  Spiritual
This week: Do Unto Others Edited by: Kate - Writing & Reading  
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Greetings, I'm honored this week to be your guest host for the WDC Spiritual Newsletter.
Let us not speak of tolerance.
This negative word implies grudging
concessions by smug consciences.
Rather, let us speak of mutual understanding
and mutual respect.
Father Dominique Pire
Perception and choice significantly influences
the quality of life we experience.
Samurai ponderings.
It is never too late to give up your prejudices.
Henry David Thoreau |
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Greetings,
"Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." This familiar phrase rings across many cultural, social, and religious groups as an ideal. With that in mind, I ask you to consider the following two scenarios, and as you do, note your gut reaction.
Miki is one of the best engineers at a construction firm. Her drafting and designs are exemplary, saving the company mega-dollars. Yet her boss doesn't quite trust her. She presents her point well when asked, but never looks him in the eye. How can you trust someone who won't look you in the eye?
What do you think? ~ Now another -
Karen feels snubbed. She's finally been invited to corporate headquarters for the annual stockholder meeting. She will present her division's report, which under her leadership, was one of the few that profited the prior year. Despite her accomplishments for the company, however, she feels eminently snubbed. The Corporate CFO, meeting her for the first time, did not offer to shake her hand. What does she have to do to break that glass ceiling?
What do you think?
Some common Western perceptions ~ that Miki was shy, that her boss was belligerent or boorish and perhaps made her scared? or more benign, Perhaps Karen's boss had a physical disability or was left-handed?
But what if Miki was brought up to think it disrespectful or rude to stare at someone; or Karen's CFO was of a culture where it was an offense to offer his hand to a woman not of his family? So our perceptions, as expressed in Western culture, based on what we in our corporate hierarchy here in the U.S. would expect, were off key. So what can we do to communicate, to find a connection?
In cultures thoughout the world, there is such beautiful variety, expressed in action and words. In our spiritual beliefs and their practices, likewise. Whether one believes in one God, the Great Goddess, or the Great Spirit; if one seeks guidance from a pantheon of gods and goddesses, or inspiration from Mother Earth and living creatures human and not, or beings of alternate realms, the expression of that belief is no less valid for being different one from the other. These beliefs are often instrumental as well in how we approach, and engage, each other.
Each of these beliefs have withstood changing national hierarchies, political boundaries, pogroms and 'cleansing'. Perhaps because each is an expression of spirituality, connection on an elemental level with something greater than our mortal selves, they survive changes in dogma and politics, and other arbitrary temporal boundaries.
So whether one says "Go with God" (Christian) or "Brightest Blessings" (Wiccan), or a greeting of another belief system, if the words and thoughts are offered from the heart, it is a blessing drawn from the heavens, from life itself. If we accept it as such, that doesn't mean we have converted to an alternate belief system, but that we accept the blessing as it is offered, from the heart and spirit of the giver.
If we are willing and able to learn to accommodate and accept cultural differences based on social mores and norms, then why not spiritual? Would that not make the cultural differences moot? Recognizing that we each seek connection with the spirit, with a higher or elemental power, and in that are more alike than different?
Let's go back to the beginning, consider the following -
"Do unto others as they would have you do."
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Curious about different belief systems, what do you know, or perhaps will wish to know? See how some members of our Community express in prose and verse the beautiful variety and share your thoughts and reflections, with perchance, a review 
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| |  | A Fable (E)
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Thank you for this interlude of respite and reflection in your virtual home - exploring the diverse nature of spiritual - and human - expression -
Until we next meet,
may your days be blessed with joy and light,
restful thoughts as you welcome gentle night.
Write On 
Kate
Kate - Writing & Reading
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Spiritual: July 02, 2014 Issue [#6408]
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