Freedom Of Religion

"Would the bill of rights, in this state, exempt the people from paying for the support of one particular sect, if such sect were exclusively established by law? If there were a majority of one sect, a bill of rights would be a poor protection for liberty. Happily for the states, they enjoy the utmost freedom of religion. This freedom arises from that multiplicity of sects, which pervades America, and which is the best and only security for religious liberty in any society. From where there is such a variety of sects, there cannot be a majority of any one sect to oppress and persecute the rest. Fortunately for this commonwealth, a majority of the people are decidedly against any exclusive establishment - I believe it to be so in the other states. There is not a shadow of right in the general government to intermeddle with religion. Its least interference with it, would be a most flagrant usurpation."
-President James Madison

Quote For Today

"In nature there is only the love of the heroic age, 'when gods and goddesses loved.' At that time 'desire followed the glance, enjoyment desire.' All else is factitious, affected, a lie."
-Leopold von Sacher-Masoch

Quote

"A lake has several ghats. At one the Hindus take water in pitchers and call it 'jal'; at another the Mussulmans take water in leather bags and call it 'pani'. At a third the Christians call it 'water'. Can we imagine it is not 'jal' but only 'pani' or 'water'? How ridiculous! The substance is one under different names and everyone is seeking the same substance; only climate, temperament and names create differences. Let each man follow his own path."
-Ramakrishna

Moralistic Error

"A brother was accused of sinning and the brothers asked Abbas Moses what should be done. He remained silent and then got up and filled a tattered sack with sand. This he took on his back and carried a small sachet of sand in his hands before him. The Fathers asked what this meant and he said: 'The sack on my back is the heap of my sins. I carry it behind me so I can't see it. The sand flows out unnoticed and is lost from sight. This little sachet is the sins of my brother. I hold it before me so I can see it and I spend my time condemning them. Surely this is not the way to act. Should I not rather carry mind in front of me, keeping them always in sight and begging God's pardon?'"
-Unknown

Dominance, Submission, and Spirituality

"obedience was seen as, in itself, a virtue. It's power for good consisted in the fact that obedience negates the will."
-Peter France

"Submission and temperance break in the wild horse."
-St. Antony

Altar

"Madonna, Mistress, I shall build for you an altar of my misery, and hew out of my heart's remote and midnight pitch, far from all worldly lust and sneer, a niche enameled totally in gold and blue where I shall set you up, and worship you."
-Baudelaire