False Religion
Those who in the name of Faith embrace illusion,
kill and are killed.
Even the atheist gets God's blessings-
Does not boast of his religion;
With reverence he lights the lamp of Reason
And pays his homage not to scriptures,
But to the good in man.
The bigot insults his own religion
When he slays a man of another faith.
Conduct he judges not in the light of Reason;
In the temple he raises the blood-stained banner
And worships the devil in the name of God.
All that is shameful and barbarous through the Ages,
Has found a shelter in their temples-
Those they turn into prisons;
O, I hear the trumpet call of Destruction!
Time comes with her great broom
Sweeping all refuse away.
That which should make man free,
They turn into fetters;
That which should unite,
They turn into sword;
That which should bring love
From the fountain of the Eternal,
They turn into prison
And with its waves they flood the world.
They try to cross the river
In a bark riddled with holes;
And yet, in their anguish, whom do they blame?
O Lord, breaking false religion,
Save the blind!
Break! O break
The alter that is drowned in blood.
Let your thunder strike
Into the prison of false religion,
And bring to this unhappy land
The light of Knowledge.
— Rabindranath Tagore
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Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) was one of India’s greatest poets and freedom fighters. He was also one of the country’s earliest Nobel Laureates.
Born in Calcutta into a wealthy Bengali Brahmin family, he was a writer, playwright, songwriter, poet, philosopher and educator.
During the first 51 years of his life he became famous for his short stories which were published monthly in a friend's magazine and he even played the lead role in the public performances of his plays.
In 1912, he returned to Britain for the first time since his failed attempt at law school as a teenager.
He began translating, for the first time, his latest selections of poems into English. Almost all of his work prior to that time had been written in his native tongue Bengali.
Tagore had no expectation that it would be well-received by the British.
A friend of the writer William Butler Yeats read his poems and introduced Tagore to Yeats, who was impressed with his work.
Tagore’s poems were published in 1912 by the India Society in London.
Both the poetry and the man became an instant sensation, first in London and soon around the world.
His spiritual presence was awesome. His words evoked great beauty. Nobody had ever read anything like that.
A glimpse of the mysticism and sentimental beauty of Indian culture was revealed to the West for the first time.
Less than a year later, Tagore received the Nobel Prize for Literature.
He was the first Indian to be so honoured.
Overnight he began world lecture tours promoting inter-cultural harmony and understanding.
In 1915 he was knighted by the British King George V.
When not travelling he remained at his family home in Calcutta where he remained active as a literary, spiritual and social-political force fighting for Indian independence.
A good friend of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Tagore promoted spiritual values and the creation of a new world culture founded in multi-culturalism, diversity and tolerance.
He served as a spiritual and creative beacon to his countrymen and the world.
He used the funds from his writing and lecturing to expand upon the school he founded in 1901, Visva Bharati.
Rabindranath Tagore opened the School Of Wisdom in 1920 and participated in several of its programmes which combined traditional Indian values and Western ones.
He wrote over a thousand poems, eight volumes of short stories, almost two dozen plays, eight novels and many books and essays on philosophy, religion, education and social topics.
Aside from words and drama, his other great love was music, Bengali style.
He composed more than two thousand songs, both the music and lyrics.
Two of them became the national anthems of India and Bangladesh.
In 1929 he began painting. Many of his paintings can be found in museums, especially in India, where he is considered the greatest literary figure of all time.
Tagore was very knowledgeable in Western culture, especially poetry and science.
He had a good grasp of modern physics and was able to hold his own in a debate with Albert Einstein in 1930 on the newly emerging principles of quantum mechanics.
betterdaze
JoinedPosts by betterdaze
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False Religion Rabindranath Tagore
by betterdaze infalse religion.
those who in the name of faith embrace illusion, .
kill and are killed.
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betterdaze
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Sakura - Ketsumeishi
by possible-san inthe japanese word "sakura" means "cherry blossoms/tree" in english.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzu816arr_i.
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possible.
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betterdaze
Thanks for sharing, possible-san!
We're blessed to live near the largest collection of Japanese cherry trees (over 4,300) here in the U.S. Some background:
Cherry Blossoms
The Essex County Park System holds a historic collection of Japanese cherry trees that bloom from mid-to-late April, creating a pink and white setting that is perfect for picnics and photos.
History
Essex County Branch Brook Park was conceived by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1867, designed by the Olmsted Brothers firm between 1898 and 1938, and saw its first cherry tree planted in 1927 thanks to a generous gift from Caroline Bamberger Fuld.
The Park is part of the Essex County Park System—the first established county park system in the United States—and is listed on both the National and New Jersey State Registers of Historic Places.
After learning that many of the original trees were decaying due to old age, Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. initiated a multi-phase program three years ago to plant 4,000 new cherry trees throughout the Park by 2010. These plantings have helped to strengthen and add to a striking cherry tree collection that is recognized as having the greatest variety in the world.
Horticulture
In Essex County Branch Brook Park, the Japanese cherry and its cultivars, Mt. Fuji and Kwanzan, predominate. With their large double flowers, they are intended to be in the foreground and viewed at close range. However, masses of single flowering Yoshino cherries can also be seen with their beautiful pink and white flowers. Furthermore, Higan and Fuji cherries prolong the blooming season and enrich the colors found throughout the park.
Festival
To celebrate this historic and beautiful Japanese tree collection, the Essex County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs hosts an annual Festival in April. This Festival spans weeks and includes a variety of cultural and recreational events for the entire family.
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Some photos I took today on my birthday.
Nothing at all, compared to this photographer:
http://stylepeterson.com/branch-brook-park-newark-nj-cherry-blossom-festival-photosTake care,
~Sue -
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18 years after Waco, Davidians believe Koresh was God
by betterdaze in18 years after waco, davidians believe koresh was god.
by ashley fantz, cnn.
april 14, 2011 9:23 a.m. edt.
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betterdaze
18 years after Waco, Davidians believe Koresh was God
By Ashley Fantz, CNN
April 14, 2011 9:23 a.m. EDT
Nearly 20 years ago, 76 people lost their lives during an FBI raid near Waco, Texas. CNN's Drew Griffin looks at those events at 8 ET/PT and 11 ET/PT Sunday night in "Waco: Faith, Fear & Fire."David Koresh told his followers years before the men in uniforms arrived that a great apocalyptic battle with Babylon was coming and there would be destruction and fire and deaths.
So, Martin says, David was right. "David is the messiah, and he's coming back," she explains, inspecting a bush that's beginning to produce sweet peppers.
"Now we just wait for the kingdom."
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
• A handful of Branch Davidians will gather Tuesday to mark the fiery end to 1993 Waco siege
• Sheila Martin and Clive Doyle still believe in the message of their messiah, David Koresh
• Martin lost husband, 4 of 7 children in fire; Koresh slept with Doyle's teenaged daughter
• Martin sees a hopeful future: "One day, we will have a better experience"
Photos and videos at link. -
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Out of State Employment
by Cthulhu ini live in michigan and am currently looking to leave the area, as it is no longer the land of plenty that it once was.
i intend to move out of state, but i have this problem.
i don't have the funds to simply move and then find work when it comes to me, so it is important that i find work before i actually relocate.
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betterdaze
Search jobs by city or ZIP code: http://www.simplyhired.com/ http://www.indeed.com/ http://www.careerbuilder.com/
Tons of info and helpful discussion forums for relocators: http://www.city-data.com/ http://www.city-data.com/forum/
Good luck,
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Watching the World: Finnish Get High on Jehovah
by betterdaze inconcerns about spread of designer drug jwh.
several young people hospitalised after taking powerful synthetic cannabis.
a number of young people in porvoo have been hospitalised after taking the synthetic drug jwh-018, which has not yet been classified as an illegal substance in finland.. .
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betterdaze
Good one, jwfacts.
SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING:Quitting Jehovah Now Greatly Reduces
Serious Risks to Your Health
~Sue -
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Watching the World: Finnish Get High on Jehovah
by betterdaze inconcerns about spread of designer drug jwh.
several young people hospitalised after taking powerful synthetic cannabis.
a number of young people in porvoo have been hospitalised after taking the synthetic drug jwh-018, which has not yet been classified as an illegal substance in finland.. .
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betterdaze
Concerns about spread of designer drug JWH
Several young people hospitalised after taking powerful “synthetic cannabis”
A number of young people in Porvoo have been hospitalised after taking the synthetic drug JWH-018, which has not yet been classified as an illegal substance in Finland.
Dubbed “Jehovah” by users, JWH is an analgesic chemical which acts as a full agonist at cannabinoid receptors, and produces effects similar to the natural cannabinoid THC.
The substance has been available on the street in Helsinki. Juha Loikas, executive director of the anti-drug organisation Stop Huumeille says that cannabis users generally do not like to use JWH because it is too strong. “It is something for young experimenters and users of hard drugs.”
The people who were hospitalised after using JWH had suffered from hallucinations, and were often non-responsive to outside contact.
Loikkaa says that the substance has been easily available on the internet, as well as in Estonia. It is often mixed with tobacco and smoked, but regulating the dosage is difficult, which means that overdoses can easily occur.
Although the drug itself is not technically illegal, police are investigating its sale to minors as possible aggravated assault. -
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See you later
by pirata init's been a year and a bit since i first joined jwn.
the guilty fascination, turned anger, turned sadness, turned acceptance has been a journey that i'm honored all of you have have been a pat of, whether you realize it or not.
although i haven't said much about myself personally, and probably won't as long as i still am a captive... er i mean a member of jehovah's witnesses, i appreciated reading all your posts, observations, stories and reality-checks.
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betterdaze
Admit it, pirata, you're the chronicially recycled "Andre" of Watchtower sagas, LOL!
Wishing you well,
~Sue -
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Man jailed for Joshua McAuley death crash in Smethwick
by betterdaze inman jailed for joshua mcauley death crash in smethwick.
25 march 2011 last updated at 09:32 et.
a man has been jailed for six years for killing a 15-year-old boy when his car crashed into a west midlands shop.. .
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betterdaze
It gets worse…
A KILLER driver is today beginning a six-year jail sentence for losing control of his speeding car and ploughing into a 15-year-old Jehovah’s Witness while he was out preaching with his two friends.
Read More~Sue
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Man jailed for Joshua McAuley death crash in Smethwick
by betterdaze inman jailed for joshua mcauley death crash in smethwick.
25 march 2011 last updated at 09:32 et.
a man has been jailed for six years for killing a 15-year-old boy when his car crashed into a west midlands shop.. .
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betterdaze
Man jailed for Joshua McAuley death crash in Smethwick
25 March 2011 Last updated at 09:32 ET
A man has been jailed for six years for killing a 15-year-old boy when his car crashed into a West Midlands shop.
Mahamed Salam, 29, of Kendrick House, West Bromwich was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Thursday.
Jehovah's Witness Joshua McAuley went to hospital and is believed to have required a blood transfusion, which was declined for religious reasons.
He died after the car left the road in Cape Hill, Smethwick, in May last year.
'Trapped by shop'
Insp Mark Watkins, of West Midlands Police, said: "Salam drove in a dangerous manner on a busy main road on a Saturday morning and Joshua's death was a direct consequence of Salam's dangerous driving.
"His actions were made all the worse by his failure to stop at the scene.
"The sentence imposed by the courts reflects the serious nature of his crime."
At Joshua's inquest last June, coroner Robin Balmain said the student, of Church Road, Smethwick, had been trapped between a Vauxhall Astra and the shop.
The teenager had surgery at Birmingham's Selly Oak Hospital after suffering severe leg injuries.
The coroner said he was told Joshua required a blood transfusion but, due to being a Jehovah's Witness, this option was declined. -
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Thomas Jefferson's Cut-and-Paste Bible
by betterdaze inthomas jefferson's cut-and-paste bible.
our third president sought to separate the words of jesus from the 'corruptions' of his followers.. by stephen prothero.
last november, in response to protest, the smithsonian's national portrait gallery removed a video installation depicting ants crawling over a small crucifix.
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betterdaze
THE LIFE AND MORALS OF JESUS OF NAZARETH
Extracted Textually from the Gospels,?together with a comparison of?his doctrines with those of others.
BY THOMAS JEFFERSON.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/jb/jb00.htm
The life and morals of Jesus of Nazareth: extracted textually from the Gospels in Greek, Latin, French, and English (Google eBook)
http://books.google.com/books?id=jEMJCUxCsxcC