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Ex-Gay Programs Highlighted on CNN
Exodus President Alan Chambers appeared on CNN last night. I compare what he told Anderson Cooper with what he wrote in his book, God's Grace and the Homosexual Next Door.
I'll bet if you were to poll ordinary Americans on the street today, you would find the whole concept of "ex-gay" to be largely unknown. While we talk about ex-gay programs on this website, Exodus and other ex-gay ministries have for the most part escaped the limelight among the general public. Focus in the Family's Mike Haley once told a Love Won Out audience that Exodus was "one of the church's best kept secrets." CNN Producer Jim Spellman says that until he talked with Melissa Fryrear, also from Focus on the Family, he had never met or talked to anyone who considered themselves ex-gay. But with Ted Haggard's recent miraculous transformation from fallen boy-toy customer to "completely heterosexual" in only three weeks, people are starting to ask questions.
Last night's edition of "Anderson Cooper 360" on CNN explored the claims of the ex-gay movement. Melissa Fryrear, a "former lesbian" who claimed to no longer have any homosexual feelings, threw cold water on the idea that change can happen as rapidly as three weeks. She told reporter Joe Johns:
"It's not quantifiable in the sense of years. It's… For me it was gradual change that was recognizable one year to the next year to the next year. But again, the issues were so complicated contributing to my struggle that it took a significant amount of time to work through those."
(Note: These transcripts are my own from the DVR. CNN's rush transcript is here.)
Salon.com's Mark Benjamin provided what is probably the most startling quote. He talked to dozens of people who underwent ex-gay therapy and said:
"I was unable to find one single person who is not on the payroll of one of these organizations that does this therapy who said, 'yes, after going through the therapy, in fact, I'm cured of homosexuality.'"
After Joe Johns' report aired, Alan Chambers, President of Exodus International then appeared with Mark Shields of the Human Rights Campaign to talk with Anderson Cooper. Mark Shields said that Ted Haggard's claim did not pass the "laugh test." Alan Chambers, in probably the world's first instance of an official of Exodus agreeing with a spokesman from the HRC, replied, "I don't know Ted Haggard's journey over the last three weeks, but like Mark, I would say that it's something that… it doesn't seem like something that is really the case."
But what's even more interesting, I think, is that when Anderson Cooper tried to press Alan Chambers on whether he himself was heterosexual and no longer experienced same-sex attractions, Alan ducked and weaved:
Anderson Cooper: So you entered counseling. Do you still have attraction to men, you know, you're just choosing not to act on it?
Alan Chambers: My attraction greatly dimminished over the course of many years. Sixteen years into it my life isn't even remotely the same as it once was. But I often say that I will never be as though I never was. And the truth is I'm a human being and for me to say that I could never be attracted to men again or that I couldn't be tempted would mean that I'm not human and that's just not the case."
And a little later:
Anderson Cooper: Even now, you are essentially saying you are trying to control your thoughts, you try to alter your fundamental attraction.
Alan Chambers: No, I wouldn't say that's the case at all. No, what I have found over the course of sixteen years is that feelings aren't everything about you and I live beyond those feelings. Today, ….
Anderson Cooper: What does that mean…
Alan Chambers: … my feelings are, my feelings are much, much different. And the truth is I didn't leave homosexuality because it was so bad. I left it because I found something better. And today, my life is far better than it was as a gay man. And for those of us, and there are thousands of people just like me who choose to live beyond their feelings, who choose to move beyond the issue of homosexuality, we live wonderful lives, and that's something we think should be available for everyone who wants it.
Anderson Cooper: And is that based on a belief that you cannot be Christian and gay? I mean is the wonderful life you're talking about a religious life that you feel is not accessible to you as a openly [sic], proud, happy gay man?
Alan Chambers: Not at all. I think there are plenty of gay people out there who are Christians as well, but for me homosexuality wasn't compatible with my faith and my faith was much more important than that.
This was a very interesting segment and there is so much to chew on here. Here are a few of my observations:
Alan Chambers refused to confirm a change from homosexuality to heterosexuality in his own case when speaking to a national audience. This has been a slowly evolving shift in his message for quite some time. But in his book God's Grace and the Homosexual Next Door which is targeted mainly to evangelicals, his message is a little more straightforward. On page 216, he talks about some of his gender-nonconforming traits this way: "I have always liked decorating. I love to shop. I like clothes… I can tell you what designer made what suits just by looking at them. Do these things make me gay? Apparently not because I still like those things, and I am completely heterosexual."
He repeated the claim that there are "thousands of people" just like him, which is an unsubstantiated statistic we've heard before. This time however, he now places that statistic in a category of those who "live beyond their feelings", not as people who no longer experience same-sex attractions.
He said he didn't leave homosexuality, but found something better. Anderson Cooper tried to follow up on it, asking if that "something better" was a religious message, but Alan Chambers demurred. But on page 84 of his book he is much less reticent: "I didn't leave homosexuality because it was awful. I left homosexuality because I found something better: the body of Christ. Only in the light of God's best, though, can I truly look back and see how far off the mark homosexuality and the gay community were from the real thing." [Emphasis his]
Alan Chambers told Anderson Cooper, "I think there are plenty of gay people out there who are Christians as well." But in his book, contributing author Randy Thomas talks about three degrees of homosexuality: "the militant, moderate, and repentant." Under this classification, only the "repentant" homosexuals who have either "left homosexuality" or are in the process of leaving are truly Christians. And according to Alan Chambers, the only Christian goal for gay people is repentance and heterosexuality. Alan says on pages 217-218: "… repentance for the homosexual person and anyone else for that matter is repenting of who they are — behavior, identity, and all. This is why I believe that it is so important to clarify that just living a celibate gay life is just as sinful as living a sexually promiscuous one. The sin is in identifying with anything that is contrary to Christ, which homosexuality clearly is."
And returning to Ted Haggard's claims which prompted all this, it looks like nobody believes that change to "complete heterosexuality" can happen in only three weeks. Even those who make a living as active proponents of change therapy and those who claimed to have changed themselves will not back up Haggard's story. And this includes those who are on the payroll of Focus on the Family and those who are strongly backed by Focus.
I think the HRC's Mark Shields summed it all up best:
You know, I wonder if Ted Haggard had been told as a child that it was OK to be gay and that he could have a rich, full life, if his life story wouldn't have been less painful and contorted.
Tags: Alan Chambers, Anderson Cooper, Exodus International, Melissa Fryrear
peterson Toscan
Alan states, "My attraction greatly dimminished over the course of many years. Sixteen years into it my life isn't even remotely the same as it once was."
Of course this often happens with age. As we get older, sexual desire often diminishes. So is it Jesus making these changes or simply the natural dwindling of male libido?
In many of these ex-gay testimonies the complexity of human sexuality and biology rarely come into the discussion. Are some of these "successful" ex-gays actually bisexual thus enabling them to have a successful heterosexual relationship? Do some have lower libidos than others thus enabling them to stuff their desires longer and more effectively than someone who is more sexually wired?
"…living a celibate gay life is just as sinful as living a sexually promiscuous one"…?
This is the same Chambers who said two years ago, "Certainly. I think celibacy is an option."
What I think is if someone is unhappy being homosexual and it does not work and they already have bad self esteem, then they should approach change -if they want. I myself, worked through self esteem issues , and because of that, I moved from gay to straight (and religion did not play a part). For many guys , they feel they are "destined" to be gay and s they should not fight it, and their peers would never accept them as straight, because thy have been with men. I forced myself to be stronger, to gain some guts and say, hey, my feelings for girls are strong and I'm going to feel i have a right to act on them. But I also identified why i wanted men, so my "lighbulb" moment was easy. So for those of you out there like me – do what you want in life and heal. And for those happy being gay..stay that way in happiness..now isn;t that easier?


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The barriers disabled people face in navigating the built environment are an "unacceptable" attack on their quality of life and right to equality, according to a committee of MPs.
The report on disability and the built environment, by the Commons women and equalities committee, calls on the government to take a more visible lead in improving access and inclusion.
The report mirrors last year's report on disabled people and the Equality Act by a Lords committee by concluding that the "burden" of achieving an accessible environment "falls too heavily" on individual disabled people.
Instead, it says, this burden "needs to lie more obviously with the bodies who create, occupy and manage the environment", such as central government and local authorities.
The report describes a catalogue of barriers that were reported to the committee by disabled witnesses, including the shortage of accessible homes; public and commercial buildings without step-free access or with poor signage; inaccessible workplaces; sports halls with surfaces unsuitable for wheelchairs; and the failure to exempt assistance dogs from bans on dogs in public parks.
Other barriers reported to the committee included the failure by service-providers to install or maintain hearing loops; restrictive gates on paths and cycle routes that block wheelchair-users and those with adapted cycles; pedestrian crossings that fail to give disabled people enough time to cross the road; and streets made impassable by pavement parking, cars parked in front of dropped kerbs, and street clutter such as wheelie bins and advertising boards.
The report also calls for major improvements to national planning policies and guidance.
Local plans, it says, should not be approved by the Planning Inspectorate without evidence that they address access for disabled people across housing, public spaces and the wider built environment.
And planning consent for developments should only be given by a local authority "where there is evidence that a proposal makes sufficient provision for accessibility".
The report says: "More ambition is needed in the standards the Government sets for the homes that the country desperately needs.
Among its demands, it calls for employers to build more accessible workplaces, and to be incentivised to improve existing ones; for building regulations to be updated; and for laws to be changed to make a basic level of access a key consideration in granting licences for pubs, clubs and other licensed premises.
It also says that all large building developments should have to include a Changing Places toilet, facilities with extra space and equipment for disabled people who cannot use standard accessible toilets.
And the report calls for better engagement with disabled people "to ensure that they have a meaningful input, at both national and local level," in creating inclusive buildings and environments.
The report also calls for urgent new government guidance on shared space street schemes – and a temporary halt to all such developments – following reports to the committee "from many groups and individuals" that "unsafe" schemes have "severely curtailed" their ability to move about freely in public.
Maria Miller, the committee's chair and a former Conservative minister for disabled people, said the burden of ensuring an accessible environment "falls too heavily at present on individual disabled people".
She called instead for a "proactive, concerted effort by 'mainstream' systems and structures – including national and local government and built environment professionals – to take on the challenge of creating an inclusive environment".
She said the government must be "more ambitious", and added: "Our current environment was not created overnight and will not be mended overnight – but those with the influence to do so have had over 20 years since the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 first set out the standards expected of them.


Our reaction to the proposed rate increase by LADWP? Simple: Supporting the rate increase is the adult thing to do.
LADWP has crafted a responsible plan to fix aging infrastructure and meet federal and state obligations. We can't fix our aging infrastructure without paying for it — and it's irresponsible to think we can continue on business-as-usual while California faces a historic drought. With the investments in water and energy, Angelenos will be part of the solution. To prepare for the future, we need to conserve more water, eliminate coal from our portfolio and create an energy-smart city.


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SHIVA DARSHAN
An Introduction to the Supreme Father and His Elevated Versions
← Light and Darkness
Bhakti Stories – Part II →
Bhakti Stories – Part I
Posted on April 8, 2011 by shivashakthi
AJAMIL
The Supreme Soul always mentions that one should not become a sinner like Ajamil. A 'sinner' means one who is influenced by the vices, such as lust, attachment, anger, ego and greed. When there is the influence of one vice, it is usually accompanied by another. Ajamil symbolises a soul caught very tightly in the grip of the vices.
Prior to becoming such a sinner, Ajamil was a pious brahmin who worshipped God daily. He was very regular in his duties, frequently observing fasts and doing penance. He was a praiseworthy man and a great devotee of Lord Narayan. He worked as a businessman and his youngest son was named Narayan.
One day Ajamil went to the forest. There he met a beautiful woman, fell in love with her and ultimately married her. From that day onward, being very attached to his wife, he neglected his worship and prayer. Eight sons were born to him. He had now become an ordinary man.
At the time of his death the messengers of Yama, the Lord of Death, appeared to him. Frightened, he cried aloud, calling especially to his youngest son, Narayan, whilst at that same moment realising how pure this son was in comparison to himself.
He began to reflect on the many sins he had committed and thought, "I must ask for God's forgiveness." Ajamil then kept asking God to forgive him. By continually calling out for God's forgiveness he was able at the last moment to link himself with God. Because of this last-minute link, he became pure and attained liberation.
The story tells us that one should not become a sinner like Ajamil. However, if one has made a mistake, one should ask for forgiveness from God and not keep repeating it. Because Ajamil kept calling out to Narayan, a pure soul, his eye of knowledge opened. The Supreme Soul says that, by understanding the godly knowledge that He imparts, even sinners like Ajamil are able to attain liberation and liberation in life.
If one is able to attain liberation by having a last-minute link with God, how much greater the reward will be of one who remembers the Supreme Soul with faith and devotion over a long period of time.
ASHTAVAKRA AND KING JANAK
Detachment is one of the qualities developed in the art of meditation. It is only possible to be detached if one practises soul-consciousness. In the following story, taken from the Mahabharata, we are shown how one is able to conquer attachment in life. In this story Ashtavakra proves that neither appearance nor age are indications of one's knowledge.
King Janak of Videha was a king well-known for his knowledge, charity and sanctity. He lived in a splendid palace but wished to live the life of a renunciate. He wanted to live in the world but remain detached from it. He made it known that he would listen to anyone in his kingdom who could tell him the method of receiving liberation in life (jeevenmukti) within a second. All the brahmins and scholars from far and wide came to visit him and gave very learned discourses and lectures but no one was able to provide the King with real insight and a practical method. He was disappointed and thought of giving up the whole idea, for the scholars had not given any concrete solutions to his problems.
Just as the King was about to give up hope a man, short and ugly with disfigurement, entered the palace courtyard. Almost crawling along the ground, he moved slowly to where the sages were sitting. All of them laughed scornfully on seeing this unwanted visitor with his deformed body. His body was bent and twisted in eight different places and that was why he was called 'Ashtavakra' – a person with eight deformities.
Ashtavakra, also known as Ashtamukan, was the son of Kahoda and Sujata. Kahoda was a good disciple and so his guru offered his own daughter, Sujata, to him in marriage. After a short time Sujata conceived a child and, while this was still in an embryo in the womb, Kahoda pointed out some faults his father-in-law had made while reciting the Vedas. Extremely annoyed, the guru cursed the child in the womb to ensure that it would be deformed at birth.
At the King's palace the discussions were still in progress and open to all. Having listened to all the sages and scholars, the King had announced that anyone else who thought he might have the correct answer to the problem and who could satisfy his thirst for knowledge was welcome to speak. He then asked Ashtavakra whether he had anything to contribute. "Yes", said Ashtavakra. "But, Your Majesty, before I reveal to Your Highness the words of God's wisdom, I must say something about this gathering. I hope that none of you will be angered by my frankness. I must say that this is not a gathering of royal sages but one of dealers-in-skin! I must call a spade a spade!" The sages looked a little tense. Some of them grinned, others were seen grinding their teeth, and others were gnawing their fingers or nibbling at their nails. In contrast, the King sat calm and composed, listening attentively and patiently.
Continuing on, Ashtavkra said, "Forgive me for my rudeness, your Royal Highness! Royal sages, I respect you all for your learning and wisdom but may I ask you why you all laughed so scornfully, when you saw me entering the courtyard? Wasn't it because of my crawling and the deformity of my body? I am sure it was my ugly body with its bends and twists that made you mock me. Doesn't this then speak rather eloquently of your body consciousness?" They now all appeared to be realising their mistake but the expressions of scorn had not yet disappeared totally from their faces.
The ugly man continued, "Am I wrong to point out that soul consciousness is the means for spiritual progress and enlightenment? Therefore, if anyone looks at the body, without seeing the soul, and instead of feeling sorry for another's fate, hatefully laughs at his condition, would you call him a sage? No. He looks only at the outer flesh, the skin, and therefore, I would have to call him a dealer-in-skin".
Following a request made earlier, King Janak's horse arrived having been brought to grounds of the royal court. Deciding to go riding, King Janak started to mount his horse. He had one foot on the stirrup and other foot on the ground when Ashtavakra asked him, "Oh King, where are you?" King Janak replied, "On the horse and on the ground but not fully on either". Ashtavakra said "What you are now saying is brahma gyan, the knowledge of jeevanmukti. The conqueror of attachment will be in the world but not of the world. While living in the world, the soul will be mentally detached."
On hearing this, King Janak achieved enlightenment and became even more respected than the many famous sages around him.
When the murlis refer to 'jeevanmukti in one second, like King Janak', this refers to that split second when Janak is mounting the horse, his second leg is swinging over to mount, and Ashtavakra gives the understanding of detachment in that same moment.
BHASMASUR
Meditation is one method through which we can attain divine powers from God. However, attaining the divine powers is just one aspect; how to use the powers is quite another. The Supreme Soul reminds us firstly to keep our intellect divine and then, whatever attainments we achieve, will be used for a beneficial and selfless purpose. If we mix selfishness with our godly attainments, their strength will eventually diminish. The following story illustrates this very effectively.
Once there was a demon called Bhasmasur. 'Bhasm' means 'ash' and 'asur' means 'devil'. Even though he was famous for his devilish nature, he did intense meditation (tapasya) in order to receive a boon from Shiva. God Shiva was pleased with his meditation and asked him what he wanted. The demon was very happy and asked for a blessing from God Shiva. He wanted a person to turn into ashes if he put his hand on that person's head.
The demon's mind was filled with devilish ideas. He wanted to marry Parvati, the wife of Shankar (Shiva). Vishnu came to Shiva's rescue by incarnating in the form of a beautiful woman and appearing in front of Bhasmasur. The woman (Vishnu) persuaded him to dance with her and showed him some steps that involved putting his hand on his own head. He followed her lead and thus burnt himself to ashes. In this way Vishnu helped Shiva revoke the boon by making Bhasmasur use it against himself.
The significance of this story is that you must use blessings accurately to self and others. If the motive is misplaced, the blessing can backfire and seem like a curse. Baba says that a blessing will only bear fruit if no ego is involved.
CHURNING THE OCEAN
In Hindu mythology it is believed that one of Vishnu's incarnations is that of a tortoise, Kurma. Perhaps it was actually a turtle because it lived in the sea but it was always said to be a tortoise. 'Kurma' can mean 'deed' or 'act', that is, 'the act of creation'.
It is believed that many treasures from the Golden and Silver Ages were lost. ( According to the myth, Vishnu descended to earth as a tortoise to help recover these lost treasures).
It is also believed that in those days the ocean was made of milk. Gods and demons together set about churning the ocean of milk, using Mount Mandara as a churning stick. Such was the weight of Mount Mandara that the operations would have been impossible if Kurma had not lent his curved back as a pivot on which to rest it while Vishnu shouldered most of the weight.
The gods and demons divided into two teams. With the help of the potent herbs, which they threw into the ocean, and using the serpent, Vasuki, as a churning rope, they proceeded with the task of churning. In due course all the precious objects rose up out of the milky ocean.
The ocean gave forth the following:
(i) Amrit, ambrosia, that is, the nectar of immortality, reserved for the gods.
(ii) Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods, the second most precious thing in life after immortality.
(iii) Lakshmi, the goddess of beauty and good fortune who was to become Vishnu's wife.
(iv) Chandra, the moon, which Shiva took.
(v) Ucchaishrava, a beautiful white horse which was given to the demon, Bali, but seized by Indra.
(vi) Parijata, the miraculous, celestial wishing tree that grows in heaven.
(vii) Kaustubha, Vishnu's chest-jewel, a sort of brooch worn by Indian men as an amulet and which originally had the magic powers of healing and protecting its wearer.
(viii) Airavata, a wonderful white elephant, which became Indra's mount after he stopped riding a horse.
(ix) Kamdhenu or Surabhi, the cow of plenty which could feed multitudes with her milk. This was given to the seven rishis.
(x) Rambha, a most beautiful nymph.
(xi) Sura, the goddess of wine.
(xii) Shankh, a large conch shell that guaranteed victory to the warrior who blew it during a battle.
(xiii) Dhanush, a mighty bow with an arrow that always hit and killed its target.
(xiv) Halahal Visha, the poison vomited out by the serpent, which Shiva nearly swallowed. This was the last treasure to come out of the ocean.
The fourteen treasures, which rose to the surface of the ocean of milk when the gods churned it, were all very special. Some of the treasures were used to save the lives of whole nations in times of crisis. However, some treasures were also at times the cause of wars, as the demons coveted these possessions of the gods.
Let us see what the spiritual significance of this myth is and how it applies to our daily life.
This story tells us the importance of knowledge at the transition period of the cycle known as the Confluence Age, that is, the period between the old world called the Iron Age, and the new world called the Golden Age. It is at the time of extreme darkness of the Iron Age that the Supreme Soul, the Ocean of Knowledge, comes and imparts godly knowledge to humankind. At present in the Confluence Age there is a struggle going on in our minds. It is by churning the godly knowledge that one is able to experience happiness and remove all sorrow.
The ocean represents a metaphor for the knowledge bestowed by God. Mount Mandara signifies the mind. The serpent, Vasuki, which works as a rope moving the mind in either direction, signifies the intellect. In order to churn the deep and infinite ocean of knowledge, one's mind has to be stable and unshakeable like the mountain. One has to face storms, tests and obstacles in spiritual life. One's power of discrimination, developed in the intellect, has to be kept sublime and powerful. One also has to make the mind and intellect work together, contemplate deeply on various dimensions of knowledge and assimilate it. This is similar to separating the cream from the milk.
The deities and the devils are engaged in churning the ocean. The devils, called asuras, represents the vices, namely lust, anger, attachment, greed and ego. The deities, called devatas, represent the virtues, namely purity, peace, contentment, detachment, love and truth. The significance is that when we churn, our intellect is constantly pulled in opposite directions by either good thoughts, represented by the deities, or bad thoughts, represented by the devils.
In the story the tortoise, Kurma, illustrates the process of turning within, just as a tortoise withdraws into its own shell. By stabilising the mind, that is, by withdrawing from worldly distractions, one is able to extract the essence of knowledge. The poison that emerges from the ocean signifies that, by becoming introverted and continuously churning godly knowledge, all old tendencies and viciousness of the vices are purged.
In order to destroy the poison it is said that God Shiva or Bholanath, the Lord of Innocence, comes to help remove the poison by drinking it, to prevent it from afflicting other souls. This signifies that God has come to remove sorrow from the world by giving spiritual knowledge to humankind.
The spiritual significance of the treasures that emerged from the churning is:
(i) Amrit, through the nectar of knowledge one is able to conquer death, to become immortal in the new world.
(ii) Dhanvantari, the physician, represents health and healing. Churning the knowledge means continuously thinking about pure and positive thoughts. Through this, one is able to acquire complete health, wealth and happiness.
(iii) Lakshmi signifies that one is able to acquire spiritual wealth and in turn a deity status.
(iv) Chandra, the moon, means one is able to acquire coolness and tranquillity of mind, like the moon, becoming sixteen celestial degrees complete like the full moon.
(v) Ucchaishrava, the white horse, is the most noble of horses. This signifies listening to noble thoughts and sentiments and inculcating them.
(vi) Parijata, the wishing-tree, signifies understanding the knowledge of the kalpa tree and the world cycle.
(vii) Kaustubha, the jewel, signifies the firmness and stability of mind needed to enable the soul to inculcate divine virtues, often referred to in the murlis as jewels.
(viii) Airavata, the white elephant, symbolises the sovereignty of deities in heaven, Indraprasth.
(ix) Kamdhenu or Surabhi, the cow, means acquiring all one desires. Knowledge is the means by which to achieve complete happiness.
(x) The nymph, Rambha, signifies that those who churn true knowledge become God's messengers, angels, fairies or nymphs.
(xi) Sura, goddess of wine, represents spiritual intoxication. One who churns the knowledge enjoys spiritual experiences.
(xii) Shankh, the conch shell, means those who churn the godly knowledge can serve through their pure speech.
(xiii) Dhanush, the mighty bow, signifies those who churn the knowledge can inspire self-realisation in others as surely as an arrow hits its target.
(xiv) Halahal Visha, meaning 'poison', 'power' or 'medicine'. This was the poison, vomited out by the serpent, which God Shiva removed by swallowing it into his throat. (This is why Shankar's throat is depicted in pictures as discoloured). This signifies God's coming to free the world from sorrow by giving knowledge and removing us from the poison of the five vices.
DADHICHI RISHI
This is a story of Dadhichi Rishi, where a rishi is the name given to one who has renounced his worldly concerns and dedicated his life to God.
Dadhichi had a lot of love for God, donating everything to Him. In one version of the story he allowed himself to be eaten by a lion, piece by piece, in order to save a cow. His entire body was eaten with the exception of his bones. Then God blessed him with life once again.
This shows how one can be rewarded for true dedication and surrender in order to benefit others. When we surrender our worldly aspirations for a good cause, we don't lose anything but actually gain. God Shiva blesses us with a new spiritual birth and a future filled with health, wealth and happiness in heaven, if we surrender our mind, body and wealth in godly service like Dadhichi Rishi.
Another version of the story is that there was a battle between the devils and the deities. When the deities went to Dadhichi for help, he sacrificed his life allowing his remaining bones to be then available for use. The deities used the Rishi's bones as weapons and defeated the devils.
The spiritual significance of this story is that Maya, in the form of the vices, confronts us in a variety of ways. However, if we take God's help and maintain courage, we can conquer Maya. As we dedicate ourselves in the service of God, we receive the fruit of whatever we give.
Dadhichi Rishi was such a dedicated person that he allowed his very bones to be donated and used in service. Even though he was still alive, he sat in meditation and willed his soul to leave the body and donated his bones with happiness. Brahmins are Raj Rishis, meaning those who have royalty and purity. The spiritual significance is that whilst keeping the consciousness of trusteeship as we use our bodies in godly service, it helps to remove body consciousness and then conquer the vices. Through the practice of meditation we inculcate virtues and help create a world free of vice.
THE DONKEY
Once upon a time there was a salt merchant who had a very lazy donkey. Every day he would drive it, loaded with a bag full of salt to sell, to the nearest town and then drive it back home again. To get to the town they had to cross a river. One day the donkey slipped into the water. When it stood up again, it immediately felt that the load was a lot lighter as much of the salt had dissolved into the river. The donkey was very happy indeed! The next day and the day after, the donkey purposely fell down into the river and so its master decided to teach it a lesson.
On the next trip the merchant loaded the donkey with a bag full of sponge. The donkey duly repeated its trick, falling once again to the river. Unfortunately, this time when it tried to stand up, the load was very heavy as the sponges had absorbed a lot of water. The salt merchant beat the donkey again and again until it was finally standing and in great pain, the donkey slowly limped along.
This story signifies that we should not be lazy in making spiritual effort.
Sometimes, after being made clean, donkeys also roll in the mud and dirty themselves. Baba has said that we should not dirty ourselves by coming into body consciousness. Otherwise we will lose all our decorations, that is, all attainments, virtues and powers.
Draupadi was the wife of the five Pandavas and the daughter of King Draupada of Panchala. She was considered a pure child because she was born out of a sacrificial fire. Draupadi was a woman of great beauty and of a determined spirit. She actively participated in the war that started over her, and incited her five husbands to take revenge.
One day King Drupada challenged all the kings in the world who wanted to marry his daughter to participate in an archery contest. The contest was set up according to the following description. In a water pool stood a pillar, on top of which a beam was balanced. Each contestant had to straddle the beam with a foot placed at each end, keeping the beam balanced on the pillar at the same time as he kept his own body balanced on the beam. Suspended above the pillar was a fish, spinning rapidly on a wheel. While focusing attention on the reflection of the fish in the water, the contestant had to aim for and hit the eye of the rapidly spinning fish, suspended above him. The one who succeeded in the contest would marry Draupadi.
The Pandavas attended the greatest assembly of hundreds of princes from near and far, including the Kaurava named Duryodhana, one of the 100 cousins of the Pandavas. One after the other the princes came forward, and one after the other they failed. Then Karna, the king of Anga, stepped forward and seemed destined to win the contest. Draupadi, however, intervened, saying that she would never marry the son of a charioteer. Unfortunately, Karna did not know at that time that he was really the son of Surya, the sun-god. (Refer to the story of Karna).
Arjuna, one of the Pandavs, who had powerful concentration, stood on the balance, looked at the reflection of the fish and shot the eye of the fish above with his arrow. King Drupada then had to fulfil his promise and so Arjuna married Draupadi. Arjuna then returned to his mother in the forest and announced to her that he had won a great prize. Without looking up, their mother, Kunti, who had always taught them the value of unity, said that the gift should be shared among all five brothers. Arjuna agreed. In this way Draupadi became the wife of five brothers rather than only the wife of Arjuna himself.
At the time Draupadi became queen, the Pandavas were facing many difficulties. The Kauravas had the intention of taking away all the land and other property that the Pandavas had inherited from their father. They had already devised many methods to cheat them or even get rid of them. Knowing that the Pandavas had so much wealth, the Kauravas invited them to a game of dice. The eldest Pandava brother, Yudhisthira, said that he would not go. Then the Kauravas sent them invitation in the name of their blind father, the uncle of the Pandavas. It was the custom among kings of equal standing to invite each other to such games of chance. So, when the uncle sent the invitation, the Pandavas had no choice but to accept it.
Being very clever at gambling, the Kauravas cheated in the game while the Pandavas played honestly and kept losing as a result. When Yudhisthira, the eldest Pandava, was defeated in the game, he lost all the property and land, and finally even his wife, Draupadi, and his brothers were lost to the Kauravas. At that time Draupadi was asleep in the palace and so Duryodhana, the eldest brother of the Kauravas, ordered his vicious younger brother, Dushashan, to go and wake Draupadi and bring her to the court. Duryodhana asked Draupadi to sweep the floor. When she protested that she was the daughter of a king and not a sweeper, Dushashan grabbed her by her hair and began to disrobe her pulling at her sari. Draupadi begged all the elders who were sitting in the court to help her. She begged her husbands, the Pandavas, to take revenge but Yudhisthira reminded them that they were slaves. So no one could come to her protection. Finally, Draupadi started calling out to God.
Then a miracle began to happen. As Dushashan kept pulling at her sari, it just continued unravelling, never coming to an end. Dushashan's hand became tired and so he went and sat down. It was then arranged that the five Pandavas with Draupadi should go into exile for twelve years and stay in hiding for one year after that.
The above story is spiritually significant in a number of ways. Firstly, Draupadi, the Shakti, is symbolised as the one who made effort to keep herself pure. She was considered pure because she was born out of a sacrificial fire, although she had now taken human form.
In this story Arjuna was shown to have very powerful concentration. He had been able to hit the eye of the fish while keeping his balance in a very unstable situation. In reality, this implies that keeping balance in one's spiritual life is very crucial while living in the old world. Symbolically, to be able to shoot the eye of the fish while it was spinning rapidly refers to being able to have perfect yoga. When one has a balanced and accurate love-link with the Supreme Father, the Supreme Light, one is able to focus the mind on Him. Such people become like Arjuna, the one with powerful concentration.
Arjuna was also depicted as the one who gave respect and was obedient to his elders. He obeyed and respected his mother's direction to share Draupadi with his brothers. This shows that he had no attachment to any human soul.
The story of Draupadi's never-ending sari illustrates that only the determined practice of purity will protect us from the lure of lust. Only through a strong love-link with Baba will we be shown a miraculous way to escape from any threat to our spiritual well-being. The Supreme Soul has also said this about the time of destruction when everyone will be under disturbing influences. All support will be gone. There will be no one to protect us unless we are able to reach God's home in Madhuban or one of the Baba's other houses, wherever they may be. The outside world will be unsafe and at that time people as vicious as demons with evil intent in their eyes will try to take away our chastity.
However, if we have developed powerful yoga, one pure glance at such vicious souls will transform their intentions and they will see only our subtle form of light. This will happen because, when we are remembering God, we are in the highest state of soul consciousness. So nothing can happen to us. Such is the power of a fully developed love-link with God.
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I receive the inheritance only from the Father
Contentment comes from soul-consciousness
One Strength and One Support
Being a karmayogi
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THE Partido Popular are ahead in the opinion polls once again despite a surge in support for the new protest party, Podemos, and a fresh challenge from the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE). You can safely say that this is a direct result of the improving economic situation because apart from the economic revival, the Partido Popular has done little both nationwide and in the Balearics. Infact, it could be argued that they have split Spain, with their no-nonsense approach to Catalonian independence and in the Balearics, the government´s three language learning system has caused a major split. But the Partido Popular have obviously done their homework. Their traditional supports fully support the government´s stance on Catalonia and many believe that the Balearic government is right to introduce the three language learning system despite all the opposition and its failed introduction. When you have money in your pocket and your future is looking rosy are you going to vote for change? Well, not really. You are going to stick with the party which has delivered the alleged economic miracle. And I think this is what has happened in Spain. This festive period I have noticed that people have more money to spend. Restaurants and shops are packed. There is a feel-good-factor after years of recession. And the Partido Popular are taking the credit. It is not deserved but tax cuts obviously help.


Legislation announced in the Queens Speech today could lead to greater inequalities in the quality and amount of social care people receive, warn the Care and Support Alliance (CSA).
The Government has announced that Councils will be able to retain 100% of business rate returns. This comes alongside plans announced in the budget to cut business rates by £6.7 billion over the next five years. The CSA is concerned that geographical inequality will emerge as poorer local authorities with higher social care needs will raise the least from business rates.
The Government has previously announced that it will reduce the central Government grant to local authorities by 60%. It has also introduced a 2% social care precept, which allows councils to increase council tax by a maximum of 2% to pay for social care. It is widely agreed this increase does not cover the rising costs of social care.
"Already long term under-investment in care means the Government has created a shortfall of £2.8 – £3.5 billion by the end of this parliament (1). The result is over a million older people who have difficulty with basic tasks such as getting out of bed, washing and dressing get no formal help. One third get no informal care either (2).
The Government has announced that funding from the Better Care Fund will be used to cover some of the cuts of the central grant but this funding doesn't come into until after the cuts have been made. This risks leaving councils with black holes of funding that cannot be filled.
The CSA is calling on the Government to urgently address the social care funding crisis so that people can get the social care they need when they need it.


Okay, I'll admit it up front: I'm very pleased with myself on this run. I was hoping to push myself to PR in this one because it's relatively flat, and I did easily. My previous best time for a 5K race was 36:43; I was able to shave over 3 minutes off that time and finish in 33:05. But I'm getting ahead of myself a bit here . . .
This is the third year we have done the Kent Cornucopia Days 5K Fun Run. It takes place in the Kent Valley near a river, so the course is one of the flattest in the area, just some minor rises. My husband has been wanting to do a 5K race in his Vibrams for quite awhile, and this was the perfect one for that--all paved, no gravel or rocks to contend with. We agreed up front that we'd just start together and finish on our own; it's much easier that way so we don't feel pressured to keep up or slow down with one another.
This is a family friendly fun run, so it's not chip timed, though I believe it's a certified course. That means when the gun goes off, your time starts, regardless of how long it takes you to cross the starting line; no biggie unless you're super competitive. We positioned ourselves behind the really fast runners but tried to get ahead of the strollers, dogs, and walkers. Some with strollers insisted on getting right up front in spite of the instructions; what can you do? When the gun went off, I took off at a fast (for me) pace, trying to get around the strollers, dogs, and slower people ahead of me; I don't like running in a crowd if I can help it. I quickly lost sight of my husband, he was opting to take it easy at the beginning (like I probably should have).
After we got up and over a bridge and down onto the main path of the trail, I glanced at my Garmin--oops, that was a little fast to maintain (around 9:30), so I tried to rein it a bit and slow down some. The pace that felt comfortable and right, though, was around 10:30-10:40, faster than I normally run on the road. I figured I'd just see how it went, fully expecting to have to walk or slow down a lot because of starting out so fast.
The first mile went by quickly--just over 10 minutes. I slowed down some on the second and third miles, of course; I'm not used to quite that fast a pace. I was tempted to walk a few times, but I realized there was no real need and just kept running.
Somewhere near the end, my husband caught up to me and passed me. He hadn't dropped quite as far behind as I thought at first; we said hi near the turnaround, and he was reasonably close there. I thought of pushing to keep up with him, but at that point it wasn't worth the effort to me. I was feeling good, but not THAT good!
We picked up our water and snacks afterward and hung around to hear the age group awards. I thought maybe Dale would place in his age group (men 60-64) since they were giving ribbons for first through fifth place, but those guys are FAST, so no ribbon for Dale. There were delays in getting to my age group and we were considering leaving when they finally got to women 55-59. When they called out the name and time of the fifth place woman, I realized, wait, I was faster than that. Before I could quite process that, the very next name that was called was mine--fourth in my age group! I don't know how many there were in that group, but I was faster than at least one person my age.
I looked up my time from last year, and it was 38:50, so I was able to shave over 5 1/2 minutes off that time! Just knowing that I can run a full 5K without walking is great; getting my time down so much when I haven't been specifically working on speed is amazing to me. It makes me wonder if a sub-30 minute 5K IS possible for me someday, and it sure makes me feel better about my pace for Ragnar next week.
When I started losing weight and then a few months later started running, I could not imagine doing what I am now, running half marathons and getting ready to run Ragnar. We are all capable of accomplishing far more than we give ourselves credit for; taking that first step is the hardest, but it is so worth it.
What have you secretly dreamed of being able to do but been afraid to try? Remember you may not be good at it when you start, but with time you might be able to go farther than you can see right now!
Yay! Congrats on a great race. I love comparing past year's attempts at the same race to gauge progress.
I ran quite a few 32-34 minutes ones in the last 2 years, but all things aligned earlier this year and I got my under 30 without even expecting it.
WOOHOO! Sounds like a great run and fun time. I love that both of you are involved in this together. Great job! Congrats on the ribbon!
Way to go on the PR and placing 4th! That's awesome. Sounds like you and Dale had a good time.
You both did awesome! Congrats on placing!!
Awesome! I love that your passion here is a family affair!
Well done! You improved your race time and placed per age group! Some day I want to place!
Fabulous!! Be proud, you and hubby deserve it !!
Nice work, runner! YAY! Love the shoes, by the way. I will be looking for those shoes when I look for you on the Ragnar course. By the way, you SHOULD be very pleased with yourself - look at all the hard work and where it has taken you. It is so great that you and your husband do races together, yet give each other freedom to run your own race, so to speak. This was a fun blog to read.


Eric came to our school to present Harnessing the Power of Educational Technology & Social Media to Improve Teaching, Learning & Leadership. He was AWESOME! He was able to take the newest technologies and break them down so everyone could understand.
He works from an authentic core of doing what's best for kids, and that's what makes him a genuine educator. No ivory tower here! Any school community would be lucky to have him in their midst.
Because Eric has "been there, done that," his guidance had an irrefutable edge of authenticity that has inspired Fort Smith administrators to believe that they can change the way students learn in their schools.
His three-day consultation enabled the District's Leadership Team to identify the current best practices, discuss areas of needed growth, and develop strategies to improve digital learning for all students.
Eric Sheninger pulled off the rare feat of both captivating and engaging a packed auditorium of educational leaders for nearly three hours while still offering substantial and relevant advice on how we can take our schools to the next level.
Eric speaks from the heart in an authentic way, connecting the trials and tribulations of his own journey in digital leadership. . . . I've always found myself excited about trying something new after hearing him speak.
Eric Sheninger is one of the most talented presenters in education today. There is no one that I can recommend more highly. He has a rare gift of being able to perfectly blend style and substance. Eric is the best of the best.
Eric brought the message that our teachers, principals & school board leadership needed to hear. Many were able to identify with Eric's "pre-Twitter" persona & that helped ensure that his transformative message around digital leadership was well received.
His story of transformation from one who resisted technology, to one who embraces it, is one that shows what is possible when we stop making excuses. He challenged us to confront our fears and concerns with technology head on . . .


Disarm your alarm first before you proceed programming. The red LED must be off. If there is no working remote and the alarm sounds when you open the door or start the vehicle then do the following: Press valet switch for one second and release with the ignition ON. If that doesn't work then do it with ignition OFF.
Adding a new remote for DEI 350Plus System.


I joke where there are no jokes, let them probe.
but still must wait in the corridor and see the action newly.
lovers of those thrown up, wrecked here.
There is great love in this place of devastation.
Kent Bowker started with poetry at Berkeley in the Fifties, then became a physicist working mainly in optics. His new book of poems is Katharsis: Sifting Through a Mormon Past. He lives in Essex, next to the Great Marshes and is treasurer of the Charles Olson Society.
← Maritime Gloucester Talks: Who Owns the Ocean?
Beautiful and moving poetry, Kent, and lovely art to accompany your words. I often think the same of cemeteries- places of great love and devotion.
Oh Kent, that's gorgeous. Thank you.


Who's hungry??? … because I have THE BEST Halloween-inspired snacks + sips for you.
The making of this post may or may not have made me both full and tipsy. The snacks are perfect for both adults and kiddos [while the martini is probably only appropriate for grownups]. Check out our video for how to make everything. As always, it's all super simple.
PS. Tag your photos with #LaurensSpookySnacks (plus @laurengores).
Line your platter with scoops of crushed crushed Oreo + coconut, alternating between a tbs of each.
Create small apple bites using a melon baller. Place a wood skewer [broken in half] in each one.
Liberally dip each apple bite into melted caramel, so all sides are covered.
Place the caramel apple over a scoop of either crushed Oreo or coconut.
Serve and indulge! Garnish the platter with faux fall leaves to dress up the dish.
Spread a tsp of peanut butter between two crackers, to create a number of sandwiches.
Place a total of 8 pretzel sticks [4 on each side] between the crackers as the spider's legs.
Dip two chocolate chips in peanut butter and place them on the top side of the cracker, as eyes.
Happily serve your edible spiders!
PS. Don't let your pup run away with one!
Sprinkle pomegranate seeds into a martini glass. Fill your shaker with ice, vodka + bourbon. Shake well.
Excitedly pour the mixed cocktail into a martini glass.
Sip, sip, sip! Happy Halloween!
If you try any of our snacks, tag your photos with #LaurensSpookySnacks.


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Premium Home Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Markets
A senior strategist for Goldman Sachs told us stocks still don't look cheap, and investors shouldn't get too bullish too soon. Here's how they can make the most of limited upside and stay safe in 2023.
Marley Jay
Ben Snider is a senior strategist with Goldman Sachs' portfolio strategy macro team.
This story is available exclusively to Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.
Don't bet on a big market rally or a Fed pivot now, according to Ben Snider of Goldman Sachs.
Snider, a senior strategist, says stocks still have more downside even without a recession.
Snider says he thinks the S&P 500 will finish 2023 at 4,000, and recommends a cautious approach.
It says something about the state of markets that Ben Snider describes himself as pretty bullish, and thinks the S&P 500 will rise about 6% through the end of next year.
"We're a lot more optimistic than what I hear from the average investor client," says Snider, a senior strategist on Goldman Sachs' US Portfolio Strategy macro team. While Snider and Goldman think the US will avoid a recession and that inflation will gradually decline, he warns investors not to get too hopeful too soon.
Snider has worked for Goldman since 2010. His team, which works closely with Chief US Equity Strategist David Kostin, handles forecasts for the S&P 500 and thematic investment recommendations for US stocks.
In an interview with Insider that followed a major rally in October but preceded the Federal Reserve's November rate hike, Snider says Goldman Sachs expects the Fed to raise interest rates again in December, February, and March. As of October, the firm thinks the benchmark rate will reach a peak of 4.75% to 5%.
Snider warned that the long-awaited Fed pivot isn't in sight yet, and stocks remain vulnerable. That said, he thinks the S&P 500 could reach 4,000 at the end of 2023, an over-6% increase from where the benchmark index stands today.
"Even though equities have declined quite a bit this year, interest rates have moved dramatically higher, and we're in a different investing environment than we have been for the last decade," he said. "If you adjust for the interest rate environment, stocks don't look cheap. You could argue they're more expensive than they were at the beginning of the year."
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell certainly drove home that point Wednesday after the latest FOMC meeting. "It is very premature to be thinking about pausing" rate hikes, Powell said.
While many professionals are concluding that being overweight stocks doesn't make sense in this environment and are holding more cash or shifting toward fixed income, Snider says households aren't doing that. Individuals own a large chunk of the US market collectively, and he says that they really haven't changed their allocations in the last year.
Snider says that if those investors start selling, it will open up another source of market turmoil.
"The prudent portfolio allocation to equities in an environment of 0% interest rates is probably not the same as an environment where cash is yielding 4%, and we have not really seen any rotation in household portfolios," he said.
Along the same lines, he cautions that investors shouldn't jump back with both feet into tech stocks. Those stocks outperformed the market for a decade, and there are clearly some people thinking they can keep doing so. But Snider suggests underweighting the sector, and says the old days of the 2010s aren't going to come back.
"We'd be more focused on stocks that are currently generating elevated profits as opposed to companies expected to generate elevated profits years in the future," he said, going on to note that growth stocks are likely to underperform in the long term.
Snider and his team recommend overweighting healthcare, a sector that's both profitable and considered defensive in a shaky economy, and energy stocks.
"Part of that is low valuation, but part of that also is that if we're thinking about the distribution of potential outcomes, in that really bad case where we re-enter a stagflation environment like we had in the '70s, energy is one of the few sectors you can expect to perform relatively well," Snider said.
The saying throughout the last bull market was "There Is No Alternative," or TINA, meaning that investors who wanted significant returns had no choice other than to invest in stocks. Bonds were expensive and returning less than ever, and many alternative assets were out of reach for everyday investors, or highly risky.
That's not the case in a world with much higher yields, he says. Snider points out that the yields on S&P 500 stocks and on investment-grade credit are about equal now, and that's still a safe investment that his strategy team likes. Meanwhile, high-dividend stocks now face real competition from Treasury notes.
The acronym might not catch on, but Snider calls it TARA: "There are reasonable alternatives."
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Impeachment: Republicans begin to turn on Trump
Coinbase Apologizes to UK and EU Customers Hit By Regulatory Lockouts
Girls as young as 12 were among 56,000 mothers sent to hellish Church homes
Top 100 Bitcoin addresses accumulated $11B more BTC in the past 30 days
PAUL THOMAS on… the lockdown rule-flouters
Sisters launch hookup tool that puts personality first… and its already led to a wedding
McDonald's employee 'close to tears is forced to fill large orders on her own'
Why we must block the extradition of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch
Vice President Mike Pence says he will NOT invoke the 25th Amendment
Congresswoman Lauren Boebert 'was in stand-off on Capitol Hill after refusing bag search'
Voice of America reporter reassigned for Pompeo questions
in: Americas, World
The White House reporter for Voice of America was abruptly pulled from her beat after trying to question Secretary of State Mike Pompeo following a speech he gave at the government agency this week.
Pompeo's speech and the demotion of Patsy Widakuswara led to an angry phone meeting between journalists and managers Tuesday that typified some of the tensions at the agency during President Donald Trump s administration.
Founded during World War II and run by the U.S. Agency for Global Media, Voice of America broadcasts news from the United States to countries around the world. The administration has sought to have VOA better reflect its messages, while journalists there have taken pride in their independence.
In his speech on Monday, Pompeo said that "it's not fake news for you to broadcast that this is the greatest nation in the history of the world." He said he backed their role as journalists, but said the agency was not "Vice of America" and that its broadcasts had too often demeaned the country.
After speaking, he engaged in a brief question and answer session with VOA's new director, Robert Reilly.
Apparently unsatisfied with the questions put to Pompeo, Widakuswara shouted her own as he was leaving. "Mr. Secretary, what are you doing to repair the United States' reputation around the world?" she asked, in reference to last week's riot at the U.S. Capitol, according to a tape of the encounter she later tweeted.
When he didn't answer, she asked, "Mr. Secretary, do you regret saying there will be a second Trump administration?"
Pompeo walked away without acknowledging her.
"It is my job," Widakuswara tweeted. She declined comment when reached by The Associated Press.
The Pompeo meeting itself was the subject of controversy among journalists there, particularly during the pandemic, and because they weren't allowed to ask questions, although some were submitted to Reilly in writing.
After Pompeo left, Widakuswara asked Reilly why he didn't ask "any of the questions that we want to know about," according to a recording of the encounter.
Reilly asked who Widakuswara was and her job, and told her, "you obviously don't know how to behave."
After she told him she was paid to ask questions, Reilly said that she was "out of order."
Later Monday evening, Widakuswara informed the White House Correspondents Association that she was no longer able to go on President Donald Trump's trip to Texas, where she was supposed to be the radio pool reporter.
Through a spokeswoman, the U.S. Agency for Global Media said Tuesday that it did not comment on personnel matters.
The White House Correspondents Association, in a statement by its president, Zeke Miller, accused the Trump administration of committing an assault on the First Amendment.
"The move, mere hours before Widakuswara was to fly with the president as a member of the travel pool on Air Force One, harms the interests of all Americans who depend on the free press to learn about the actions of the government and gives comfort to efforts to restrict press freedom around the world," Miller said.
During a morning editorial meeting on Tuesday, some VOA journalists confronted management about whether Reilly and his boss, Agency for Global Media head Michael Pack, had let Pompeo undermine their independence as reporters, according to a person who listened to the call and spoke under condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak to the press.
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7240 Хасебе (7240 Hasebe) — астероїд головного поясу, відкритий 19 грудня 1989 року.

Тіссеранів параметр щодо Юпітера — 3,532.

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 http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/lists/NumberedMPs

Астрономічні об'єкти, відкриті 1989
Головний пояс астероїдів

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Please click HERE to view Coach Hoskins full Coaching Profile.
Please click HERE to view full Press Release.
Current SFU Coaching Staff / Team members and players with US College experience.
NOTE: The Camp Staff will feature experienced coaches at each position (Goal, Defense, Midfield and Attack) with each participant receiving a combination of both group and 1-on-1 instruction.


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'SWAT' Season 3, April 1, 2020 Episode 18 Delayed. Not Airing Tonight
Hey, "S.W.A.T." fans. We had to jump on here real quick to let you know that,for some reason, CBS is just not going to air the next, new episode 18 of SWAT's current 3 tonight, April 1, 2020.
There is some good news in all of this. We can officially tell you that this delay won't extend beyond tonight. The new episode 18 is currently scheduled to air next Wednesday night,April 8, 2020 in its usual 9 pm central standard time slot on CBS of course.
So, it's definitely a good idea for you guys to memorize that very important date and time, or write it down on something.
So,what is CBS airing instead of the new episode 18 of SWAT's current season 3 tonight? According to the listings from TV Giude, CBS will be airing a repeat episode of SWAT tonight. This repeat episode will be the 12th episode of last season 2. It's titled,"Los Huesos."
CBS' official description for it reads like this, "Jessica and Chris go undercover in Mexico, alone and without back-up, to save a Mexican federal agent kidnapped by a drug-dealing gang that Jessica helped bring to justice years before.
Also, Hondo's mother, Charice, worries he's under emotional strain when he engages in a series of small home renovation projects in her home."
If any of you guys have any desire whatsoever to watch this repeat episode from last season, go right on ahead and watch CBS tonight. If you don't have any desire whatsoever to watch the 12th episode of season 2, you will definitely want to make sure you get some other plans in the works real quick.
We were able to track down some new information for the next, new episode 18 of SWAT's current season 3. We found an official press release for episode 18. So, we're going to reveal what it has to say right now.
However, we must tell you that it does have light spoiler teasers. So,if you're a person that usually avoids spoiler like the plague, we highly advise you to avoid reading the rest of this article.
On the opposite end of that, if you gravitate towards spoilers as if your life depended on it, we highly advise that you stay put for the rest of this article.
With that said, let's go ahead and jump into this episode 18 press release. To get things started, the press release revealed that episode 18 is titled, "Stigma."
It sounds like episode 18 will feature some very intense, dramatic, action-filled, suspenseful and interesting scenes.
In the new episode 18, the SWAT team's former unit leader Buck is going to totally fall off the grid! The SWAT team will definitely think Buck has plans to hurt himself. In light of this tragic set of events, The SWAT crew will race against the clock to try and save poor Buck.
Some flashback scenes will also be featured in this episode. These particular flashbacks will reveal the team's search for Buck, and they will coincide with one of the team's most difficult and dangerous missions.
Each team member will also receive counseling where they will reveal the very tough mental and emotional problems they've had to deal with when working on the SWAT team.
CBS' official description for episode 18 reads like this, "Hondo and the SWAT team race to save Buck (Louis Ferreira), their former unit leader, when he goes off grid and they fear he plans to harm himself.
Flashbacks reveal the search for Buck, which coincides with one of the team's most brutal missions, as each team member receives counseling and discusses the untold mental and emotional difficulties inherent to working in SWAT."
CBS also noted the following in this press release: "S.W.A.T. cast members Shemar Moore, Alex Russell, Jay Harrington, Kenny Johnson, Lina Esco and David Lim partner with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for an online public service announcement."
Episode 18 will feature a couple of guest stars. They are: Bailey Chase as character (Owen Bennett), Angela E. Gibbs as character (Othella Baker), Kathleen Munro as character (Alicia Baldwin), Eve Gordon as character (Jenny), Jo-Ann Pantoja as character (Gia), Melissa Brown as character (Eve), Kris Giacomazzi as character (Xander), Ashton Moio as character (Alex) and Corbin Reinhardt as character (Aaron).
Episode 18 will feature a couple of recurring stars. They are: Louis Ferreira as character (Buck Spivey), Rochelle Aytes as character (Nichelle), Cathy Cahlin Ryan as character (Dr. Wendy) and David Rees Snell as character (Detective Burrows).
The season regulars that will be featured in episode 18 are: Shemar Moore as character (Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson), Alex Russell as character (Jim Street), Jay Harrington as character (David "Deacon" Kay), Lina Esco as character (Christina "Chris" Alonso), Kenny Johnson as character (Dominique Luca), David Lim as character (Victor Tan), Patrick St. Esprit as character (Commander Robert Hicks) and Amy Farrington as character (Lieutenant Piper Lynch).
Episode 18 was written by Ryan Keleher, and it was directed by Billy Gierhart. Again, CBS confirmed that the next, new episode 18 of SWAT's current season 3 is scheduled to air next Wednesday night, April 8, 2020 at approximately 9 pm central standard time.
Alright guys. That's all we've got for this latest "S.W.A.T." TV show report, but definitely stay tuned for more.
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Tags: SWAT TV Show News
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text:
Q: How do I use variables in if...then... statements in C++? In C++ how do you use variables in if...then... or if...else or if... statements?
Here's what I mean.
When I enter something like this to make a calculator or something:
int main()
{
  signed int a, b, c, d, e result;
  cin >> a;
  cin >> b;
  cin >> c;
  cin >> d;
  cin >> e;

  if(d=="+")
    if(e=="-")
      result = a + b - c
  cout <<result;
}

It doesn't work.
What am I doing wrong?

A: As chris says, you can't compare a string literal to an integer.
If you want to compare to a single char (I'm guessing that's where you're heading), you want to use single quotes, like so if(d == '+'). Single quotes for chars, double quotes add an implicit zero-termination on strings. So "+" is actually {'+', 0x0}

A: int main()
{
signed int a, b, c,result;
char d,e;
  cin >> a;
  cin >> b;
  cin >> c;
  cin >> d;
  cin >> e;

if(d=='+')
  if(e=='-')
    result = a + b - c
cout <<result;
}

A: When comparing a character with a variable you have to use a single quote around the character.
For e.g
char mychar='a';
if (mychar=='a')
cout<<"its a" ;

A: if(d > 0) {

}

if(e < 0) {

}

A: int main()
{
int a, b, c,result; // you don't need write signed because it's by default signed
char d,e;
  cin >> a;
  cin >> b;
  cin >> c;
  cin >> d;
  cin >> e;

if(d=='+'){ // good practice to put {}. if you'll put another line of code in the future
  if(e=='-'){
    result = a + b - c; //you forgot statement ";"
   }
}
cout <<result;

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Sárosi Bálint (Csíkrákos, 1925. január 1. – 2022. július 15.) Széchenyi-díjas magyar népzenekutató, a zenetudományok akadémiai doktora. A Széchenyi Irodalmi és Művészeti Akadémia Zenei Alkotóművészeti Osztályának rendes tagja.

Életpályája

Felsőfokú tanulmányokat a Pázmány Péter Tudományegyetemen folytatott magyar-román szakon, oklevelet szerzett és doktorált 1948-ban. A budapesti Zeneakadémián zenetudományi szakon 1956-ban, zeneszerzés szakon 1958-ban szerzett oklevelet. 1958-tól az MTA Zenetudományi Intézet Népzenekutató Csoportjának munkatársa, 1968 és 1974 között főmunkatársa. 1974 és 1988 között a hangszeres népzenei osztályt vezette. Ebben az időszakban a teljes magyar nyelvterületen, illetve számos országban végzett népzenegyűjtést. 1966-ban védte meg a zenetudományok kandidátusi, 1990-ben akadémiai doktori értekezését. 2004-ben választották a Széchenyi Irodalmi és Művészeti Akadémia tagjává. Emellett 1985–1986-ban az Innsbrucki Egyetem, 1989–1990-ben, illetve 1994-ben a Göttingeni Egyetem vendégprofesszora volt. Országos ismertségre az 1969-ben indított népzenei rádióműsora tette, amelynek adása 1988-ig tartott. 1991-ben címzetes egyetemi tanárrá avatta az Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem. 1978 és 1991 között a Hagyományos Zene Nemzetközi Tanácsa intézőbizottságának tagja volt. A magyar népi hangszerek tanulmányozásával, a hangszeres népzenével, a cigányzenészek szerepének kutatásával és az afrikai zenével foglalkozott. Magyar és külföldi szaklapokban számos tanulmánya jelent meg e témakörökből.

Liszt Ferenc születésének 200. évfordulója alkalmából Kié a cigányzene? című előadásában hangsúlyozta: "A vitát, amit Lisztnek a cigányokról és a cigányzenészekről írt nagyhatású könyve okozott, rég lezártnak tekinthetjük. A könyv vitatott megállapításai mégis máig kísértenek – majd így összegezte véleményét: A magyarok zenéje természetesen a cigányoké is. Azoké a cigányoké, akiknek néhány évszázadon át tartó magyarosodás után elég okuk és joguk van magukat teljes értékű magyarnak vagy annak is tekinteni."

Köteteiből

Die Volksmusikinstrumente Ungarns (Leipzig, 1967)
Népi hangszereink (Budapest, 1971)
Cigányzene (Budapest: Gondolat Kiadó, 1971)
Anthology of Hungarian Folk Music V. és VI. (Budapest: MTA Zenetudományi Intézet, 1993, 1995)
Zenei anyanyelvünk (Budapest: Gondolat Kiadó, 1973; Budapest: Planétás Kiadó, 2003 bőv.)
Hangszerek a magyar néphagyományban (Budapest: Planétás Kiadó, 1998)
Magyar hangszeres népzene (Budapest: Hungaroton HCD 18236-37, 1998)
Bihari János (Budapest: Mágus Kiadó, 2002)
The Hungarian Musical Mother Tongue (Budapest: Hungaroton HCD 18260, 2003)
A cigányzenekar múltja az egykori sajtó tükrében I-II (Budapest: Nap Kiadó, 2004, 2012)
A hangszeres magyar népzenei hagyomány (Budapest: Balassi kiadó, 2008)
Nótáskönyv (Budapest: Nap Kiadó, 2010)
Népzenei tájakon. Válogatott írások, 1962–2014; Nap, Budapest, 2015 (Álarcok)
Bejárt utak. Önéletrajzi jegyzetek; Nap, Budapest, 2017 (Álarcok)

Díjak, elismerések

Erkel Ferenc-díj (1976)
a Magyar Alkotóművészek Országos Egyesülete nagydíja (1993)
Széchenyi-díj (2005)
Hazám-díj (2007)
Eötvös József Koszorú (2012)
Prima Primissima díj (2014)
A Magyar Érdemrend középkeresztje a csillaggal (2018)

Jegyzetek

Források

Magyar Néprajzi Lexikon, Sárosi Bálint
Liszt Ferenc Zeneművészeti Egyetem, Beszélgetés Sárosi Bálinttal a hangszeres népzenei hagyományról, 2010

1925-ben született személyek
2022-ben elhunyt személyek
Magyar néprajzkutatók
Magyar népzenegyűjtők
Széchenyi-díjasok
Erkel Ferenc-díjasok
Hazám-díjasok
Eötvös József-koszorúsok
Prima Primissima díjasok
Széchenyi Irodalmi és Művészeti Akadémia tagjai


text:
Ending 'don't ask, don't tell' would undermine religious liberty
Thread starter Jetboogieman
Jetboogieman
Somewhere in Babylon
Somewhere in Babylon...
Editor's Note: Tony Perkins is President of the Family Research Council and a Marine veteran.
Some people think allowing open homosexuality in the military means nothing more than opening a door that was previously closed. It means much more than that. It would mean simultaneously ushering out the back door anyone who disapproves of homosexual conduct, whether because of legitimate privacy and health concerns or because of moral or religious convictions.
This outcome is almost inevitable, because pro-homosexual activists have made it clear that merely lifting the "ban" on openly homosexual military personnel will not satisfy them.
The stand-alone bills that have been introduced to overturn the 1993 law, such as S. 3065, call explicitly for:
Revision of all equal opportunity and human relations regulations, directives, and instructions to add sexual orientation nondiscrimination to the Department of Defense Equal Opportunity policy and to related human relations training programs.
While not in the defense authorization bill amendment approved by the House of Representatives and a Senate committee last week, this goal will undoubtedly be accomplished administratively as part of the "necessary policies and regulations" mandated by that amendment.
This means that all 1.4 million members of the U.S. military will be subject to sensitivity training intended to indoctrinate them into the myths of the homosexual movement: that people are born "gay" and cannot change and that homosexual conduct does no harm to the individual or to society.
Anyone who points to the mountain of evidence to the contrary - or merely expresses the personal conviction that sex should be reserved for marriage between one man and one woman - runs the risk of receiving a negative performance evaluation for failing to support the military's "equal opportunity policy" regarding "sexual orientation."
For no other offense than believing what all the great monotheistic religions have believed for all of history, some service members will be denied promotion, will be forced out of the service altogether, or will simply choose not to reenlist. Other citizens will choose not to join the military in the first place. The numbers lost will dwarf the numbers gained by opening the ranks to practicing homosexuals.
This pro-homosexual political correctness has already begun to infect the military.
As an ordained minister and a Marine Corps veteran, I was invited to speak at a prayer event at Andrews Air Force Base earlier this year. I had every intention of delivering a spiritual message, not a political one.
But the invitation was withdrawn after I criticized President Barack Obama's call to open the military to homosexuality in his State of the Union address. The base chaplain told me they had received some complaints - about a dozen. I pointed out that orchestrating a handful of calls was a simple task for homosexual activist groups.
If I was blacklisted merely for supporting existing law, what will happen to those who oppose the new, politically correct law?
Those most likely to suffer are military chaplains. While some in the ranks will simply choose not to exercise their First Amendment rights in order to preserve their careers, this is not an option for chaplains. Their ministry is to proclaim the moral and theological teachings of their faith.
But under the new regulations, will they be free to preach from the entire Bible? Or will they be forced to excise the many passages declaring homosexual conduct to be a sin?
In their counseling role, military chaplains assist all service members who come to them, even if they are of other faith traditions. But if a homosexual seeks counseling regarding his personal relationships, will the chaplain be free to recommend therapy to overcome homosexual attractions? Or will he be forced to affirm a lifestyle that his faith condemns?
While chaplains are members of the military, they must be "endorsed" by a sponsoring religious body. Denominations that are unequivocal in holding to a biblical standard of sexual morality may stop endorsing military chaplains rather than allow them to compromise their principles.
This may result in a chaplain corps that has plenty of Unitarian ministers and homosexual Episcopal priests, but a shortage of clergy to minister to the largest religious groups in America, such as Roman Catholics (whose catechism declares that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered") or Southern Baptists (whose Baptist Faith and Message declares that "Christians should oppose racism, every form of greed, selfishness, and vice, and all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality, and pornography").
It was religious liberty that drew the Pilgrims to America and it is religious liberty that leads off our Bill of Rights. But overturning the American military's centuries-old ban on homosexual conduct, codified in a 1993 law, would mean placing sexual libertinism - a destructive left-wing social dogma found nowhere in the Constitution - above religious liberty, our nation's first freedom.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Tony Perkins.
Oh man, the religious right at it's worst.
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/...-dont-tell-would-undermine-religious-liberty/
The Hammer of Chaos
Jetboogieman said:
My Take: Ending 'don't ask, don't tell' would undermine religious liberty – Religion - CNN.com Blogs
Possibly some of his concerns may not materialize, but depending on the implementation of the new policies he might be right on some of the concerns he listed.
As a Southern Baptist, I am not permitted to say "homo is OK", because my beliefs teach otherwise. If my career path requires me to profess a belief that homo is OK, then I have a tough decision to make: throw my career out the window or throw my religious beliefs out the window.
For an ordained Baptist or Catholic minister who is a Military Chaplain, the choice is even more stark: repudiate the teachings of the church which ordained him, or risk running afoul of military policy or even the UCMJ? They already have enough trouble, what with the military trying to forbid Christian Chaplains from publically praying "in Jesus' name".
Possibly his concerns are overblown; I certainly hope so. I think denigrating him for airing them is in poor taste.
Khayembii Communique
Goshin said:
If my career path requires me to profess a belief that homo is OK, then I have a tough decision to make: throw my career out the window or throw my religious beliefs out the window.
That's the entire point.
You kids get off my lawn!
A. NO employer or "career path" can "force" you to "throw your religious belief out the window." That kind of crap is against the law.
B. In an employment situation where your peculiar brand of biased, bigoted religious discrimination runs counter to the laws of the land, I guess you can go to hell.
And frankly, I don't see a problem with that.
rathi
Count Smackula
No need to worry. The military will implement a "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy where nobody will ask if you dislike homosexuals, but you will face court martial if your views come out. Its not discrimination, you can still serve, but you aren't allowed to flaunt your beliefs. Unit Cohesion is very important after all, and we couldn't risk unit morale suffering, so just keep quite about who you are. Sounds pretty reasonable right?
molten_dragon
Anti-Hypocrite
I'd love to be able to write the guy in the OP off as a kook, but sadly, I could absolutely see that happening. I think it's a good thing that gays will be able to serve openly in the military, but I hope that things won't swing too far the other direction until people who are against homosexuality are being discriminated against.
roughdraft274
ThunderCougarFalconBird
I'd bet you're more likely to run across gays if you're in the family research council than in the military.
Technomancer
Especially when he's the President of the FRC There's so much more ammo there
Ft. Campbell, KY
I'm sure this guy worried about being forced to say "homo is ok" doesn't have a problem with Muslims in the miltiary being forced to miss daily prayers because it takes too much time.
Familiaist
Slightly Conservative
But as a soldier of the United States military you are not employed by God. You adhere to the standards of the United States and that is you are free to practice your religion, as long as it does not impede on the religion of others.
The Bible doesn't say that you cannot serve with a Homosexual. It just says that you cannot be a homosexual.
My concern is that those who use religion as an excuse to be intolerant of others are completely blinded to what is really happening here.
A homosexual feels that he/she is subpar for the role. The role is to defend his/her country, and thereby his/her family. I find banning homosexuals from military service is not just morally reproachable, but disallowing a man or woman to defend their country and their family.
justabubba
long standing member
recalls the opposition to the desegregated military in 1948
biggoted white folks insisted it was not right. it was against their religious views
how did that work out
It's not like I didn't know (because I did), when I suggested that maybe, just maybe the guy in this article isn't some total kook bigot and that maybe, just maybe some of his concerns might be somewhat valid... that I was going to get attacked by the pirhana pack.
Yup, nice to see everyone on the "other side" being so tolerant and accepting and reasonable and all.
If you're suggesting we have to be tolerate of intolerance, then I'm going to have to ask you tolerate my intolerence of bigots.
Glinda said:
Exactly. It's a false delima. No law or anything can make anyone think homosexuality is OK. And allowing them to marry, to behave contrary to your beliefs isn't harming your beliefs, but allowing them theirs. Of all the arguments against rights for homosexuality, and there are some silly ones, this one always strikes me as perhaps the silliest.
You defended a bigot making a laughably transparent excuse for prejudice. His claims aren't valid, and his reasoning is horribly flawed. Standing by him will get you flack for good reason.
Tolerance is about accepting something you consider wrong, but recognizing that the persecution is not the right approach. I will never consider it okay to demonize homosexuality, but I would never promote kicking anyone of the military for holding such an view. The military doesn't have to like homosexuality or even consider it moral, but they do have to tolerate it enough not to boot them out without cause.
Guy Incognito
Here is something that has always perplexed me about the OP's line of reasoning. If Christianity holds that sex should be reserved for one man and one woman, in marriage, then why is that homosexuality is any more sinful than straight people who have sex outside of marriage? If the OP has a problem that would keep him from accepting working alongside homosexuals, then he should have the same problem working alongside a straight man who lives with his girlfriend out of wedlock, a situation that is far more pervasive than homosexuality in the military. It's this kind of contradiction that makes this supposedly religiously motivated outrage look like at thin veil for mere intolerance. The simple fact is that the Christian religion encourages respect and tolerance for all kinds, and there is no way that ending "don't ask don't tell" will interfere with the practice of mainstream Christians in any way.
Oh my! Will the inhumanity never end? :roll:
The religious bigots might be prevented from spreading their sickening, evil brand of hatred in our military.
Out-freakin'-ragess.
Is there nowhere left for homophobes to show there idiocy without consequences in this Nation?
Utterly intolerant, I say...
Geo Patric
if your religion supports a bigotry that opposes the liberty of others OUR form of justice says that the bigotry should be suppressed , not Liberty.
The constitution denies the suppression of religious practice, not the privilege to use religion to segregate from participation those against whom any religion holds a bias. In fact 'freedom of religion' clause was intended to END that practice.
Last edited: Jun 2, 2010
rivrrat
Goddess of Bacon
Guy Incognito said:
No kidding. And can you imagine the horror if they had to work with people who took their 'lord's' name in vain? How could they possibly be required to treat those sinners as "normal" people, to treat them equally? The bible says taking 'the lord's' name in vain is a sin, so they can NOT tolerate that kind of behavior. Being forced to treat those people equally removes their religious freedom.
Gipper
Theoretical Physics Lab
Libertarian - Right
I don't see why we can't take it by a case-by-case basis. You can't determine an ability to serve just because of an orientation label. There are probably people any of us know that could easily be gay and we'd never know just by looking because they're upstanding individuals who act and seem normal and average, with one glaring, unimportant characteristic.
In other words, this kind of gay man would be more than acceptable in the military:
This one would not:
and it is not like religion does not STILL have the upper hand. it is illegal to refuse someone employment based on their religious beliefs... UNLESS you happen to be a religious group, in which case it is still perfectly fine, even if the job itself has no religious content.
per a recent Supreme Court decision.
poor, poor religionists.
Gipper said:
Only a few slight problems with your nonsense.
1) Just like every other form of sexual preference, it's IMPOSSIBLE to determine what someone elses is by looking at them.
2) The vast majority of crossdressers are heterosexual, not homosexual,
3)The vast majority of homosexuals are not crossdressers.
4) On duty members of the military dress in standard issed UNIFORMS.
Oooops...
.. your silly prejudice is showing.
You're all acting as if I said that homosexuality should be illegal, or the military should not accept gays, when I said no such thing.
What I said was that the author of the article might have a point or two, namely that those who feel religiously obligated (not motivated by hate or homophobia, but by religious obligation, assuming any of you can understand that there's a difference there) to view homosexuality as an immoral behavior might find their careers impaired because of that belief. I didn't say they would, I said it was possible depending on how this is implemented.
For the average soldier it may not be such a big deal. All they have to do is keep their mouth shut and their opinions to themselves. Ok, it's not like this is anything unusual in the military already.
But if non-coms and officers are required to go further in actively supporting and affirming homosexuality in a public manner, then yes that could be an issue. Again, it depends on how the new "openly serving" proceedures/protocols are implemented. Perhaps it won't be an issue; I hope it won't, we'll see I guess.
As someone said, at best we get a "don't ask, don't tell if you have religious reservations against homosexuality". :shrug: Okay, that could be tolerable, for most soldiers, noncoms and officers.
What about Chaplains? Is it going to be forbidden for a Catholic chaplain to even mention that the Catholic church considers homosexual activity to be a sin? If so, how is a Catholic Chaplain going to resolve this question of being loyal to the US Armed Forces or being loyal to the Catholic church?
Maybe you say "Well, let him resign and get out of the military then, the intolerant schmuck."
Okay, let's say all the Catholic Chaplains resign, and along with them half or more of the Baptist Chaplains, plus some others. Do you know how many soldiers are Baptist or Catholic? I don't know offhand, but if it isn't close to half I'd be surprised. Would it be fair to deprive half of our armed forces from having the comfort of a spiritual advisor/confessor/minister available?
All I'm saying is that yes, there might be some questions about how all this is going to play out, and at some point those questions might fall under the heading of religious liberty in the military in some sense.
Be sure you understand what I'm saying before you burn me at the stake for bigotry.
I don't want your opinion on this ID either, middleagedgamer.
Cephus
The reality is, you can believe anything you want but there are certain things that you simply cannot act on. You can be the most racist piece of crap on the planet but you cannot, no matter how much your beliefs mean to you, discriminate against minorities. You can be a complete misogynist but you're not allowed to discriminate against women. You can believe anything you like about gays, but whether you like it or not, you're not legally permitted to discriminate against them. There's a difference between HOLDING a belief and ACTING on it and if the religious can't figure that part out, they've got issues.


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