United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights |  Article 18 Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance. SACRED TEXTS One word which sums up the basis of all good conduct . . . loving-kindness. Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself.  Confucianism | Confucius, Analects 15.23 “Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God’s Law and Prophets and this is what you get. Christianity | Matthew 7:12 Not one of you truly believes until you wish for others what you wish for yourself. Islam | The Prophet Muhammad, Hadith That which is hateful to you do not do to another; that is the entire Torah, and the rest is its interpretation. Judaism | Talmud, Shabbath 31a This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you. Hinduism | Mahabharata 5:1517 DEVOTION Freedom to choose and practice the religion of your choice means having no fear of persecution simply because you celebrate your faith in a different way than someone else. This should be true even in countries that have an official religion. Our God is greater than our insecurities. I’ve so often felt that one focus of our faith walk should be the exploration of commonality among the various celebrations of the Eternal. As the various examples of sacred texts that I listed above show, as a follower of Christ, just as we are instructed in Matthew 7:12, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets,” this truth is a lesson shared in all major religions. So . . . I wish for your happiness and joy. I wish for your health and mental peace. I wish for your financial security. I wish for you the love of family and friends. I wish for your true freedom – of faith, of expression, of artistic license, to love whomever you will, and to vote. I wish for your gifts to shine. I wish for you the flexibility to follow your calling, your passion, your purpose. And, I wish, I pray, for God’s love to cover you and those you love. I thank God for you all, friends and yet to be friends. Peace be with you.

Our Right to Freedom of Thought, Conscience & Religion | A Devotion

United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights |  Article 18 Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance. SACRED TEXTS One word which...

Religion has always been a tool of exploitation, specifically in this case, Christianity.   Adding insult to injury, and straight up insulting our intelligence, the Kenyan government is sending a religious mission to accompany its police deployment to Ayiti.   ”We believe that we are a tool that God will use to help.”- Serge Musasilwa (Kenya Evangelical Pastor of BaKôngo origin)   Yes, they are tools of God. The question though is what God are they serving? Their God seems to have a white face and serve white needs. Their God seems to be accompanying them in an invasion of their brothers and sisters whose situation has been caused by those who first rang them and “asked” them to take on this mission. Who is this God using this tool to help? What is Kenya getting in return from this mission? Is this mission serving the people of Kenya, the masses, as we refer to them? More importantly, is this mission serving the well-being of Ayiti’s People’s? The U.S., who have “asked” Kenya to intervene in this matter, what is their interest in Kenya keeping “peace” in Ayiti?   ”The more you’re connected to the population, the more you can format the kind of intervention you’re going to lead.”- Daniel Jean-Louis (President of Baptist Haiti Mission)   You, my brothers and sisters who attend church and the other Christian gatherings following these men and women, you are the population that they have connected with!!! And for what purpose? Well, they tell you it themselves, “To format the kind of intervention they are going to lead.”   I will not analyze and give my opinion on this one. I will, however, ask you all to pay attention to the actions on the ground. Pay attention to what these people are doing. Pay attention to how they’re showing up in Ayiti and in Kenya. Once you have done that, remember their words that I have highlighted above and ask yourself, “Whose well-being are these missionaries serving?” “What kind of intervention are they leading?”   We had our elder Chester Higgins on one of our collaboration sessions with Kumbukeni and The Emerging Alkebulan Awakening Series on Sunday, June 2nd, and he left us with this question;   HOW MUCH ARE YOU WORTH?

A TOOL OF EXPLOITATION

Religion has always been a tool of exploitation, specifically in this case, Christianity.   Adding insult to injury, and straight up insulting our intelligence, the Kenyan government is sending a religious mission to accompany its police deployment to Ayiti.   ”We believe that we are a tool that God will use to help.”- Serge Musasilwa (Kenya Evangelical Pastor of...