Kill the Buddha
Was dicking around as usual and I came upon this cool website. It's a little nook in the web that has decent independent commentary on things spiritual --
Another site -- a liberal Christian blog that has interesting commentary against the religious right.
One thing about traveling is that people open up on the road. More so, I think Eastern cultures besides the US/Europe are more opened spiritual discussions – spirituality is more ingrained in a person's daily life. At least right now they are – before globalization capitulates them into the same cycle of buy, buy more and buy now – it's on sale!
Auntie bows before her home's altar each morning. Workers burn incense many of the temples in the city during their lunch break. Religious holidays are celebrated without the usual fanfare of red tag discounts, greeting card explosion and Hollywood specials. They occur more often – the first and fiftheenth of each month in Vietnam are considered holy days – times for fasting, giving thanks and reflection.
It's not a knock on market economics or sustainable development – God knows I'm all for improving lives and raising living standards. But as a global society, we have to grow responsibly and balance our appetite for material comforts with, dare I say, more elevated knowledge?
Eventually, spirituality, morality and philosophy will matter. Scientific, economic, cultural and political controversies all have their roots in the moral decisions of our society.
Separation of church and state has become separation of church and society, to the point that spiritual matters now are the domain of demagogues and dogmatists. The 9-to-5 persons have absolved themselves spiritual thought, preferring to dawdle in their materialistic needs and pop culture gossip, allocating discussions of spirituality and religion to wackos and nut-jobs.
Who would have thought that a bunch of cartoons can incite violence across the globe? Or that a recognized religious leader can call for the assassination of a head of state and defend the right to torture?
Will the real Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Jews, Druids, etc. please stand up?