It is not just the question of what a woman wears.  Under Sharia, if a woman is
raped, she is stoned to death. Under Sharia, if a woman is beaten, she must take
it without complaint.  Under Sharia, a man may divorce his wife, but she does
not have the same privilege.  Sharia goes much deeper than the Burka.  Many of
the women I work with come from similar situations in White American homes,
where the spouse was extremely abusive.  To invite Sharia Law, not the study of
Islam or being a member Islamic faith, is to invite abuse of women. 

This is why the women of America do not want Sharia.  We have enough problems
with those who are attempting to enforce Old Testament Law on America.

 
Gail Lakritz
If you are not part of the solution,
you are part of the problem.


________________________________
  From: Petros Evdokas <petros@...>
To: Universal_Life_Church@yahoogroups.com; universallifechurch2@yahoogroups.com;
ulc-mail@yahoogroups.com; ulchurch_we_are_one@yahoogroups.com;
universallifechurchuk@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, January 13, 2012 4:40 PM
Subject: Re: [Universal Life Church] Court: Oklahoma can't enforce Sharia law
ban - Yahoo! News


 
On 1/13/2012 7:02 PM, gaillakritz@... wrote:
> I have to think that there are a lot of men and women, as there are
> so many of my friends who oppose Sharia, not on the grounds of
> Islamaphobia, but on the grounds of how women are treated.  Freedom
> of religion should in no way condone the denigration a gender.
> -----

I agree, Gail, that racist fear and hatred of Islam should not be
allowed to guide State policy toward Sharia. The well-being and freedom
of women - and of all beings - must come into consideration when we
evaluate not only Sharia but ALL religious practices.

Why do we not rebel and complain about religion when ritual sexual
mutilation of infants takes place in the name of religion? Why don't we
ask the State to step in and protect the rights of infants when
circumcision is practiced for "religious" reasons, but we get mobilized
when it's a question of whether to wear a veil or not?

Why do we not rebel when the herbal Sacraments of millions of people
around the world are banned and driven underground by the US Government?
Why don't we ask the State to step in and protect those religious
rights? Cannabis and other natural, safe and non-toxic Entheogens - and
the humans who worship and pray with them - are hounded, killed, jailed,
tortured on a daily basis in the "democratic" countries of the West.

Freedom of religion requires freedom FROM religion in order to be
actualized, but at the same time we need moral and social standards by
which to evaluate what's what.

I think that the Universal Life Church, by placing emphasis on the unity
and validity of all that is essential within the core of all religions,
has the potential of becoming one of the moral forces that can help set
those standards in modern society.

Thanks!
Petros
______



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

On 1/14/2012 12:27 AM, gaillakritz@... wrote:
> It is not just the question of what a woman wears.  Under Sharia, if
> a woman is raped, she is stoned to death. Under Sharia, if a woman is
> beaten, she must take it without complaint.  Under Sharia, a man may
> divorce his wife, but she does not have the same privilege.  Sharia
> goes much deeper than the Burka.  Many of the women I work with come
> from similar situations in White American homes, where the spouse was
> extremely abusive.  To invite Sharia Law, not the study of Islam or
> being a member Islamic faith, is to invite abuse of women.
>
> This is why the women of America do not want Sharia.  We have enough
> problems with those who are attempting to enforce Old Testament Law
> on America.


We agree, and yet... a lot of clarifications need to be made.

The first and most important clarification is in regard to the
interpretation of the Law. Here is one source for a general introduction
to some of these necessary clarifications:
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sharia&oldid=471123833

There are more than a billion and a half followers of Islam in the
world. Interpretations of Sharia vary greatly among all those people;
they vary according to place, country, culture, tradition, development
and politics. There are also "classical" variations among modernists,
traditionalists and fundamentalists, all of whom interpret the law very
differently from one another.

Our shared concern is for the brutal and backwards male-chauvinist
interpretations of Sharia that oppress everyone - including the men who
have a supposedly "privileged" position in the system of patriarchy.
These interpretations of religious law are enforced with countless acts
of small and large scale violence in the everyday lives of people who
all collectively suffer under it. But is that system of social
governance really a part of Islam?

Some of the most appalling examples of authoritarian and abusive
interpretations and enforcement of Sharia are seen in Saudi Arabia and
Iran, and among the Afghani Taliban. But let's think about it again: is
the system of social governance represented by those forces really a
part of Islam? Does it derive its power and authority from the Divine or
from another source?

Islam is a living religion, and its message is one of Love. One of the
primary characteristics of Islam is to grow with the times and to be a
vehicle for social and personal freedom, progress and development. It
was the first religion to codify into law the rights of women to own and
inherit property, to be employed, and the first to set out for men their
obligations to honour, respect and protect women. These ideas are
intuitively grasped by everyone and directly understood to be clearly in
harmony with spiritual truth. Whereas the objectionable authoritarian
practices associated with Sharia seem entirely alien and contrary to
that spirit, right?

Where does the Saudi Arabian monarchy derive its power and authority
from? Everyone in the Middle East knows that it is an outpost of US
imperialism; that it exists only because the United States maintain it
with weapons and political support, and that if the local people had
their way its entire system of governance would be torn down and swept
away in a day.

What about the odious Taliban? Where did their "authority" come from?
God? Documented history of their origins says otherwise. Here's a five
minute short video summarizing the conscious creation, funding, training
and arming the Taliban by the US, not for the greater glory of the
Divine, but for the specific interests of the US:
"How Zbigniew Brzezinski created Al-Qaeda and Taliban"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA7E6EVXl1A

For those who prefer to see in writing, here's an appropriate excerpt:

"The CIA’s role in laying the foundations of Al Qaeda is confirmed in an
1998 interview with Zbigniew Brzezinski, who at the time was National
Security Adviser to President Jimmy Carter:

      Brzezinski: According to the official version of history, CIA aid
to the Mujahideen began during 1980, that is to say, after the Soviet
army invaded Afghanistan, [on] 24 December 1979. But the reality,
secretly guarded until now, is completely otherwise. Indeed, it was July
3, 1979, that President Carter signed the first directive for secret aid
to the opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Kabul. And that very day, I
wrote a note to the President in which I explained to him that in my
opinion, this aid was going to induce a Soviet military intervention.

      Question: Despite this risk, you were an advocate of this covert
action. But perhaps you yourself desired this Soviet entry into war and
looked to provoke it?

      Brzezinski: It isn’t quite that. We didn’t push the Russians to
intervene, but we knowingly increased the probability that they would.

      Question: When the Soviets justified their intervention by
asserting that they intended to fight against a secret involvement of
the United States in Afghanistan, people didn’t believe them. However,
there was a basis of truth. You don’t regret anything today?

      Brzezinski: Regret what? That secret operation was an excellent
idea. It had the effect of drawing the Russians into the Afghan trap and
you want me to regret it? The day that the Soviets officially crossed
the border, I wrote to President Carter. We now have the opportunity of
giving to the USSR its Vietnam War. Indeed, for almost 10 years, Moscow
had to carry on a war unsupportable by the government, a conflict that
brought about the demoralization and finally the breakup of the Soviet
empire.

      Question: And neither do you regret having supported the Islamic
fundamentalism, having given arms and advice to future terrorists?

      Brzezinski: What is most important to the history of the world? The
Taliban or the collapse of the Soviet empire? Some stirred-up Moslems or
the liberation of Central Europe and the end of the Cold War?"
From:
"Al Qaeda and the 'War on Terrorism' "
by Michel Chossudovsky
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=7718

The Taliban were installed by the US in a modern progressive country,
Afghanistan, where women became doctors and politicians, and where
illiteracy among girls and women had been almost eradicated. The
population, very religious at the time, saw these forms of progress as
being in harmony with Islam. The US-sponsored Taliban came and destroyed
all of that in the name of "another Islam" that was supposedly more
real, more "fundamental". But fundamental to whose interests?

And what about Iran? Where did the so-called "fundamentalist" muslim
supporters of the Ayatollah Khomeini come from? He is credited for
founding the contemporary regime in Iran that rules "in the name of god"
and supposedly guided by Sharia. But is it really? Is that where the
regime's power came from?

Tehran, the capital of Iran, was the most modern city of the Middle East
dating from the fifties all the way to the seventies. Tehran and Beirut
(in Lebanon) were both alternately known as "Paris of the Middle East",
primarily because women there enjoyed an openness that was an excellent
balance between the religious cultural norms of each country AND modern
European perceptions. They were both seen as examples of islamic
communities that retained a harmony with their muslim identity while
emerging into a cosmopolitan and democratic pluralism that blended the
grace of Old World values; European and modern democratic elements of
the West; the national liberation spirit of the emerging Third World
consciousness of freedom and equality; and overtones of the youth
revolution (New Left) that was blowing through the globe at the time,
especially through the sixties and seventies.

But what happened?

As the US-sponsored bloody dictatorship of the Shah of Iran was
beginning to crumble with the awakening of the Iranian people who in the
late seventies engaged in a revolutionary massive people-power
mobilization for freedom, a "saviour" appeared with a long beard and
with incredibly backward religious interpretations of Islam, who
"miraculously" began to have more and more appeal among the people of
the countryside in Iran. They formed themselves under his leadership
into a tremendously powerful counter-revolutionary force and "saved"
Iran from the Left by installing him at the head of a fake islamic
republic and declaring the country to now be "under Sharia".

It was known by everyone in the progressive community at the time that
this "fundamentalist muslim" who appeared as a "saviour" - the Ayatollah
Khomeini - was the instrument of the english and american intelligence
services. As soon as the new regime came to power it exterminated the
entire Left, including the supporters of an Islamic Marxist organization
named the People's Mujahedin of Iran. There were great efforts by the
establishment media and by the Western Governments at the time to
disguise their relationship with Khomeini by presenting a false
"tension" and "hostility" between him and the West. The Iranian "Hostage
Crisis" was one such theatrical production, and many others followed
since then.

Here are two articles exploring those relationships, written by someone
who used to think that all these ideas are nonsense:

"The British And U.S. Governments Installed Khomeini Into Power In 1979"
http://disquietreservations.blogspot.com/2011/11/british-and-us-governments-inst\
alled.html
and
"A Rigged Revolution: How The Shadow CIA-MI6 Network Put Khomeini And
Militant Islamists in Power"
http://tulsachange.com/a-rigged-revolution-how-the-shadow-cia-mi6-network-put-kh\
omeini-and-militant-islamists-in-power

The above readings and video do not necessarily represent me,
politically or spiritually, but they provide fresh ways to start
exploring all these burning subjects.


We correctly oppose EVERY abuse, atrocity and authoritarian measure
enforced on our communities, perpetrated in the name of god. But we
should also be able to figure out where the atrocities come from. We
must be able to attribute correctly the origin of the abuses and
distortions. In the world of politics, power and intrigue, things are
hardly ever what they appear to be.

In the case of reactionary and oppressive interpretations of Sharia,
Islam is NOT the source of all those disgusting and appalling practices,
nor is the Divine the source from where reactionary "fundamentalist
islamic" social forces derive their power.

They are gross distortions that were artificially created by the US by
disrupting the natural growth and evolution of Islam as one of the
spearheads of modern civilization, turning large parts of it into its
opposite in order to serve the global Empire.

It is the Empire with all its "powers and principalities" that we must
oppose, and not Islam or its religious law. We should be able to
identify, name and accuse all the distortions of faith that come to us
"in the name of god" but are here to serve the darkest of human masters.
And gather our forces to oppose them in every way.

Petros
______

Petros,

It isn't just Islam that is the problem, it's all religions that teach of a
fragmented universe and a hateful god of so called "conditional love". This
is prevalent to various degrees in all of the Abrahamic religions, not just
Islam. The only Abrahamic religion that does not teach of primitive pagan
gods such as Allah is ironically the people from whom all of these
Abrahamic religions derive their roots!

And it is the OMNIPRESENT GOD of Israel that is at the core of the true
form of Christianity of the historical Jesus, a humble carpenter who tried
to share a mystical experience. For this he was murdered, the murder blamed
on the Jews, who were than vilified, and his peaceful message of
unconditional love replaced with the militaristic god(s) of conditional
love that had already proven useful to the ruling class for centuries.

After the murder of the historical Jesus and the scattering of his
followers, it than became neccesary for the Roman Catholic Church to
execute millions who objected to this travesty of Christianity over the
next Seventeen hundred years to lock in the Roman hoax of Christianity
based on the favorite idol of the Roman military, Mithra. Today we have
over 37000 offshoots of this insanity that actually fight wars with each
other over whom does god love best and who should be destroyed! Some groups
such as Islam and the Later Day Saints, actually advocate spreading their
insanity by the sword!

We do not need to tolerate the abrahamic religions, we need to recognize
the insanity for what it is, a bogus form of fear based religion designed
to control the populace of an oppressive empire that no longer exists
except in the minds of those poor souls trapped in these fear based
religions! And most importantly we need to save the children from the
madness of these groups who falsely claim to be spiritual!

But we do need to LOVE ALL of the VICTIMS of this insanity as urged by the
historical Jesus. Bullying people as a form of control is not from the
OMNIPRESENT GOD! It is a method of oppression that evolved from primitive
tribes people and their fear of the volcano god.We can see this bullying
demonstrated by the various religions based on conditional love that say we
will love you if you join our church and do what we say, otherwise you will
burn in an eternal hell!

  We all need to get informed as to the Roman hoax of Christianity and it's
over 37000 offshoots such as Islam and get involved in restoring true
Christianity to humanity based on the OMNIPRESENT GOD that the historical
Jesus said is LOVE, that is even now being confirmed to be real by science
on many fronts! (some would question lumping Islam in with all of the
patriarchal hierarchical churches that claim to be Christian, but all of
these groups, including Islam, falsely claim to be linked with Judaism, but
all reject the OMNIPRESENT GOD of Judaism)

GOD is LOVE. WE are ALL ONE WITH GOD, even the unloving!

Richard





On Sat, Jan 14, 2012 at 12:27 AM, <gaillakritz@...> wrote:

> It is not just the question of what a woman wears.  Under Sharia, if a
> woman is raped, she is stoned to death. Under Sharia, if a woman is beaten,
> she must take it without complaint.  Under Sharia, a man may divorce his
> wife, but she does not have the same privilege.  Sharia goes much deeper
> than the Burka.  Many of the women I work with come from similar situations
> in White American homes, where the spouse was extremely abusive.  To invite
> Sharia Law, not the study of Islam or being a member Islamic faith, is to
> invite abuse of women.
>
> This is why the women of America do not want Sharia.  We have enough
> problems with those who are attempting to enforce Old Testament Law on
> America.
>
>
> Gail Lakritz
> If you are not part of the solution,
> you are part of the problem.
>
>
> ________________________________
>  From: Petros Evdokas <petros@...>
> To: Universal_Life_Church@yahoogroups.com;
> universallifechurch2@yahoogroups.com; ulc-mail@yahoogroups.com;
> ulchurch_we_are_one@yahoogroups.com; universallifechurchuk@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Friday, January 13, 2012 4:40 PM
> Subject: Re: [Universal Life Church] Court: Oklahoma can't enforce Sharia
> law ban - Yahoo! News
>
>
>
> On 1/13/2012 7:02 PM, gaillakritz@... wrote:
> > I have to think that there are a lot of men and women, as there are
> > so many of my friends who oppose Sharia, not on the grounds of
> > Islamaphobia, but on the grounds of how women are treated.  Freedom
> > of religion should in no way condone the denigration a gender.
> > -----
>
> I agree, Gail, that racist fear and hatred of Islam should not be
> allowed to guide State policy toward Sharia. The well-being and freedom
> of women - and of all beings - must come into consideration when we
> evaluate not only Sharia but ALL religious practices.
>
> Why do we not rebel and complain about religion when ritual sexual
> mutilation of infants takes place in the name of religion? Why don't we
> ask the State to step in and protect the rights of infants when
> circumcision is practiced for "religious" reasons, but we get mobilized
> when it's a question of whether to wear a veil or not?
>
> Why do we not rebel when the herbal Sacraments of millions of people
> around the world are banned and driven underground by the US Government?
> Why don't we ask the State to step in and protect those religious
> rights? Cannabis and other natural, safe and non-toxic Entheogens - and
> the humans who worship and pray with them - are hounded, killed, jailed,
> tortured on a daily basis in the "democratic" countries of the West.
>
> Freedom of religion requires freedom FROM religion in order to be
> actualized, but at the same time we need moral and social standards by
> which to evaluate what's what.
>
> I think that the Universal Life Church, by placing emphasis on the unity
> and validity of all that is essential within the core of all religions,
> has the potential of becoming one of the moral forces that can help set
> those standards in modern society.
>
> Thanks!
> Petros
> ______
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

<snip all the pro/anti Islam comments>

It seems to me that the bottom line in this situation is that the
Constitution and the Bill of Rights are the law of the land in the
United States of America (even if they don't always get applied as they
should) and no other form of law is superior to them legally here.

End of debate. Sharia can no more become a part of our legal code than
the "laws" of any religion.

-- Theresa

On 1/14/2012 10:34 PM, Darklady wrote:

   Sharia can no more become a part of our legal code than
> the "laws" of any religion.


Plus I would add a slogan I learned from Darklady:

Let's put the fun back into fundamentalism !
Petros
______

On 1/14/2012 12:56 PM, Petros Evdokas wrote:
> On 1/14/2012 10:34 PM, Darklady wrote:
>
>    Sharia can no more become a part of our legal code than
>> the "laws" of any religion.
>
>
> Plus I would add a slogan I learned from Darklady:
>
> Let's put the fun back into fundamentalism !
> Petros
> ______

	 It's the least we can do after putting the fun back in dysfunctional.  :-)

-- Theresa/Darklady

A hateful god of so called "conditional love", the Empire, and Fitrah


Hello,

I'd like to select a few sentences from a recent letter from Richard,
published here:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Universal_Life_Church/message/2662
and add a few short comments.


On 1/14/2012 5:32 PM, Richard Johnson wrote:
"...The problem, [is] all religions that teach of a fragmented universe
and a hateful god of so called "conditional love".

Yes, I definitely feel this is a key part of the experience that drives
many people like us to seek unifying, loving and accepting forms of
spiritual community, along with practices and values reflecting a direct
relationship with a Divine unconditional love.


Regarding the insanity created and sustained by the participation of
religions in hatred of "the other" and wars of domination, Richard wrote:
"...we need to recognize the insanity for what it is, a bogus form of
fear based religion designed to control the populace of an oppressive
empire that no longer exists except in the minds of those poor souls
trapped in these fear based religions!"

Yes... but I would add a little something about the empire. Today we
live under a global Empire that is grander, more abusive, more fearsome
and more lethal than any of the empires that have previously existed on
earth. One of my most favourite authors, Phillip K. Dick, articulated it
in the best way I know: "The Empire never ended", he wrote.

And there is a horrible, unbearable truth to that, especially given the
fact that as Richard correctly points out, entire faiths, religions and
churches have been participating in its insanity for a long time now.
The Empire exists and it's real; it is murderous, exploitative and the
very antithesis of the "god" it represents.

The only people in the world who are not aware of the existence of this
Empire live inside the United States, side by side with people who are
aware of it and absolutely identified with it, side by side with people
who are aware of it and are involved in the struggle to bring it down.

The fascinating part of it is how there can be millions of people living
in the US who are entirely unaware of this reality. It speaks of a
special form of mind-domination exerted by the Empire over some people;
usually a blend of church dogma, fanatic anti-sexualism, and a constant
diet of misinformation, disinformation, lies and propaganda.

Back to the religions who participate in the drama of war and hatred -
Richard wrote:
"...And most importantly we need to save the children from the madness
of these groups who falsely claim to be spiritual! But we do need to
LOVE ALL of the VICTIMS of this insanity as urged by the historical
Jesus. Bullying people as a form of control is not from the OMNIPRESENT
GOD! "

Yes, I embrace that.

Richard wrote of the OMNIPRESENT GOD, and that "GOD is LOVE. WE are ALL
ONE WITH GOD, even the unloving!"

I feel there's great truth to that. Ironically, the only "official"
theological expression I've seen of this comes from Islam. There may
more ways to articulate it from the point of view of other mainstream
and/or non-mainstream religions that I'm not aware of, and if anyone
here knows of any I'd be happy to be informed and educated on it.

So, within Islam, which I was raised to hate and reject as "satanic",
exists one of the most beautiful of theological concepts. It is called
the Fitrah (other spelling variations, exist as well).

The belief in Fitrah is the belief that all people are endowed with a
natural, instinctual understanding and perception of god and of god's
people, exactly in the way Richard wrote above. There is a muslim
educator named Christine Huda Dodge who explains it really well. Here
are Huda's words on Fitrah:
"Muslims believe that children are born with fitrah, an inborn, natural
predisposition toward God that exists at birth in all human beings."
http://www.netplaces.com/understanding-islam/raising-muslim-children/the-educati\
on-of-children.htm
Also:
"Muslims believe that all people are born with a natural faith in God.
According to Islam, children are born with an innate sense of God, which
is called the fitrah. Therefore, some people see conversion to Islam as
a "return" back to this original, pure faith. For this reason, many
Muslims prefer to say that they have "reverted," rather than converted
to Islam. A common definition of the word "revert" is to "return to a
former condition or belief." "
http://islam.about.com/od/converts/g/revert_gt.htm

Huda articulates that really well. Those of us who embrace the core of
truth in All faiths, religions and spiritual practices have not yet
found a Universal way to articulate that theological concept in a form
applicable to All paths.

Timothy Leary came very close to articulating almost perfectly elements
of some sort of Universal theology in his works title "The Politics of
Ecstasy", and "Exopsychology". His point of departure is Psychedelic
consciousness, but it's applicable to all paths.

I feel we need to go beyond it, even, to articulating even more unifying
views, a broader and more organized theology that can help our people
move forward. Many people see the sick game of religion for what it is
and begin to seek outside of it. But the range of available options,
when seen from the point of view of a path's capacity to infuse a person
and a community with spiritual freedom, happiness and a higher
consciousness, is really not very rich. Most of the times honest and
genuine seekers are forced to exchange one set of dogmas for another, or
find some happy medium by taking a piece from one faith and a piece from
another to create a personal path able to serve one's needs.

I wish we could help expand those options!
Petros
______

Patros,


I respectively disagree with you about fitra.

Fitra is perhaps an attempt to define our relationship with what is but
nevertheless it still promotes the perception of a fragmented universe with
a distant cruel god. Islam still clings to a concept of a god of
conditional love and uses unbelievable cruelty to insure it's followers
adhere to what the leaders feel is the will of Allah. There is no real LOVE
shown in Islam anymore than in any other patriarchal hierarchical Abrahamic
religion based on law and judgement of MEN instead of LOVE.

Those who strive to LOVE unconditionally such as the Sufi are hunted down
and persecuted even though they are allegedly the mystical branch of Islam.
And the Baha'i are also persecuted barbarically by Islam. It's just another
variation of a fear based religion and is no closer to the TRUTH of our
existence than the Roman hoax of Christianity.

I call this whole group of fear based religions  the "Patriarchal Religious
Military Industrial Complex". Those currently in power use the fear that
these primitive religions generate in their flocks to manipulate the masses
for ends not at all in the interest of humanity.

We all need to get informed and get involved in waking everyone up to who
we already are in the OMNIPRESENT GOD that all of these groups reject in
preference to their various god(s) of wrath and fear. Ironically all of
these groups claim to be related to Judaism, but yet all of these groups
reject the OMNIPRESENT GOD of Israel in preference to the god(s) of
conditional love they created and still persecute any mystic who tries to
point out the truth of our existence that the historical Jesus tried to
demonstrate to humanity.


Pointing out our place in the OMNIPRESENT GOD of Israel is all that the
historical Jesus tried to do before he was murdered by the Romans who
blamed it on the Jews and replaced his simple mystical egalitarian truth
with the many god(s) of conditional love such as Allah and Jehovah.

When the historical Jesus said "GOD is LOVE" he meant it literally. And
when he said "The kingdom of GOD is within YOU" he also meant this
literally.

It wasn't just the Romans that feared this egalitarian truth, it was all
oppressive regimes that utilized humanity's fears to create false religions
based on fear as a means of political control. I call them volcano god
religions as they evolved from early tribal gods utilized by the chiefs to
control the tribe. For example all the chief has to do is say, "If you
don't do as the volcano god instructed me to tell you, he will bring down
fire on your heads just like he did to the village next door".

This is where all of these religions evolved from and they are actually
preventing their followers from realizing the truth of their existence. The
lie was the power the chief had and it has evolved into the many false fear
based religions that exist today.

Other than the fitra concept, we seem to be following the same path towards
wholeness. I hope I made the danger of religions such as Islam that try to
portray LOVE as a part of their religion clear. There is no LOVE in any
religion that stones women to death for tempting men or chops the hand off
of a thief caught stealing a loaf of bread to feed his family.

In LOVE,

Richard

On Sun, Jan 15, 2012 at 10:05 AM, Petros Evdokas <petros@...>wrote:

> A hateful god of so called "conditional love", the Empire, and Fitrah
>
>
> Hello,
>
> I'd like to select a few sentences from a recent letter from Richard,
> published here:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Universal_Life_Church/message/2662
> and add a few short comments.
>
>
> On 1/14/2012 5:32 PM, Richard Johnson wrote:
> "...The problem, [is] all religions that teach of a fragmented universe
> and a hateful god of so called "conditional love".
>
> Yes, I definitely feel this is a key part of the experience that drives
> many people like us to seek unifying, loving and accepting forms of
> spiritual community, along with practices and values reflecting a direct
> relationship with a Divine unconditional love.
>
>
> Regarding the insanity created and sustained by the participation of
> religions in hatred of "the other" and wars of domination, Richard wrote:
> "...we need to recognize the insanity for what it is, a bogus form of
> fear based religion designed to control the populace of an oppressive
> empire that no longer exists except in the minds of those poor souls
> trapped in these fear based religions!"
>
> Yes... but I would add a little something about the empire. Today we
> live under a global Empire that is grander, more abusive, more fearsome
> and more lethal than any of the empires that have previously existed on
> earth. One of my most favourite authors, Phillip K. Dick, articulated it
> in the best way I know: "The Empire never ended", he wrote.
>
> And there is a horrible, unbearable truth to that, especially given the
> fact that as Richard correctly points out, entire faiths, religions and
> churches have been participating in its insanity for a long time now.
> The Empire exists and it's real; it is murderous, exploitative and the
> very antithesis of the "god" it represents.
>
> The only people in the world who are not aware of the existence of this
> Empire live inside the United States, side by side with people who are
> aware of it and absolutely identified with it, side by side with people
> who are aware of it and are involved in the struggle to bring it down.
>
> The fascinating part of it is how there can be millions of people living
> in the US who are entirely unaware of this reality. It speaks of a
> special form of mind-domination exerted by the Empire over some people;
> usually a blend of church dogma, fanatic anti-sexualism, and a constant
> diet of misinformation, disinformation, lies and propaganda.
>
> Back to the religions who participate in the drama of war and hatred -
> Richard wrote:
> "...And most importantly we need to save the children from the madness
> of these groups who falsely claim to be spiritual! But we do need to
> LOVE ALL of the VICTIMS of this insanity as urged by the historical
> Jesus. Bullying people as a form of control is not from the OMNIPRESENT
> GOD! "
>
> Yes, I embrace that.
>
> Richard wrote of the OMNIPRESENT GOD, and that "GOD is LOVE. WE are ALL
> ONE WITH GOD, even the unloving!"
>
> I feel there's great truth to that. Ironically, the only "official"
> theological expression I've seen of this comes from Islam. There may
> more ways to articulate it from the point of view of other mainstream
> and/or non-mainstream religions that I'm not aware of, and if anyone
> here knows of any I'd be happy to be informed and educated on it.
>
> So, within Islam, which I was raised to hate and reject as "satanic",
> exists one of the most beautiful of theological concepts. It is called
> the Fitrah (other spelling variations, exist as well).
>
> The belief in Fitrah is the belief that all people are endowed with a
> natural, instinctual understanding and perception of god and of god's
> people, exactly in the way Richard wrote above. There is a muslim
> educator named Christine Huda Dodge who explains it really well. Here
> are Huda's words on Fitrah:
> "Muslims believe that children are born with fitrah, an inborn, natural
> predisposition toward God that exists at birth in all human beings."
>
>
http://www.netplaces.com/understanding-islam/raising-muslim-children/the-educati\
on-of-children.htm
> Also:
> "Muslims believe that all people are born with a natural faith in God.
> According to Islam, children are born with an innate sense of God, which
> is called the fitrah. Therefore, some people see conversion to Islam as
> a "return" back to this original, pure faith. For this reason, many
> Muslims prefer to say that they have "reverted," rather than converted
> to Islam. A common definition of the word "revert" is to "return to a
> former condition or belief." "
> http://islam.about.com/od/converts/g/revert_gt.htm
>
> Huda articulates that really well. Those of us who embrace the core of
> truth in All faiths, religions and spiritual practices have not yet
> found a Universal way to articulate that theological concept in a form
> applicable to All paths.
>
> Timothy Leary came very close to articulating almost perfectly elements
> of some sort of Universal theology in his works title "The Politics of
> Ecstasy", and "Exopsychology". His point of departure is Psychedelic
> consciousness, but it's applicable to all paths.
>
> I feel we need to go beyond it, even, to articulating even more unifying
> views, a broader and more organized theology that can help our people
> move forward. Many people see the sick game of religion for what it is
> and begin to seek outside of it. But the range of available options,
> when seen from the point of view of a path's capacity to infuse a person
> and a community with spiritual freedom, happiness and a higher
> consciousness, is really not very rich. Most of the times honest and
> genuine seekers are forced to exchange one set of dogmas for another, or
> find some happy medium by taking a piece from one faith and a piece from
> another to create a personal path able to serve one's needs.
>
> I wish we could help expand those options!
> Petros
> ______
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

A celebration of music and the arts

Join us for ZenFest on February 17-19, 2012 at All World Acres. We will express
ourselves through music, art and poetry. Enjoy a relaxing weekend of open jams,
live art, and sacred verses.

This will be a great opportunity to meet new people and bond with nature,
yourself, and others in a safe and beautiful environment. Bring your own art
supplies along and help us decorate our community canvas.  Experience the
freedom of being able to create and enjoy the creations of others. Let the
inspiration flow from you like a river of beauty.

Stop by our café to fill up on good food to keep the creative juices flowing.
Dance around the fire pit while you enjoy the nightly drum circles. Find your
music mojo at our open jam sessions. Express your most passionate feelings at a
poetry reading.

Register in advance and its only $20 for the entire weekend of entertainment and
activities and this includes camping.

Share love, fun, and peace

Info: http://healingtoday.com/zenfest.htm

Hello,

Thank you for sending us the announcement about your event (copy below).

Is your event a non-profit, non-commercial event?
I noticed in your materials that it is claimed that the All World Acres
is a not for profit sanctuary, and its events are on the basis of
"admission donations".

Is this true?

I noticed A LOT of emphasis on payments in the announcement for your
particular event, but the word donation was not there.

Is your event open to people who do not have the ability to donate? Is
it open to people who might volunteer to help out by working there
instead of paying a fee?

I'd like to remind you that our ULC group here is totally against the
commercialization of anything, especially of events related to faith,
religion and spirituality.

Can you please clarify some of your policies on this for us?
Thank you,
Petros
_______

On 1/26/2012 11:01 PM, ramanatode wrote:
> A celebration of music and the arts
>
> Join us for ZenFest on February 17-19, 2012 at All World Acres. We
> will express ourselves through music, art and poetry. Enjoy a
> relaxing weekend of open jams, live art, and sacred verses.
>
> This will be a great opportunity to meet new people and bond with
> nature, yourself, and others in a safe and beautiful environment.
> Bring your own art supplies along and help us decorate our community
> canvas.  Experience the freedom of being able to create and enjoy the
> creations of others. Let the inspiration flow from you like a river
> of beauty.
>
> Stop by our café to fill up on good food to keep the creative juices
> flowing. Dance around the fire pit while you enjoy the nightly drum
> circles. Find your music mojo at our open jam sessions. Express your
> most passionate feelings at a poetry reading.
>
> Register in advance and its only $20 for the entire weekend of
> entertainment and activities and this includes camping.
>
> Share love, fun, and peace
>
> Info: http://healingtoday.com/zenfest.htm
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------

On 1/27/2012 4:38 PM, Healing Today wrote:
> All World Acres is a true not for profit sanctuary that has served
> hundreds of people for 11 years. The hard work of scores of volunteers
> makes this wonderful place possible.
>
> I would suggest that you delete the post. We will not be put on the
> defensive regarding the policies of this community.
>
> This will be the final communication from us.
> ------------

Hello,

Thank you for your letter. Can you please specify your policy on the
admission donations for the event you promoted to our ULC email group?

Do you allow admission for those who can not afford entrance fees, or
perhaps in exchange for volunteer work?

Otherwise, if this is a commercial event, please be advised that you may
not promote it here.

Thanks,
Petros
__________

How is being asked to clarify your policies being "put on the defensive?"

I worry about people and organizations that become offended when asked
for information that would create greater understanding.

-- Theresa

On 27-Jan-12 6:57 AM, Petros Evdokas wrote:
> On 1/27/2012 4:38 PM, Healing Today wrote:
>> All World Acres is a true not for profit sanctuary that has served
>> hundreds of people for 11 years. The hard work of scores of volunteers
>> makes this wonderful place possible.
>>
>> I would suggest that you delete the post. We will not be put on the
>> defensive regarding the policies of this community.
>>
>> This will be the final communication from us.
>> ------------
>
> Hello,
>
> Thank you for your letter. Can you please specify your policy on the
> admission donations for the event you promoted to our ULC email group?
>
> Do you allow admission for those who can not afford entrance fees, or
> perhaps in exchange for volunteer work?
>
> Otherwise, if this is a commercial event, please be advised that you may
> not promote it here.
>
> Thanks,
> Petros
> __________
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>

I agree with Dark Lady.  Too much of what is going on in the name of religion
or understanding is fraudulent.  Hiding things only leads to the feeling that
you are not honest.

 
Gail Lakritz
If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.


________________________________
  From: Darklady <darklady@...>
To: Universal_Life_Church@yahoogroups.com
Cc: Petros Evdokas <petros@...>; Healing Today
<info@...>; ramana@...
Sent: Friday, January 27, 2012 1:31 PM
Subject: Re: [Universal Life Church] ZenFest in Florida


 
How is being asked to clarify your policies being "put on the defensive?"

I worry about people and organizations that become offended when asked
for information that would create greater understanding.

-- Theresa

On 27-Jan-12 6:57 AM, Petros Evdokas wrote:
> On 1/27/2012 4:38 PM, Healing Today wrote:
>> All World Acres is a true not for profit sanctuary that has served
>> hundreds of people for 11 years. The hard work of scores of volunteers
>> makes this wonderful place possible.
>>
>> I would suggest that you delete the post. We will not be put on the
>> defensive regarding the policies of this community.
>>
>> This will be the final communication from us.
>> ------------
>
> Hello,
>
> Thank you for your letter. Can you please specify your policy on the
> admission donations for the event you promoted to our ULC email group?
>
> Do you allow admission for those who can not afford entrance fees, or
> perhaps in exchange for volunteer work?
>
> Otherwise, if this is a commercial event, please be advised that you may
> not promote it here.
>
> Thanks,
> Petros
> __________
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I agree also and AMEN!













Rev.Steven B.Thompson,Chapter Director
Benzie County NORML
6215 Smeltzer Rd.
Benzonia,MI 49616
(231) 882-4496
www.minorml.org 
(Former Executive Director of Michigan NORML
from May,2007 to
November,2011)                                

 Help end Cannabis Prohibition at www.repealtoday.org  

WE DO NOT MANUFACTURE A DRUG...WE GROW A PLANT!!

 

--- On Fri, 1/27/12, gaillakritz@... <gaillakritz@...> wrote:


From: gaillakritz@... <gaillakritz@...>
Subject: Re: [Universal Life Church] ZenFest in Florida
To: "Universal_Life_Church@yahoogroups.com"
<Universal_Life_Church@yahoogroups.com>
Cc: "Petros Evdokas" <petros@...>, "Healing Today"
<info@...>, "ramana@..." <ramana@...>
Date: Friday, January 27, 2012, 2:22 PM



 



I agree with Dark Lady.  Too much of what is going on in the name of religion
or understanding is fraudulent.  Hiding things only leads to the feeling that
you are not honest.

 
Gail Lakritz
If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.

________________________________
From: Darklady <darklady@...>
To: Universal_Life_Church@yahoogroups.com
Cc: Petros Evdokas <petros@...>; Healing Today
<info@...>; ramana@...
Sent: Friday, January 27, 2012 1:31 PM
Subject: Re: [Universal Life Church] ZenFest in Florida


 
How is being asked to clarify your policies being "put on the defensive?"

I worry about people and organizations that become offended when asked
for information that would create greater understanding.

-- Theresa

On 27-Jan-12 6:57 AM, Petros Evdokas wrote:
> On 1/27/2012 4:38 PM, Healing Today wrote:
>> All World Acres is a true not for profit sanctuary that has served
>> hundreds of people for 11 years. The hard work of scores of volunteers
>> makes this wonderful place possible.
>>
>> I would suggest that you delete the post. We will not be put on the
>> defensive regarding the policies of this community.
>>
>> This will be the final communication from us.
>> ------------
>
> Hello,
>
> Thank you for your letter. Can you please specify your policy on the
> admission donations for the event you promoted to our ULC email group?
>
> Do you allow admission for those who can not afford entrance fees, or
> perhaps in exchange for volunteer work?
>
> Otherwise, if this is a commercial event, please be advised that you may
> not promote it here.
>
> Thanks,
> Petros
> __________
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]








[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Thank you Gail, Theresa~Darklady, and Steven for your thoughts and comments.

Twenty minutes after I mailed my question about donations to the
ZenFest, the person who had posted the announcement unsubscribed from
our group and sent us the response you all saw.

I don't really understand how it all snowballed so quickly - was my
approach impolite or inappropriate?

Petros
______

You were fine. They totally over reacted, IMO... which makes me feel
disinterested in their services. It was a perfectly reasonable series of
questions to ask of someone who'd not made themselves known prior to
posting.

-- Theresa/Darklady

On 28-Jan-12 12:32 AM, Petros Evdokas wrote:
> Thank you Gail, Theresa~Darklady, and Steven for your thoughts and comments.
>
> Twenty minutes after I mailed my question about donations to the
> ZenFest, the person who had posted the announcement unsubscribed from
> our group and sent us the response you all saw.
>
> I don't really understand how it all snowballed so quickly - was my
> approach impolite or inappropriate?
>
> Petros

On 1/28/2012 7:30 PM, Darklady wrote:
> You were fine. They totally over reacted, IMO... which makes me feel
> disinterested in their services. It was a perfectly reasonable series of
> questions to ask of someone who'd not made themselves known prior to
> posting.
>
> -- Theresa/Darklady

Thanks Theresa,

Sometimes I experience self-doubt about my online communication skills.

Also, it's been a while for us to experience "turbulence" here in this
group - we've managed to keep flame wars and arguments to a minimum and
when a little tension comes up it seems perhaps bigger than it is.

Thanks,
Petros
________

No it wasn't Petros...it was the proper way to handle it...their lose...not
ours.













Rev.Steven B.Thompson,Chapter Director
Benzie County NORML
6215 Smeltzer Rd.
Benzonia,MI 49616
(231) 882-4496
www.minorml.org 
(Former Executive Director of Michigan NORML
from May,2007 to
November,2011)                                

 Help end Cannabis Prohibition at www.repealtoday.org  

WE DO NOT MANUFACTURE A DRUG...WE GROW A PLANT!!

 

--- On Sat, 1/28/12, Petros Evdokas <petros@...> wrote:


From: Petros Evdokas <petros@...>
Subject: Re: [Universal Life Church] ZenFest in Florida
To: Universal_Life_Church@yahoogroups.com
Date: Saturday, January 28, 2012, 3:32 AM



 



Thank you Gail, Theresa~Darklady, and Steven for your thoughts and comments.

Twenty minutes after I mailed my question about donations to the
ZenFest, the person who had posted the announcement unsubscribed from
our group and sent us the response you all saw.

I don't really understand how it all snowballed so quickly - was my
approach impolite or inappropriate?

Petros
______







[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

For those that might like to see our press release of the state initiative drive
to end Cannabis Prohibition, go here:
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEchD940kG4&feature=share
















Rev.Steven B.Thompson,Chapter Director
Benzie County NORML
6215 Smeltzer Rd.
Benzonia,MI 49616
(231) 882-4496
www.minorml.org 
(Former Executive Director of Michigan NORML
from May,2007 to November,2011)                                

 Help end Cannabis Prohibition at www.repealtoday.org  

WE DO NOT MANUFACTURE A DRUG...WE GROW A PLANT!!

 

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

On 1/30/2012 5:11 AM, Rev. Steven B. Thompson wrote:
>
>
> *For those that might like to see our press release of the state
> initiative drive to end Cannabis Prohibition, go here:*
> **
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEchD940kG4&feature=share


Thanks Rev. Steven,

Best wishes for the campaign, I hope everything goes well!
Petros
_______

I agree with what everyone has said on this issue.  You handled the issue well,
Petros, and the fact that they became defensive indicates that they have
something to hide.

The website for the event puts a lot of emphasis on money and doesn't explain
anywhere what they will do with the money from the entrance or vendor fees.  In
fact it seems to be all about selling stuff.

At the very least they should have handled it in a non-drama queen sort of way
and simply stated what their intentions are.

I'm sick of people taking advantage of email groups or facebook or linked-in or
any other "social network" media by using it as an opportunity to sell
something.

Thank you for keeping this list "clean"!
--Sue

--- On Sat, 1/28/12, Petros Evdokas <petros@...> wrote:

> From: Petros Evdokas <petros@...>
> Subject: Re: [Universal Life Church] ZenFest in Florida
> To: Universal_Life_Church@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Saturday, January 28, 2012, 12:32 AM
> Thank you Gail, Theresa~Darklady, and
> Steven for your thoughts and comments.
>
> Twenty minutes after I mailed my question about donations to
> the
> ZenFest, the person who had posted the announcement
> unsubscribed from
> our group and sent us the response you all saw.
>
> I don't really understand how it all snowballed so quickly -
> was my
> approach impolite or inappropriate?
>
> Petros
> ______
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>     Universal_Life_Church-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
>
>

Hi,

We're in the process of upgrading, expanding and deepening our Universal Life
Churh work. We'd like your involvement, to whatever degree large or small, in
any way that attracts you or is feasible for you.

If you have time and interest to volunteer we have many tasks that need doing.
Most of them require no special skills, of if there are any new skills involved
we'd be glad to teach, and glad to learn from you.

Some of the work is simple deskwork: it can be reading, writing, research,
upgrading webpages, doing graphics, communicating by email, keeping records,
etc.

Some of it more creative, or more people oriented.

Some of it requires being in contact with people who serve in various structures
of the State or the Church, or in the world of Business.

Other parts of the work are mindless (boring) tasks, but some people love to
just turn on some music and do mindless work - it's a meditative form of
therapy. Especially if we can experience it as labour of love.


If you have any time at all to spare, we'd love to have your participation as a
volunteer. We can use you even if all you can spare is ten minutes a week, or
five minutes a day.


We've set it so that this letter gets mailed automatically to all new members
and once a month to all enrolled members. We hope you'll give it thought, and
give it your best intentions.

We'd love to hear from you!
Please drop us a note - write "ulc volunteer" in the Subject line and we'll get
in touch with you right away.

Write to:
petros@...
or
ttetpos@...
or
sue_scandale@...

We look forward to hearing from you,
Thanks!

ULC Volunteers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thought this might lighten some heavy hearts, as well as light some fires to
make it happen here also. We're not gonna be state number 16 this time, so get
those signatures!! 2012..the year of Cannabis reform!!













Rev.Steven B.Thompson,Chapter Director
Benzie County NORML
6215 Smeltzer Rd.
Benzonia,MI 49616
(231) 882-4496
www.minorml.org 
(Former Executive Director of Michigan NORML
from May,2007 to
November,2011)                                

 Help end Cannabis Prohibition at www.repealtoday.org  

WE DO NOT MANUFACTURE A DRUG...WE GROW A PLANT!!

 

--- On Thu, 2/9/12, kevin@... <kevin@...> wrote:


From: kevin@... <kevin@...>
Subject: [affiliates] Initiative to legalize marijuana will go to voters
To: "NORML Affiliates" <affiliates@...>
Date: Thursday, February 9, 2012, 10:26 PM



Address messages for this group to 'affiliates@...' ---
Congratulations to New Approach Washington, and to Alison Holcomb, Campaign
Director for New Approach Washington, on loan from her position as Drug Policy
Director for the ACLU of Washington, and trusted member of Washington NORML's
State Advisory Panel!
-Kevin Oliver, Washington NORML Executive Director
 
http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Initiative-to-legalize-marijuana-will-go-t\
o-voters-3198647.php
 


 







Initiative to legalize marijuana will go to voters
JONATHAN KAMINSKY, Associated Press  Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights
reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.
JONATHAN KAMINSKY, Associated Press
Updated 04:40 p.m., Thursday, February 9, 2012


Page 1 of 1




 
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — An initiative seeking to legalize and regulate the
recreational use of marijuana will be decided by voters, Washington state
lawmakers said Thursday.
If passed, Initiative 502 would make Washington the first state to legalize the
recreational use of marijuana. It would place the state at odds with federal
law, which bans marijuana use of all kinds.
 
Rep. Sam Hunt, D-Olympia, who chairs the House State Government & Tribal Affairs
Committee that was considering the initiative, said the Legislature would not
act on it, meaning it will instead automatically appear on the November ballot.
 
"We will have more opportunities on the campaign trail this year to discuss this
issue," Hunt said.
Because the measure proposes new taxes on marijuana production and consumption,
the Legislature would need a two-thirds majority to pass it.
 
The initiative was certified by the secretary of state's office last month after
pro-legalization campaigners turned in more than the 241,153 necessary
valid signatures.
 
The measure would create a system of state-licensed growers, processors and
stores, and impose a 25 percent excise tax at each stage. People ages 21 and
older could buy up to an ounce of dried marijuana, one pound of
marijuana-infused product in solid form, such as brownies, or 72 ounces of
marijuana-infused liquids.
 
Speaking at a joint House and Senate work session Thursday, backers of the
measure said it would allow the state to regulate marijuana use, raise tax
revenues and squeeze the powerful drug cartels controlling the black market.
 
"Locking people up and putting handcuffs on them is not the way to resolve our
society's issues with regard to marijuana," said John McKay, a former U.S.
attorney for Seattle who has become an outspoken advocate for
marijuana legalization.
 
Charles Mandigo, the former head of the Seattle FBI office, also spoke in favor
of the measure.
 
"It is the money, not the drugs, that drive these criminal organizations and
street gangs," Mandigo said. "Take away the money and you take away the
criminal element."
 
McKay and Mandigo conceded that getting criminals out of the marijuana business
would take time.
Opponents said legalization would likely increase marijuana use by teenagers,
and they questioned whether criminal gangs would be seriously impacted.
 
"There is a thriving industry in place," said Steve Freng, a federal official
helping coordinate Washington state's drug prevention and treatment efforts.
"It's silly to think the cartels will simply pack up and leave the state with
their tails between their legs."
 
Thurston County Sheriff John Snaza argued that it would be better to instead
pressure the federal government to change marijuana's designation from a
Schedule One to a Schedule Two drug, meaning it would still be classified as
having a high potential for abuse but would also be recognized as having
legitimate medical uses.
"If we start with the pharmaceutical end and move forward from there, I think
what a great start we've already done," Snaza said.
 
Some medical marijuana advocates oppose the initiative because it would place a
limit on motorists' TCH levels — 5 nanograms per milliliter of blood — that
they say doesn't accurately measure impairment. THC is the active ingredient
of cannabis.
 
Such concerns are overblown, said Dr. Kim Thorburn, Spokane County's former top
public health official, who favors the initiative.
 
"In order to be stopped for impaired driving you have to show impairment," she
said. "This is not a concern for medical marijuana users and has been kind of a
red herring that has been raised."




 
Activists in a handful of other states, including California, Oregon and
Montana, are attempting to get the legalization of recreational marijuana use on
the ballot, though none has yet secured the necessary signatures.
 
Colorado legalization activists were about 2,500 signatures shy of getting an
initiative on that state's ballot as of last week. Their deadline is Feb. 15.
 
Washington is among 16 states and the District of Columbia that have legalized
the medical use of marijuana.
 

 
==========================================================================
 
 
 
 
Kevin Oliver, Executive Director
Washington NORML
The Washington Affiliate of the National Organization for the Reform of
Marijuana Laws
(A Washington State Non-Profit Organization)
 
www.wanorml.org
MySpace
YouTube
Facebook
Twitter

Phone Toll Free: 1-866-706-2013
Phone: 1-206-290-5358

"...Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish
from the Earth." - Abraham Lincoln
 

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

On 2/10/2012 5:57 AM, Rev. Steven B. Thompson wrote:

  From the article titled
"Initiative to legalize marijuana will go to voters"
http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Initiative-to-legalize-marijuana-will-go-t\
o-voters-3198647.php


"OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — An initiative seeking to legalize and regulate
the recreational use of marijuana will be decided by voters, Washington
state lawmakers said Thursday.

.../...

The initiative was certified by the secretary of state's office last
month after pro-legalization campaigners turned in more than the 241,153
necessary valid signatures.

The measure would create a system of state-licensed growers, processors
and stores, and impose a 25 percent excise tax at each stage. People
ages 21 and older could buy up to an ounce of dried marijuana, one pound
of marijuana-infused product in solid form, such as brownies, or 72
ounces of marijuana-infused liquids."


Wow!
Petros
_______

Just by pure coincidence today I bumped into an entry by
Theresa/Darklady on her Tweeter account. She wrote:
"Wondering about your place in the universe? his should help put things
in perspective..."

And there was a link that ultimately leads to here:
http://htwins.net/scale2/
or here, if that stops working:
http://images.4channel.org/f/src/589217_scale_of_universe_enhanced.swf

Mindblowing!
It's really worth a few minutes of your time exploring, going back and
forth, up and down and all around...

Thank you Theresa!
Petros
_______

I figured it was time to post something that wasn't political in nature.
I'm delighted that you enjoyed it.  :-)

-- Theresa

On 12-Feb-12 11:04 PM, Petros Evdokas wrote:
>
> Just by pure coincidence today I bumped into an entry by
> Theresa/Darklady on her Tweeter account. She wrote:
> "Wondering about your place in the universe? his should help put things
> in perspective..."
>
> And there was a link that ultimately leads to here:
> http://htwins.net/scale2/
> or here, if that stops working:
> http://images.4channel.org/f/src/589217_scale_of_universe_enhanced.swf
>
> Mindblowing!
> It's really worth a few minutes of your time exploring, going back and
> forth, up and down and all around...
>
> Thank you Theresa!
> Petros

.     "...In the absence of fact came rumors that spread with
frightening ferocity, of child sacrifice, witchcraft, even Satanism. Had
Lindy killed Azaria as part of a twisted religious ritual? Did the name
Azaria really mean "sacrifice in the wilderness?" (It is a Hebrew name
that means "helped by God.")

The hysteria was reminiscent of the Salem witch trials in the U.S. Even
a black dress once worn by Azaria was seen as proof that Lindy was an
evil murderess — because what kind of mother dresses her baby in black?"


The quote above is from an article (copy below) that gives us a taste of
a real-life story of religious persecution that's been going on for more
than thirty years now in Australia.

The story embodies forms of religious and male-chauvinist prejudice that
transformed a horrible tragedy - the loss and death of a child - into a
modern day witch-hunt that went to destroy more lives in expanding
circles radiating out from the original incident. Until it came to
shaking the moral foundations of an entire people and their confidence
in their own institutions.

Please read this article below about the story and new developments in
it. And if you have a chance to watch the movie titled "A Cry in the
Dark" with Meryl Streep, I think you'll find it a high quality
experience. I often think of it, at quiet moments, when the insanity of
prejudice and intolerance around me gets... personal.

And that's almost every day.
Petros
___________




Australia asks again: Did a dingo kill the baby?
http://news.yahoo.com/australia-asks-again-did-dingo-kill-baby-125428983.html

Associated Press
By KRISTEN GELINEAU

SYDNEY (AP) — The growl came first, low and throaty, piercing the
darkness that had fallen across the remote Australian desert. A baby's
cry followed, then abruptly went silent. Inside the tent, the infant
girl had vanished. Outside, her mother was screaming: "The dingo's got
my baby!"

With those panicked words, the mystery of Azaria Chamberlain's
disappearance in the Australian Outback in 1980 became the most
notorious, divisive and baffling legal drama in the country's history.
Had a wild dog really taken the baby? Or had Azaria's mother, Lindy,
slit her daughter's throat and buried her in the desert?

Thirty-two years later, Australian officials hope to finally,
definitively, determine how Azaria died when the Northern Territory
coroner opens a fourth inquest on Friday (Feb. 24). Lindy Chamberlain,
who was convicted of murdering her daughter and later cleared, is still
waiting for authorities to close the case that made her the most hated
person in Australia.

To the rest of the world, the case is largely known for its place in pop
culture: countless books, an opera, the Meryl Streep movie "A Cry in the
Dark," and the sitcom Seinfeld's spoof of Lindy's cry, "Maybe the dingo
ate your baby!"

But to Australians, the case is about much more than the guilt or
innocence of one woman. It is about the guilt or innocence of a nation —
a nation that prides itself on the concept of a "fair go," an equal
chance, for all. Did Lindy Chamberlain get a fair go? Or had Australians
misjudged this woman? With doubts growing about just how fair and
tolerant they truly were, many wondered if they had misjudged themselves.

And so Australia will once again try to get to the bottom of one of the
most painful chapters in its history.

"It's a bit like a really bad war," says Tony Raymond, chief forensic
scientist in an investigation that debunked much of the evidence used to
convict Lindy. "You've got to learn from it and make sure it doesn't
happen again."

___

The nightmare began on Aug. 17, 1980, during a family vacation to Ayers
Rock, the sacred Outback monolith now known by its Aboriginal name Uluru.

Lindy and Michael Chamberlain, their two sons and their 9-week-old
daughter Azaria were settling in for the night at a campsite near the
rock. Azaria was sleeping in a tent and Lindy and Michael making dinner
nearby when a baby's cry rang out. Lindy went to check on her daughter
and says she saw a dingo slink out of the tent and disappear into the
darkness. Azaria's bassinet was empty, the blankets still warm.

There was an intense search, but Azaria was never found.

The Chamberlains insisted the dingo snatched their daughter. Outside the
tent were dingo tracks; inside were spots of blood. Fellow campers told
officials they had heard a low growl, then a baby's cry. Azaria's torn,
bloodied jumpsuit was found in the surrounding desert. There was no
motive for a crime, no eyewitness, no body.

But police and the public doubted a dingo was big or strong enough to
drag away a 10-pound (4.5 kilogram) baby. Nobody could find
documentation of a dingo killing a child before. While Australia is
notorious for its deadly creatures — snakes, spiders, crocodiles — the
humble dingo was considered a shy animal that posed little threat to people.

And without the DNA testing available now, the forensic evidence looked
damning. The dashboard in the Chamberlains' car was drenched in baby's
blood, and a bloody hand print was found on Azaria's jumpsuit. Years
later, more sophisticated tests determined the "blood" was a combination
of spilled milk and a chemical sprayed during manufacture. The "hand
print" was not a hand print at all — and was made mostly of red desert dust.

The prosecution said there was no dingo saliva on Azaria's jumpsuit,
which Lindy put down to the jacket she had been wearing over it. But the
jacket was missing, and police said she was lying.

The daily details of the trial were picked over in pubs and debated
around dinner tables, breeding a generation of armchair cops who
analyzed every piece of evidence described in the morning papers and on
the nightly news.

Australians didn't like the Chamberlains. Their religious affiliation —
Seventh-day Adventist — was too weird, and Lindy was too calm.

Her clothes, her nasally voice, her cool demeanor — it was all wrong for
a grieving mother. Australians didn't understand her stoicism and
recoiled when she spoke of graphic evidence clinically and without
tears. "They'll just peel it like an orange," she told one reporter,
describing how a dingo slashes the skin of its prey.

She began receiving death threats. People spat at her, howled like a
dingo outside her house, called her a bitch, a witch and worse.

Lindy — heavily pregnant with her fourth child — was convicted of
murder, accused of slashing her daughter's throat with nail scissors and
making it look like a dingo attack. She was sentenced to life in prison
with hard labor. Michael was convicted of being an accessory.

Three years into Lindy's prison sentence, Azaria's jacket was found by
chance — near a dingo den. Days later, Lindy was released from prison. A
Royal Commission, the highest form of investigation in Australia,
debunked much of the forensic evidence used at trial and her conviction
was overturned.

___

The turnaround stunned Australians. It was a wrecking ball to the notion
that the justice system protected good people. That an innocent woman —
an innocent pregnant woman — could never be thrown in prison. That the
courts were immune to prejudice.

"The general public didn't want to believe it," says Anthea Gunn,
curator at Australia's National Museum, home to a popular collection of
Chamberlain memorabilia. "Because why would you? You want to believe
those places are above reproach."

Australia is a nation that was, in many ways, born out of judgment, when
Britain began sending its unwanted convicts to the continent in the
1700s. These social outcasts fought against what they considered the
elitism of the British class system, cheered for the underdog and honed
a sharp sense of injustice. Australia proudly dubbed itself "the land of
the fair go."

Today, the "fair go" is a key part of Australian identity, a phrase that
shows up in politics, popular culture and everyday life.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard once declared, "We will hang on to our
Aussie mateship and our Aussie fair go in the worst times and in the
best." Virgin Mobile ran a "Fair Go For All" ad campaign featuring a
character named "Robin da Hood." A perceived injustice, such as a
parking ticket, is often greeted with a frustrated grumble of "Fair go!"

But the fair go mentality didn't seem to apply to the Chamberlains, with
their little-known religion.

Michael Chamberlain was a pastor with the Seventh-day Adventist church,
a Protestant denomination that few Australians understood. In the
absence of fact came rumors that spread with frightening ferocity, of
child sacrifice, witchcraft, even Satanism. Had Lindy killed Azaria as
part of a twisted religious ritual? Did the name Azaria really mean
"sacrifice in the wilderness?" (It is a Hebrew name that means "helped
by God.")

The hysteria was reminiscent of the Salem witch trials in the U.S. Even
a black dress once worn by Azaria was seen as proof that Lindy was an
evil murderess — because what kind of mother dresses her baby in black?

Michael Chamberlain, who was divorced from Lindy in 1991, is now an
author in a small town north of Sydney. When asked about the case, he is
both weary and wary, carefully limiting what he says ahead of the
inquest as he waits to see whether the system will give him a chance.

"The church got so smashed up, erroneously, and all through, really, a
nasty dose of prejudice," Chamberlain says. "I can say that I think our
religion definitely impacted quite strongly on the attitude that many
Australians developed."

The growing evidence that they had unfairly judged the Chamberlains was
a bitter pill for Australians to swallow, says John Bryson, author of
"Evil Angels," the definitive book on Azaria's disappearance.

"Australians always thought of themselves, and this country, as being
the country of fair play," Bryson says. "That certainly wasn't the case."

___

As the evidence shifted in favor of Lindy's innocence, public guilt
grew. Three decades later, it remains.

"We can't let it go," says Michelle Arrow, a cultural historian who
helped edit the book, "The Chamberlain Case: Nation, Law, Memory." ''I
feel a bit embarrassed that I did think she was guilty when I was a
9-year-old, just reading the tabloids and watching TV. And I think a lot
of people are still in the same boat."

Faith in the system was shattered. The National Institute of Forensic
Science was later established to ensure better scrutiny of evidence.
Still, many Australians now cast a more skeptical eye on judicial
proceedings.

"People became a little more cynical," says Raymond, the Royal
Commission's chief scientist. "People test the evidence a lot better
now. Up 'til then, it was, 'Believe me, I'm a scientist.'"

Not all Australians believe a dingo killed Azaria. Even recent polls
show a deep divide in opinions.

Graeme Charlwood, the former Northern Territory cop who led the
investigation and eventually arrested Lindy, is 60 now and has left the
police force. When asked what he now believes happened the night Azaria
vanished, he sighs.

"I've probably given up analyzing it," he says. "I, as a policeman,
always accepted the rule of law. If a court or jury made a finding, then
I accepted it whether or not it aligned with my private view. Sometimes
juries got it wrong, sometimes they didn't. It's not a perfect system."

It's a careful response, and when asked to clarify exactly what he
believes happened, he demurs.

"I'm not going to share it publicly," he says with a tired chuckle.
"I'll get into a heap of trouble."

Ten years ago, there was a series of dingo attacks on Australia's Fraser
Island, including the fatal mauling of a 9-year-old boy. That was a
turning point for some Australians who had, until then, maintained Lindy
killed Azaria.

Around that time, staff at the National Museum set up a video camera
near the Chamberlain exhibit and invited the public to record messages.
The video became something of a confessional, curator Sophie Jensen
says, with several visitors apologizing for doubting Lindy.

In 2007, Lindy agreed to be interviewed by Jensen at the museum. All 180
audience seats were filled. Many in the crowd wept.

"I'm one of the many mothers who had kids at the same time," one woman
told Lindy, and began to cry. "I identified with you. I felt the
injustices with you, and the powerlessness and the joys when you were
released. ... I'm so ashamed to be Australian at that period of time. I
think if anyone deserves an apology from the government, it's you."

Thunderous applause filled the room.

Despite the increased public support, Azaria's death certificate remains
incomplete. Three coroner's inquests held to determine a cause of death
have returned conflicting results. On Friday, Northern Territory Coroner
Elizabeth Morris will examine fresh evidence of dingo attacks before
issuing a finding on how Azaria died.

Lindy declined an interview request, but in an open letter on the 30th
anniversary of Azaria's disappearance, she wrote that she was fighting
for her daughter.

"Our family will always remember today as the day truth was dragged in
the dirt and trampled upon, but more than that it is the day our family
was torn apart forever because we lost our beautiful little Azaria,"
Lindy wrote.

"She deserves justice."

___

Perhaps no one exemplifies the shifting opinions, uncertainty and
nagging guilt of Australians more than Yvonne Cain, one of the jurors
who voted to convict Lindy.

At first, she empathized with the woman on trial: Cain's own son was
bitten by a dingo when he was just a baby. But the prosecution's
forensics looked strong, and the defense looked weak. When the verdict
was announced, Cain couldn't look at Lindy, and wept as she was sentenced.

"I'll never forget the judge saying that Lindy would be put into jail
for life with hard labor," says Cain, now 63 and living in the southern
city of Adelaide. "I imagined her smashing rocks, like in the old days."

After the trial, Cain was shattered. Had she gotten it wrong?

Her sleep was riddled with nightmares. She daydreamed about smuggling
Lindy out of jail. She grew convinced she had made a horrible mistake.

Soon after Lindy's release, the two women met, in a moment captured on
video. Cain couldn't stop crying as she hugged Lindy. "Are you all
right, now that it's all finished?" she asked.

"It's not finished yet," Lindy replied. "We've got a fight to go."

The two are now friends. But Cain still struggles with her conscience.
The guilt will probably always plague her, she says. She believes it
should plague all Australians who condemned Lindy.

Because if the dingo is guilty, then so is Australia.

"I never, ever got over it," Cain says, her voice shaking. "I'm guilty
for calling her guilty. ... I keep thinking back to the time when we
were deliberating. If only — if only — I'd have said no, I don't think
she's guilty."

"That woman was as innocent as you and me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Friends,

A "triple conjunction" of Jupiter, Venus and the Moon will grace the
western skies this weekend - from my past experiences of this phenomenon
I'd say it's always worth a few minutes to go outside and enjoy the sight.

And in some parts of the world this coincides with Carnival and Green
Monday, annual celebrations of Life, Eros and Spring that date from
several thousands of years ago still honoured and enjoyed today.

Below my note here there's segments of a short news article about the
celestial event, and below that is a link to a three minute video from NASA.

Those of us whose spiritual life includes a relationship with the
celestial bodies always receive a special treat during events like this.
I was out naked in the wilderness with a friend once up in the mountains
of New Mexico, and we had just immersed ourselves in a natural hot
spring. As we adjusted by melting into the intense heat and absorbing
the beautiful forest surrounding us it began to snow. He turned and said
to me very quietly: "This is a Temple, you know".

The sacredness of the moment and of the place was suffused throughout
everything there: our awareness, the rocks, the sky, the water, each and
every snowflake twirling in front of us, everything electrified into a
state of pure Being.

And it's the same when events in the sky draw our attention to
themselves and to the wider expanse, the vast realm in which they take
place: it's the largest Temple in the universe, the Universe itself.

Enjoy,
Petros
_______


"Jupiter, Venus and the moon will line up in an impressive triple play
this weekend...

The three celestial bodies will be in close proximity to each other on
the nights of Saturday and Sunday (Feb. 25 and 26), forming a
skywatching treat known as a triple conjunction...

The crescent moon will appear closer to Venus on Saturday night, and
nearer to Jupiter on Sunday night. People who watch on both evenings
will gain an appreciation of just how much the moon moves through the
sky over the course of 24 hours."
http://news.yahoo.com/jupiter-venus-moon-line-weekend-watch-online-222203984.htm\
l

"Venus and Jupiter will be so close in the night sky that they will fit
in the realm of your eyes that relays high definition imagery to your
brain. Find out why you'll see them with such clarity."
http://www.space.com/14607-venus-jupiter-hd-naked-eyes.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi,

We're in the process of upgrading, expanding and deepening our Universal Life
Churh work. We'd like your involvement, to whatever degree large or small, in
any way that attracts you or is feasible for you.

If you have time and interest to volunteer we have many tasks that need doing.
Most of them require no special skills, of if there are any new skills involved
we'd be glad to teach, and glad to learn from you.

Some of the work is simple deskwork: it can be reading, writing, research,
upgrading webpages, doing graphics, communicating by email, keeping records,
etc.

Some of it more creative, or more people oriented.

Some of it requires being in contact with people who serve in various structures
of the State or the Church, or in the world of Business.

Other parts of the work are mindless (boring) tasks, but some people love to
just turn on some music and do mindless work - it's a meditative form of
therapy. Especially if we can experience it as labour of love.


If you have any time at all to spare, we'd love to have your participation as a
volunteer. We can use you even if all you can spare is ten minutes a week, or
five minutes a day.


We've set it so that this letter gets mailed automatically to all new members
and once a month to all enrolled members. We hope you'll give it thought, and
give it your best intentions.

We'd love to hear from you!
Please drop us a note - write "ulc volunteer" in the Subject line and we'll get
in touch with you right away.

Write to:
petros@...
or
ttetpos@...
or
sue_scandale@...

We look forward to hearing from you,
Thanks!

ULC Volunteers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pope Benedict orders up his own personal cologne
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/pope-benedict-orders-own-personal-fragrance\
-184228715.html

By Eric Pfeiffer

One of the most important religious figures in the world, Pope Benedict
XVI, has now joined the ranks of Sting and Madonna in receiving his own
personal fragrance from an internationally recognized perfume designer.

The Guardian reports that the religious leader appears to enjoy a second
higher calling, that of high fashion. Italian boutique perfume maker
Silvana Casoli acknowledges that she has created a custom-made cologne
for the leader of the Roman Catholic Church at his request.

Pope Benedict reportedly already has his own tailor-made red shoes and
matching panama hats, which the Vatican says are worn out of respect for
papal tradition, rather than personal taste.

The custom-blended eau de cologne reportedly mixes the aromas of lime
trees, verbena and grass, reflecting Benedict's love of nature. But good
luck picking up your own bottle, as Casoli has reportedly entered into a
"pact of secrecy" with the religious leader. "I would not ever repeat
the same perfume for another customer," Casoli told the Guardian.

Were Pope Benedict to officially endorse his own personal fragrance,
he'd join the growing ranks of other famous men pushing their own
cologne lines, including country singer Tim McGraw, pop star Justin
Bieber, baseball player Derek Jeter and even action star Bruce Willis.

However, Casoli does offer the general public some other eye-catching
fragrances, including one called "Cannabis," and another simply titled,
"Nude." Perfume blog Eiderdown Press described the Cannabis perfume as
such, "It reminds me of pipe tobacco bought at Wal-Mart and intended to
be consumed there (in that section where the old folks gossip and have
coffee)." While the Nude perfume is described by Casoli's company as
being inspired "by the smell that only a woman's skin emanates in a
state of ecstasy."

Now if Pope Benedict really wanted to reach out to the common man, he
might have instead opted for Fargginay's Bacon scented cologne and perfume.

And this is not the first personal scent Casoli has created for the
religious. Earlier, she devised two fragrances, "Water of Faith," and
"Water of Hope," for Catholic pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela,
according to the Guardian.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~