15AR20-12

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Subject Line:

AR 20:12 - Are you mindful of mindfulness?

Apologia Report 20:12 (1,241)

Mar 25, 2015

In this issue:

BUDDHISM - "a superb bibliography of contemporary English-language writings on mindfulness"

GALACTOCENTRISM - Hugh Ross vs. Robert Sungenis on our "specially favored" position in the universe

ISLAM - examples of the Islamic State being condemned by Muslim authorities

KARMA - hit and miss with Shirley MacLaine

MORMONISM - confirmed, the Bible fails to enjoy anything near equal status with the Book of Mormon among the LDS

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BUDDHISM

Mindful America: The Mutual Transformation of Buddhist Meditation and American Culture, by Jeff Wilson [1] -- John H. Sniegocki of Xavier University reports that "Wilson (Univ. of Waterloo, Canada) provides an overview of the impact of the Buddhist concept of 'mindfulness' on contemporary culture in the United States. [The book] also explores the ways in which traditional Buddhist understandings of mindfulness have been transformed to meet the perceived needs of mostly white, middle-class Americans, thereby creating new forms of Buddhism that often differ significantly from earlier forms. For example, the traditional Buddhist emphasis on detachment from the body and from 'self' is transformed into a focus on self-affirmation and appreciation of the body. Also, Buddhism in the US context has often been 'medicalized,' placing the focus primarily on benefits such as stress relief and pain reduction and giving less attention to explicitly religious goals such as the attainment of nirvana. ... This book feature[s] a superb bibliography of contemporary English-language writings on mindfulness...." Choice, Feb '15.

Also see <www.goo.gl/mM5yTd> and <www.goo.gl/m6Z6V7>

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GALACTOCENTRISM

The Sun and Earth occupy a central or “specially favored” position in the universe according to the Copernican Principle. In "Thoughts on The Principle," Jeff Zweerink writes (Feb 23 '15): "A new movie called The Principle <www.theprinciplemovie.com> ... argues that humanity does reside in a special location. ...

"Dr. Hugh Ross participated in a radio debate with Dr. Robert Sungenis, a Catholic apologist and the producer of The Principle. During the debate, Sungenis articulated his position that the earth resides in a special location (galactocentrism, where our galaxy is somewhere close to the center of the universe) and that this special location reflects humanity’s importance."

Staff members with the Reasons to Believe ministry "struggled to even find a clear message. The best we could determine, the producers want to communicate that perhaps Earth resides in some special location in the universe and that science and faith are coming back together again. However, in making that point, the producers often present their material in ways that undermine their message. ...

"The Principle also skews a number of historical accounts to support its own view." <www.goo.gl/kP7J6W>

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ISLAM

"Muslim Leaders Have Roundly Denounced Islamic State, but Conservative Media Won't Tell You That" by Michelle Leung and Ellie Sandmeyer -- the anti-conservative tone threatens to rob the message of its significance. The authors cite Muslim sources denouncing the Islamic State including The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Grand Mufti Shawqi Allam ("Egypt's highest religious authority" according to Lebanon's Daily Star newspaper), the Arab League, Mehmet Gormez ("Turkey's highest ranking cleric" according to Reuters), the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Muslim Council of Great Britain, the Islamic Society of North America, Grand Mufti Abdulaziz al-Sheikh (Saudi Arabia's "top religious authority" according to Al Jazeera), and the Muslim Public Affairs Council.

Now, regarding the accusation in the headline of this item, it certainly seems as if denunciations of Muslim-driven terrorism are few and far between. We rarely see this recognized by the media and this item only came to our attention recently. Is this mostly due to the limited Muslim presence in the West? Media Matters, Aug 21 '14. <www.goo.gl/JebsPC>

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KARMA

"Shirley MacLaine shares some controversial views on the Holocaust" by Daniel S Levine -- a rare acknowledgement of what happens when we take karma to its logical conclusions - all the while reinforcing our cultural abhorrence for personal responsibility at the spiritual level.

"When we think of Shirley MacLaine, we think of her long career in film and television. But she’s back in the headlines for something else and it’s a bit surprising. In her new memoir, she suggests that Holocaust victims may have been asking for it.

"Although MacLaine’s What If... [2] was first published two years ago, her comments on the Holocaust were just printed last week <www.goo.gl/Eeh4iZ> in The Daily Mail. In the passage, MacLaine suggests that victims of the Holocaust were killed to balance 'karma' for past crimes." Celebrity Cafe, Feb 17 '15. <www.goo.gl/Qs2oCX>

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MORMON HISTORY

"And it came to pass, one day the Book of Mormon overtook the Bible - in LDS eyes" By Peggy Fletcher Stack -- begins: "Ezra Taft Benson helped reshape the scriptural priorities, and that may have affected how Mormons are seen. ...

"In a word, Benson - during his 50-plus years as an LDS authority, including 8-1/2 as president - elevated the faith's signature scripture, the Book of Mormon, to its pre-eminence in the LDS canon, so that leaders and members alike now quote and read it more often than the Bible. ...

"'Mormons have developed a kind of amnesia towards the Bible since 1980,' says Philip Barlow, a Utah State University historian. 'It really has changed the consciousness of Mormons. They don't bear testimony of the truthfulness of the Bible much these days, but really specify the Book of Mormon.'

"And when Latter-day Saints talk about their scriptural heroes, he says, they are not talking about Noah, Gideon or David, but rather Nephi, Alma, and Moroni - figures from the faith's unique text." Salt Lake Tribune, Feb 10 '15. <www.goo.gl/dIcQ2y>

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SOURCES: Monographs

1 - Mindful America: The Mutual Transformation of Buddhist Meditation and American Culture, by Jeff Wilson (Oxford Univ Prs, 2014, hardcover, 280 pages) <www.goo.gl/MlBeKY>

2 - What If ... : A Lifetime of Questions, Speculations, Reasonable Guesses, and a Few Things I Know for Sure, by Shirley MacLaine (Atria, 2014, paperback, 272 pages) <www.goo.gl/w6C9Df>

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