Help bring Compassion back to Religion

Karen Armstrong FRSL (born 14 November 1944 in Wildmoor, Worcestershire) is a British author of numerous works on comparative religion, who first rose to prominence in 1993 with her highly successful A History of God. A former Catholic nun, she asserts that, "All the great traditions are saying the same thing in much the same way, despite their surface differences." They each have in common, she says, an emphasis on the transcendent importance of compassion, as epitomized in the so-called Golden Rule: Do not do to others what you would not have done to you.

This video awarded Karen the $100,000 TED Prize in February 2008, Armstrong then called for a council of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish leaders to draw up a Charter for Compassion which would identify shared moral priorities in order to foster global understanding in the spirit of the Golden Rule. The Charter was unveiled in Washington, D.C., in November 2009. Its signatories include Prince Hassan of Jordan, the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Sir Richard Branson.

A Contrarian Look at the Book of Mark

I have long believed that the biggest problem with religion today is that it has lost its purpose.  Religious people often debate things like science, evolution, liberalism or church doctrine, and lose sight of that which is most important.  The Bible for example is not a science book, its purpose is not to explain the origin of species, and it is definitely not a guideline for deciding which dogmatic faction of Christianity to belong to.  I believe it's purpose is to provide a history of the Jews and early Christians, and of their religious cultures.  And more importantly to teach us how to be moral, maintain good/healthy habits and how to treat, and not treat one another.  It teaches the mistakes and successes of 4000 years of Jewish men and women, so that we may use it as a guide to a more spiritual and vibrant life.

It is important to also understand that regardless of your specific faith, as long as it is peaceful, the benefits of possessing a devotion to that faith are essential. This article is simply a healthy, contrarian walk through the Book of Mark, that all people religious or not would benefit from understanding.

The Raw Milk Adventures

Many people cringe at the thought of drinking raw milk.  After all it's pretty much right out of the cow's udder right?  Well, yes!  But what most people do not know is that the majority of the problems with our milk supply occur after the milk is extracted.

Pasteurization is the process of partially sterilizing foods at a temperature that destroys harmful microorganisms.  Milk is pasteurized as well as homogenized; a process that involves breaking apart cells to make the mixture the same throughout.  The goal of pasteurizing milk is to destroy certain disease-carrying germs and prevent the souring of milk. However pasteurization and homogenization come at a heavy cost.  It kills off the milk's natural antibodies, beneficial bacteria, and destroys much of it's nutritious constituents.

March is for preparing your garden

"The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it."  Genesis 2:15

"This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce" Jeremiah 29:5

"The days are coming," declares the LORD, when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills.  I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit"  Amos 9:13-14

Man was designed to work the fields and enjoy the fruits of his labor.  He benefits from its low intensity exercise, fresh air, and sun exposure; keeping him strong, well into an old age.  The earth rewards his labor with fresh fruits and vegatables, berries and nuts; everything man needs to live a vibrant healthy life.  This is why man was put on a soil rich planet, so that the earth could take care of everyone of his needs.

Hara Hachi Bu

About 800 miles south of Tokyo are the islands of Okinawa. It is in the nothern portion of these islands that you will find a community of people that maintain the longest disability free lifestyle in the world.  They live on average seven years longer than the average American, and have five times as many centenarians as the USA. Studies performed by Quest Network have attributed this longevity to diet, lifestyle and a cultural practice called Hara Hachi Bu.  In addition to logevity the Okinawan lifestyle has led to 1/5 the rate of colon and breast cancer in the USA, and 1/6 the rate of cardiocascular disease.