COFFEE BREAK 153

+ updated at 2:49pm EST Friday, March 5, 2010

+ The Network of Spiritual Progressives offers "Koran's Universal Messages" by Arnold Yasin Mol. You will most likely be surprised and learn a lot. For example: "Jerusalem was taken without any force, nor were the rights of Christians and Jews decreased but even increased, Christians from other sects and Jews were allowed in the holy city for the first time since the second century when the Romans had banned them from the city."

+ Shuck and Jive offers "Religion in America" by John Shuck.

Excerpt 1:

On Saturday, February 20th, the PCUSA made the Faith section of our local paper, the Johnson City Press. It was in regards to the survey the research department of our denomination made of its members.

The media turned us into national news for a couple of weeks. Here is the story:

"The Presbyterian Church USA’s statement of faith says God through Jesus Christ delivers followers “from death to life eternal.” But one in three members of the nation’s largest Presbyterian denomination seem to believe there’s some wiggle room for non-Christians to get into heaven, according to a recent poll."

Excerpt 2:

I find the whole business embarrassing that so many still are worried about archaic speculation such as heaven and further worried about who will get in or not. This to me is religion at its most superstitious. Many of us are trying to move on.

There is a great tune embedded in the post.  It's not the best technical quality but still worth hearing and seeing.  Definitely worth it so I am embedding it too!



+ Presbyterian News Service offers "Presbyterians favor pushing corporations not to promote violence: Poll shows strong support for ‘two-state’ solution in Israel/Palestine" by Jerry Van Marter. Excerpt: "At least two-thirds of Presbyterians believe the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) should try to dissuade corporations from doing things that 'directly or indirectly' support violence against Israeli or Palestinian civilians, and at least three in five Presbyterians believe that the denomination should shift its investment funds away from corporations that continue to support such violence despite pleas to stop."

It is reassuring to see that so many Presbyterians support justice for the Palestinian people so victimized by the continuing illegal and immoral expansion of Israeli settlements in The West Bank and East Jerusalem.

+ Presbyterian Voices for Justice offers "The Israel Palestine Mission Network calls upon PC(USA) leadership to stand firm". Excerpt: "Many on the forefront of the human rights struggle in Occupied Palestine know that in Israel itself there is a healthier debate going on throughout Israeli society about these issues than is taking place in the American Jewish Community. One only needs to read Israeli dailies like The Jerusalem Post and Ha’aretz to know there are significant Israeli voices calling for an end to injustice in Palestine; voices of people who believe their beloved homeland has become an oppressor nation. Their motives in calling for immediate change in government policies are not only for the sake of Palestinian human rights, but also for the future security of Israel itself."

+ At Inner Frontier, Joseph Naft consistently offers very insightful and illuminating weekly spiritual practices which he calls Inner Work. This week's practice is "I am Present". Excerpt: "Be the one who sees through your eyes, the one who is aware of your thoughts, aware of your mind, aware of your center of emotion. Inhabit your body. Inhabit your feeling. Inhabit your mind. Claim it all as your own. Instead of letting so many of your words and actions happen on their own in a stimulus-response cycle and without your participation, say what you say and do what you do. Engage and be who you are."

+ I'm looking forward to seeing and hearing some great Celtic Rock tonight. Enter The Haggis is coming to town. They will be playing at Utica's The Electric Company. 

+ It is sunny and chilly this morning.  Here in the Mohawk Valley, whenever we see blue sky we are delighted.  Blue sky or even patches of blue are particularly rare in the winter months.  But even in the summer, a blue sky can be all too rare.  Last summer was more cloudy than usual.  I called it the Patch of Blue Summer since on many days we saw mostly clouds and a few patches of blue. So, a blue sky is very welcome even on a cold March day.