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11/17/16, Spong: Does the Religious Faith of a Supreme Court Justice Matter? (Originally posted June 10, 2010)
by Ellie Stock via Dialogue 17 Nov '16

17 Nov '16

HOMEPAGE MY PROFILE ESSAY ARCHIVE MESSAGE BOARDS CALENDAR Does the Religious Faith of a Supreme Court Justice Matter? (Originally posted June 10, 2010) In President Obama's recent nomination of Solicitor General Elena Kagan to be the ninth justice on the Supreme Court, a new reality forced its way into our consciousness. With the resignation of Justices David Souter in 2009 and John Paul Stevens in 2010, the last representatives of Protestant Christianity - by far the largest religious group in the country - departed from that body. This means that, for the first time in American history, there are no Protestant Christians sitting on our highest court. Justice Souter was replaced by the first Hispanic justice, Sonia Sotomayor, who is a Roman Catholic. Justice Stevens is scheduled to be replaced by Elena Kagan who is Jewish. The new court will thus be made up of six justices who identify themselves as Roman Catholics and three justices who identify themselves as Jewish. This shift is in no way a revolution, and, while it has been noted, it has not become a matter of public debate, being regarded rather as simply a sign of America's evolving sensitivities. I certainly do not intend in this column to suggest that it should be otherwise, but I do believe it gives all of us an opportunity to understand the modern religious consciousness and the rising secular consciousness that are both today significant parts of our nation's makeup. Throughout our history, various minority or underrepresented groups in our population have lobbied politically to have someone with whom they identified themselves sit on the Supreme Court. This was particularly important because at the beginning of this nation's history, that court was unanimously white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant and male. This fact was, however, hardly noticed by our "founding fathers" since that was the way this nation understood itself. White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant males were the power group and the ruling class. The Supreme Court merely reflected this American reality, which was equally true in all of the branches of our government. Our presidents, from George Washington to Andrew Jackson, were similarly representative of this ruling class, and their names - Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe and Adams - reflect that. It was not until 1840 when Martin Van Buren became president that a person of Dutch background broke the Anglo-Saxon power lock on the White House. The first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was John Jay of New York and the other members of that original court were named Wilson, Cushing, Rutledge, Iredell and Johnson - all notably Anglo-Saxon names. The constitution does not fix the number of Supreme Court justices so that detail was left for Congress to decide. In that first court, which began sitting in 1789, there were thus only six justices. That number was moved to seven in 1807, to nine in 1837, to ten in 1863 and back to nine in 1869, where it has remained ever since. The first "minority" to gain access to the court came when Roman Catholic Roger B. Taney was appointed not just to Justice, but to Chief Justice of the Court in 1836 by President Andrew Jackson. Perhaps it helped Chief Justice Taney in the appointment process that his law partner in Maryland was Francis Scott Key, the author of our national anthem. Taney went on to have a rather undistinguished career and is remembered now primarily for his racially insensitive ruling in the Dred Scott case, which was later overturned. Taney's appointment, however, broke the exclusive Protestant domination of that body and opened the door for the inclusion of Roman Catholics on the Court. There have now been thirteen Roman Catholic justices who have served with varying levels of distinction from that day to this. When Joseph McKenna was appointed by President William McKinley in 1896, it became a major political concern that one seat on the high court be "reserved" for Catholics. Cardinal Spellman of New York had actually lobbied President Eisenhower to establish that principle firmly, since it had been semi-violated by Harry Truman's appointment of Sherman Minton to succeed Justice Frank Murphy in 1949 in what had been regarded as the "Catholic seat." Truman had argued that, while Justice Minton was not technically a Catholic, he did attend a Catholic Church with his wife and that qualified him for this seat. The Catholics were not appeased and President Eisenhower agreed to make that distinction clear and did so with the appointment of Justice William J. Brenner. Of note is the fact that Justice Minton did actually join the Catholic Church, but only after he had retired from the bench. The idea that there needed to be one "Catholic seat" faded in time with the appointments of Justices Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Roberts and Alito. In 2008, with the Alito appointment, Roman Catholics became the majority on the court with five votes. That majority was increased to six by the nomination of Justice Sotomayor by President Obama. The Jewish minority in America had its first representative on the high court when President Woodrow Wilson appointed Justice Louis Brandeis in 1916. In time he became one of the great intellectual giants in Supreme Court history. He was followed by Justice Benjamin Cardozo, appointed by Herbert Hoover in 1932 and the two overlapped for seven years effectively dispensing with the idea of a "Jewish Seat." Later justices from a Jewish background included Felix Frankfurter, Arthur Goldberg and Abe Fortas. Few people even noted that President Clinton's two appointments to the High Court, Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Stephen Breyer, were both Jewish people. It might be observed in our increasingly eclectic and diverse religious nation that Justice Breyer's daughter Chloe is today an Episcopal priest. Black people were the next minority to gain access to membership in the Court when the great Civil Rights lawyer, Thurgood Marshall, was appointed by President Johnson in 1967. His appointment thus effectively established a "Black Seat" and his replacement, Justice Clarence Thomas, appointed by President George H. W. Bush confirmed that tradition. It appears that African Americans have not yet escaped the idea that one seat on the Court is reserved for people of color. Women made their first appearance on the Court with the appointment of Sandra Day O'Connor by President Ronald Reagan in 1981. She was followed by Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 1993 and Sandra Sotomayor in 2009, when she became the first Hispanic Justice. Now the Kagan appointment appears to indicate that there is no longer a "woman's seat." So we now have a court of ethnic variety (European, African and Hispanic), religious variety (Christians and Jews) and gender variety (seven men, two women). In the process, however, the Protestant majority no longer has representation in the Court at all, with Roman Catholics holding six seats and Jews holding three. The question thus arises as to whether or not this is a problem. I do not think it is, but I do think it could be some day. Allow me to explain. The nation was founded in the yearning for religious freedom in Europe after centuries of religious conflicts from the time of the Crusades through to the English Civil War. That yearning found expression in a clear constitutional provision in America, which separated church and state (a fact that today some Tea Party members like to challenge). The ability to worship without prejudice in any religious tradition one chooses, or not to worship at all, was guaranteed to every citizen of the land. This provision in our Constitution meant that not one's religious practice, but the imperialistic mentality, which so often finds expression inside religious systems, has to be publicly denounced in order for a person to serve this government under the Constitution. By "imperialistic religious mentality," I mean that religious claim that one particular religious system possesses the sole truth or is the only pathway to God and, as a consequence, appears to judge those who are not part of that faith system to be somehow inadequate or ill informed. The values of no particular religious system, as beautiful as they might themselves be, were to be imposed on the people of this land by law. When our first Roman Catholic president, John F. Kennedy, was elected, he asserted in the campaign that he would not allow his faith or the positions of his church to influence his decisions as president. That seemed to be an acceptable statement in 1960 even to the Catholic hierarchy in America. When Roman Catholic Geraldine Ferraro was nominated to be vice president on the Walter Mondale ticket in 1984, and when Roman Catholic John Kerry was the presidential nominee in 2004, that separation appeared to be no longer acceptable to America's Roman Catholic Bishops. Both Ferraro and Kerry were told that the positions they supported politically on abortion, homosexuality and on end-of-life counseling were not acceptable to their Church and therefore they would not be welcomed to receive communion at Catholic altars since they were in effect, publicly out of communion with Catholic teaching. Should a justice on the Supreme Court be subjected to that kind of ecclesiastical pressure from his or her church that would indeed constitute a problem for this democracy. Issues regarding a woman's right to privacy, abortion and the freedom to choose when to die are all issues that could conceivably come before the Court. Can our Catholic justices separate their constitutional responsibilities from the teachings of their Church? This does not seem to be a problem for our Jewish Justices. I have never known a Jewish person who wanted to force circumcision, kosher dietary laws or Sabbath day observance on the body politic of this nation. I have, however, known Roman Catholics who wanted to force their convictions about these matters on the body politic, so I am eager to see how this court will acquit itself on issues where church teaching and interpreting the law in a largely secular country come into conflict. I think that the vast majority of American citizens will be watching with me. In the meantime, I welcome Justice Kagan to the seat to which she surely will be confirmed and I take great joy in seeing our expanding democracy take another step into what I believe will be a glorious future. ~John Shelby Spong Read the essay online here. Question & Answer Janet Schulte, member of the Department of Pathology at Ohio State University, writes: Question: I love the column - thank you for the insights. I am a science nerd - I taught and worked in the field of science all my life. I am also working on a degree in theology. I took my first biology classes about 46 years ago. When I learned about Darwin, I had an ah-ha moment. If the human species lives according to the model of the survival of the fittest, we will become extinct. That is part of the model that is often overlooked. Every organism must successfully fill a niche to survive. Only those organisms that learn the "law of cooperation" will ultimately win the day. That is what Jesus was trying to teach us. It is all about relationship - not domination. Answer: Dear Janet, Your ah-ha moment was indeed a profound insight. Every living thing, plant and animal is programmed to survive. What is true of all these living things is also true of human life. The only difference is that we human beings are self-conscious, while plants and animals are not. If survival is our highest goal, self-centeredness is inevitable and thus this quality becomes a constant part of the human experience. Traditionally, the church has called this "original sin" and has explained it with the myth of the fall. That was simply wrong. Survival is a quality found in life itself. There was no fall. Self-centered, survival driven, self-conscious creatures is simply who we are. There is thus no such thing as "original sin" from which we need to be rescued by a divine invader. So much of traditional Christianity assumes this false premise. You are correct, however, in your assessment that survival, as the ultimate goal, will lead finally to extinction. Our hope does not lie in an external rescue. It lies in the process of evolution to carry us beyond the limits of humanity into a sense of being one with the universe. I don't think this happens by denying who we are or even being rescued from it. It comes from transcending who we are and I see that as the role of Christianity from which the church as an institution and most Christian individuals, have simply turned away. We need to begin to see God and indeed the Christ life, not as that which rescues us from a fall and a sense of depravity (which basically creates in us guilt and a sense of worthlessness that we constantly transfer to the victims of our prejudice), but to see God and the Christ figure as the love that empowers us to grow into new dimensions of what it means to be human. It is a shift from guilt to grace; from the need to victimize to the ability to affirm the divine in all things. Individuality and the process of individuation are both necessary steps in the evolutionary process, but ultimately, as you suggest, they lead to extinction because they are based on competitiveness that leads to one sole remaining dominant survivor. Being one with nature and transcending self-consciousness in order to move into a universal consciousness is the future hope. Your insights are, as the English say, "Spot on." ~John Shelby Spong Read and Share Online Here Announcements With all the recent opinions and news about our next Supreme Court Justice appointment, as Bishop Spong continues his recuperation, he thought you would enjoy reading this post from June 10, 2010. If you would like to send Bishop Spong a get well note please send it to admin(a)progressivechristianity.org and we will forward it to him. We are delighted to announce our first Embrace Festival! May 4-6, 2017 in Portland, Oregon Embrace Festival is a 3 day, international, sacred community and social transformation gathering, which will be held May 4-6, 2017 in beautiful downtown Portland, Oregon for those wishing to positively transform their lives, their local communities, and the world. Vision In May 2017, people from all over the world will gather in Portland to share knowledge and wisdom, learn from each other, celebrate, be inspired, and find the tools needed to create and enliven local movements within our communities. Together we will explore Sacred Oneness, Christ Consciousness, Eco-Spirituality, Social Justice and the way of Universal and Personal Transformation that honors the Divine in all. We want you there! Please save the date and consider joining us! Tickets are currently set at Early Bird Pricing only until December 1, 2016. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets. This email was sent to elliestock(a)aol.com why did I get this? unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences ProgressiveChristianity.org · 4810 Pt. Fosdick Dr. NW · #80 · Gig Harbor, WA 98335 · USA

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Robert F. Kennedy Visits Standing Rock Today : explains exactly why the Dakota Access Pipeline is being pushed so hard.
by Ellie Stock via Dialogue 16 Nov '16

16 Nov '16

Hi Salvatore and Diane and all, Thanks for your update re Standing Rock. We returned Friday. Got word that Nina/Sheila, etc. got money for the bus for hunkering down for the winter with the medic group. Yesterday, we went to downtown St Louis in front of the Army Corps of Engineer Building for the Standing Rock Rally there as part of the nation-wide day of action. I took my drum and met up with and accompanied a Native American woman who also had a drum and sang several water songs as well as a Strong Woman song and others. Not sure how many were there. We gave a presentation Monday night to an Ecology group and will be giving one at our church this Sunday. Below are links to a few Native American water songs and a Strong Woman Song. There are songs the women sing and songs the men sing. A few of them, both sing. Ellie elliestock(a)aol.com WATER SONG https://search.aol.com/aol/video?q=Native+American+Women+Water+song&s_it=vi… Meditative Spiritual Water Healing Song - Crystal Clear ... www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6H75gcAlXg Meditative Spiritual Water Healing Song ... Ulali Mother Tribute to native american women ... Water Song by the Akwesasne Women Singers ... The Water Song - Chenoa Egawa & Alex Turtle - YouTube www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_KNLo5Q7ek The Water Song - Chenoa Egawa & Alex Turtle ... Water Song by the Akwesasne Women Singers - Duration: ... Native American Song ... STRONG WOMAN SONG - Lisa Muswagon and Raven Hart ... www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ei4CQWCP4c ... Lisa Muswagon and Raven Hart-Bellecourt ... STRONG WOMAN SONG ... Black Lodge Singers Love Song Native American Music - Duration: ... Dear friends: If you want to get a look at some very enlightening words on why the pipeline at Standing Rock ( and all pipelines) hear his words as he connects all the dots on this process and what’s at stake Cut and paste this website: https://www.facebook.com/CollectiveEvolutionPage/videos/10154695434748908/ In addition, here’s what we did yesterday…. Yesterday in Boulder Dianne and I took direct actions with several hundred protectors to : 1) Stand with about 300 other cities that were asking the Army Corp of Engineers Not to grant the pipeline easement to go under the Missouri River at SR. Waiting for a decision in next few days. 2) Others in our ecodharma group protested at Wells Fargo bank to bring awareness to the banks investment in the pipe line. 3) Simultaneously, the Boulder County Commissioners were taking professional testimony and resident testimony on the issue of lifting the moratorium on fracking in Boulder County. Several hundred people were there and some gave testimony. Salvatore gave his . Our advice is to get involved at any level in your community’s on local environmental issues. The faster we can get thru the transition to alternative energy sources the healthier we and the planet will be. What we’ve witnessed at Standing Rock after 3 visits and daily contact is the militarization of the state in support of the energy companies against peaceful water protectors. This is a portent of what is to come across the country as fracking and oil extraction continues unabated with state/governmental support. Remedies: •non violent direct action at the sites • dis- investing in Banks that invest in these activities • class action suits/ • promoting alternative non fossil energy sources locally • big time reduction in fossil fuel usage in our personal lives ( conservation). Stay safe. Be alert and resilient, Dianne & Salvatore _______________________________________________ Dialogue mailing list Dialogue(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/dialogue-wedgeblade.net

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Robert F. Kennedy Visits Standing Rock Today : explains exactly why the Dakota Access Pipeline is being pushed so hard.
by Raymond Caruso via Dialogue 16 Nov '16

16 Nov '16

> Dear friends: > > If you want to get a look at some very enlightening words on why the pipeline at Standing Rock ( and all pipelines) hear his words as he connects all the dots on this process and what’s at stake > > Cut and paste this website: > > https://www.facebook.com/CollectiveEvolutionPage/videos/10154695434748908/ <https://www.facebook.com/CollectiveEvolutionPage/videos/10154695434748908/> > > In addition, here’s what we did yesterday…. > > Yesterday in Boulder Dianne and I took direct actions with several hundred protectors to : > > 1) Stand with about 300 other cities that were asking the Army Corp of Engineers Not to grant the pipeline easement to go under the Missouri River at SR. Waiting for a decision in next few days. > 2) Others in our ecodharma group protested at Wells Fargo bank to bring awareness to the banks investment in the pipe line. > 3) Simultaneously, the Boulder County Commissioners were taking professional testimony and resident testimony on the issue of lifting the moratorium on fracking in Boulder County. Several hundred people were there and some gave testimony. Salvatore gave his . > > Our advice is to get involved at any level in your community’s on local environmental issues. The faster we can get thru the transition to alternative energy sources the healthier we and the planet will be. > > What we’ve witnessed at Standing Rock after 3 visits and daily contact is the militarization of the state in support of the energy companies against peaceful water protectors. This is a portent of what is to come across the country as fracking and oil extraction continues unabated with state/governmental support. > > Remedies: > •non violent direct action at the sites > • dis- investing in Banks that invest in these activities > • class action suits/ > • promoting alternative non fossil energy sources locally > • big time reduction in fossil fuel usage in our personal lives ( conservation). > > Stay safe. Be alert and resilient, > > Dianne & Salvatore > >

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Tim - Silent Servant
by Jean Long via Dialogue 14 Nov '16

14 Nov '16

Greetings, Tim - It is thanks to your oversight of the OE and Dialogue lists that we still exist as a community in dispersion. Without these two lists, John Cock's daily spirit reminder and Ted and the ICA staff could not share the new directions ICA is forging and the Archives could not share their journey from 177 file cabinets in the basement to creating a website and our network with the international ICAs --- and our dialoguing with each other as if at the collegium table --- all would not be possible and these "threads" would not have kept us as a viable community in dispersion. Thank you for this labor of love, Jean - for all of us

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New Administration: Important environmental consequences
by Ellie Stock via Dialogue 14 Nov '16

14 Nov '16

Hi folks, If you are called to sign this, please do. The EPA isn't perfect, but this pending leadership could be disastrous--not only for the EPA but for the administration's whole approach to caring for the Earth, including the Paris Agreement. Ellie elliestock(a)aol.com You're probably aware that Donald Trump has selected Myron Ebell from the Competitive Enterprise Institute (and prominent climate skeptic) to head up the EPA Transition team (and potentially become EPA Administrator). This petition to block that move requires 96,000 signatures within a month, so please send on to your networks. This move is so blatant that a strong and immediate response is warranted. https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/do-not-allow-myron-ebell-lead-epa…

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TED Talk: Chase Iron Eyes: Standing Rock, Ecology/Water, Election
by Ellie Stock via Dialogue 14 Nov '16

14 Nov '16

Check out this TED talk by Chase Iron Eyes on Standing Rock, Ecology, and implications of the election. Ellie elliestock(a)aol.com Chase Iron Eyes | TEDxCharlottesville Iron Eyes addresses the Dakota Access Pipeline during a sold out TEDx event in Charlottesville, VA. Do not allow the fight for clean water to be racialized. What the Governor, Law Enforcement & Media are engaging in, is villainizing, dehumanizing & trying to preempt the moral & legal authority in this battle. They are creating an other, making people fear an Indian gathering when half the people are not Indian. Fear mongering. Water doesn't care what color your skin is, what language you speak or whether you lean left or right. Let's build bridges not walls. Play 0:00 Unmute

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Earthrise Witness
by Karen Snyder via Dialogue 14 Nov '16

14 Nov '16

It is hard to be so wrong. Wrong about how much frustration, anger and hatred people are carrying in their being. I have seen this in other nations; but never believed it was so true of this nation. Pointing a finger at others being the problem reveals three fingers pointing back to me. I want to repent, to turn away, and forge another direction for the sake of those with pent up emotions and deep pain, but I don’t know how. I am searching for what would make a difference. When I turn to organizations that lead in the issues I feel are important, the language used is ‘continuing the FIGHT’ … ‘fighting on’ and I have no motivation for fighting. The reaction of ‘an eye for an eye’ seems so archaic. What are the lessons I/we can learn from the messages of this election? How can I/we embody love and care for the deep divisions that have been starkly revealed? I want to learn and turn to creating paths that ensure a healthy earth. Our angst is preventing us from hearing Mother Earth speak to us of the crisis all humans face as we use up the earth’s resources and pollute our water and air. My prayer this evening is that I/we pause, that I/we take stock of our missteps, and that I/we embody a new spirit of care for each other and the earth. In peace, Karen

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11/15/16: Standing Rock Day of Action. Resistance will not fade away. Join us.
by Ellie Stock via Dialogue 13 Nov '16

13 Nov '16

By all measures, the nation is at a historic momentof resistance to President Trump's fossil fueled agenda -- and themovement is growing stronger by the day. Now, Indigenous leaders are calling on us to take tothe streets one week after the election to demand that PresidentObama’s Army Corps of Engineers and the incoming Administration put astop to the Dakota Access Pipeline. We need to showPresident Obama and the incoming President Trump (it really hurts tosee those two words next to each other) that this resistance movementwill not fade away. TheArmy Corps is rumored to be very, very close to a decision whether toapprove or deny the final permit needed to complete construction --that’s why we must act now, and act strongly, to make sure the permitis rejected. The Army Corpsfast-tracked the Dakota Access Pipeline without proper consultation,and now bulldozers are approaching Standing Rock. But withcoordinated, massive demonstrations across the country, we’ll make itclear that we will not allow the Obama Administration or the incomingpresident to sacrifice Indigenous rights, our water, or our climate. Water protectors in Standing Rock have withstoodbrutal police repression, freezing temperatures, and bulldozersdestroying their sacred land -- yet they’re standing strong anddetermined. Will you join a bold, powerful action onNovember 15th that honors this urgent fight? Resistance to fossil fuel projects is risingeverywhere. Almost a year ago we stopped the Keystone XL pipeline;now, an even bigger movement is rising up to stop Dakota Access. Thisis one of the most courageous stands against a fossil fuel projectthis country has ever seen, and solidarity actions are popping upeverywhere -- targeting Army Corps offices, banks financing thepipeline, and other Federal buildings. Horrible images of people being tear gassed,attacked by guard dogs, and having their teepees torn down are notjust remnants of this country's ugly past -- this is happening rightnow, and it's unconscionable. We can’t alter history, but together wecan change the future. We know that elections and individuals alone don’tcreate change -- movements do. That’s why we’ll continueto fight until native sovereignty is honored, Indigenous rights areprotected, and our communities' water and climate matter more thanfossil fuel profits. Let’s get to work. Find an action near you onNovember 15th. RL Miller, for Climate Hawks Vote PS I'll be at the Los Angeles action in front of the Army Corps'office. Last Friday I participated in a rally in front of a local G4Sbranch office - G4S is the private security outfit guarding the DakotaAccess pipeline. We build our movement by showing up andparticipating. Paid for by Climate HawksVote, http://www.climatehawksvote.com and not authorized by anycandidate. Contributions to Climate Hawks Vote are not deductible forfederal income tax purposes. This email was sent to carletonstock(a)aol.com. To stopreceiving emails, clickhere. You can also keep up with RL Miller on Twitter.

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Shhhhh . . . . DO NOT FORWARD THIS TO TIM WEGNER
by James Wiegel via Dialogue 13 Nov '16

13 Nov '16

I have it on good authority that Tim's birthday is coming up on the 19th. Since he does so much for all of us, shouldn't we plan some sort of a SURPRISE celebration for him? Send cans of Spam, or . . .? Jim Wiegel 401 North Beverly Way, Tolleson, Arizona 85353 Tel. 011-623-936-8671 or 011-623-363-3277 jfwiegel(a)yahoo.com www.partnersinparticipation.com "We are no longer living in an era of change. We are living in a change of era." Francis Upcoming public course opportunities click here http://partnersinparticipation.com/?page_id=10 For online registration go to http://www.top-training.net The AZ ToP® Community of Practice meets the 1st Friday, 1-4 pm, starting again on Sept 5th at ACYR, 648 N. 5th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85003 AICP Planners: 14.5 CM for all ToP® courses > On Nov 12, 2016, at 20:29, Seth Longacre via Dialogue <dialogue(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote: > > Thanks Karen and Steve. I'm with you guys. > > >> On Nov 13, 2016 10:39 AM, "opossum2(a)comcast.net [earthrise]" <earthrise-noreply(a)yahoogroups.com> wrote: >> Karen: >> >> I think there is a lot of wisdom in what you say. I'm not much on religious allusions, but here's a thought I had earlier today: In the book of Revelation, St. John talks about the four horsemen of the apocalypse: War, Famine, Pestilence and Death. I think we are up against a new four: Hatred, Fear, Ignorance and Greed. So we need to meet hatred with love, fear with confidence, ignorance with wisdom and greed with caring. I'm willing to give it a try. >> >> Steve Rhea >> >> Houston, Tx. >> >> From: "Karen Snyder karen.snyder10(a)gmail.com [earthrise]" <earthrise-noreply(a)yahoogroups.com> >> To: "Earthrise" <earthrise(a)yahoogroups.com>, "Colleague Dialogue" <Dialogue(a)wedgeblade.net> >> Sent: Saturday, November 12, 2016 8:19:46 PM >> Subject: [earthrise] Earthrise Witness >> >> >> >> >> It is hard to be so wrong. Wrong about how much frustration, anger and hatred people are carrying in their being. I have seen this in other nations; but never believed it was so true of this nation. Pointing a finger at others being the problem reveals three fingers pointing back to me. I want to repent, to turn away, and forge another direction for the sake of those with pent up emotions and deep pain, but I don’t know how. >> >> >> >> I am searching for what would make a difference. When I turn to organizations that lead in the issues I feel are important, the language used is ‘continuing the FIGHT’ … ‘fighting on’ and I have no motivation for fighting. The reaction of ‘an eye for an eye’ seems so archaic. What are the lessons I/we can learn from the messages of this election? How can I/we embody love and care for the deep divisions that have been starkly revealed? >> >> >> >> I want to learn and turn to creating paths that ensure a healthy earth. Our angst is preventing us from hearing Mother Earth speak to us of the crisis all humans face as we use up the earth’s resources and pollute our water and air. My prayer this evening is that I/we pause, that I/we take stock of our missteps, and that I/we embody a new spirit of care for each other and the earth. >> >> In peace, >> >> Karen >> >> >> >> >> >> >> __._,_.___ >> Posted by: opossum2(a)comcast.net >> Reply via web post • Reply to sender • Reply to group • Start a New Topic • Messages in this topic (9) >> >> Have you tried the highest rated email app? >> With 4.5 stars in iTunes, the Yahoo Mail app is the highest rated email app on the market. What are you waiting for? Now you can access all your inboxes (Gmail, Outlook, AOL and more) in one place. Never delete an email again with 1000GB of free cloud storage. >> For additional information, including guidelines and schedule, go to: >> >> http://www.geocities.com/earthrisegroup/webpage.html >> VISIT YOUR GROUP >> • Privacy • Unsubscribe • Terms of Use >> . >> >> >> __,_._,___ > _______________________________________________ > Dialogue mailing list > Dialogue(a)lists.wedgeblade.net > http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/dialogue-wedgeblade.net

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Re: [Dialogue] [earthrise] Earthrise Witness
by via Dialogue 13 Nov '16

13 Nov '16

I, too am grateful for the conversation Karen began. Here's how I propose to deal with this time. It's Dr. Vernon Sylvest's formula for healing, first sent to me by Kathleen Jones from Hong Kong in 1999: I begin with gratitude for everything that has led us to this moment, our world, our society, my personal blessings and especially for this, our community. What a wall of wonder I could create, enumerating my blessings. These blessings flow from the Love that has been from the beginning, which surrounds me in every moment of my life and which will receive me at its end. I watch for, pray about and work to release my own negative emotional and mental attitudes that, in Karen's words, prevent me from hearing Mother Earth's cries. Steve started a list of attitudes to release: hatred, fear, greed. ignorance. I look within and find anger and judgment of others. I've found myself using my age as an excuse for sloth. (It doesn't hurt to smudge at this point.) I really wanted to see HRC sworn in as the 45th president. All the rage I've felt at being treated as less than fully human went into that desire. Yet even more than that, I desire to experience Love. I commit to ridding myself of the patterns that block me from receiving Love. This commitment has to be greater than any of my other commitments in life. I fix an image of myself receiving all the blessings Love and Mother Earth have to offer me: good health for this last gift of time; happiness at being who, where, what, how I am; success in my board member roles with Lindsay Art Association and Sequoia Center for Holistic Studies; prosperity enough to help the causes I believe in; continued loving relationships with my family. And a few new clothes. Finally, I celebrate with a song or dance or drum march around the house. I dab on a bit of delicious essential oil. I go forth to love, waiting and watch for the incoming Age of Aquarius, the return of the Great Mother. Karen, I'll never forget our outing to the Masonic Museum when we were on the San Jose School District's Learning Lab. Real mummies and everything! Love and blessings, Jann P.S., Seth, I know you've been traveling, but would love to know what you're up to now. Blessings on your journey. -----Original Message----- From: 'Sandra Conant' sandy(a)mesoamerica.com [earthrise] <earthrise-noreply(a)yahoogroups.com> To: Seth Longacre <sethlongacre(a)gmail.com> Cc: opossum2 <opossum2(a)comcast.net>; Earthrise <earthrise(a)yahoogroups.com>; Karen Snyder <karen.snyder10(a)gmail.com>; Colleague Dialogue <Dialogue(a)wedgeblade.net> Sent: Sun, Nov 13, 2016 6:29 am Subject: Re: [earthrise] Earthrise Witness Many thanks for these thoughtful reflections. They push me to think through my own feelings and to define what I feel are the implications of this sad, and possibly tragic, turn of events. Thanks so much for writing, Sandy Sent from my iPad On Nov 12, 2016, at 9:36 PM, Seth Longacre sethlongacre(a)gmail.com [earthrise] <earthrise-noreply(a)yahoogroups.com> wrote: Thanks Karen and Steve. I'm with you guys. On Nov 13, 2016 10:39 AM, "opossum2(a)comcast.net [earthrise]" <earthrise-noreply(a)yahoogroups.com> wrote: Karen: I think there is a lot of wisdom in what you say. I'm not much on religious allusions, but here's a thought I had earlier today: In the book of Revelation, St. John talks about the four horsemen of the apocalypse: War, Famine, Pestilence and Death. I think we are up against a new four: Hatred, Fear, Ignorance and Greed. So we need to meet hatred with love, fear with confidence, ignorance with wisdom and greed with caring. I'm willing to give it a try. Steve Rhea Houston, Tx. From: "Karen Snyder karen.snyder10(a)gmail.com [earthrise]" <earthrise-noreply(a)yahoogroups.com> To: "Earthrise" <earthrise(a)yahoogroups.com>, "Colleague Dialogue" <Dialogue(a)wedgeblade.net> Sent: Saturday, November 12, 2016 8:19:46 PM Subject: [earthrise] Earthrise Witness It is hard to be so wrong. Wrong about how much frustration, anger and hatred people are carrying in their being. I have seen this in other nations; but never believed it was so true of this nation. Pointing a finger at others being the problem reveals three fingers pointing back to me. I want to repent, to turn away, and forge another direction for the sake of those with pent up emotions and deep pain, but I don’t know how. I am searching for what would make a difference. When I turn to organizations that lead in the issues I feel are important, the language used is ‘continuing the FIGHT’ … ‘fighting on’ and I have no motivation for fighting. The reaction of ‘an eye for an eye’ seems so archaic. What are the lessons I/we can learn from the messages of this election? How can I/we embody love and care for the deep divisions that have been starkly revealed? I want to learn and turn to creating paths that ensure a healthy earth. Our angst is preventing us from hearing Mother Earth speak to us of the crisis all humans face as we use up the earth’s resources and pollute our water and air. My prayer this evening is that I/we pause, that I/we take stock of our missteps, and that I/we embody a new spirit of care for each other and the earth. In peace, Karen __._,_.___ Posted by: "Sandra Conant" <sandy(a)mesoamerica.com> For additional information, including guidelines and schedule, go to: http://www.geocities.com/earthrisegroup/webpage.html VISIT YOUR GROUP • Privacy • Unsubscribe • Terms of Use __,_._,___

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