[Noisebridge-discuss] update on the shrine!

[Jason Dusek]

On Mon, Jul 18, 2011 at 22:38, Jacob Appelbaum <jacob at appelbaum.net> wrote:
> On 07/18/2011 06:16 PM, Jason Dusek wrote:
> > On Mon, Jul 18, 2011 at 21:26, Michael C. Toren <mct at toren.net> wrote:
> > > On Mon, Jul 18, 2011 at 10:35:30AM -0700, Rameen wrote:
> > > > It seems like the main issue is that the Church class was
> > > > being rearranged.
> > >
> > > No.
> > >
> > > The main issue, for many people, was that the shrine was being
> > > used in a religious context.
> >
> > That this is an issue is a concern of mine. If it was, so what?
> > A space that can accept so many other things can not accept the
> > exercize of the Buddhist religion? I don't see on what basis we
> > can do that. Personal dislike of religion?
> >
>
> The "so what" is that some people are not comfortable with it -
> especially given the example of "how" it was done. You seem to
> understand the latter but take issue with people taking issue in the
> former case. Huh.

I would like to disentangle, for the moment, the particulars of
this particular case from the rejection of religion in general.
As you mention, the would-be rinpoche managed to be incompatible
with NB on a few axes.

> > The Rinpoche is not representative of organized religion in
> > any sense; by that I mean, there is no lineage of Asian
> > Buddhism to which he can be assigned, despite his adoption
> > of the manner and titles of a few different lineages. There
> > is thus no real exercize of religion here; so what should we
> > call it?
>
> The issue is not a matter of organisation. It does not matter
> if you accept their "faith" or "practice " or whatever you'd
> like to call it.
>
> Rinpoche's actions sound annoying and incompatible with
> Noisebridge. It appears that his conflict resolution skills
> are also incompatible with Noisebridge. Perhaps I'm mistaken?
>
> Obviously people aren't happy with the Rinpoche's
> appropriation of the space for whatever spiritual or
> non-spiritual quest he's undertaken.
>
> ( His crazy faith looks just as crazy as every other from
> where I'm sitting. )

Folks say it is religion and they are uncomfortable with that.
What makes it religion, though? Is it really just that it looks
"crazy"? Do we know religion when we see it? Here, I think we're
on a slippery slope. Are drum circles religion?

--
Jason Dusek
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