Sunday, April 03, 2005Every once in a while, a great human being comes along
Every once in a while, a great human being comes along to remind humanity that despite our perceived differences, we are but one. Pope John Paul II was such a man. He was a great man and the world will miss him. I can not mourn his death, though painful is his departure. I celebrate his life because he came; he enlightened many souls; he did his duty towards humanity; and he left in the grace of the Lord. – Jawad.
Posted By Jawad at 11:46 AM
12 Comments:
A great human and a man of Peace, indeed. May his soul rest in Peace.
April 03, 2005
Well said. May he indeed rest in Peace.
I wish we were all motivated by goodness, love and charity, rather then greed, opportunism, and self-benefiting agendas.
April 04, 2005
Quite true... he was able to accomplish so much, and is an example to us all!
April 04, 2005
Ummm...I love you Jawad but I'm not a huge pope person.
April 04, 2005
To anonymous: I don't think so!
April 04, 2005
Lauren: I totally respect that. See, the point we ought to all remember is that he was a man not a God. I believe he was a great man who came and tried his best. I disagree with him on contraception (he was against); I disagree with him on his stand regarding women priests (he was against); I disagree with him on his stand regarding Father Romero's struggle in El Salvador. But I admire his efforts in promoting inter-faith dialogue and his relentless pursuit for peace. To me, he was a great man, although not a perfect man. But I also have not the pretension to claim knowledge that is not my own.
Anonymous: I deleted the post because it is a political solicitation and because the post is anonymous. Let's come in here and debate openly please.
April 05, 2005
Jawad: I was a bit nervous about voicing my feelings but you put those fears to rest with your delightfully open mind. I thank you for being a true forum for discussion and not just a person looking for the echoes of his own beliefs.
On that note: I guess I'm pretty much in agreement with you on all the things you disagree with the Pope about after all.
I also don't agree w/his stance on same sex marriage. I have close friends and family who suffer from not being able to make it legal, so to speak. I do appreciate his reaching out to different religions.
If I were Pope, I'd declare religions to be all one amalgam religion. No more arguments...it's all good. Just consider it all spirituality, take out what you identify with, or leave it all completely out of your life if you choose.
Ba da Bing! Instant Harmony. No?
April 05, 2005
Not really. Different religions have different views on certain issues, and I think that's what makes them interesting. The world with the same viewpoint on everything may be harmonic, but it would be as boring as the vision of Paradise where everyone walks around in white nightshirts and plays the harp all day. The harp is a nice instrument, but it gets on your nerves after a while, if you know what I mean.
I've heard the Pope had beatified some controversial people, but I don't know who they are, so I can't do any research on them. Does anyone know anything about that?
April 05, 2005
Lauren: Interesting idea. Actually, I just wrote a comment on my previous post ("Kais & Layla") about spirituality versus religion. My position is the same as that of the Dalai Lama (Whom I love and admire): We do not need a religion to be spiritual. But that requires an individual struggle within ourselves and the realization that we indeed as individuals can search for our own truth as opposed to outsourcing that important task to a monopolistic clergy. You see, we have to admit ignorance before we can learn. We need to accept all knowledge before we can truly understand.
BTW, agree with you on gay marriage. In fact I argued against the proposal to ban it in a post two months ago "what would Madison Say?" – Check it out: http://menademocrats.blogspot.com/2005/02/what-would-madison-say.html
Irina: I understand that some of the popes and cardinals he beatified held anti-Semitic views and/or stood silent during the extermination of the Jews in Europe. He, however, as you know apologized for the church to the Jews. I believe he is the only religious authority to have apologized for the past sins of the church towards another people.
April 05, 2005
Lauren, you new picture is really nice!
April 05, 2005
This is the best blog ever.
Jawad: I LOVE the Dali Lama. I am so down with this philosophy. I never looked into his teachings b/c it's been so over exposed and mixed up with silly famous people that I dismissed it as folly.
Thanks for the awakening. It truly reminds me that I have so much more to learn. And, isn't that the BEST thing about life?
Irina: Whats boring about peace, girlfriend? I think floating around playing music and chilling in a comfy diaphenous gown would be absolutely fabulous. I think what would be boring is if peace meant everyone had to be exactly the same. Thank Goddess we're all unique in mind, body and spirit.
Thanks for the compliment dear Irina. You are so sweet to notice. It's my most coquettish picture ever, no?
April 06, 2005
Nothing better than some coquettry!
There's nothing wrong with peace, as long as it's exciting, not motonous. The traditional depiction tends to be a little too bland for my taste!
April 06, 2005
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