Got quarters? Because I pretty much quit believing in the Tooth fairy and republicans after much pain.
/johnny
Posted on 09/07/2014 1:25:35 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Here's why governments around the world are unfriending the Tibetan leader.
Look at that face. You're suddenly a bit more serene, a bit more contented than you were a minute ago, aren't you? Maybe you're remembering the year — was it 2002? 2003? — when you gave every single one of your friends and family a copy of "The Art of Happiness" for Christmas.
On the other hand, if you're the president, prime minister, or foreign secretary of any country in the world, then this face is giving you serious angina right now.
We learned on Sept. 4 that South Africa had denied a visa request by the Dalai Lama, the head of Tibetan Buddhism and symbol of Tibetan freedom, who'd been planning to attend the 14th world summit of Nobel peace laureats in Cape Town. (He won the prize in 1989.) It's widely assumed — and the Dalai Lama's representative to South Africa claimed — that the decision had to do with South Africa's economic ties with China, a country that considers the Dalai Lama a separatist.
From reading headlines around the world today, you'd think this was a major event in geopolitics.
It's not. The Dalai Lama is losing friends all over the place as the world undergoes a geopolitical realignment.
The Dalai Lama used to be the guy everyone wanted at their party. But since China's emergence as an economic superpower, he's become an awkward guest to invite.
Around the world, governments are limiting their contact with him — in some cases because of direct pressure by China, and in other cases, because of the chilling effect that pressure creates.
Check out this telling chart from Foreign Policy.
(Foreign Policy)
So who's shutting the Dalai Lama out?
First of all, South Africa's most recent visa rejection is nothing new. It's the third time in five years that the African nation has refused to allow him into the country out of deference to Beijing. No surprise, then, that another close friend to China — Russia — has also shut the Dalai Lama out repeatedly.
But there are also some very surprising nations cowing to China.
Take the United Kingdom. You'd think the British government would be too proud to take orders from East Asia. You'd be right if you're thinking about May 2013, when Prime Minister David Cameron met with the Dalai Lama, even after Beijing warned him not to. But then, China cut off diplomatic relations, and Cameron's administration spent a year working to get back in Beijing's good graces. Part of the healing involved William Hague, Britain's foreign secretary, promising that the British government was "fully aware of the sensitivity of Tibet-related issues" and would "properly handle such issues on the basis of respecting China's concerns."
An almost identical scenario played out in 2010 between China and Denmark, and, until South Africa's visa decision, the most recent diplomatic row over the Dalai Lama took place in another Scandanvian country beloved for its openness, tolerance, and social welfare: Norway.
Wait, what?
That's right. When the Dalai Lama visited Norway in May 2014, government officials allowed him to enter the country but refused to meet with him.
The reason was fallout after the imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo won the Nobel Peace Price in 2010. You see, the peace prize committee that selects the winner is appointed by Norway’s parliament, and even though it has no official connection to the Norwegian government, China responded to the award by from imposing trade restrictions on Norwegian products and limiting cultural and diplomatic exchanges.
Norway wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. So when the Dalai Lama wanted to visit in 2014, they let him in, but stayed far away from him.
Norway’s Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, openly acknowledged that diplomatic relations with China were the reason her administration kept the Dalai Lama away. “It’s not as if China said that we cannot meet the Dalai Lama,” she told reporters. “We just know that if we do so, we’re going to remain in the freezer for even longer.”
If all this economic pressure doesn't succeed in destroying the Dalai Lama's global influence, China's meddling in the Tibetan succession process itself might do the trick. The current Dalai Lama, whose religious name is Tenzin Gyatso, is the 14th reincarnation. He was identified in 1937, and Beijing has announced that it has the authority to discover/appoint the 15th Dalai Lama after his death.
Nice words. Is there no sin, no evil, no Satan? The Dalai Lama spouts good words, doesn't he? Lead a good life.
In my faith we need the GRACE of our good Lord. We must love God and love one another. NOT so easy to do the latter.
The Dalai Lama is talking through his hat.
...if he had one.
Got quarters? Because I pretty much quit believing in the Tooth fairy and republicans after much pain.
/johnny
There is a state in India that has a higher percentage of Baptists than the U.S. State with the highest percentage of Baptists. (Mississippi)
“Sometimes one creates a dynamic impression by saying something, and sometimes one creates as significant an impression by remaining silent.”
- Dalai Lama XIV
=========================
Religion: Predominantly Latin Catholics, Saint Thomas Christians and various denominations of Protestants Related ethnic groups: Nasranis, East Indians, Khasis, Mizos, Kukis, Nagas, Anglo-Indians, Goan Catholics
Christianity is India's third-largest religion according to the census of 2001, with approximately 24 million followers, constituting 2.3 per cent of India's population.
The works of scholars and Eastern Christian writings state that Christianity was introduced to India by Thomas the Apostle, who visited Muziris in Kerala in AD 52 to spread the gospel amongst Kerala's Jewish settlements.
Although the origins of Christianity in India remain unclear, there is a general scholarly consensus that Christianity was established in India by the 6th century AD, including some communities who used Syriac liturgically, and it is a possibility that the religion's existence there extends to as far back as the 1st century.
Christianity was as such established in India even before some nations of Europe had been Christianized.
Christians are found all across India and in all walks of life, with major populations in parts of South India, the Konkan Coast, North-East. Indian Christians have contributed significantly to and are well represented in various spheres of national life. They include former and current chief ministers, governors and chief election commissioners.
Indian Christians have the lowest sex ratio figures among the various religious communities in India. Christians are considered to be one of the most progressive communities in India.
Most Christians in India are Catholics of the Latin Church. The state of Kerala is home to the Saint Thomas Christian community, an ancient body of Christians (Syriac Christianity) who are now divided into several different churches and traditions.
There are two Eastern Catholic Saint Thomas Christian churches: the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church and the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church.
There are also several Oriental Orthodox and independent churches in the Saint Thomas Christian community, including the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Church and the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church.
Since the 19th century Protestant churches have also been present;
major denominations include the Church of South India (CSI),
the Church of North India (CNI),
the Presbyterian Church of India,
Baptists,
Lutherans,
Traditional Anglicans and other evangelical groups.
Roman Catholicism was first introduced to India by Portuguese, Italian and Irish Jesuits, whereas Protestantism was later spread to India by the efforts of British and American missionaries.
The Christian Church runs thousands of educational institutions and hospitals contributing significantly to the development of the nation.
===================================
I don't know where you got your data but I think I would rather believe this source. I can't believe that in the last 13 years Baptists grew so much and so fast. Epiphanies are personal, not national, ESPECIALLY in India. That just doesn't ring true.
Hey, Johnny, I like him, too!
I even liked that he wore bare feet and flip-flops for dinner at the White House!
Kewl!
I liked him even more when Obama's henchmen escorted him out of the building via the back door garbage dump area.
I think I'll invite the old boy to my next freeper chapter party. I bet he'd fit right in with us....with mutual respect and understanding in many things.
And he'd have more fun with us than with our klutz president, that's for sure.
Leni
Money talks
I heard THAT one before, and NOT from the Dalai Lama...but I'm sure your BOOK of Buddhist quotes won't say that.
"From a Buddhist point of view [lesbian and gay sexual activity]...is generally considered sexual misconduct." - Dalai Lama
Huh?
I have gotten to meet him in person. Twice. He’s got a great laugh. But if you take a look at Buddhism , it has virtually aided and abetted in its own extinction, from rabid islam , over history. Buddhist either run , hide , or are slaughtered. There is hardly a better example than at the MahaBodhi temple in Bodh Gaya India , where a mosque blasts the holiest compound in Buddhism every day at just before 5:am. And they tolerate that . They tolerate the intolerable , as do many Americans these days.
Which part? The homosexuality or Bill Murray?
When I was very young I went to Tibet. Really fell a little in love with the people and culture. Tibetan Buddhism seems like a decent faith, for Tibetan Buddhists. I certainly have decent respect for them and their leader who doesn’t cause any problems in the world.
I think you left out a few words.
The one-l lama
He's a priest
The two-l llama
He's a beast
And I will bet
A silk pajama
There isn't any
Three-l lllama
Leni
The D.L. quotes the good stuff that ALL faiths preach. Nothing new there for Christians, Jews and Muslims. (alphabetical)
If he were the Dalai Hama, he's be the D.H.: "designated hitter."
NOW BATTING for the Tibetan Tigers, number 14, playing ALL fields, hitting, pitching AND coaching, the DALAI LAMA--A-A-A-A-A-A-A!!!!
Oh, I left out the letter “C” from once.
Someone has it figured out. You should run, sort the place out.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.