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Archive: Ramdas Lamb
The importance of freedom of religion
There are many Catholic hospitals in poor communities where they serve a vital function. In most situations, they should be allowed to do so within the context of their own beliefs and should not be forced to go against them for the convenience of others. Again, if a serious and life threatening situation arises, then such hospitals must be able to bend their doctrines to save that life. In all other situations, they should be granted freedom of religion and appreciated for the service they provide.
By Ramdas Lamb | January 28, 2011; 10:42 AM ET | Comments (3)
'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere'
The U.S. has long claimed to be a nation where human rights and religious freedom are paramount. Can we walk that talk? Unless we want those concepts to remain nothing more than sweet, useless rhetoric in the world, we have to stop turning a blind eye and bowing...to those who ignore human rights simply in hopes that they can benefit us economically.
By Ramdas Lamb | January 19, 2011; 12:53 PM ET | Comments (2)
Preaching hatred begets hatred
There are several very real problems in our country that have created the environment that led to what happened. The most immediate is that violence--in thought, word, and deed--has become such a prevalent aspect of our society that far too many of us have come to see it as just another way of dealing with people and ideas we do not like.
By Ramdas Lamb | January 16, 2011; 09:15 PM ET | Comments (2)
Religious extremism is the problem
There are two elements to the issue at hand, the political and the religious. While they have different solutions, the problem is the same: extreme religious fundamentalism, or more specifically, extremist Muslim fundamentalism.
By Ramdas Lamb | January 7, 2011; 05:19 PM ET | Comments (0)
Religious belief is not insanity
The real difficultly that we face developing a rational approach to the inclusion religious belief in our public debate is the assumption that, by its nature, it is the opposite of "reason" and "sanity." Removing religious belief from the public debate runs the risk of removing much of the goodness that religion has to offer as well.
By Ramdas Lamb | October 26, 2010; 10:27 AM ET | Comments (10)
What determines if sex is good or bad?
If one believes that non-married or non-committed heterosexuals couples should be free to engage in sexual activity for pleasure and self-fulfillment while purposely avoiding pregnancy, then what makes homosexuals engaging in similar sexual activity, i.e., with someone to whom they are naturally attracted, any different?
By Ramdas Lamb | October 13, 2010; 04:52 AM ET | Comments (6)
Does God need a plan?
Who wins a particular political contest, who happens to earn the most money, or who becomes king, queen, or president are all ultimately irrelevant. To the divine, these are all probably as equally significant as leaves blowing in the wind.
By Ramdas Lamb | October 6, 2010; 12:16 AM ET | Comments (2)
Studying about religion can help us all
Nearly everyone in America today understands the value and importance of education, but far too few of us understand the value and importance of studying about religion using a scholarly approach
By Ramdas Lamb | September 28, 2010; 06:06 PM ET | Comments (3)
Why do Americans fear Muslims?
It is only in Islam where members fear for their lives if they criticize their religion or what is occurring in its name.
By Ramdas Lamb | September 9, 2010; 04:40 AM ET | Comments (6)
Focus should be on actions, not labels
As long as we judge our leaders, or anyone else for that matter, on external labels, be they religious, racial, or political, we will rarely, if ever, elect truly honest and qualified individuals.
By Ramdas Lamb | September 2, 2010; 05:31 PM ET | Comments (3)
A change of heart, not of location
Every day will provide us with an opportunity for a deep spiritual transformation, both individually and as a society. It requires no change of religion, only a change of heart.
By Ramdas Lamb | August 16, 2010; 01:43 PM ET | Comments (0)
Julia Roberts' search for inner peace
Because of the influence she has gained as a celebrity, she is in a position to inspire others to find a deeper meaning to their lives as well. If she continues in this way, I am confident that the she and her entire family will be enriched in ways that her monetary wealth could never provide.
By Ramdas Lamb | August 9, 2010; 03:13 PM ET | Comments (0)
Who owns God?
Religion and religions have value and teach values, but narrow mindedness and exclusiveness can and do serve as obstacles that block the ability to have a broader vision of the world and of the divine.
By Ramdas Lamb | August 5, 2010; 10:15 AM ET | Comments (12)
Islam needs more tolerance, not more mosques
There are those who say that we are the ones at fault, we need to better understand Muslims and Islam, and the planned center and mosque near Ground Zero will help in that process. Actually, our politicians need to stop making excuses for the violence fundamentalist Islam supports
By Ramdas Lamb | July 26, 2010; 02:42 PM ET | Comments (22)
Terrorism, fear and political correctness
Obama's overall strategy to reinvent and recast America's relationship with "the Muslim world" by ignoring the evidence and all the pronouncements by the terrorists themselves is not only foolish, but dangerous, since it gives radical Islam cover to continue to spread its hatred.
By Ramdas Lamb | July 21, 2010; 09:17 AM ET | Comments (5)
Religions definitely NOT the same
As long as religious narrow-mindedness and arrogance continue, so will the hatred and violence these views inspire, and the supposedly religious who promote them will remain a part of the problem and not a part of the solution.
By Ramdas Lamb | July 10, 2010; 11:45 AM ET | Comments (9)
Animal rights and human wrongs
I know it is much easier to believe animals have no souls, that they somehow are alive without one, and that their existence is simply to fill our bellies. However, at some point, many of us come to the realization that animals are conscious beings, with desires and fears, aspirations and frustrations.
By Ramdas Lamb | June 17, 2010; 05:49 AM ET | Comments (10)
Whose world is it anyway?
The Gulf oil disaster is only the most recent and obvious consequence of our disregard for nature, while our destruction of animals and other aspects of our natural world and its inhabitants continues unabated.
By Ramdas Lamb | June 3, 2010; 12:27 PM ET | Comments (7)
Allowing illegal immigration is not compassion
Letting immigrants come illegally and remain poor simply so we can have cheaper food and clean homes is not compassion, it is near-sightedness, and it causes more harm than it fosters good.
By Ramdas Lamb | May 26, 2010; 12:37 PM ET | Comments (5)
Faith, feminism, and fundamentalism
What was once used in reference to women's rights and efforts toward equality has become an ideological label with increasingly narrow parameters. It has become a form of secular fundamentalism.
By Ramdas Lamb | May 19, 2010; 01:25 PM ET | Comments (2)
No Protestants? Also no non-Abrahamic faiths
Using his own criteria, Obama could take a large step in the direction of diversity on the Court by nominating an Asian Hindu (Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world), a Buddhist, or someone from one of the other Asian religious traditions.
By Ramdas Lamb | May 12, 2010; 03:11 PM ET | Comments (1)
Without freedom of expression, there is no democracy
Those who restrict the freedom of expression are not supporting democracy, they are diminishing it. A nanny state is not a free one. Violence and intolerance are pathologies that cannot be cured by fear any more than AIDS or cancer can be cured by fear.
By Ramdas Lamb | May 6, 2010; 02:42 PM ET | Comments (2)
People should stop fearing prayer
Would not the entire country be better off if more people spent at least some time on a regular basis finding a sense of inner peace. I think there would be less division and hatred in the world. It might even being some peace to the halls of Congress.
By Ramdas Lamb | April 29, 2010; 05:30 AM ET | Comments (5)
Religions need to get real in dealing with sex
Religions today must deal with today's reality and not pretend that we are still living in the world of limited exposure and access to sensual stimuli. Religions need to provide useful teachings that will help people address the issue of sex within the context of today's world. At the same time, they need to teach the importance of responsibly and the acceptance of the consequences of one's actions.
By Ramdas Lamb | April 23, 2010; 03:08 PM ET | Comments (2)
The pope is NOT the victim
I attended Catholic elementary school, and one of the lessons our nuns emphasized over and over again was "Honesty is the best policy." I would advise the pope to try it himself.
By Ramdas Lamb | April 6, 2010; 02:14 PM ET | Comments (5)
Pope Benedict's karma
The pope is now reaping some of the fruits of the narrow-minded approach to life that he has promoted for decades, an approach that may have benefited some, but has hurt countless others both inside and outside the Church.
By Ramdas Lamb | March 30, 2010; 02:20 PM ET | Comments (3)
Heaven is overrated
Judaism, Hinduism, and many Buddhist schools, on the other hand, place more focus on this life than the afterlife. How one lives is far more important than what one claims to believe.
By Ramdas Lamb | March 25, 2010; 04:13 AM ET | Comments (8)
Good pastors are not parrots
A religious teacher, or any other kind of teacher, should not simply be a parrot. Those for whom I have the greatest respect are individuals who teach what they have experienced and realized, not what they have read and memorized.
By Ramdas Lamb | March 18, 2010; 05:13 AM ET | Comments (1)
Missionaries: the good, the bad, and the ugly
I am a strong supporter of freedom of religion. Most proselytizers are not. They want the freedom to coerce vulnerable and gullible individuals into converting, and they can justify many nefarious methods to accomplish their goal.
By Ramdas Lamb | March 4, 2010; 03:41 AM ET | Comments (12)
Understanding other religions is a smart approach
For most of the rest of the world, the secularization process has not occurred as much, and the religious beliefs and practices of many people in the world remain important and integral in their lives and in their governments. We cannot pretend this situation does not exist, nor can we wish it away with our claims to the superiority of secularism.
By Ramdas Lamb | February 25, 2010; 04:45 AM ET | Comments (5)
Making sure our speech is politically correct
Wanting to stop people from saying things that can be perceived as offensive is, conceptually speaking, a good and noble idea that helps on some levels, but it also leads to more problems in the end.
By Ramdas Lamb | February 18, 2010; 01:51 PM ET | Comments (0)
Letting all Americans serve their country
In the military as in any business or corporation, the sexual preferences of consenting adults should be their own business as long as they fulfill their duties and do not cause harm to others or to the military in the process.
By Ramdas Lamb | February 12, 2010; 03:29 AM ET | Comments (5)
Pro-choice should mean letting CBS choose
Those who do not like the message in the Tim Tebow ad can easily change the station, turn off the sound, or go to kitchen for a few minutes. I don't think anyone is going to be forced to watch either the Super Bowl or its ads.
By Ramdas Lamb | February 2, 2010; 02:21 AM ET | Comments (7)
Obama as messiah
We need to stop looking for elected or appointed messiahs to solve our problems and instead try to work individually and collectively to do it ourselves, and in the process make the world more peaceful, just, and compassionate in everything we do.
By Ramdas Lamb | January 28, 2010; 02:59 AM ET | Comments (1)
Haiti and the law of karma
The way I have come to look upon any event that causes suffering, from a headache to the Holocaust, and everything in between, is related to karma. As I understand it, whatever we do, why we do it, how attached we are to our thoughts and actions, what we learn from them, and what expectation of reward we have all play a role in the resulting karma.
By Ramdas Lamb | January 22, 2010; 04:22 AM ET | Comments (22)
The good and the bad of religion
To some extent, I think Brit Hume and Sarah Palin are correct in their views about the mainstream media, which has a tendency to depict committed Christians, especially conservatives, as narrow minded, dim witted, somewhat ignorant, and often bigoted.
By Ramdas Lamb | January 17, 2010; 04:16 AM ET | Comments (2)
Allowing violent extremists to curtail free speech
When laws are made primarily to placate extremists rather than to benefit the society at large, then the lawmakers are essentially succumbing to fear and are allowing the violent to set the agenda. Although blasphemy in itself does little to make life better, laws used to suppress it make life much worse.
By Ramdas Lamb | January 7, 2010; 01:34 PM ET | Comments (2)
Can war or violence ever be necessary?
When I was a monk and had no one depending on me, adhering to the concept of ahimsa in thought and deed was integral to my goals in life. I often read Gandhi and found great inspiration through him. I still read him regularly, but I now also have a family, and I see protecting them as one of my duties.
By Ramdas Lamb | December 21, 2009; 07:30 PM ET | Comments (0)
Gore's convenient half-truth
Gore and others who follow him want people to make drastic changes in their lives. Maybe he and his devotees should lead the way by altering their own lifestyles first to show their willingness to play a leading role.
By Ramdas Lamb | December 18, 2009; 01:17 AM ET | Comments (5)
A reaction based on misquided fear
The vote and the ban are the result of a fear that many Swiss, and countless others in Europe and the world, have regarding the level of violence that is being perpetuated in the name of Islam by a radical minority within the religion.
By Ramdas Lamb | December 4, 2009; 04:11 AM ET | Comments (2)
Atheism is also a religion for many
The American Humanist Association has its own philosophy, holidays, and is on a proselytizing campaign to convert others to follow its belief system......sounds a lot like a religion to me.
By Ramdas Lamb | November 26, 2009; 01:31 PM ET | Comments (14)
Politicians should be open to input
Unfortunately, as the situation currently exists, far too many of our politicians base their approaches to the laws they attempt to pass on partisan politics and personal gain, not on what is ethical or moral. As a result, many of our laws ignore what is ethically sound for what is politically beneficial and expedient.
By Ramdas Lamb | November 19, 2009; 01:59 PM ET | Comments (0)
Goodness and justice over religious affiliation
Religious belief and military service are part and parcel of the societies of most countries. Generally, they have been able to find compatibility. There have been times of antagonism and difficulty in the U.S. in this regards, but for the most part, members of the American military services have found ways to live the religious values they hold while serving, and we have all benefited as a result.
By Ramdas Lamb | November 12, 2009; 11:56 AM ET | Comments (1)
Goodness itself is divine
Whenever individuals are inspired to promote peace, practice compassion, and do good, I would call that inspiration divine, irrespective of whether they acknowledge that as the source or not. For those in whose lives goodness and ethics are integral, there is no need for them to be forced into following a human created belief system or deity. That inner light is already guiding their lives in such moments.
By Ramdas Lamb | October 29, 2009; 06:16 AM ET | Comments (3)
Religions need to live and let live
If the prophetic traditions spent less time counting their flock and more time tending to them and their needs and also inspiring them to better co-exist in a multi-faith world, we would have much less violence to worry about and far more compassion and empathy to address the real problems we all face.
By Ramdas Lamb | October 22, 2009; 04:57 AM ET | Comments (5)
Moving beyond hate
What we need to understand and do as a society is to address head on what causes such hatred. I see two issues: fear caused by ignorance and greed for power. Resentment, prejudice, and hatred are typically caused by fear, which is most often the product of ignorance.
By Ramdas Lamb | October 21, 2009; 02:23 PM ET | Comments (1)
Start With Skepticism, Seek Harmony
Because beauty, harmony, and connectedness are also divine traits, humans who express these in their lives reflect divinity in the process. On the other hand, ignorance, hatred, and violence reflect a lack of connectedness with that divinity.
By Ramdas Lamb | October 10, 2009; 12:45 AM ET | Comments (7)
How is Moral Responsibility Determined?
We exacerbated the situation in Afghanistan and helped create the problem. Now it is our duty to try to help rectify it.
By Ramdas Lamb | October 7, 2009; 02:52 PM ET | Comments (0)
Peace or Destruction: An Imminent Choice
All of our current political priorities should be focused on finding a path away from nuclear war. The threat will not go away by pretending it is not serious.
By Ramdas Lamb | September 30, 2009; 02:13 PM ET | Comments (0)
Free to Hire, Not to Discriminate
Rather than making blanket criticisms or condemnations of groups simply because they have a religious affiliation, we should try to judge each on its deeds and merits, in the same way that we should judge people, not on their religious affiliation or lack thereof, but on their deeds and merits.
By Ramdas Lamb | September 24, 2009; 03:51 AM ET | Comments (2)
Celebrity and Power Trump Civility
The contemporary devaluation of humility, civility, truthfulness, and responsibility has been particularly detrimental to us both collectively and individually.
By Ramdas Lamb | September 17, 2009; 05:48 AM ET | Comments (2)
Violence in God's Name
The more pivotal question that arises from the situations mentioned seems to be "Why would individuals, and especially clergy, ever think they need a gun in a house of worship?"
By Ramdas Lamb | September 9, 2009; 03:55 AM ET | Comments (6)
The Value of Learning "About" Religions
No doubt, there will be those ideologues, both religious and atheist, who will see teaching about religion as a threat to their narrow beliefs and views of the world. The school board needs to look beyond these fears and embrace the chance to broaden their students' perspective of the world, and its myriad belief systems.
By Ramdas Lamb | September 2, 2009; 03:21 AM ET | Comments (5)
Misdirected Compassion?
While I personally support the UK's banning of capital punishment, the Scottish legal system needs to rethink what compassion means and to whom it should be directed.
By Ramdas Lamb | August 26, 2009; 05:25 AM ET | Comments (2)
Whose Responsibility is My Health?
Does the U.S. need health care reform? Absolutely. But first our nation needs to reform our definition of health.
By Ramdas Lamb | August 19, 2009; 02:12 AM ET | Comments (2)
Searching for God On the Internet
Theologians also say God in omniscient, therefore he of she would likely know all "tweets," all blog entries, and even all e-mails.
By Ramdas Lamb | August 11, 2009; 03:49 AM ET | Comments (10)
Freedom of Religion = Freedom to Choose
Any individual who seeks to be affiliated with a religious tradition should find one that resonates with his or her core values. If not, what is the use?
By Ramdas Lamb | August 4, 2009; 01:14 PM ET | Comments (7)
Marriage is a Religious Ritual
The concept of a civil marriage is a much later development, established for a secular government to mimic the religious rite while attempting to remove any religious trappings.
By Ramdas Lamb | July 29, 2009; 01:41 AM ET | Comments (28)
Rethinking the "Sacredness" of Scripture
In the Dharma Traditions, especially Hinduism and, to some extent theistic Buddhism, the issue of the Divine's gender is quite different.
By Ramdas Lamb | July 22, 2009; 08:42 PM ET | Comments (0)
Looking Past Ethnicity and Gender
To the extent that religious values are important to a judge, these will also influence the way he or she understands what laws mean and what rulings are correct.
By Ramdas Lamb | July 15, 2009; 03:02 PM ET | Comments (2)
America Has More Than 3 Faiths
In adding Muslim holidays to the city's school calendar, the NYC Council is recognizing Islam as having equal official status with Christianity and Judaism. It also sends the message to Hindus, Buddhists, and members of other faiths that their beliefs are less important.
By Ramdas Lamb | July 8, 2009; 02:40 PM ET | Comments (4)
