An Other-Worldly Conversation

CEO God has been otherwise occupied lately. With all that is going on, that is not surprising. His Emissary did pop in today, though, to answer a couple of questions I had about current events.

It's not always easy being a runner for CEO God; He's quite a taskmaster. But I've never heard any complaints from these intrepid intermediary Souls when we've met. They are instead calm and quiet in a glowing sort of way. Ah, someday we will all join them and be running too, which is certainly is a different picture than sitting around eating bon-bons and playing the harp.

At any rate, I have to warn you that the Emissary launched right away into gentle but stern words of admonishment for the way we humans view the spiritual. CEO God has said over and over that we are in a time of battle and need to act courageously and wisely as warriors. The Emissary just reiterated that fact in His own pointed way. It was as if we'd been talking for ages. . .

The Emissary: "This is no mystical or visionary dream with which I am presenting to you. It involves hard business sense on the physical plane, a practical commonsense, a cessation of the constant presentation of a beautiful future in a mythical heaven of idleness and uselessness. The bringing in of the Kingdom of God, the preparation for the coming of the Christ, and the salvaging of mankind demand courage, organization, business acumen, psychology and persistence; it needs trained workers and much money; it calls for carefully considered programs, possessing long range vision, plus sensible modern procedures. It is to this that all with a true vision and love of humanity are called today."

Susan: "Thanks for that clarification, Sir. Oh. Sorry, you weren't finished."

The Emissary: "No, not yet, just give me another moment on this weighty issue before We get to your questions. At any rate, so much has been discussed in relation to these laws [of love] from the mystical and strictly Christian angle that the terms used are essentially meaningless; the whole subject requires revitalizing; it needs to be endowed with a fresh and new presentation and a new terminology, more suited to the growing mental grasp of the scientific and modern mind. There has been endless talk about Brotherhood and the establishment of the principle that we are all children of God, and this has done little to change men's approach to each other and to the shared human problem."

Susan: "OK. Your point is well taken. But, will you at least give us some credit for getting to the point where we TALK about Brotherhood, even if we have no idea what it really means? And how do we take the next steps anyway? I haven't figured it out yet myself."

The Emissary: "Yes, you do know, but have been so preoccupied with your health situation lately, you've gotten a little waylaid. But, as a kindness for you today, here's a simple reminder: 'Let love be the keynote in all relationships, for the power which must salvage the world is the precipitation of love, and how shall that find its way onto the physical plane save through a group whose ears are attuned to its imminent emergence, and through the lives of those in the group who are irradiated by love itself?' "

Susan: "Of course, of course. You are so gracious not to rub my nose in the fact that sometimes striving folks like me fall off the wagon. But, thank heavens, not everyone falls off at the same time!"

The Emissary: "As you well know, that's why group work is the current mode of operation. Like the Three Musketeers said, 'All for one and one for all.' By the way, those three soldiers are really stand-up guys and running spiritual errands for CEO God as we speak. Their loyalty and courage are beyond reproach, qualities that makes them particularly useful in certain dicey circumstances. Well, enough of this, why did you call Us today? Our time is short for non-essentials, such as this visit."

Susan: "Yes, I understand that and will make this brief, hopefully. I called because I found out this week that in 1995 the Chinese government kidnapped 6-year-old Gendun Choekyl Nyima, who had been named by the Dalai Lama as the 11th Panchen Lama, the second in command for Tibetan Buddhists. These government louts then designated their own Panchen Lama, and the real Panchen Lama has not been heard from since."

"Not that the Chinese would care, but the impostor has little to do because he has no followers. That amounts to a pretty good government job, wouldn't You say? Even worse, the Chinese government is now blaming the Dalai Lama for inciting the protests and riots this week in and around China, like he wants to overthrow the regime even though he continually denies the fact. Can't the Chinese government see that they are themselves inciting the riots by their strong-armed tactics? Where is the enlightenment in all of this chaos? Isn't it time that Tibet was finally set free?"

The Emissary: "OK, Susan, you need to calm down, really. It is not good for your health to get so worked up. We can assure you that the rightful Panchen Lama is doing fine, and thus, you have little reason to fret. The energy created by his kidnapping is paving the way for the enlightened changes that will succeed the present situation. Both he and the Dalai Lama knew of the dangers and rewards when his naming took place so many years ago--it was and remains a private matter between them. Because of this pact, We cannot elaborate further."

"As to what the Dalai Lama is up to, only he would know that. We can only advise, watch and listen. However, do not get overly concerned with the activities taking place on the physical plane. Much is gong on behind the scenes of which you are unaware, some of it of a karmic nature that has nothing to do with current events."

Susan: "Well, if you say so. But, I'll have to ponder on that awhile. Hum, with all these weighty matters occurring, I'm a bit embarrassed to ask you my second question. It too has gotten me a bit worked-up."

The Emissary: "Susan, time's a-wasting. Please continue, chop-chop."

Susan: "OK, in a book I read this week called Journeys to the Mythical Past, Zecharia Sitchen revealed that since 1993, the Vatican has been the co-owner with the University of Arizona of a space observatory outside of Tucson. That struck me as an unusual papal investment. The next revelation floored me, however. Listen to this: many at the Vatican believe in extraterrestrials, the kind from outer space--not angels or the like."

"As a matter of fact, in May 2000, the Vatican sponsored an international gathering of astronomers and astrophysicists with the press reporting: 'For five days 250 astrophysicists discussed the birth and growth of 'islands of stars' of which the visible universe seemed to be populated; parallel to the official theme, informal discussions ranged from the Big Bang to extraterrestrial civilizations." Another Italian paper blurted on its front page: 'Extraterrestrials exist, and they are our brothers.' This was a quote from a Vatican astronomer! I really don't know what to make of this."

"And why weren't we told before that the Vatican had astronomers? Shouldn't that have come up sometime in the twelve years of my compulsory religion classes. I dare say it would have made them a heck of a lot more interesting."

The Emissary: "Susan, sometimes your naivety surprises me. Please understand that much about the Vatican is secret, but that segment is under the purview of Master Jesus. Thus, there is little We can say about the matter. Rest assured that all will be revealed when the time is right. As Robert Muller once said, 'The whole world stops and listens when someone comes along with the right new vision at the proper time.' "

"We ARE permitted to say, however, that the Vatican has long been factually aware of extraterrestrials. It has sinned, if that can be said of an institution, in not revealing this earlier. They had their reasons which were mostly political. But the time has now arrived to come clean and open their archives to scientists and historians. Much will be revealed about the roots of humanity and other far reaching matters, at least to those with minds and hearts open to truth."

Susan: "Wow, sometimes talking about the Vatican makes my blood boil! Who are they to keep such important truths from us?"

The Emissary: "While We are not apologists for the Vatican, we know that they have played a valuable role in the long history of mankind, sometimes for good and sometimes for evil. Our job is to look at the big picture, not the small, and the keeping of the secrets has been one reason for the Church's continued existence. Few are aware of this fact. It is not the only institution keeping the secrets, however, and the unearthing of them all is shortly approaching. However, that will occur if and only if mankind steps up to the plate of Brotherly love in a real, not imagined way. That concern was one of the reasons for my admonitions earlier in this session."

Susan: "No problem. I always profit from your celestial advise. And thanks for setting me straight about the Vatican--at least for the moment. I'll try to keep my temperature down from now on; though, I can't promise no more boiling blood. Gosh, time has flown! You do not know how much I appreciate that You came by."

The Emissary, with a smile: "Yes, we do, Susan, or We wouldn't have taken the time. By the way, remember to get adequate sunshine and rest--and watch that temperature. We need all the warriors we can get on the physical plane. While fulfilling a karmic requirement, your current health situation is getting in the way of your advancement in an unnecessary way. Thus, you should continue to pay attention to the matter as you have been doing, just not overly so."

Susan: "Thanks, Your point is noted and your concern appreciated. Farewell, until next time and many thanks again for Your time."


Of Note: These blogs with the imaginary gods and emissaries could be called "Conversations with Myself." Readers should take what they like and ignore the rest. But, if a reader finds a passage or two particularly disturbing, that might be something for which further delving is required. Only he or she will know. The facts laid out about the Panchen Lama and the Vatican are true. The Emissary's responses are true in my mind.

The first three Emissary quotes were from The Externalization of the Hierarchy, A.A.Bailey. The god-like cloud formation is compliments of my Sister, M. Huffman. Thanks again!

Today's Weather Report: It is in the 40's and melting all around. No one could ask for a nicer day. So far the cats have not noticed the little maple tree on it's plant stand. Hopefully, they will steer clear.

Life

I don't want to get to the end of my life
and find that I lived just the length of it.

I want to have lived the width of it as well.

Diane Ackerman

Of Note: Thanks to my Sister, Marie, for once again helping me grace this blog with beauty. The quote was the 3-3-08 Word For the Day from www.gratefulness.org. Marie turned me on to that great website as well. Be sure to check it out.

Today's Weather Report: Absolutely a gorgeous, spring-like day, and somewhere in the upper 30's. With only a few days until spring, I am smiling really big. My indoor little maple tree now has six tiny leaves. The challenge now is to keep it away from the five cats who would find the succulent little leaves tasty indeed.

An Unscrutable Cadence

My conscientious photographer sister, Marie, recently emailed this picture--sometime around my birthday last month. It shows my Mom at about my age proudly surrounded by her three grandchildren at the time: two of my sister's three boys, Daniel (left) and Andrew (right,) as well as my son, Matt (middle.) These boys are now in their thirties, and my son is raising two sons of his own.

This cycle of life that we take so personally actually rolls on impersonally to an inscrutable cadence. Revolution after unceasing revolution humanity grows in creativity, that divine quality about which we know so little and take for granted that which we do acknowledge.

Until now. Now is different, and many are awakening to the shouting voices of worried visionaries who clearly see that: "The future is not some place we are going, but one we are creating. The paths are not to be found, but made. And the activity of making them changes both the maker and their destination." In the last few years, many are beginning to understand that we are the creators, and no one else is poised to save us should we miss that point.

To assure a bright and successful future for our grandchildren and their grandchildren, today's parents must come to grips with their responsibility to the biomass called lovingly, Mother Earth. No one would argue that without coming together on this weighty matter, we're toast--quite literally. Some are making plans for her perceived destruction by creating spaceships to take them away from the scene. Wouldn't it just be easier to join in the new creativity that the current slew of problems require and help all mankind in the process?

The response to this last question has been a resounding YES, and thankfully, enlightened thinkers are fueling a new age of concern for the ground on which we walk and the air which we breathe. Many, including corporations, are beginning to see the environment now as community property for which we are all responsible.

The editor of NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC recently opined that "Being green is not a trend. It is, perhaps, the most important challenge of our time." Last year this pioneering magazine acquired the Green Guide (www.greenguide.com) that touts itself as a consumer resource for Earth-friendly living offering "sophisticated" ideas past changing the light bulbs to florescent. As a matter of fact, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC magazine editorial board has a long history of responsible green behavior going all the way back to 1888 and have been leaders in the movement ever since.

We will know we have hit an environmental milestone when abundant biofuels are available. Many innovators are racing to this mile-marker, and at the forefront of this creative movement are biofuels made from non-food sources. (Whoever pushed biofuels from food sources should have his or her head examined, don't you think?)

As an example of this, the eccentric owner of Virgin Airlines, Richard Branson, impressively introduced his coconut and Brazilian babassu nut biofuel blend by drinking the stuff. Grimacing he said, "It's more appropriate for the engine." After that, the mixture was added to a plane that flew from from London's Heathrow Airport to Amsterdam in the first commercial biofuel airline test. The WSJ reported that the historical flight came off without a hitch with Sir Richard beaming like a proud parent, although he admitted between burps that the fuel tasted "horrible" (2-26-08.) Ah, what pioneers do for the cause!

The U.S. Air Force has their finger in this pie as well and has set a goal to have its entire fleet of planes using alternative fuels by 2011. That's only three years, but whose counting? Maybe they know something we don't, although word has it that the AF has been experimenting with natural gas and coal rather than biofuels, which could explain how they intend to take the leap so soon.

Other interesting biofuels include those made from algae. An advertisement from CNN in TIME magazine this week extolled the virtues of algae oil made by a start-up company in El Paso, Texas. The scientist in charge of the experiments said that algae can produce 100,000 gallons of oil per acre compared to 20 gallons per acre with corn! The pioneering scientist went on to say: "Take one-tenth of the State of New Mexico and convert it to greenhouse algae production, and the result would be enough oil to meet the transportation needs of the entire U.S." The citizens of New Mexico might not be too excited with that prospect, but the point is lowly algae may play an important innovative role in fueling our grandchildren's future.

Even more exciting are biofuels made by breaking down pollutants, creating a two-fold solution. InSinkErator, the Wisconsin maker of the ubiquitous kitchen disposal, has created a system being sold in Europe that takes kitchen throwaways and converts it to biogas and fertilizer (WSJ, 2-26-08.) While the waste-capturing system might not work everywhere, in Europe it is finding a place.

Along this same line, from my archives, I dug out an article about a Massachusetts environmental microbiologist, who discovered a bacteria in the Potomac River that "breathes rust instead of oxygen, thrives in polluted earth, and can even generate electricity" (TIME, 2-9-2004.) This crafty microbe, Geobacter, was used to clean up a uranium mine in Colorado and an oil spill in Minnesota. However, the creation of electricity as part of the clean-up process actually gained the most fanfare and caught the all-seeing eye of the Departments of Energy and Defense. These megaliths bankrolled this frontline endeavor because of the potential for Geobacter to power sediment batteries on the battlefield. I wonder if four years later these batteries are in use, although we might never know.

Of course, with every pro comes a con, and biofuels are no different. As it turns out, biofuels don't burn any cleaner in airplanes, and emissions are similar to the usual fuel blend. What is gained is the reduced environmental impact in their creation. In the Virgin Airline article, WSJ concluded: "Plants and trees producing the oils remove carbon from the atmosphere, and don't come with all the drilling, refining and shipping costs of crude oil. "

On the other hand, a recent study published in Science magazine found that "Corn based ethanol will nearly double the output of greenhouse gas emissions instead of reducing them by about one-fifth. . .a separate paper concludes that clearing native habitats to grow crops for biofuel generally will lead to more carbon emissions" (WSJ, 2-8-08, A4.) It goes without saying that biofuels made from foodstuffs, such as corn, is just plain wrong, unless it's food wastes, such as turkey parts. But we can see from these examples that scientists, politicians and ethicists will be kept busy with these thorny issues for years to come.

And finally, a blog on the environment would not be complete without one mention of an enterprising recycling project. There are so many to choose from these days, but this one caught my eye for it's originality in creating expensive handbags from used candy wrappers, catalogs, and even New York City subway maps. The enlightened company Ecoist calls this group of purses the Candy Wrapper Collection, which have been purchased by such luminaries as Lindsay Lohan. Even more telling, however, the piece in DISCOVER magazine goes on to say: "The $188 Large Portfolio handbag, woven from Luna bar wrappers, was hand-made by fair trade workers in Mexico or Peru. Part of the proceeds funds a nonprofit organization that helps poor Mexican families build self-sufficient communities, and for every bag sold, Ecoist plants a tree."

The lesson here: capitalism, too, can be a positive human creation, and my hat goes off to the Ecoist company for figuring this out in such an innovative way. Our grandchildren's future can indeed be bright as they learn from an early age that they are inextricably intertwined with all else, including their candy wrappers, not to mention their cell-phone cast-aways.


Today's Weather Report: 3 - 5 inches of heavy snow fell last night, and Jim had to plow today. This is typical for March. Today was warmish, although I didn't put as much as my toe outside.

Aflame II

In the past, we have had the light which flickered;
In the present, we have the light which flames;
In the future, there will be a light which shines o'er all the land and sea.

Winston Churchill


Of Note: Thanks again to Marie for this awesome sunset photo taken from her house in February.

God Is a Pacifist and Other Myths, Part III

CONTINUED FROM LAST SUNDAY--

PART III

"Greetings! We thought you'd never invite us in. Who are we? We are on the same Path as you and are here to en-COURAGE you to move along. We are a little ahead of you and could have gone on, but chose to stay awhile and help your group save the world."

"Yes, We can tell you that you are part of a great Hierarchy of Souls. You will be formally introduced to that exalted enclave once you have been properly domesticated to spiritual living. Our job is to show you the Real so that you might finally understand the Mind of God and join it. In so doing, you will question no more the little world of men because you will understand the answers directly."

"Our ultimate goal on Earth is to foster love among the Sons of Men. It is Our--and thus, your--only purpose. You hinder yourself from finding the Real through your undesirable habit of adherence to the unreal and its deafening noise, putrid smells and gross vibration. We mean this quite literally. The physical sticks to you like glue, and, the truth is, We are the only solvent."

"You have accused Us in the past of many things based on the myths you have been taught. These false teachings were especially prevalent in your religious upbringing. However, you always knew in your heart that these untruths were part of the unreal. We are now here to tell you that when you know Reality, it is LIGHT in your heart and a pure tone sounds in your ear. You've heard that for a few years without knowing its source. It was just Us tuning into your vibration."

"Particularly at this time, we ask that you put aside the myth that God is a pacifist. This cannot be so. A personified God, if you must, is pacifist AND destroyer. Death and destruction are inherently part of the Plan, just as much as birth and awakening. If truth be known, there would be no life without death. Just look around, and you will know this to be true. Each contribute equally to the evolutionary process."

"Let me try to put it to you simply, Sanat Kumara, the One whom you call God, knows the Plan from Those ahead of Him on the Path and steps it down to those on the the next rung of the Hierarchical ladder. These Souls in turn step the information down and so on and so forth until it reaches the masses of men. Keep in mind that We are not allowed by universal law to interfere with the affairs of humanity directly so have to use this sometimes inefficient, step-wise process to get things done. That is the way it's always been, except for two instances, but it would be digressing to go there. So, let us move on."

"Men at this time and throughout the history of humanity have used war to achieve ends. We only have you through which to work, as I said before. Thus, war is sometimes part of the Plan--because that is how the Plan is sometimes interpreted by humanity. This is a large topic and could fill volumes. Suffice it to say, however, that in some instances war, when motivated by universal ideas, is the best We can do with the circumstances on the ground. This is especially so at this crucial time when we must seal the door where evil dwells without fail."

"The window of opportunity is small in which to win this decisive battle; in the expanse of time, the opening is infinitesimal. However, until evil is put to sleep, the peace humanity so desperately seeks is not possible. Please understand that those Great Energies who promote evil will not have it. The coming of the Kingdom of God spells Their doom--and that fear guides Their every move. Fear is Their signature card and is an emotion They actively promulgate. Yes, you could say these Beings feed on it, and you humans keep them amply supplied with delicious goodies."

TO BE CONTINUED NEXT SUNDAY--

Of note: This is a continuation of the story began last Sunday. To understand the full context, please refer to my blog of March 9, 2008. The God-like picture is courtesy of M. Huffman, who always supplies me with the perfect image.

PS: The Heart of the Matter

In the News You Can You Section, would it surprise you like it did me that pacemakers and other such heart devices do not have anti-hacker security? What does this mean? The WSJ reported that a study conducted by the Harvard Medical School and presented at a California computer security conference warned that wireless medical devices can be hacked, and they have proven it.

While leaving out various details of the exact experiment (thank heavens,) the researchers proved that Medtronic pacemakers and other devices are not secure. The article went on to say:

"The study is a latest in a series that have found flaws in the security of wireless-communications systems--from remote-controlled car keys, to Bluetooth telephone headsets, to the Wi-Fi technology used to connect to the Internet, to radio-frrequency credit cards that can be 'tapped' to make payments. But the prospect of remotely controlling somebody else's heart via radio waves rises to a different level" (3-12-08, D7, emphasis mine.)

Currently, Medtronics, who sells a goodly number of these pacemakers and other medical devices, said in a statement:

"The chance of an ICD [pacemaker] being reprogrammed by a computer hacker is extremely remote. . . the company said it was gradually increasing the sophistication of devices to prevent unauthorized people from tampering with a defibrillator, but said it was necessary to balance security with other factors. For example, it each defibrillator had its own password to prevent unauthorized access, a doctor might not be able t control it in an emergency situation."

Such nefarious intrusion has actually never happened, but could according to the Harvard study. Seems to me, it would be more enlightened than unenlightened to safeguard patients from a hacker dude stopping their heart on a whim. This does not seem like rocket science in an era where we are warned about wireless security ad nauseum.

The other large pacemaker outfit, Boston Scientific, assured the news that they do have rocket scientists in residence and have always secured its devices with encryption of some sort, which would at least slow any would-be hackers down. Lordy, save us from corporations who have their bottom line rather than the patient in mind.

Extreme Make-over

It seems religion is changing, sometimes in a big way if you look really closely. Take Christianity: now that the flock is starting to think, some church views have not held up to scrutiny. In fact, the latest Pew poll on Religion and Public Life showed major declines in mainstream denominations such as Roman Catholicism, Methodism and Lutheranism. The findings reported by WSJ revealed that: "Nearly half [44%] of adults in the U.S. have switched faith other than the one in which they were raised or have dropped affiliation with any organized religion. . . the study also found that more than one-third of respondents were raised Roman Catholic had left the faith as adults [the largest loss among all the churches.] Yet, the overall number of Catholics in the U.S. has remained steady--about 25% of adults--buttressed by a wave of Catholic Latinos immigration" (2-26-08, D1.)

Further, over half of the Jews and members of the various protestant churches polled are over the age of 50, which should be an alarming statistic to any church bent on survival. The poll went on to say, however, evangelicals make up a goodly portion of the protestants and are gaining adherents. Why, asked the pollsters?

According to a Boston University professor, it's because these churches "draw members by appealing to their day-to-day concerns. Its not hellfire and damnation being preached." And as we know, many politicians have taken note of this vocal religious segment--so, these congregates might like the attention.

The God Who Wasn't There, the Michael Moore-like documentary currently making the rounds, may be emblematic of these shifting religious attitudes. Newsweek said the movie "irreverently lays out the case that Jesus Christ never existed." According to the website www.thegodmovie.com:

"Bowling for Columbine did it to the gun culture. Super Size Me did it to the fast food. Now The God Who Wasn't There does it to religion. Holding modern Christianity up to a bright spotlight, this bold and often hilarious new film asks the questions few dare to ask. See the movie the Los Angeles Times calls 'provocative - to put it mildly.' Hold onto your faith. It's in for a bumpy ride."

That Jesus Christ wasn't God is one set of beliefs and held by many. That He did not exist at all is the more radical tenet of this DVD, narrated by a former fundamentalist and others who share his less-than-mainstream opinion. This controversial movie can be purchased from Amazon.com for only $16.99 for anyone interested in what a radical former-fundamentalist had to say about Jesus, or the lack thereof. On the other hand, maybe the money would be better spent on a charity of your choice. I'm sure The Hunger Site would accept the donation with a welcoming hand.

Except for secular Europe where churchgoing has been down for years, religion still plays a defining role in the everyday life of the normal world citizens--sometimes for the good and sometimes not.

While the Roman Catholic Church for the most part left its inter-meddling days behind in the Middle Ages, it still has schizophrenic moments. For example, under what circumstances would a Rwandan priest order a church with 1500 people inside to be burned and then bulldozed by militiamen? We may never know, but this very crime landed a Roman Catholic cleric in jail for life--a sentence handed down by a war-crimes U.N. Tribunal currently holding court in Rwanda. The original sentence of 15 years was extended to life when the guilty priest appealed his conviction. The account of the incident was horrifying:

"The tribunal said it convicted Seromba for his role in the destruction of the church in Nyange Parish, and the consequent death of approximately 1500 Tutsis sheltered inside. Seromba was convicted of leading a militia that attacked the people and poured fuel through the roof of the church, while police threw grenades inside. After failing to kill everyone inside the church, Seromba ordered it to be demolished."

According to the AP News story today, many Rwandans have turned away from the Roman Catholic Church angered by such acts of violence and the Church's actions during the genocide. Do you think?

On the other hand, another AP News story today related that Qatar (pronounced like guitar or gutter, take your pick) was opening its first Roman Catholic Church. A picture of the magnificent $15 million structure in Doha showed that Catholics in this Muslim country will finally have a place to formally worship. The often outspoken Emir of Qatar personally donated the land and gave his blessing, which he hoped would go a long way in securing the 2016 Olympics. Church construction for several protestant denominations was also underway, apparently for the same reason. Expatriates make up 70% of Qatar's population and have immigrated from the Philippines and other Asian nations. These are the folks for whom these new churches are intended. Jews are apparently still not welcome.

Although some have criticized the Emir's moves, others have applauded them. Since 1995 when he overthrow his conservative father in a coup, Shiek Hamad has been an enlightened mover and shaker in this tiny country, which sits on the largest gas reserve in the world.

"The country's most ambitious move to open up to the world has come through sports. Each year, Qatar now hosts dozens of sporting events for men and women. It held the 2006 Asian games and hopes to win the 2016 summer Olympics. The emirate last month also became the first Arab state to welcome a Israeli athlete for a competition, despite a regional boycott of Israel."

Also religiously enlightened are two movements in the Muslim world to open the arts to women. As you may remember from my previous blog about transgender men in Pakistan, the arts have not always been open to Muslim females. That is slowly changing.

In Afghanistan, a woman actually made it to the semifinals in the Afghani version of American Idol called Afghan Star. The show, now in its third year, has been controversial from the start because it promoted singing and other aspects of modernity, like white leather jackets and funky hairstyles (yes, even in Afghanistan.)

Now amazingly, a traditionally-garbed women made it to third place and will most likely secure a recording contract, like other finalist have done in the past. Afghan Star is the most popular show in the country and many watch it from crowded sidewalks and tiny storefronts. Some say it is helping woman progress and shows the "peaceful side of Afghanistan." No one would argue that art could help build a peaceful culture, something which has been lacking in this war-torn country for several decades.

In Baghdad, a school of ballet is trying to do the same, although with a bit more difficulty. The author, Melik Kaylan, began his WSJ article with the words:

"In a conflict zone, you train your emotions to resist all kinds of horrors and suddenly you can be unmanned by an unexpected moment of grace. At the Baghdad School of Music and Ballet, a handful of 6-year-old beginners attempt the plie stance: Two little girls in pink leotards and bunned hair, four boys in white T-shirts and black shorts."

So begins the tale of this dangerous artistic endeavor in this war-torn Muslim country. It is only with a great amount of spunk and courage that the Iraqi female teacher, dressed in a leotard even in the presence of men, conducts her lessons each day. What's more, under her determined tutelage, the classes have begun to grow. This advance was only made possible after the area became more secure following the surge, but this does not stop the criminals who have occasionally kidnapped students for ransom.

Although the ballet school has its ups and downs, the National Symphony Orchestra and National Theater and Film directorate are flourishing. Ironically, all of these artistic institutions were opened under the secular dictatorship of Saddam Hussein. In the process of democratizing the country, they have been made a bit more insecure because of a backlash from religious fundamentalists. It is expected, however, that the arts will thrive again.

And finally, Buddhists continue to take a beating in Myanmar, where the UN's special envoy has been told to stay home because of his outspoken criticism of the regime in power. A bit farther north in Tibet, Buddhist monks not to be outdone by their southern counterparts, protested against China this week in a rare move. The Dalai Lama urged both sides to avoid violence, but his words came too late in the capital of Llasa where crowds burned shops and were then pummeled with tear gas by Chinese troops.

Rumors had it that 70 were killed and 1000 arrested. According to the AP News today, European Union officials "urged restraint" on the Chinese, but had no intention of boycotting the Olympics over the incident. Actor Richard Gere, long an advocate for a free Tibet, was quoted as saying: "They've [Tibetans] been brutally repressed for 50 years, 55 years, close to six decades. When you repress the people, they will explode. All people will explode."

But that is the point, is it not? There is no enlightenment without crises, whether it is the falling church census in the United States, a 6-year-old Muslim ballet dancer in Baghdad kidnapped by criminals, or the repression of Buddhists by a communist regime.

Maybe that means it's time for an extreme religious make-over, like on that reality TV show. Can't say I've ever watched it, but have heard that it transforms ugly ducklings into va--va--voom mommas who are more in step with the current cultural norms of beauty. Letting a little truth and beauty in the doors of religion might be refreshing, and enlightening. It's something that's never been tried, but it could be time, wouldn't you say?

Of note: The starkly beautiful photo from my sister M. Huffman reminded me of the Light due to pour into the stead institutions of the churches in the coming era. The current crises are the precursors of this magnificent event, prophesied to be overseen by Jesus himself. He did watch that video about himself and chuckled--won't they be surprised.

Today's Weather Report: I can feel the spring in the air. It's warm today and melting. One of the cats brought in a bird. Poor bird, happy cat. More than a foot of snow still on the ground, though. Tomorrow an ice fishing party on the lake, maybe one of the last. The ice out there is still a couple of feet thick.