Compassion: Which Religion Has Exclusive Rights?

Leo Tolstoy:

"As soon as you concentrate your life in the unification of love with all living creatures and with God, then your life will change at once from tortures and suffering to happiness and blessings."

There are so many lessons we are all learning from the Haitian crisis. One is Gratitude* for what we already have in our lives on a daily basis. Another strong lesson, ..."if we have eyes to see and ears to hear," is Compassion.


Based on the tremendous outpouring of support from all corners of the world into Haiti, I believe we have clearly gotten that lesson, too. When it comes to our response in caring and sharing what we have, the world has shown up.

Every nation with the means has shown up to aid the people in Haiti. People of all races, backgrounds and creeds have shown up to do what they can with their resources to help Haiti get back on its feet.

It's times like these that the Oneness within us all shines through!


I can see clearly that if there were a Divine Purpose about the Haitian experience its intention must have been to teach us about this Oneness of Spirit.

Yet, my vision is being obscured somewhat by possible religious contention.

This past week week, John Travolta flew his private jetliner three times to Haiti, each time taking food, medical and other supplies and ....a team of Scientologists.


Through a quick news headline piece, I heard there were some mumblings suggesting that the presence of the scientologists was causing alarm in some camps. I couldn't find any "in-depth" pieces on this, as I'm sure people don't want to go on record with this negative stuff.

Alarm? And from whom?


When it comes to religion, it never fails to boggle my mind how people can quickly claim supremacy in their teachings and beliefs!

Christians believe that Jesus is "the way, the truth and the life" and those who don't believe this will perish in eternal damnation!


Jews don't believe in Jesus' way or his truth or his life...so I guess, they are doomed!

Muslims have their own beliefs about their prophet, Muhammed, and about "Allah's" teachings.

Hindus believe in no one "savior" but lots of "gods"...Buddhists have Buddha and other groups their own beliefs.



As a Christian, I believe in the teachings of Jesus. Yet, I want to scream at the world of Christians who would have Jesus be the only way shower for others with different beliefs!

Why would a God, in whom all religions seem to believe, make black people, brown people, yellow people, pink people, white people and all the other types of people in the world...and have only one way...truth...and life/light?


Which God would be so insensitive to the world to make so many different people in the world and show up only in one type of body?

Think about this!

In this blog, I have covered almost every religion that I could find reasonable information. Throughout my research, the common theme among all groups, religions and teachings is in a belief in a Supreme Being that is God.

Then, how did we get so separated in our thinking that this One God could have us show up in different bodies and yet send only one "Savior?"


I am confident enough in my beliefs to know that my way may not be your way. My truth may not be your truth.


I truly and absolutely respect and embrace religious differences.


No less so than with Scientology!

I covered Scientology in depth in this blog a little more than a year ago, on January 11, 2009.

Yes, there are teachings and beliefs that are questionable to me and possibly to you...but: Are we the world?


Even if you and I were deluded enough to believe that...We Are the World, what gives us a right...an exclusive right ...to compassion?

Which religious group, teaching or belief has any more of a right than another to show up in Haiti to help out their fellow man?[See this BREAKING NEWS PIECE:http://news.yahoo.com/video/world-15749633/17898604]


Who gives any of us, any group, that right to decide?
Even if Scientologists don't believe in God, as some contend, then it makes them no less human and no less compassionate!


Scientologists have a right to be in Haiti to show love, care and compassion. Scientologists have a right to be counted among the doctors, nurses and other people caring for the sick and wounded. Scientologists have the same right as any other religion to show up unimpeded and to be accepted just as the other religions...and we should all be grateful that they cared enough to show up and not because of some PR gimmick, as some people are suggesting. I mean how cynical are we? With that type of logic...I would say then that all non-Haitian-based religious and other organizations are on a huge PR roll!

Are we so deluded that we think the Scientologists flew all the way to Haiti to recruit others from around the world by showing compassion? Are we so deluded to think that in the midst of their "healing," they'll scurry off some "poor souls" into a corner of Haiti and begin "preaching their teaching!" If so, and if it makes sense to the Haitians who follow them, I say, "More Power to You!"

Once again, as a Christian, I see so much disparity in the practices and teachings of various Christian groups. I meditate to connect to the Spirit of God within me; others scream until they "feel" the Holy Ghost. Who gets to decide which one of us is right, especially if we're getting to the same place, anyway: the connection to Spirit?



Let us be "compassionate" enough in our caring for Haiti to leave the Scientologists alone!

John Travolta and his wife, Kelly Preston, look all "healed," after the loss of their son in January 2009. They stayed out of the public eye to repair and certainly must have turned to their Scientologist faith to help them. I would say that the Scientology teachings certainly must have done John and Kelly a whole lot of good!

Keep flying on, John, and doing good! May you continue to be blessed in your mission!


For all the rest of world: Instead of letting others R.I.P. when they are dead, then let Scientologists and others L.I.P (Live In Peace), too, while they yet live!

Namaste',
Che'

Note: See Gratitude blog post on 1/24/10.

"Gratitude"...To Death!

"We have thousands of opportunities every day to be grateful: for having good weather, to have slept well last night, to be able to get up, to be healthy, to have enough to eat. ...

There's opportunity upon opportunity to be grateful; that's what life is."

Brother David Steindl-Rast

Those were the words on Thursday, January 21, from Gratefulness.org.




First, I salute the tremendous efforts of the entertainment community, especially George Clooney and Wyclef Jean, for bringing together so many entertainers from around the globe. "Hope for Haiti: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief," was held on Friday, January 22, in Los Angeles and London. It reportedly raised more than $60 million.











Star after star, singer after singer, appeared on the "world" stage. Those who couldn't sing, took calls. I salute you ALL and thank you for your willingness to show UP and do whatever you could. I love YOU, Hollywood! Yes, I'll be at Opening Day for ALL of your movies! I know you by name! I also know your songs, singers!







The day I read the above message from Gratefulness.org was the same day I'd read that there were tens of thousands of Haitians being buried in a mass grave.

I wondered: Are we EVER grateful enough?

We take for granted every aspect of our lives...from being able to get up and go about our business in the morning to having a "civil" burial when we die.

We often don't think of these things as privileges and not granted to everyone.


Often people with so much to celebrate still find reasons to complain.

We've had lots of rain in the San Francisco Bay Area, something that doesn't often happen here. People have been complaining about that. Indeed, one person gave me pause to think of how "unbalanced" some of us truly are when one day she was celebrating events with many "happy" photos on Facebook, yet the next got fully "down in the dumps," because of the falling rain.

I wanted to point out that in Chicago, where I have family and friends, people were navigating through icy roads and bitter cold. I simply settled for a comment:"Into each life, a little rain must fall."


This complaining, too, made me reassess the true value of Facebook to me at this time, and I ultimately decided to deactivate my account. [I'd only begun actively participating during the holidays to catch up with family photos and other "happenings." I saw where the forum becomes a showcase for some to keep "posing" on a daily basis, a happy, yet unappreciated lifestyle. Facebook truly is not for everyone! It and all the other social networking vehicles are GREAT as strategic tools for specific and intended purposes...only...]

As the world becomes more global, we're having many, many opportunities to celebrate the relatively easygoing lifestyle here in these United States.


We're now exposed to many images of people living in conditions and situations that would try our very last ounce of strength, were we to be similarly exposed.


Growing up in a Third World country, I was not at all ignorant of the "less than optimal" conditions a large portion of the world is living under. Yet, we tend to forget, given enough time and enough exposure to life in these United States.


With the Haitian earthquake shaking us all up, we are being reminded on a daily basis of just how fortunate we are to have relatively efficient forms of government in place at all levels. Local governments would be CRUCIFIED, should they not operate efficiently when people encounter icy roads or flood waters rain down on apartment complexes, as they have been in the city by the Bay.




At the national level, we've seen what happens when a new president takes a new job and yet in a YEAR does NOT deliver on the "JOBS." The anger and complaints that began about three months into his new role boiled over in full-fledged HOSTILITY when a state that had voted Democratic for more than a half a century TURNED ITS tale and voted Republican.

Are we ANGRY enough when we don't get WHAT WE WANT...AS SOON AS WE WANT IT?


This is life in these United States, take it or leave it.

That brings me back to the main topic of this blog post.

With death, too, are we, as American citizens, going to demonstrate our anger or our gratitude?


Most of us can be reasonably sure that we'll have a "singular" death* and a "singular" funeral* or memorial with all the normal "trimmings," unless we're hit by a massive form of devastation that comes TOTALLY out of any context.


Indeed, with the aging Baby Boom population getting "close," I see so many commercials popping up now to make sure we have our final burial costs, averaging near $8,000, so we can be laid to rest in style.




Most of us can be assured that we'll be buried with the dignity and right pomp and circumstance our lives and our lifestyles dictate. Contemplating my inevitable end, I know that depending on when it occurs, "the right pomp and circumstance" would include wailing relatives, too, at my memorial, whether I want it or not.

So...how about the Haitians MASS burial?

Do you think that at least, and in some small way, we can begin to be GRATEFUL that we can be assured of a normal death and burial...and begin to start giving THANKS from today?

Namaste',

Che'
NOTE: enjoy this news story about a "proper burial" for a homeless man.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100123/ap_on_re_us/us_marine_proper_burial
[Cut/Paste this link to see the FULL photo gallery of participants at the Global Effort for Earthquake Relief.
http://wonderwall.msn.com/#wallState=1__/tv/hope-for-haiti-now-a-global-benefit-for-earthquake-relief-6362.gallery].