sitting monkey is place where
david evans
writes about meditation, buddhism, and related topics.
my next blog post should be live on onecity later today, about a recent study released showing greatly increased media usage by kids under-18 in America.
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i just posted a short note about sex and dharma on the Interdependence Project and BeliefNet’s OneCity blog.
yes, this means i’m contributing to rupert murdoch’s empire…
What do you think of the Bible bill, to acknowledge the part the bible played in the creation of the United States by making 2010 the “year of the bible”?
ya, i don’t think it would pass really nor get signed, but it’s interesting to see the bill floated at all in congress. perhaps this is in part how a representative from georgia gets props in the bible belt. i’m tickled by the representative from massachusetts barney frank’s retort though, “What is 2012 the year of? The Quran?”
that said, i don’t see any problem at all acknowledging both how the united states has a stated view of religious tolerance and at the same time has a more judeo-christian heritage and viewpoint. that’s just how it is. perhaps celebrating a particular aspect of heritage doesn’t imply an advocacy for that viewpoint? it seems like it does though, as in making 2010 or 2012 for that matter a celebration of a specific ethnic or religious tradition a kind of advocacy — almost like the religions are competing in the same american competitive spirit. which is odd to me, the competitive quality or any sense of advocacy. how does one celebrate their faith without denigrating others faith or view? seems like there is a way to do that, but maybe our american competitive habit makes that harder?
i posted my first guest blog at onecityblog.com today, a pretty nerdy post comparing battlestar galactica and buddhism. why such a dorky topic? i mentioned to folks at our regular interdependence project thursday sitting that ethan was teasing me to post on that, and that made it a kind of challenge. but i also find popular culture - and the philosophic views assumed in TV shows like that - to be fascinating study. if we accept destiny or determinism in our TV shows, does that infect our personal view? do we begin to feel like our efforts no longer matter if we believe in destiny? or does it turn into a huge ego trip if we think our destiny is to be special? i could continue in this theme and easily pick apart popular story arcs from a Buddhist point of view. interesting theme for posts maybe?