All You Need Is Love

[dcsmart]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzJ2NKp23WU
The Beatles-

Bono at NAACP Awards
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6P6v4bNxJQ&feature=related

A Guide to Cultivating Compassion in Your Life, With 7 Practices
http://zenhabits.net/2007/06/a-guide-to-cultivating-compassion-in-your-life-with-7-practices/

Peacemaking: A Draft Unitarian Universalist Statement of Conscience
http://www.uua.org/socialjustice/issuesprocess/currentissues/peacemaking/121606.shtml

Historical and Theological Context

This Statement of Conscience is grounded in the following Unitarian Universalist historical practices and theological principles.
A. Historical Practices

Throughout our history, some Unitarian Universalists have been pacifists who unconditionally opposed all wars, while others have opposed or supported specific wars on a selective basis. Many Unitarian Universalists have served honorably in the military.

In the 19th century, a substantial number of Unitarians and Universalists opposed the Mexican War but supported the Union in the Civil War. In the 20th century both denominations passed resolutions supporting both World Wars, though not without dissent. Since the 1961 formation of the Unitarian Universalist Association, we adopted resolutions opposing the Vietnam War, and many Unitarian Universalists have supported the use of military force for humanitarian purposes.

Our past practice has been to discern the appropriate response in particular circumstances. In this Statement of Conscience, we reject war as inconsistent with our theological principles and religious values, with the exceptions of self-defense and the use of force for humanitarian purposes.
B. Theological Principles

The fundamental unity and interdependence of all existence. The interdependence we have long affirmed has become the daily reality of our globalized world. Our interdependence makes it both possible and necessary that we see the peoples of the world as one community in which there is no Other to war against.

The transforming power of love. We affirm the reality of love as a dynamic relational power within and among us. This power moves us to create relationships of compassion, respect, mutuality and forgiveness; to love our neighbor; and to recognize everyone as our neighbor. Love of our neighbor is fundamentally incompatible with war.

The inherent worth and dignity of all persons. All human beings have the right to a meaningful and fulfilling life, including physical safety and economic and social well-being. War devalues human worth, restricting the possibilities for human fulfillment and denying the right to life itself.

Human freedom. Most human beings are free moral agents with the capacity to make choices and are accountable for these choices. Human freedom may be used creatively or destructively. These possibilities are expressed not only in our individual choices and actions, but also in the institutions and social structures we create. War is the product of human choices, restricting human agency and limiting the possibilities for human freedom.

Rejection of moral dualism. We reject as false the sharp separation of good and evil, assigning individuals and nations into one or the other category. Moral dualism can blind us to the potential for evil within ourselves and within our nation and to the inherent worth and dignity of those whom our nation labels as enemies. We affirm the reality of evil in the world but reject the assumption that war is the most effective response to evil.

Cooperative power. Power is created and expressed in complex networks of human relationships. Power can be used to create or destroy, to liberate or oppress. War is an expression of destructive power. Preventing war and creating nonviolent alternatives require the use of cooperative power—power with, not power over. Cooperative power is grounded in a commitment to mutual persuasion over coercion.

Justice and peace. Justice concerns the fair ordering of human relationships, including social and political relationships. War signals the breakdown of fairly ordered human relations; it is inherently unjust. Peace is an attribute of relationship; it is a process, not a stagnant state. Peace emerges as our social and political institutions become more cooperative and more just. Lasting peace rests on just relationships.

Humility and open-mindedness. We affirm an open-mindedness that makes us suspicious of all claims of finality, including our own. Humility, inherent in this open-mindedness, doesn’t prevent us from taking strong stands; but we must always remain open to the possibility that we are wrong or that future circumstances may call for a different position.
Where We Stand

Pacifism and Just War. We reject war as an instrument of national foreign policy, except for self-defense and humanitarian purposes. Both the pacifist and just war traditions provide a basis for prophetic critique and nonviolent witness against war. Yet pacifist and just war approaches are applied inconsistently and are readily manipulated. We affirm and promote nonviolent measures to prevent war, while considering the right of conscience that calls some of us to choose conscientious objection and some of us to choose military service.

Moral responsibility. We affirm a moral responsibility to prevent war and to foster and advocate nonviolent means of responding to conflict. We hold that this responsibility is shared by the world community of nations.

Peace work. We support a multi-layered approach to the work of peace that includes: (a) peacekeeping—early intervention to prevent war, stop genocide, and monitor ceasefires; (b) peacemaking—mediating between hostile parties, negotiating equitable and sustainable peace agreements, and post-conflict rebuilding and reconciliation; and (c) peacebuilding—creating institutions and structures that address the roots of conflict, including economic exploitation, political marginalization, and lack of judicial accountability.

Just policing. We support the emerging model of just policing, which seeks to fulfill the peacekeeping responsibility by applying the concept of community policing to the international context.

Humanitarian intervention. We affirm the responsibility of the international community to protect persons from genocide and other crimes against humanity through limited armed intervention, but only when authorized by the United Nations.

Foreign policy and practice. We oppose the militarization of U.S. foreign policy and the practice of preventive war.

Right of individual conscience. We affirm the right of individual conscience. We advocate a range of individual choices, including military service and conscientious objection, as fully compatible with Unitarian Universalism. For those among us who make a formal commitment as conscientious objectors, we will offer documented certification, honor their commitment to nonviolence, and offer pastoral support. For those among us who make a formal commitment to military service, we will honor their commitment, welcome them home, and offer pastoral support.

A culture of peace. We advocate a culture of peace through a transformation of public policies, religious consciousness, and individual lifestyles. At the heart of this transformation is the readiness to honor the truths of multiple voices from a theology of covenant grounded in love.
Text

Peacemaking
http://www.uua.org/socialjustice/issuesprocess/currentissues/peacemaking/index.shtml



The flaming chalice is the symbol of UUism and is often lit at the start of worship services.

[Deja Q]

1. Yup. Written by Lennon - the wife-beater.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNs2VOwOquw

It's not the goddamn words somebody writes. It's the peoples' desire to follow what was written.

If anything, I'm sorry John had a troubled childhood. So did I, but you don't see me beating up any women or being cruel to my own offspring or any damn thing else, much less and using my bad childhood as an excuse for it. (doesn't mean my childhood didn't warp my life, but I am taking the high road. Sorry John didn't. Idiots can make him a messiah-wannabe all they want. That's their problem.)

[ZombieHorde]

2. I once listened to a Buddhist nun give a mini speach about how stupid she thought the lyrics were to

All You Need is Love.

She argued love did not actually bring happiness or inner peace.

This was over 10 years ago at a Tibetan Buddhist center, so I don't remember the speech very well.