I do not think I have ever posted a Terrific Tuesday message. This is likely to be the first. I am not sure if it will be the last. I am strongly prompted to do this today as a way to empathize and sympathize with the families in Milwaukee and around the world grieving after the senseless murder of six Sikh worshippers there. The following is the message I sent to several dozen people this morning. There is a fairly large Sikh community in Northern New Mexico. They are surrounded by many people who have not taken the time to learn who they are.
So many of those people have suffered persecution, prejudice, disparaging remarks, and names like “diaperheads.” I cannot see what God sees, but based on what I see as an earthling sees, there is nothing anywhere close to being rational about that kind of behavior in Espanola, in Milwaukee, not even in Punjab. With 30,000,000 adherents around the world, one would hope they would be better understood. The deluded man who did this awful deed probably doesn’t even know where Punjab is. So sad …
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TT080712 – A tragedy of Ignorance
This is the Khanda, the symbol of Sikhism. Whatever the misguided soul who committed the terrible murders of these innocent and peace-loving people, it could not have arisen from understanding; such acts come only from ignorance and hate based on ignorance – a particularly virulent form of hate best characterized by the work stupid.
The Khanda starts with a circular pot which recalls the Sikh belief that no one should go to bed hungry, especially because of caste barriers – prejudices. Under the pot are two curved swords representing spiritual and temporal power. Their juxtaposition communicates that they work equally and together to better humankind. The Khanda in the center is a double-edged sword (think of Hebrews 4:12), showing a fusion of the spiritual and temporal power as it gives rise to the saint-warrior (Khalsa). The Khanda represents knowledge of God, the Chakkar (pot) represents the eternal nature of God and oneness of humanity, and the two swords represent Miri (political sovereignty) and Piri (spiritual sovereignty). See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khanda_(religious_symbol) for details.
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion that has absolutely nothing to do with Islam and especially the Taliban and Al-Qeda; it is definitely the antithesis of the latter. I’m going to lift a quote from the Wiki-pedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikh_beliefs. I encourage you to take some time and read up a little on this. Ignorance is curable, but there is no cure for stupid. There is only one cure for ignorance: Knowledge in Context. You have to know something and you have to understand what you know in relationship to everything else you know.
1) One Source
One God is the Creator of the Universe
2) Equality
All human beings are equal
People of all religions and races are welcome in Sikh Gurdwaras
Women have equal status with men in religious services and ceremonies
3) Human Life Precious Above Other Life
The human life is supreme and it is through this life that we can achieve oneness with God’s will.
Finding God in this life and living by his commands helps us to attain God’s mercy.
4) Defending Against Injustice
Sikhs are a peace loving people and stand for Truth and Justice
Guru Gobind Singh Ji said, “It is right to use force as a last resort when all other peaceful means fail.”
These can be summed up in the Mool Mantar which is:
- there is one creator
- whose name is truth
- creative being
- without fear
- without hate
- timeless whose spirit is throughout the universe
- beyond the cycle of death and rebirth
- self-existent
- by the grace of the guru
- God is made known to humanity.
- Chant and meditate on His name
- True in the beginning, true now, and says Nanak, will be true forever
Please see the source of this information at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikh_beliefs and if you can help contribute to the completion of that page, it would be a fine way to honor these innocents so senselessly murdered. Please forward/share this with others. We have a responsibility to defend the religious freedom of all faiths and creeds, and to decry the acts of stupidity that injure the faithful.
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved.
chick
========================================
I do not think I have ever posted a Terrific Tuesday message. This is likely to be the first. I am not sure if it will be the last. I am strongly prompted to do this today as a way to empathize and sympathize with the families in Milwaukee and around the world grieving after the senseless murder of six Sikh worshippers there. The following is the message I sent to several dozen people this morning. There is a fairly large Sikh community in Northern New Mexico. They are surrounded by many people who have not taken the time to learn who they are.
So many of those people have suffered persecution, prejudice, disparaging remarks, and names like “diaperheads.” I cannot see what God sees, but based on what I see as an earthling sees, there is nothing anywhere close to being rational about that kind of behavior in Espanola, in Milwaukee, not even in Punjab. With 30,000,000 adherents around the world, one would hope they would be better understood. The deluded man who did this awful deed probably doesn’t even know where Punjab is. So sad …
==========
TT080712 – A tragedy of Ignorance
This is the Khanda, the symbol of Sikhism. Whatever the misguided soul who committed the terrible murders of these innocent and peace-loving people, it could not have arisen from understanding; such acts come only from ignorance and hate based on ignorance – a particularly virulent form of hate best characterized by the work stupid.
The Khanda starts with a circular pot which recalls the Sikh belief that no one should go to bed hungry, especially because of caste barriers – prejudices. Under the pot are two curved swords representing spiritual and temporal power. Their juxtaposition communicates that they work equally and together to better humankind. The Khanda in the center is a double-edged sword (think of Hebrews 4:12), showing a fusion of the spiritual and temporal power as it gives rise to the saint-warrior (Khalsa). The Khanda represents knowledge of God, the Chakkar (pot) represents the eternal nature of God and oneness of humanity, and the two swords represent Miri (political sovereignty) and Piri (spiritual sovereignty). See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khanda_(religious_symbol) for details.
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion that has absolutely nothing to do with Islam and especially the Taliban and Al-Qeda; it is definitely the antithesis of the latter. I’m going to lift a quote from the Wiki-pedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikh_beliefs. I encourage you to take some time and read up a little on this. Ignorance is curable, but there is no cure for stupid. There is only one cure for ignorance: Knowledge in Context. You have to know something and you have to understand what you know in relationship to everything else you know.
1) One Source
One God is the Creator of the Universe
2) Equality
All human beings are equal
People of all religions and races are welcome in Sikh Gurdwaras
Women have equal status with men in religious services and ceremonies
3) Human Life Precious Above Other Life
The human life is supreme and it is through this life that we can achieve oneness with God’s will.
Finding God in this life and living by his commands helps us to attain God’s mercy.
4) Defending Against Injustice
Sikhs are a peace loving people and stand for Truth and Justice
Guru Gobind Singh Ji said, “It is right to use force as a last resort when all other peaceful means fail.”
These can be summed up in the Mool Mantar which is:
- there is one creator
- whose name is truth
- creative being
- without fear
- without hate
- timeless whose spirit is throughout the universe
- beyond the cycle of death and rebirth
- self-existent
- by the grace of the guru
- God is made known to humanity.
- Chant and meditate on His name
- True in the beginning, true now, and says Nanak, will be true forever
Please see the source of this information at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikh_beliefs and if you can help contribute to the completion of that page, it would be a fine way to honor these innocents so senselessly murdered. Please forward/share this with others. We have a responsibility to defend the religious freedom of all faiths and creeds, and to decry the acts of stupidity that injure the faithful.
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved.
chick
========================================
About Chick Todd
American Roman Catholic reared as a "Baptiterian" in Denver Colorado. Now living on Kauaʻi. USAF Vet. Married for over 50 years. Scripture study has been my passion ever since my first "Bible talk" at age 6 in VBS.
