TRUMP IS NOT LYING

Trump Does Not Lie. This poster is incorrect

Calling Donald Trump a liar is inaccurate, and is unfair to liars everywhere.

This morning Fareed Zakaria called Trump a Bullshit Artist – strong words from an international commentator known for balance and restraint.

But c'mon, Trump’s a liar, right?  He insists he watched throngs of New Jersey Muslims cheer while the Twin Towers crumbled. He claims private chats with Vladimir Putin. After a disastrous run of plummeting ratings and mass defections, Trump crows he’s doing really great in the polls and he is uniting the Republican Party.

Why doesn’t that make him a liar?  Because liars know what’s true and what’s not. They deceive to gain advantage or avoid consequences.  They typically try to make their falsehoods sound plausible. They have to keep track of their lies. This requires a kind of intelligence. 

Trump’s not a liar.  The fact that what he says is rarely true doesn't make him one. 

Trump is deeply narcissistic and intellectually lazy. Even his surrogates fret over his shockingly brief attention span and aversion for reading reports or digesting data.  Instead he forms an impression from a fleeting glance or whispered rumor and turns it into a personal Gospel.  Then the narcissism takes over and he can’t back down.  

Soon he believes it himself.

The worst of Trump’s followers get high on his hate and bullying.  Many are angry, uneducated white males who enjoy simple, shouted slogans that give them permission to despise and exclude.  Crooked Hillary is a devil and should be locked up.  Mexicans and Muslims are ruining our country.  Only Donald can make America great again.   

None of this is about lying.  All politicians lie, at least a little.  Trump’s a pathological bullshit artist and that’s a lot worse.

Is Pope Francis a Wimp? Amoris Laetitia

The Pope just sent us all a massive letter with hundreds of footnotes. So far he is pissing everybody off. Rightwingers lament the watering down of moral teaching. They rail against Francis' failure to marginalize and condemn anyone who deviates from their favorite rules. Leftwingers are outraged that the Pope just re-iterated old teachings, only in a kinder, gentler way. 

My take is that this Pope's no wimp.  He also no Trump or Sanders, yelling platitudes and peddling impossible promises.  With 2000 years of history, some so ugly and some sublime, this Pope is nudging the Church toward actually adopting Christian values, without alienating over half the world's bishops and the entire African continent.  Tough task.

You can read the 259 page document yourself. Apostolic Exhortation: Amoris Laetitia.  Most say it's a snoozer in spots, and occasionally beautiful.

It's billed as promoting "Family Love."  It's about self-sacrifice, compassion, and all the rest. It sidesteps contraception and promotes responsibility, a relatively recent trend. A couple of takeaways for me:

 1. If re-married Catholics go through some process of discernment, preferably with the guidance of the clergy, they can start going to Communion again.  No renouncing their current marriages or being branded as "living in adultery."  Since he's writing for the whole planet, Francis can't get too specific about how a local process would work, but it's clear he wants Catholics in "irregular marriages" back on board as full members.  Yes, he's careful to avoid changing any basic doctrines, but he's still angering hateful reactionaries who prefer "us against them" Catholocism.  They know what this shift  will mean.  Liberals, disappointed, note that the change is buried in footnotes. Here's a juicy example of the kind of hatred and rage Francis is attracting -- click for right wing rant.

2. If you're gay, you can stay.  And you have a fundamental right to be free from oppression, discrimination, or marginalization, even if the Church won't bless your marriage any time soon. 

 According to Francis every gay person, and presumably every LGBTQ person, must 

be respected in his or her dignity and treated with consideration, and ‘every sign of unjust discrimination’ is to be carefully avoided, particularly any form of aggression or violence.

There's a lot more, and this statement isn't new, but here Francis isn't preaching to the liberal choir in the West.  He's talking to Africa too, and the Middle East, where just being gay can earn you imprisonment or the death penalty. 

Nobody is thrilled with this document, except boring incrementalists.  The right wing fringe deplores its failure to condemn anybody (except those who discriminate and sow discord).  The left wing fringe mostly doesn't care about any papal document, but the few who do claim it's cowardly and doesn't go nearly far enough.

Read it for yourself, or at least a summary from fairly conservative Catholic magazine.  Ten Takeaways from the Pope's New Message

Drive Like a Buddhist

Thais ignore rules. I was scared to drive in Thailand.   Packs of motorbikes surround your car. With centimeters to spare they vie for position at traffic lights.  Nobody looks where they're going. Often lanes mean nothing. Cars suddenly pull out of side streets. I'd thought most Thais were  Buddhist and I'd expected universal politeness and restraint. Not lawless dodge'm cars with no idea of right-of-way.  

As often happens here in the The Kingdom of Smiles, I'd misunderstood.  Culture dictates driving style. Thais are highly collaborative and mutually aware at a level Westerners don't get.

Think of walking in a big crowd at the State Fair or leaving a baseball game.  There are no lanes, no rules of the road, but people rarely bump into each other. Even little kids race around but instinctively avoid collisions most of the time.

Thai Buddhists drive as if they were walking in a crowd.  You move in a general direction, stay alert to where others are around you, go with the flow, and get where you're going with no problem. It is very foreign concept for someone who drove mostly in Chicago.  

Even in Chicago traffic, you can get in your lane, follow the rules, and dream your way home. Someone might cut you off and you'll curse and gesture at the violation of the rules, but you don't have to keep close track.  

Try rules-based driving in Thailand and you'll cause an accident.  Thais do awareness-based driving, just as we all do awareness-based walking.

I watched Thai drivers closely.  No road rage. No horns. No respect for lanes. There's this expectation that if they pull out in front of you, you'll see them and slow.  Exactly like walking in a big crowd, with no rules except to avoid bumping into each other.  

Now I drive relaxed but alert, attending to everything and constantly scanning. On a good day I just think of myself as part of a human flow,  abandoning expectations about rules, and trusting that others are keeping an eye on me too.  It's not perfect. You can still drive Chicago style and probably survive. You might get there ahead of me too. Or maybe not.

Last week I turned wrong way into a one-way alley. A huge black pickup was coming at me. The guys got out smiling, and stopped traffic so I could back up onto the main road. They pointed me to the correct alley, laughing and waving so the old pink guy wouldn't lose face. Next time I'll being paying attention. Thai style.

Overweight Children Part Two: Ten Tips for Parents

David McPhee, Ph.D.

 Fat kids suffer, and not just because other children are mean. Studies suggest  teachers favor lean, cute boys and girls, and assume they're smarter. Many assume obese kids are weak, lazy, and unhealthy. Overweight adults know subtle judgment and rejection, but have grown-up defenses.  For kids it’s harder. For them “fat” is a cruel insult that has no response. Here are my ten tips for parents:

       1. Never reward or punish with food. Give treats for good behavior, especially sweet and fatty ones, and your child will connect fats and sweets with love and approval.  If you withhold food to punish, you’ll reinforce the food-love connection. 

                   2. Be calm about food. It's a law of nature that you pay a lot of attention to a behavior it will increase, even if the attention is negative. Be neutral and matter-of-fact about what kids eat or don’t eat. If a child isn’t eating, stay cool and distant. If kids are eating in a polite and moderate and healthy way, that’s when to show feelings and appreciation. If you get in a power struggle about food you’re sure to lose.

                   3. Model emotionally healthy eating. Let the kids see you eat slowly, with attention and enjoyment. Express delight about tastes and textures and temperatures so that kids stay aware of the eating process without distraction.  By definition, compulsive overeaters don’t pay attention to their food; all they seek is the current fix and the next. Don’t serve food in front of a television or with other major distractions. Mindful eating and compulsive eating are incompatible.

          4. Let eating be a pleasant ritual, a ceremony.  Have the kids set the table and decorate it. Light a candle or two, even on ordinary occasions. Assume that eating is that special place, not in the media room or the bedroom, and certainly not in the bed or the car.  If you have to get fast food, slow it down. Go inside and sit at a table, and don’t teach kids to eat in a moving vehicle.

                    5.  Never use shame to get a kid to stop overeating. It won’t work. Compulsive overeaters already associate food with love and approval. A shamed kid will will just eat more to feel better.

                   6.  Be aware of your kids’ metabolism.  Most children’s blood sugar is a little low when they get home from school. A small glass of juice, or better yet, raw fruit, can help smooth things out.  There is no such thing as a “sugar high” (unless the parents expect it) but big doses of refined sugars like soda pop are not kid-friendly.

                  7.   Please don’t put your kid on a diet. Unless it’s a life-time diet, all you will get is resentment from the child, and short term weight loss. Soon the fat will return.  Deep down we all know that diets rarely work for long-term weight loss. Older kids might want to improve their nutrition and ask for help. That’s different. Research and learn together, when your teen is ready to explore healthier eating for life.

                   8. Don’t provide binge foods. Kids who eat compulsively often have a few items that make them crazy. Like alcoholics, they start and can’t stop until it’s all gone. Chocolate candy bars are a frequent offender: those big molecules of fat feel so comforting in the mouth and the bit sugar hit is so soothing. It could be any food, but it’s likely to be highly concentrated: lots of calories for the size. Just don’t have it in the house.

                   9.  If you’re overwhelmed, get help. Consider sending yourself to counseling instead of your child. You might be your own kid’s best therapist, and the counseling can provide you tools to do it. In my practice I call it "therapy by remote control."

        10. Admit you are ultimately powerless. You can restrict your dog’s food by putting what you want in the bowl, but human food is everywhere. Determined, driven kids will get it, at least when they’re old enough to be sneaky. Start by accepting and enjoying your overweight kid. Start by letting go of all blame and all shame. That's how you'll increase your influence with your child and your ability to help.

I published this article in another form here, in 2012.  David McPhee, Ph.D.

Overweight Children Part One

Play With Your Food: Teaching Kids the Fun of Mindful Eating
David McPhee, Ph.D.

     Does it bother you that fat kids are bullied or rejected every day and lead shorter, sicker lives than children of average weight?  If you're a parent and want to help, you have to understand the problem first.

·        Compulsive eating in children arises from too much wealth and a too little  mindfulness. 

Parents counsel and explain but don't model or moderation. We put kids on diets, but we don't teach them the joy of eating that can be found in paying attention. In our society only sommeliers and chefs savor and thoroughly describe what they are tasting and experiencing.

We also set up food as part of a reward system.  "Eat your peas and you can have desert" teaches kids "Yes, peas are disagreeable and unpleasant, but to get you to eat them I will gratify you with food full of fats and sugars." 

 Why not attend to the pea?  Create a story of its planting and growth, and how it was protected and nurtured by nature and farmer alike. Enjoy its shape and color. Play with your food a bit and see how many peas will balance on the blade of a table knife. Tell the story of the princess and the pea, or of Jack and his Beanstalk (close enough.)  Don't teach that peas are ugly but necessary.  Food should never be associated with reward or punishment.

I once counseled aides at an eldercare center to be sure to offer residents their glasses before eating so they could see the food clearly, then discuss the food admiringly to see what memories this might trigger. While they are learning to respect and delight in ordinary food, it's OK for kids to smell it carefully and even touch it gently, and experiment with various utensils and unexpected combinations.

Most childhood obesity comes from compulsive eating by kids who confuse food with love or at least relief, together with poor teaching and the abundance of cheap, concentrated food.

Is Letting a Kid Get Obese a Form of Child Abuse?

How do you feel when you look at this picture? Are you angry with the parents? Child Protective Services in Ohio recently removed a youngster from his parents just because he was enormously fat. They said letting a kid get so big was child abuse. Do you agree? Does it make you worry about your kids, or about yourself?

Parents want everything good for their children and love to see them learn and grow. Few parents really know how to teach their kids to eat with attention and joy, mostly because they don't know how themselves.  

Nurturing and teaching are the key responsibilities of parenting, and they often go together.  Nurturing means providing healthy food that promotes growth and well-being. It also means avoiding using food as a bribe or love-substitute, or withholding food as a punishment.  Kids in supermarkets whine for candy. Parents say "If you're good, you can have one piece."  Perhaps if they are extremely good, they can have the whole bag.

Goodness in a child's mind means only one thing: complying with the parental will, usually by being quiet and unobtrusive.  If you are "good" you will receive highly concentrated simple and complex sugars and fats, which nature designed to feel good in the mouth and brain.

Later, if we are lonely or bored and want love from outside ourselves, our hearts remember to connect love and comfort with sugars and fats, so we watch reruns with a soda and a bag of chips.

Sadly, we don't really taste the Coke or the Doritos. The comfort they provide is primitive, oral, and can never be fully satisfied.

If only we could learn to savor a single chip. Turn off the TV. Hold the chip, notice its texture. Enjoy its colors and how it is translucent to bright light. Smell it slowly, becoming aware of the complexities there. Snap it in half and listen to the sound. Put the half on your tongue and notice again. But wait, the sensations are likely to shift. Slowly chew and then swallow, mentally following the chip all the way down. Describe the experience to yourself, and select words that might communicate the experience to others.

Sound silly?  Maybe, but I remember a monk leading a group of students though an exercise like that as we held and touched and sniffed the big red apples he'd brought us. For nearly an hour. When he finally let us take a bite, it was apple ecstasy for me.  I'll never forget that apple from 40 years ago.

Maybe you've taken wine tasking courses.  They follow most of the steps I suggested for the potato chip, and they have certainly enhanced my appreciation.  Sadly, I often go through the attention exercise only with the first sight and smell and  and sip, then drink the rest of the glass mindlessly.

There are games parents can use to teach kids mindful eating, far better than lectures about "slow down and enjoy your food,"  but the best teaching is through example. 

Dieting rarely works long term. It's about restricting and limiting ourselves temporarily, usually so we can be thinner and feel more attractive. It makes our favorite foods our enemy. When we've learned that food is a substitute for love, food-as-enemy is a recipe for craziness.  Mindful eating can lead to moderate eating with great pleasure, and we can model it for our kids.

I published this article in an earlier version here in 2012. David McPhee, Ph.D.

Ten Tips for Power Parenting

In 20 years as a family psychologist, I noticed what usually works and what doesn't. These tips are the best I know.

 The reason they work so well is that almost any approach succeeds if it's grounded in consistent love and common sense.  Kids are hard-wired to develop, and will so if we make things safe, then get out of their way.  The vast majority of parents are alreadly more than good enough.  These hints provide ideas for moms and ads when they are distracted or troubled or want to  fine tune their approach.

        1. Stay in charge, not in control.  It can be a fine line, but the difference is big. If your focus is control of your children, you may be getting in the way of their development. To grow up, kids need to face and conquer challenge after challenge, and some of those challenges can be a little risky. If you over-control, you limit the challenges, and the children's developoment may lag. In contrast, if you are in charge, you’ll provide a structure of safety within which your children can experience failure and success on their  own terms.

           2. Parent with emotion.   Our   feelings are part of our identity.  Our kids need to see that emotions aren’t dangerous and that they can be beautiful.  Emotions do not cause and can’t excuse bad behavior.  If your own parents’ anger was associated with violence or withdrawal, you may be giving your children the message that their anger is “bad” and that a “good” kids sit inexpressively or smile sweetly, all the time. Emotions are information, and kids need to learn to express emotions  in ways that don’t scare others and don’t lead to harm.  If you let you children see you angry or sad, and allow them to see you deal with it competently, you’ll he give them a far greater gift than teaching them to hide or suppress their feelings.

             

 3. Consult your own parents. 
Even if your biological mom and dad aren’t available, there are plenty of willing older adults who’d be glad to give advice and support. Expand and extend your family and your kids will benefit. It can also ease your stress.  When I try to explain my work as a child custody evaluator to friends in Thailand, they invariably say “but where are the grandparents?”

            4. Be an intentional parent.  A parent is a kind of manager.  Effective managers create an environment, and then and set up systems, and make adjustments so everything works smoothly. They don’t expect perfection, but they have a plan.  Let your kids know what the plan is, and let them participate in making it.  If you just react when there are problems, you’ve created an environment of management by crisis.

             5. Pay attention.  All children lie all the time, and all children tell the truth all the time. It just depends on what you pay attention to.  If you just listen to their words, you’ll rarely get it right. If you respond only to body language, you’ll do better, but still misunderstand. Kids’ communication is a package. You need context, history, words, and the non-verbals. 

             6.  Don’t ask questions. When you ask a child a question, unless you’re teaching him or her or working together on something,  you put the child in charge. You’re saying “please give me some information I want and need.”  Your children  can give or withhold or distort information any way they like. This often leaves you frustrated and wanting more. If you have an open relationship with your children, you won’t need to ask a lot of questions. If you know your children, you’ll be aware of context, history, and body language anyway, which will usually tell you what you need to know.  Questions don’t put you in charge, and the answers, if you get them, don’t give you control. Parents who take a vacation from questions often report feeling closer to their kids.

            7.  Be a teacher of right and wrong. This seems obvious, but we often fail by teaching at the wrong level. The right level is just a little above the child’s current developmental stage.  Imagine a child teasing a cat. For a very young child you might warn “Oh, don’t tease, kitty might bite you.” An older child could be reminded “I think that’s really bothering the cat.”  A still older child could learn from a discussion of kindness to animals in general, and a teen or young adult could see the value of not causing suffering to any living thing.  The progression is from avoiding pain (for the very young child) to living by principles.  Of course, while explanations are important, you example of right moral behavior is the most important.

             8. Play for no reason.  People have paid me lots of money to sit on the floor and play with their kids.  It’s called “play therapy” and it’s not a big secret. Kids are wired to learn and to work through problems with their play. If we create an environment and get out of the kid’s way, acting more as a cheerleader and less as a guide, children will often be able to deal with something they are not equipped to discuss or hear advice about.  Schedule regular play sessions with kids and let them take the lead.  Just your presence is often enough. One boy healed a relationship with his somewhat insensitive father by having the dad simply sit with him and watch him play video games.  All Dad had to do was say “hmmm”, or “wow” from time to time. The play was regularly scheduled for 20 minutes after supper, and nothing was allowed to interfere. I’m no fan of video games, but this was a happy exception.

                                   9. If you hit your child, do it in anger. 
            Don’t ever hit your kids. It doesn’t work and it sends the wrong message. But if you do ever slip and strike your child, let it be in the heat of the moment. Later, when you apologize, you can use the moment to teach about how to manage feelings, and how to express anger with words instead of fists.  If you cause a child physical pain in a cold, calculated and deliberate way, there’s no way to create a teachable moment. Scheduled and ritualized infliction of pain on a child is never good parenting.

            10.  Remember, you are good enough. Even if you overcontrol, misread feelings, badger your children with questions, and have no time to play you're good enough. Even if you are overstressed and yell or hit at times, you're good enough. If your consistent message is love and it’s usually delivered with common sense and kindness, your children will likely grow strong and develop well.

11. Bonus tip: Co-parent with patience and deep respect. Whether are still married to your children's other parents and still madly in love, or long divorced and cordial but distant, they way to treat that other parent is your prime way to teaching your children about healthy adult relationships.

David McPhee, Ph.D.
March 25, 2016
This is an update of an article I wrote in 2012

    

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Muslims Scare You: Admit It

 I knew most Muslims weren’t Arabs, and that terrorist bombers typically know little about Islam, but the data on the Crescent Moon was new to me. Practical Buddhists tend to be tolerant about all belief systems, and it helps to review some much-hyped myths about the currently scapegoated religion.

Top 10 Myths About Islam

By Huda, About.com Guide

1. Muslims worship an Arab-god

Some non-Muslims mistakenly believe that Allah is an "Arab god," a "moon god," or some sort of idol. Allah is the proper name of the One True God, in the Arabic language. The most fundamental belief that a Muslim has is that "There is only One God," the Creator, the Sustainer -- known in the Arabic language and by Muslims as Allah. Arabic-speaking Christians use the same word for the Almighty.

More: Allah

2. Muslims don't believe in Jesus

In the Qur'an, stories about the life and teachings of Jesus Christ (called 'Isa in Arabic) are abundant. The Qur'an recalls his miraculous birth, his teachings, and the miracles he performed by God's permission. There is even a chapter of the Qur'an named after his mother, Mary (Miriam in Arabic). However, Muslims believe that Jesus was a fully human prophet and not in any way divine himself.

More: Jesus in the Qur'an

3. Most Muslims are Arabs

While Islam is often associated with Arabs, they make up only 15% of the world's Muslim population. The country with the largest population of Muslims is Indonesia. Muslims make up 1/5 of the world's population, with large numbers found in Asia (69%), Africa (27%), Europe (3%) and other parts of the world.

More: World's Muslim Population

4. Islam oppresses women

Most of the ill-treatment that women receive in the Muslim world is based on local culture and traditions, without any basis in the faith of Islam. In fact, practices such as forced marriage, spousal abuse, and restricted movement directly contradict Islamic law governing family behavior and personal freedom.

More: Books About Women in Islam

5. Muslims are violent, terrorist extremists

Terrorism cannot be justified under any valid interpretation of the Islamic faith. The entire Qur'an, taken as a complete text, gives a message of hope, faith, and peace to a faith community of one billion people. The overwhelming message is that peace is to be found through faith in God, and justice among fellow human beings. Muslim leaders and scholars do speak out against terrorism in all its forms, and offer explanations of misinterpreted or twisted teachings.

More: The Qur'an on Terrorism

6. Islam is intolerant of other faiths

Throughout the Qur'an, Muslims are reminded that they are not the only ones who worship God. Jews and Christians are called "People of the Book," meaning people who have received previous revelations from the One Almighty God that we all worship. The Qur'an also commands Muslims to protect from harm not only mosques, but also monasteries, synagogues, and churches -- because "God is worshipped therein."

More: Christians in the Qur'an

7. Islam promotes "jihad" to spread Islam by the sword and kill all unbelievers

The word Jihad stems from an Arabic word which means "to strive." Other related words include "effort," "labor," and "fatigue." Essentially Jihad is an effort to practice religion in the face of oppression and persecution. The effort may come in fighting the evil in your own heart, or in standing up to a dictator. Military effort is included as an option, but as a last resort and not "to spread Islam by the sword."

More: What is Jihad?

8. The Quran was written by Muhammad and copied from Christian and Jewish sources

The Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad over a period of two decades, calling people to worship One Almighty God and to live their lives according to this faith. The Qur'an contains stories of Biblical prophets, because these prophets also preached the message of God. Stories are not merely copied, but the oral traditions are referred to in a way that focuses on the examples and teachings that we can learn from them.

More: Before You Read the Qur'an

9. Islamic prayer is just a ritualized performance with no heartfelt meaning

Prayer is a time to stand before God and express faith, give thanks for blessings, and seek guidance and forgiveness. During Islamic prayer, one is modest, submissive and respectful to God. By bowing and prostrating ourselves to the ground, we express our utmost humility before the Almighty.

More: How to Pray

10. The crescent moon is a universal symbol of Islam

The early Muslim community did not really have a symbol. During the time of the Prophet Muhammad, Islamic caravans and armies flew simple solid-colored flags (generally black, green, or white) for identification purposes. The crescent moon and star symbol actually pre-dates Islam by several thousand years, and wasn't affiliated with Islam at all until the Ottoman Empire placed it on their flag.

More: Origins of the Crescent Moon Symbol

Brussels: Thich Nhat Hanh on Terrorist Attacks

I watch CNN and cry and want to send bombers to terror training camps right now.  It's so hard to follow the ethical teachings of the Buddha.  Thich Nhat Hanh is a hero to me. After after 9-11, he wrote 

"Strike against terror" is a misleading expression. What we are striking against is not the real cause or the root of terror. The object of our strike is still human life. We are sowing seeds of violence as we strike. Striking in this way we will only bring about more hatred and violence into the world. This is exactly what we do not want to do.

Terror is in the human heart. We must remove this terror from the heart. Destroying the human heart, both physically and psychologically, is what we must absolutely avoid. The root of terrorism should be identified, so that it can be removed. The root of terrorism is misunderstanding, intolerance, hatred, revenge and hopelessness. This root cannot be located by the military. Bombs and missiles cannot reach it, let alone destroy it. Only with the practice of looking deeply can our insight reveal and identify this root. Only with the practice of deep listening and compassion can it be transformed and removed.

Darkness cannot be dissipated with more darkness. More darkness will make darkness thicker. Only light can dissipate darkness. Violence and hatred cannot be removed with violence and hatred. Rather, this will make violence and hatred grow a thousand fold. Only understanding and compassion can dissolve violence and hatred.



Hatred, and violence are in the hearts of human beings. A terrorist is a human being with hatred, revenge, violence and misunderstanding in his or her heart. Acting without understanding, acting out of hatred, violence and fear, only helps sow more terror, bringing terror to the homes of others and ultimately bringing terror back to the homes of the attacker. The philosophy of "an eye for an eye," only creates more suffering and bloodshed and more enemies. One of the greatest casualties we may suffer results from this wrong thinking and action. Whole societies are living constantly in fear with their nerves being attacked day and night. Such a state of confusion, fear and anxiety is extremely dangerous. It can bring about another world war, this time extremely destructive in the worst possible way.

We must learn to speak out for peace now, so that our spiritual voice can be heard in this dangerous and pivotal moment of history. Those of us who have the light should display the light and offer it so that the world will not sink into total darkness. Everyone has the seed of awakening and insight within his or her heart. Let us help each other touch these seeds in ourselves so that everyone can have the courage to speak out. We must ensure that the way we live our daily lives does not create more terrorism in the world, through intolerance, hatred, revenge and greed. We need a collective awakening to stop this course of self-destruction. 

Spiritual leaders in this country need to be invited to raise their voice strongly and speak up for peaceful solutions to the world problems and bring about the awareness of the teaching of compassion and non-violence to the American nation and the people. 

By understanding the nature and cause of the suffering of humanity, we will then know the right method to begin to heal the great problems on this planet.

Thich Nhat Hanh, November 2002 

BRUSSELS, VIOLENT BUDDHISTS AND AD HOC RELIGION

The day after the Brussels terrorist attacks, Bernie Sanders echoed most sane leaders: "We're fighting a gang of terrorists, not a religion."  Opportunists like Cruz and Company rage over such failures to call the attacks "Radical Islamic Terrorism," mostly to gratify fearful xenophobes who vote. 

Fact is, every religion, including Buddhism, has violent members including clergy, who use teaching and traditions to justify murder. Click for Ten Violent Buddhists


In the 1970's Thai nationalist monk Phra Kittiwutto taught widely that that killing communists was a good idea and violated nothing in the Dharma.  Burmese monks were at the center of sometimes violent protests . Some sponsored ethnic cleansing of the Royingya people and other Muslims, inspired by Wirathu, who made the Time cover in 2013. 

You'll say it's crazy to point to a few decidedly un-Buddhist monks and claim gentle Buddhism can be a violent religion. 

 You'll almost certainly point out that the Holocaust was not a Christian plot, even though most perpetrators were nominal Christians living in Christian countries.  

I'll say that's what you're doing with Islam.  These crazed bombers share passions based on twisted and superstitious version of Islam. The teachings of Mohammed, the Buddha, and Jesus do not create terrorists.  All call for peace and tolerance.  

I've claimed before that fervid Trump followers are motivated by a kind of ad hoc religion. It's not any typical faith. It's a religion they create to justify various hatreds and invitations to violence, whether at rallies or in the Middle East. Like smug Gnostics, they see themselves as an elite with superior knowledge and judgment, worthy of deference, and entitled to live with their own kind. 

Every ad hoc religion (fascism, Soviet communism, North Korean dictator veneration, and the extreme nationalism of wartime) shares the same vile beliefs and motives.  

Every lasting religion, no matter the language, insists that we love one another.