Author: Guest

4 lifestyle shifts we can take from Buddhism
Religion

4 lifestyle shifts we can take from Buddhism

This guest post is written by Kate Harveston, a writer and political activist from Pennsylvania. She blogs about culture and politics, and the various ways that those elements act upon each other. For more of her work, you can follow her on Twitter or subscribe to her blog, Only Slightly Biased.

Some consider Buddhism a religion, while others say it’s more of a philosophy. Oftentimes, it’s referred to as a path or a practice: something you do, rather than something you believe.

Although it’s often classified as a religion, it differs in significant ways from how traditional religion generally operates. It’s much less dogmatic and does involve more practice than anything else.

While more study and experience is needed to really understand Buddhism than this post can provide, the many great characteristics of Buddhism lend to its usefulness in our daily lives, and those who practice don’t necessarily having to ascribe to everything about it. Once put into practice, many of these ideas can improve our lives in numerous ways. Continue reading “4 lifestyle shifts we can take from Buddhism”

9 church initiatives for the inspired activist
Church

9 church initiatives for the inspired activist

This guest post is written by Kate Harveston, a writer and political activist from Pennsylvania. She blogs about culture and politics, and the various ways that those elements act upon each other. For more of her work, you can follow her on Twitter or subscribe to her blog, Only Slightly Biased.

The good works of holy disciples have always been a point of pride for religious organizations. While it might seem like a touchy subject in today’s polarized America, faith can provide opportunities to contribute, even for those with non-traditional views.

The church is nothing without people, and many of those responsible for inspiring a return to community service are young people. Spurned by what they feel is a commercialistic approach to faith — the televised megachurch approach — new church leaders are opening up to new ideas and promoting community involvement for people from all walks of life.

Here are a few great examples. Continue reading “9 church initiatives for the inspired activist”

4 things to remember about the church before you judge
Church

4 things to remember about the church before you judge

This guest post is written by Kate Harveston, a writer and political activist from Pennsylvania. She blogs about culture and politics, and the various ways that those elements act upon each other. For more of her work, you can follow her on Twitter or subscribe to her blog, Only Slightly Biased.

Christians in today’s society have been given a bad name, often because the loudest, most judgmental ones are the people who capture the headlines and make others think that all people who subscribe to the faith are against entire demographic groups, such as the LGBT community, Muslims, or even women.

However, Christianity is a more diverse religion than you may realize, and it’s important not to become overly closed-minded and make assumptions by getting too focused on the downsides when examining the faith.

There are numerous admirable things associated with Christians, some of which are outlined below. Continue reading “4 things to remember about the church before you judge”

Gender neutral bathrooms: a legal requirement, or will your church be exempt?
LGBTQ

Gender neutral bathrooms: a legal requirement, or will your church be exempt?

This is a guest post written by Holly Whitman and is American-centric. Holly is a freelance writer and journalist, originally from the UK but now based in Washington DC. You can find her on Twitter at @hollykwhitman and more of her writing on her blog, Only Slightly Biased. To submit a guest post, email ourthoughts@gmail.com.

For the longest time, the most pressing issue about public restrooms was the mere fact that there often weren’t enough of them. This is especially true at concert and stadium venues, where the lines can stretch several hundred feet. Now, with the emergence of people identifying as transgender, the issue of restroom accommodation is taking on a whole new spin.

Will it become a legal requirement for a public building to require a men’s bathroom, a women’s bathroom and a non-gender-specific bathroom? And what about churches? Will they be required to expand their restroom facilities even if there is little chance of transgender members becoming a part of their community? Could this all be a case of political correctness run amuck? Clearly, there are a lot of factors to sort through when it comes to the bathroom question. Continue reading “Gender neutral bathrooms: a legal requirement, or will your church be exempt?”