Archive | July 12, 2013

Words Matter: industrial climate disruption is not a religion

Jul12

Progressive Culture | Scholars & Rogues

CATEGORY: ReligionWeekFor other posts in the Words Matter series, please click here

religion
a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices (source)

Some people falsely allege that industrial climate disruption is a religion. This allegation is blatantly flawed, as is the related allegation that industrial climate disruption is a cult. But that doesn’t prevent deniers of industrial climate disruption from making the false allegation in an attempt to render the underlying science moot.

As shown in the definition above, a religion is a set of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices, with the key word being “religious.” Religion requires the worship of some greater power or divinity. Scientific disciplines do not. In general, religion concerns itself with faith and adherence to established doctrine whether or not the doctrine make sense. Science, on the other hand, concerns itself with what is observable, what can…

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Prayer for a July Summer’s Day

Jul12

I raise my face to the summer sun this morning

I thank the cool breeze caressing my face

I ask blessings of the day from mornings first light

and all through the night.

Sweetness of the passing rain

Morning song of the mockingbird

Adolescent complaint of the crow

Cheeriness of the white rose

Freshness of the butterflies

Fragrance of garden herbs

Laziness of a lizard

Beauty of clouds

Cleaness of air

Bless my day and whom I love

All this day and during the coolness of night

ReligionWeek: Will organized religion destroy your religious freedom?

Jul12

Progressive Culture | Scholars & Rogues

Organized-Religion4On July 2, America’s real Independence Day, by the way, leaders of a number of churches that doctrinally and theologically do not usually see eye-to-eye gathered at the National Press Club for a “religious liberty” press conference to announce their collective effort to trample individual religious freedom. They released “Standing Together for Religious Freedom: An Open Letter for All Americans.” The signatories to the letter included leaders from Catholic, Evangelical, Mormon, Lutheran, and Jewish organizations and denominations, as well as academics and various values-oriented groups, such as Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council.

The point of their letter and presentations is that the Obama Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services are violating the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause by requiring insurance companies or administrators to provide birth control coverage in separate policies to persons covered by policies paid for by religious institutions…

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