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In addition to nirvana, I believe that all people have the potential to reach nirvana and what holds us back from that is ignorance.
Zen rejects the study of scriptures, this is not part of my belief. Scriptures of various kinds are there to teach, and I like to learn.
Zen rejects the idea of religious rites. This is circumstantial. If you consider the religious rite to be prayer or meditation, I concur. If it is eating wafers and drinking wine, or going to church because you HAVE to, being baptized, communion bar-mitzfah, etc. I reject that idea.
I do not believe in the Zen idea of rejecting devotional practices. Zen contradicts itself in this area as it's main purpose is meditation, which is a devotional practice when it comes to Zen.
I believe in the use of Koans (paradoxical puzzles or questions to overcome normal boundaries of logic).
I also practice Zazen (seated mediation, often combined with Christian prayer).
Also the belief in re-incarnation tends to be associated with this religion, which one can say contradicts the Christian belief of Heaven and Hell, but it is a perspective. I do believe God helps us achieve that nirvana through lifetimes of learning. Perhaps not all souls are re-incarnated immediately, but then are later, and some perhaps not at all. I think it is entirely individual to the soul and God's plan to teach that soul. And yes, I do believe He teaches us all, especially those that choose to deny Him. NT: Jesus would abandon 99 sheep for 1 that has strayed.
To answer your second question, my personal standpoint on homosexuality is this: God created man and woman. He created them to be a pair, and in that pair there is a balance and harmony (see Taoism). It is not up to me to decide what God says is sinful, but according to many religious teachings; it is. The consistency that I have seen in a variety of religions (Muslim, Judism, Christianity, Native Spirituality) consider it to be wrong and wrong in the same sense that incest is wrong. According to Jesus's teachings in the NT, "Judge not lest ye be judged," it is not for me, but I do not force my views on those who choose to live their lives the way they see fit. Neither do I tell them what they can and can't do. I do not look down on people who are homosexual, and I don't treat them differently than anyone else. I consider it a personal preference (based on conversations with gay friends), and it really is no different than choosing to drink Coke over Pepsi. My beliefs are mine alone, and they are personally practiced. Meaning again, I don't tell others what to believe or what is right or wrong.
So as you can see, I do have a degree of acceptance of homosexuality. On the topic of Prop 8 in California, I would not have cast a vote in favor of same-sex marriages based on my religious beliefs. My vote is my voice. There are plenty of other voices out there that could override mine.
As far as the selling of daughters into slavery bit? That's ridiculous! I think some of the Bible speaks of mistakes previously made that we should learn from, thus increasing our moral integrity.
That brings to mind a certain woman in history named Countess Elizabeth Bathory. She was a wealthy woman and held a lot of power in Hungary during her time. She constantly brought in Slovak peasant girls and tortured them and killed them at her will. Over 600 of them actually. There are stories that she ate their flesh, drank and bathed in their blood. (Dracula Was a Woman by Raymond McNally) The Slovak people at the time didn't feel that they had another choice. The overall concept of selling your own flesh and blood? Total ignorance. Anyone who believes in that should be kicked in the a$$ every hour on the hour. I believe that there is always a better way if you are willing to seek it out. Even during the hardest of times.
This was a wide and consistent practice for a long period of time in history. Similar to the variety of religions that are against homosexuality. What is the difference? Largely your upbringing, moral standpoint, and religious views. But basically, people didn't sell their children into slavery because God said that it was right and they should. They did it because they needed the money.
Now, as I wrote to Jillian in another thread. I have experienced more hatred in this forum because of my beliefs. More than what I experience everyday being gawf in an extremely non-gawf city. I don't ask anyone to abandon their values, but respect mine. Be mature and intelligent in your responses and for God's sake understand that a person believes in something for a reason. If I didn't want it called into question I wouldn't post it. But there is no need to act like an a$$hole about it.
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