Grey Wolf’s Spiritual Advocacy

This is a beautiful write up, I just have to share it.  I agree with this whole heartily!

I wasn’t raised in any one type of faith, but I did convert to Christianity [I had plans on becoming a missionary, go figure] in my teens and became bewildered of it’s teaching’s, and it’s followers.  I left it after four years!  After that I became agnostic, but later became a Buddhist because I felt that it fitted in with my back ground of science, spiritual beliefs and it’s respect for nature and the world we live in.  I find this very interesting because even though it’s Native American, it seems to be similar to my ancestral background practice of Shintoism which is tightly connected with nature and the world we live in.  Shinto teaches us that all things have kami [spirit] miss translated as “God” in the English language.  So, “god” is with in us all and with in all things.  Personally, it is the life force with in each of us, and that is energy is within all things, down to the smallest atom within each of our cells we have this energy, that life force.

In Shinto there is a saying:   共存共栄  Kyoson Kyoei, Mutual co- existence and co- prosperity  ["A way that knows no prejudice."]

It’s unfortunate that we have to be bombarded daily with something that teaches so much hate towards everything else, when there are these beautiful teachings of respect for everything.  What happened, and why do so many choose the route of hate and disrespect for everything around us?

Grey Wolf's Spiritual Advacacy on Spirituality vs Religion

Freedom of Religion?

I just wish these other religions would stop pushing their stuff on the rest of us.  Civil marriage isn’t about religious marriage!  Religious marriage is between the church and their followers, no one else.  The church can tell their followers who or who they may not marry, and they should not be allowed to tell other people who don’t even participate in their faith, what they can or can not do.

Religious marriage and Civil marriage are two different things.  Civil marriage is about civil law, and doesn’t belong to the church it belongs the citizens of the state for the purpose of proving property rights and heirs, and many other legal aspect of life in the state.

Marriage is not a church invention, and the church adopted the practice, much like it adopted Easter from Ostera or Christmas from the Winter Solstice celebrations and many other adopted practices of the Pagan people.

We are suppose to have freedom of religion, but I’m find that the church is interfering with my freedom of my religion.

I see BIG Change coming our way in favor of Same Sex Civil Marriage in a WAVE ACROSS AMERICA!  Thanks to what Prop 8 is showing me, and many others across the country and the world!

We will be Free!

Proposition 8: What Happened to Change?

While Prop 8 is the catalyst to our actions and the stimulus to a meta-dialogue on marriage, I would go further to say Prop. 8 is harmful legislation that is being used as a tool to further moral issues of many who feel that same-sex relationships are immoral and an “abomination to God.” The clear message is that there really isn’t a question of marriage for same-sex partnerships simply because the California Supreme Court has upheld 18,000 (!) same-sex marriages. The court could have easily denied the right to marriage to those 18,000 people.

Meanwhile, many Americans in this Obama era advocate for change on a national level and have celebrated change. Many have celebrated difference this year with the victory of a different kind of President. When it was announced that the California Supreme Court had decided to affirm Prop. 8, what I saw and experienced as a Zen priest that lives in a same-sex relationship, is the unbelievable shock of not being part of the change America claims in this 21st Century.

What happens when we must deal with change (and may I say inevitable change) that is meant to transform hatred among us? Despite, Obama’s win there is still racial hatred. What if the change we were to embrace included the end of oppression of one group over another? Letting go of a superior or inferior being is what Shayamuni Buddha taught in his lessons on “no-self” or interrelationships with all living beings. We are nothing without each other. So, the denial of freedom to one is to deny freedom to all. [read more]