1.03.2004
Ethical Framework? Is Yours Christian?
What is your ethical framework?
If the ethical light you find yourself drawn to emulating is Jesus of the Christian tradition I have a gift for you. Actually a couple of gifts.
However you steer yourself through life I think these links are good food for consideration. Secular or an adherent of any of the world's moral spiritual authorities being a good human being is pretty much the same. The avenues of explication may be culturally different, but the basuis is the same, Hindu, Jew, Muslim, Christian, Pagan or Humanist- whatever variation, whatever label, the bottom line is the same. Zorastrian, Sikh, Buddhist, the same.... Talk with a living exemplar, Orval Looking Horse, Thich Nhat Hahn, the Dalai Lama, Kurt Vonnegut.
Human life comes with no owners manual, but the basic ideas are simple.
Gift one: A translation of my favorite Christian scripture, The Gospel of Thomas. Here's a taste:
Jesus said, "Don't lie, and don't do what you hate, because all things are disclosed before heaven. After all, there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and there is nothing covered up that will remain undisclosed."
Jeremy over at Fantastic Planet is a Christian scriptural scholar, he has been offering exegesis of the Gospel of Thomas for a bit now, and will cover the 113 logon contained there completely. I urge you to read his work. I have read his political work for quite a while now, and a while back was pleasantly surprised to find his translation from the Coptic of my favorite Christian book. Read this book and find what the hard hearted fundies miss in their version of "Christianity", a version that would, from all evidence tendered, find the loving prophet once again suffering at the hands of man.
The second gift is to bring to your attention the fact that the Pope, spiritual leader of the Catholic version of Christianity
calling for a world body that would call all nations to follow international law, since the US in all it's economic and military power can supersede any international body that sets the rules for world justice; one can see how client states such as Israel are also allowed to miss the moral ride on the high road of justice with our nations help. (Thank you's to Benedict for the link)
Remember that ALL world religions came out against the US dismissal of international law to attack and occupy Iraq.
OK, the Southern Baptists were all for war, do the word of Jesus support such action?
The Prince of Peace.
Bush and company LIE. Regularly.
Think about it, judge for yourself...
1/03/2004
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1.02.2004
Estimated Prophet: A Birthday "Thank You"
Been lacking both the time and mental energy to do this project justice over the last few days.
Estimated Prophet is one year old. I thank the 17,000+ visitors that have come by for taking the time to read my posts and for writing me with links and opinions as well as leaving comments throughout the year. You don't have to agree with me; follow the links I offer as endnotes, I appreciate the differences of opinions we may hold. My hope is that we both benefit from the dialogue. I know I do. This many folks coming by, especially considering my two month spring hiatus hiking and camping as well as seeing the Dead tour, really makes all the work involved in the attempts here at good posting well worth it. All the thinking and drawing connections and linking has enriched my life; I hope your struggle to make sense of our world has also been furthered.
Staying apprised of the news, making connections among the key players and policy takes a bunch of effort, blogging makes this search for truth seem much more fruitful because we can share what we discover so readily. I'd also like to thank the folks that link to my efforts. If a regular guy like me can winnow through the reportage of daily events and point out the BS everyday Americans are being served as "news" paid mainstream reporters should be able to as well. It seems at best that they are ignorant or lack the will or at worst are unconcerned with context and the focus I feel news reporting is about; that is truth, giving people the facts and background information needed to effectively draw their own conclusions concerning events pertinent to effectively living in the limited Democracy that is our nation.
I should thank some of my fellows individually, and will at a later point as I have time and energy. My sidebar is full of news sources as well as the writings (blogs) of concerned conscious individuals. At this point in the history of our country we need to speak out, to let our countrymen know that it is more than alright to point out the Emperor has no clothes; it is an essential part of being a citizen of our country as well as of the Earth.
The present regime here at home, with the collaboration of corporate America and the mainstream media it owns both outright and by its support through advertising dollars has subverted Democracy from the time it was foisted on us by the right-wing members of the Supreme Court. Abundant instances of lying from events concerning 9/11 to the reasons for attacking Iraq to legislative issues such as who benefits from Medicare reform, or the Bush tax cuts working for the common American, to name a few, need to be exposed to light.
Blogging has been an eye opening experience for me. I've written on subjects that I found unsavory, people who I respect that have been caught doing unethical things, admitting when I was holding an inaccurate opinion. Because this project is about truth. If I am not honest, how can I demand "real" reporters to be honest.
As we have clearly seen in the last year, information is a weapon. A sincere website might not be mightier than the concentrated efforts of corporate media, of the "mighty wurlitzer" of disinformation aimed at shaping public opinion;
but the factual basis for progressive stands on the issues cannot be denied. The average American is a decent sort, learning the truth behind current events allows us all to act in a manner consonant with our core values, the values our founding fathers saw as the only hope for a country to be populated by a free people. The limited Democracy we do have is a weighty responsibility.
Without facts and context the average citizen is prey to those speaking stridently against our best interests. Some are not so strident; check what you know against what even public radio offers us. When you are offered information
concerning how a candidate looks rather than what the candidate's stand is on the issues, without a word concerning their past actions and attitudes as recorder in the public domain it is plain that the public is not being served. When you hear folks from the American Enterprise Institue debating a fellow from the Heritage Foundation it is clear that the voice of the average working person is not being heard. I've heard Howard Dean's "confederate flag" comment taken out of context more than once on NPR, by folks paid to know better. A supposedly "liberal bastion". Center-Right commentators chatting with Far-Right figures does not enliven political dialogue, does nothing to enliven public discourse in what we are told is a Democracy.
Talk to everyone you know when you read deeply of current events. Thinking is one of the most Patriotic things we can do in the new millennium, and one of the most countercultural. Acting on the truth we find, revealing it and sharing it is incredibly powerful. How we walk our truth in daily life makes a difference. A well crafted letter to the editor can enlighten many. You and I might not be remembered like Thomas Paine or George Seldes (If you say "George who?", get your favorite search engine going) but what we do know concerning the state of our nation is crucially important. Speak truth to power; to your friends and co-workers, folks in line at the grocery store- create dialogue. Act on what you know. Cutting through the smoke and mirrors that obscure a better world is an essential activity.
The Internet, the World Wide Web is a powerful tool in getting to the heart of matters, a tool anyone with a computer can use to discern the reality behind the news and disseminate what they learn. A person just needs the will to resist being bamboozled, to exercise their care for a country and world we love. For a future we long to offer our children, and their children, and theirs....
In whatever framework you use to ethically navigate our world I thank you. Religious or secular. I wish you health and peace in your endeavors to help us all move forward, a better world is possible. "We the People" are the only viable solution. Being a conscious political person is not about merely being "right", it is about learning and growing and putting our intellects in service to better our present American and world reality. Fortunately being Progressive in philosophy lets all those aims coincide.
Best,
m prophet
1/02/2004
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12.29.2003
9/11 Families Want the Truth
9/11 Families Want the Truth
The 911 Visibility Project supports victims families in seeking the truth about that awful event that has allowed the present administration to change the very landscape of what it is to be an American.
The truth, judging from Mr Bush and companies efforts to squelch 911 inquiry, could help oust the present regime in the 2004 election.
Take, for instance the air defense failures that allowed the tragedy to occur. The 911 Visibility Project catalogs a linkfest that points to the truth; something the mainstream media seems unwilling to do. People the world over care about what happened that day, especially we Americans. Help get the facts out.
Please visit and support this resource. Get the facts and help bring the truth to light.
No tinfoil hat required.
12/29/2003
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12.28.2003
What Democracy Looks Like Today
Thank you for coming by; moreso since you've viewed my factually sound but un-spellchecked un-proofread "Prince of Peace" posting...
I'm back on a trusty computer and dial-up - I'll be back to posting tomarrow.
If you are trying to figure out a New Year's resolution to stick to I'd like to suggest writing an occasional letter to the editor of your local paper, set the record straight by offering up some facts to offer perspective on what we loosely term "news".
A good bit of truth can derail Mr Bush's presidential aspirations in the coming year or so.
Odd that the truth gets sidelined by the media, don't you think?
Read/listen, look deeply, discern and write. Regular folks like you and I need to get perspective on pressing issues; a letter to the editor can get people thinking, good people that have gotten caught up in the hype.
A lot depends on our actions, on our taking a stand, proudly supported by the facts...
12/28/2003
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My TTLB vote choice: "What's so wrong about peace, love and higher taxes.
12/28/2003
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