National champion,Tierra crockrell, Norfolk Virginia july 30,2010Still winning,GO TT
The West End of the Olympic Peninsula is one of diverse cultures. Over the last 25 years, Forks has seen a new group of immigrants come to the area and shape the culture here. Individuals and families from Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador have been moving to the peninsula in search of opportunities for work and education. ...
Latinos are a strong part of the community in Forks. There has been much intertwining of the American and Latino cultures, with many locals learning Spanish and the growth of English as a Second Language classes in the community. On Saturday nights, Spanish music groups play music until late in the evening with many people, Latino and non-Latino, dancing the night away. Celebrations for Cinco de Mayo and Mexican Independence Day happen almost every year.
One of the distinguishing features of modernity has been the universal awakening of historical consciousness. An outcome of this revolutionary change in perspective that greatly enhances the teaching of Bahá’u’lláh’s message is the ability of people, given the chance, to recognize that the whole body of humanity’s sacred texts places the drama of salvation itself squarely in the context of history. Beneath the surface language of symbol and metaphor, religion, as the scriptures reveal it, operates not through the arbitrary dictates of magic but as a process of fulfilment unfolding in a physical world created by God for that purpose.
One Common Faith |
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Ripples from the Big Bang. Bending Light #11
Light refraction patterns from the base of a clear glass vase.
I still trying to get it right. The processing lab is having trouble printing these images, there's no blue sky, grass or flesh tones for the digital printing computer to use as a reference and B/W images on colour film don't help either. It's difficult to judge the exposure as I've no way of metering and I'm literally working in the dark so I can't even see the camera settings easily. I'll persevere; I've still got some ideas to try.
Uploaded by Reciprocity on 28 Feb 06, 3.20AM PDT on flickr
GWD –
“The universe has no beginning and no end...” Hmm. That sure sounds familiar. This is from a way-cool blog that I follow, the MIT technology blog.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Big Bang Abandoned in New Model of the Universe
A new cosmology successfully explains the accelerating expansion of the universe without dark energy; but only if the universe has no beginning and no end.
Way cool, Tim! -gw
I appreciated this column. As an atheism-leaning agnostic who shared a wonderful relationship with a woman of extreme devotion to the Baha'i faith for many years, my comments ahead stem from my experiences.
I can understand why its tempting to view mere secular tolerance and religious commitment as different levels of commitment. I understand why you would claim that religion is more than simply a "viewpoint" and that secularism's imposition of neutrality can stifle the very core of what religious faith aims toward: its sense of GOOD beyond a balancing of worldly values.
After all, you see this multi-level approach in legal opinions, historical texts, ethics treatises, and it also has some intuitive appeal.
But I think that multi-level approach is wrong.
There is no "other level" that you inhabit when you believe in God; if you believe, God infuses everything. And there is no "other level" you inhabit when you care, love, ponder, and direct your mind to the greater good.
In its truest form, devoid of dogmatic accretions, religion has imparted spiritual and moral verities that in no way contradict the discovered truths of science. There is no substantive basis to the contention that an intrinsic incompatibility exists between science and religion. The process of scientific discovery itself involves human faculties such as imagination and intuition, in addition to reason, and cannot be regarded simply as a set of well-defined procedures. The historic dichotomy between reason and faith is a false dichotomy. They are complementary faculties of human nature that both engage in the process of discovering and understanding reality; they are both tools that enable society to apprehend truth.
This perspective is reinforced by recent scientific developments that suggest strong epistemological convergence with various religious world-views. Modern physics and psychology, for example, cast considerable doubt on the notion that matter is the primary basis of reality, or that human consciousness is a simple derivative of neurochemical processes. The reductionism and determinism associated with Newtonian mechanics is now giving way to an understanding of physical phenomena in which the universe is regarded as an ever evolving, interconnected, and unified whole. The fact that physical laws permit complex biological configurations to emerge and evolve to the point of consciousness, suggests evidence of higher level organizational laws and even design. In short, there is nothing unscientific in the assumption that a Creative or Divine force is at work in the world.
http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/SVFV/svfv-6-printable.html
DALLAS — To get to church on a recent Sunday morning, the Yeldell family walked no farther than their own living room to greet fellow worshippers.
The members of this “house church” are part of what experts say is a fundamental shift in the way U.S. Christians think about church. Skip the sermons, costly church buildings and large, faceless crowds, they say. House church is about relationships forged in small faith communities.
In general, house churches consist of 12 to 15 people who share what’s going on in their lives, often turning to Scriptures for guidance. They rely on the Holy Spirit or spontaneity to lead the direction of their weekly gatherings.
“I think part of the appeal for some in the house church movement is the desire to return to a simpler expression of church,” said Ed Stetzer, a seminary professor and president of Lifeway Research, which is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. “For many, church has become too much (like a) business while they just want to live like the Bible.”
House church proponents say their small groups are sort of a throwback to the early Christian church in that they have no clergy and everyone is expected to contribute to the teaching, singing and praying.
They are more commonly seen in countries where Christianity is not the dominant religion. Organizers say they’re just starting to take off in the United States.
At the most local level of society – the neighborhood -- Baha’is are learning how “to empower individuals of all ages to recognize and develop their spiritual capacities and to channel their collective energies towards improving their communities.”*(* Text excerpted from the Baha'i International Community document, Rethinking Prosperity: Forging Alternatives to a Culture of Consumerism.)
From: Northwest BahaiLibraryRenton Magazine advertised the performance of Eva Abram portraying Nettie Asberry (Tacoman Baha'i) in their February 2010 edition:
See: http://www.pugetsoundpublishing.com/RMarchives/RM_1002.pdf page 4.
Eva Abram's webpage is http://www.seattlestorytelling.org/eva.html
Nettie Asberry's biography has been shared in several places on the Internet, most notably these two places:
http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8632
http://www.tacomabahai.org/2010/04/01/nettie-asberry/There is also this new account of Nettie Asberry by Mrs. Freddie May Barnett, current President of the Washington State Association of Colored Women’s Clubs who was interviewed May 30, 2009 in Tacoma:
"She was a great activist. I learned so much of her giving to the community on racial issues. She stood up for the rights of African-Americans in this state. Per one of her early accomplishments, she was a party to organizing the NAACP in WA and the Tacoma City Association of Colored Women’s Clubs. Dr Asberry was a piano teacher by profession. Another major accomplishment: Dr Asberry participated with club members in a march on Olympia, the state capital after she heard about lynching to occur to a man regarding an interracial marriage. The march was a success and the lynching did not occur. She was a piano teacher and she taught music to all races as she wanted to insure that all people of all races had the opportunity to learn music and be treated equal. This was her passion."
In 1883 Dr Asberry received her PHD. Degree from Kansas Conservatory of Music. Mrs. Barnett goes on to state she believes Dr. Asberry was the first African American in the United States to receive a doctorate degree at that time.Dr. Asberry was also president majority of the time and organized the“Asberry Cultural Club” which Mrs. Barnett as the current president.
The interview is here:
http://www.washingtonwomenshistory.org/about/participants/localgrants/tcw/barnett.aspxThe Asberry Club sponsors cultural events featuring arts, crafts andmusic and is one of four clubs at the Tacoma City Association of Colored Women's Club: http://tacomacwc.org/aboutus.html
etc. etc. -gw
Most religious traditions put an emphasis on thanksgiving. The prayer below gives grateful recognition to the unique and diverse gifts of the world’s spiritual traditions.Reader: We give thanks for the world’s religions and the richness they bring to our lives.
People: We give thanks.
Reader: We give thanks for our Baha’i brothers and sisters, for their genuine openness and desire for unity.
People: We give thanks.
Reader: We give thanks for our Buddhist sisters and brothers, for their sense of peace and relinquishing of self.
People: We give thanks.
Reader: We give thanks for our Christian brothers and sisters, for their message of love and ethic of compassion.
People: We give thanks.
Reader: We give thanks for our Hindu sisters and brothers, for their openhearted acceptance of others and kindly disposition toward those of other faiths.
People: We give thanks.
Reader: We give thanks for our Humanist brothers and sisters, for their emphasis on the dignity and worth of all persons.
People: We give thanks.
Reader: We give thanks for our Muslim sisters and brothers, for their commitment in prayer and faithfulness in worship.
People: We give thanks.
Reader: We give thanks for our Jain brothers and sisters, for their deep respect for life and practice of nonviolence.
People: We give thanks.
Reader: We give thanks for our Jewish sisters and brothers, for their enriching symbols of worship and cherishing of tradition.
People: We give thanks.
Reader: We give thanks for our Aboriginal brothers and sisters, for their reverence of nature and their ancient and still-living culture.
People: We give thanks.
Reader: We give thanks for our Shinto brothers and sisters, for their affirmation of ritual and awareness of the natural world
People: We give thanks
Reader: We give thanks for our Sikh sisters and brothers, for their warm hospitality and public witness of faith.
People: We give thanks.
Reader: We give thanks for our Taoist brothers and sisters, for their sense of the connectedness of all things and pursuit of harmony.
People: We give thanks
Reader: we give thanks for our Unitarian sisters and brothers, for their openness to truth and commitment to freedom, reason and tolerance.
People: We give thanks.
Reader: We give thanks for our Zoroastrian sisters and brothers, for their devotion to right though, right speech and right action.
People: We give thanks.
Leader: We give thanks for every faith tradition, named and unnamed, for the variety and richness of their spiritualities, for their united quest for truth, for their common dedication tot he pursuit of peace, reconciliation and healing of the spirit.
Congregation: We give thanks. Ever unite us as one community of joy, hope, love and peace. Ever inspire us to live more genuinely and authentically, celebrating diversity, affirming unity, pursing peace, not just for better relations among philosophies, but for a new and more just world. Amen.
“Ever Unite Us” -- An Interfaith Prayer for the G8 World Religions Summit
Robert H. Stockman figures `Abdu'l-Baha gave 350 talks in the US and Canada, and something like 85,000 people (give or take a few ten thousand) attended them.
we elders decided to get together and write a song for clara dunn, the ridiculousness in the beginning is a result of that. the nice song at the end, however, is a quote that was put to music by imani and roya. you guys are de best!!
The Clara Dunn Academy is an intensive nine day session during which participants study the Sacred and Authoritative Texts and Nabil's Dawnbreakers. The program is designed to assist individuals in recognizing their station as spiritual descendants of the Dawnbreakers as they expand their knowledge of the Cause and develop the skills and attitudes of service to the Faith.
Lyrics and music by James Seals & Dash Crofts, 1971)
From the album YEAR OF SUNDAY (1972).
We all live in the Year of Sunday, so many things are in store for us.
Oh what a gift to be born in Sunday's beautiful light way down here in the dusk.
People, return to the tree of oneness, oh won't you hurry the Presence is there.
Down on our knees in the darkness of Sunday, we'll find the answers to all of our prayers.
And then everyday will be Sunday, for you and me. How I pray! How I pray!
God made a pact with Abraham, never leave a man alone.
So Abraham gathered his family, and brought his people home.
Along came Moses, gave the world a push. Climbed upon a mountain high.
He got the Ten Commandments from a burning bush and put together his first tribe.
Then came Jesus to Jerusalem, ridin' on His shoulder a dove.
The dove upon his shoulder said he was the One, the One to teach us how to love!
Mohammed stayed out in the desert sun, stayed out there just as long as he could.
The Maker gave him water from the River of Life, and then he gave us nationhood.
And then time passed, soon the dark clouds, came and covered up Mohammed's sun.
But the young Bab, down in Persia land, came to tell us of the Promised One.
(From Baha'i Scripture) "Lo, the nightengale of paradise
Singeth upon the twigs of the Tree of Eternity,
With holy and sweet melodies,
Proclaiming to the sincere ones the glad tidings of the nearness of God."
Baha'u'llah! Baha'u'llah! Baha'u'llah! Baha'u'llah!
We all live in the Year of Sunday, so many things are in store for us.
Oh what a gift to be born in Sunday's beautiful light way down here in the dusk.
We all live in the Year of Sunday, so many things are in store for us.
Oh what a gift to be born in Sunday's beautiful light way down here in the dusk. . ..
Dear Friends
Authors Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams have written an intriguing, necessary and, in some ways, groundbreaking book, In Wikinomics The authors examine the possibilities of mass collaboration, open-source software and evolutionary business practices. They integrate examples from the arts ("mashups"), scholarship (Wikipedia) and even heavy industry (gold mining) to argue that new forces are reshaping human societies. Some of their examples will be familiar, but others will surprise and educate you. The result is that the book reads at times like a guidebook, at times like a manifesto and at times like a cheer leading effort for the world the authors desire. It reads, in short, like the Wikipedia they so admire: a valuable, exciting experiment .
Warm Greetings,
Praveen [http://spraveenitpro.blogspot.com/]
Dear All
The International Choir group Voices of Baha recently performed in Delhi both in the prayer hall as well as the auditorium of the Baha'i House of Worship. The event was covered by Lok Sahba television and includes interviews with the artistes and Music Director Tom Price: The program will be broadcast - nationwide - at 6.30 pm today, Mon, 19 July, on Lok Sabha tv.Repeats the same night at 12;
Tuesday at 5 am;
Wed, 12 noon.Happy viewingOffice of Public Relations
Baha'i House of Worship
[New Delhi, India]
Thus Jesus, Son of Mary, whilst seated one day and speaking in the strain of the Holy Spirit, uttered words such as these: “O people! My food is the grassof the field, wherewith I satisfy my hunger. My bed is the dust, my lamp in the night the light of the moon, and my steed my own feet. Behold, who on earth is richer than I?” By the righteousness of God! Thousands of treasures circle round this poverty, and a myriad kingdoms of glory yearn for such abasement! Shouldst thou attain to a drop of the ocean of the inner meaning of these words, thou wouldst surely forsake the world and all that is therein, and, as the Phoenix wouldst consume thyself in the flames of the undying Fire.
What do you think will happen in 2012? Best Answer chosen by asker...Birth, old age, sickness, death will occur perhaps at a higher rate. And superstitious people will become more superstitious.
Source: ExperienceProject
The prophecies of Buddha Sakyamuni about Maitreya Buddha have been fulfilled.
The prophecies of Moses about Christ have been fulfilled.
The prophecies of Christ about His return as the Comforter have been fulfilled.
The prophecies of Muhammad about the Mihdi have been fulfilled.
The prophecies of all religions about the Universal Saviour have been fulfilled.
Those diverse and complicated prophecies commonly promise the Advent of the one and same Holy Spirit, Who had appeared from Age to Age, in the physical temples of those Divine Prophets. Only He Himself can interpret convincingly again and again His prophecies. ...
There might be great catasthropes in the next decade due to environmental changes and confrontations of various groups of fundamentalists. But the strong movement of the people of good will push the reconstruction of the world, at high speed, with newer means of communications and newer construction technologies. Behold! How many great organizations and societies are working actively on the international fields of economic, educational, scientific, cultural and social endeavours.
Do you find the internet addictive? Best Answer – Chosen by Asker. Yes, it is miraculously addictive. We can learn everything and we can keep everything for future generations. There is no more fear of books being censored or burned by tyrants. The new World civilization is firmly established and preserved. In answering another question, [...]
There are 2 more days left in this 20th Cycle Expansion Phase! Teaching stories and learnings are being shared all over the Cluster from our first week. Learning is becoming our mode of operation! Come and join a team and experience the collective teaching campaign centered in Gig Harbor this weekend.
"One of the greatest misconceptions about SETI is that we know in our hearts that there is life out there, and the question is whether we’re going to be the generation that finds it. That’s false," he said. "SETI requires an acceptance of ambiguity. If there’s a virtue to SETI, it’s that it’s making ambiguity acceptable at a time when people are focused on the concrete and short-term. It is very often uncomfortable not having the answers, but we need to accept that. We try to recognize that, in this domain, with what we now know, the best we can do, the most honest thing we can do, is live with a sense of ambiguity."