Identity

Identity (noun) : Condition or character as to who a person or what a thing is.

You are a child of God, created in Her image and His likeness.

Respect Identity.

(image by Chris at Misfile as part of the Transgender Day of Remembrance Webcomic Project)

Do unto others.....

Meet Savita Halappanavar, a 31 year old dentist.  Originally from India, Mrs. Halappanavar lived in Ireland with her husband, was a Hindu and expecting their first child. Then, one evening, she started to have symptoms which suggested that she was having a miscarriage.  They went to the University hospital in Galway where...

He [her husband] said she continued to experience pain and asked a consultant if she could be induced. They said unfortunately she can't "because it's a Catholic country," Mr Halappanavar said.

"Savita said to her she is not Catholic, she is Hindu, and why impose the law on her. But she said 'I'm sorry, unfortunately it's a Catholic country' and it's the law that they can't abort when the foetus is live." (source: BBC)

A few days later, the foetus' heart stopped, Ms. Halappanavar went into septic shock and was pronounced dead a week after she walked into the hospital under her own power.

I mention this tale is not to mourn a young woman or the unborn child (which is right, fitting and proper, certainly). Rather, I would wish to consider what it says about the understandings we have about the Master's teachings and how we apply them.  I want to continue, but I fear that is gilding the lily.

Post election inspiration

After months and months of spin, lies and ad buys, here's a little detox for you.

The earth is the creation of God.  To feel it, experience it in a visceral and primal way is one of the deeper ways of connecting with the Divine.

Feel it turn.

Quotational physics

The first quote is about how one arrives at the truth.  He is speaking about the Scientific Method, but I find that it applies far more broadly.

"First you guess. Don't laugh, this is the most important step. Then you compute the consequences. Compare the consequences to experience. If it disagrees with experience, the guess is wrong. In that simple statement is the key to science. It doesn't matter how beautiful your guess is or how smart you are or what your name is. If it disagrees with experience, it's wrong. That's all there is to it." - Richard Feynman

This quote seems to follow on from my earlier post and provides a rather concrete answer to my question.  Whether it is pundit, pontiff or politician, if it disagrees with experience, then it should be (at the least) called into question.  The second quote relates to the first and has great resonance with me as of late.

"The Truth may be puzzling.  It may be counter intuitive.  It may contradict deeply held prejudices.  It may not be consistent with what we desperately want to be true.  But our preferences do not determine what is true." - Carl Sagan

Apply to religion, politics or personal life with equanimity.