved her toy, and staggered off.
Verse Two of the Tao Te Ching says that by defining beauty you have defined what is ugly.
At the playground there was a young boy about her age who was not symmetrical.
His features were not symmetrical, his physical movements were not symmetrical.
His behavior was not symmetrical, his speech pattern was not symmetrical.
His eagerness to attract a playmate shown in the ear-to-ear crooked smile he flashed at anyone who came near. Adults and older children regarded him with curiosity and pity, so he was left alone, except for his mother.
He was sitting on the ground near the jungle-gym when a little girl, maybe 2 years old, baby-staggered up to him and held out a toy. The asymmetrical boy smiled an asymmetrical smile and gently took the toy from her, examined it and handed it back. The little one smiled back at him, retrieved her toy, and staggered off.
Verse Two of the Tao Te Ching says that by defining beauty you have defined what is ugly.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
So this is Christmas
How should this Taoish Taoist celebrate what has really become a secular holiday focused more on consumerism? Another Taoist might think I should not celebrate it at all. That would be their choice.
I will celebrate Christmas with my family, the same way that most middle-class American families will. The same way we've celebrated it since I was a little boy.
We will gather in the living room around our artificial tree decorated with a hodgepodge of ornaments that we have collected over the last 35+ years. There will be grand-kids and too many presents and lots of picture-taking. Later there will be a spiral cut ham and wine and laughter, lots of laughter.
But probably no mention of Christ because none of us have gone to church in a long time. And we really don't miss it.
Happy Holidays!
I will celebrate Christmas with my family, the same way that most middle-class American families will. The same way we've celebrated it since I was a little boy.
We will gather in the living room around our artificial tree decorated with a hodgepodge of ornaments that we have collected over the last 35+ years. There will be grand-kids and too many presents and lots of picture-taking. Later there will be a spiral cut ham and wine and laughter, lots of laughter.
But probably no mention of Christ because none of us have gone to church in a long time. And we really don't miss it.
Happy Holidays!
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