[Buddha-l] Persecution in modern Colorado?

[jkirk]

Has anyone else been disappointed with the lack of social and political
engagement in their Buddhist communities? If so, what do you do about it? 
Try
to become more complacent? Try to get Buddhists off their butts? Divide your
time between Buddhists and Quakers? Watch TV? Take psychoactive drugs?

-- 
Richard P. Hayes
==============
Yes, not only disappointed with some Buddhists, but also with different 
kinds of Christians who claim to worship the Man of Peace. And also with the 
majority of the Unitarians here. The minister treads lightly when it comes 
to taking positions on politics regarding any topic, except for the LGBT and 
racism topics. They seem to have been elected as safe surrogates for all 
other political stances/topics among this congregation or at least by the 
minister.
There is a small Social Action Com. among them, but very small.

Having begun with Unitarians back east when the meeting was more like 
ethical society meetings, and then coming here where nobody among the UUs 
did anything political in public, and the minister preferred not to stir any 
pots by taking positions, I decided that even putting up with their other 
idiosyncrasies wasn't worth it. But lo and behold, now that two members of 
the UU cong. (plus her husband) are running for public office, the minister 
has begun to turn herself around. She's even giving a sermon on political 
action this month. So I plan to go, to see how far she'll take it,  and how 
the group responds.

Meanwhile, the local InterBeing sangha, being followers of Ven. Thich Nhat 
Hanh, who has been political for most of his life, do take part in peace 
demos and marches, and occasionally I get an email from their leader calling 
attention to some political issue or demo. I guess I'm on his list because 
he knows I'm a Buddhist, although I'm not in his group (or any group). So 
that bunch of Buddhists do try to take political actions and I suspect many 
of them lobby congresspeople, etc (not that that does any good with the 
level of corruption in our government.)

Joanna