Commentary

This past weekend I attended the Spocon, Spokane’s science fiction and fantasy convention. Nearly every decent-sized city has at least one, such as MisCon for the Missoula and RisCon for the Tri-Cities.

The successful landing of the one-ton automobile-sized Curiosity on Mars was a great testimony to American ingenuity and to the future of the NASA space program. It seemed more like Star Wars than NASA.

Sravasti Abbey Friends Education (SAFE), an online, distance learning program, will resume classes September 10.

Three courses are being offered:  Introducing the Buddha’s Teaching, Renunciation and Bodhicitta.

Violent and murderous Saul was changed to peaceful and missional Paul by a visitation and revelation of God in Christ. Religion, ideology, philosophy, political theory, economics, sexuality are all potential tools for destruction when sinful human beings are involved.

Babajee stood at the gate of the Sikh Temple of Spokane, greeting the hundreds of guests who came to show their support.

“Thank you, thank you for coming,” he said, smiling — sometimes chuckling — as he grasped their hands and welcomed them.

Spokane Valley’s quiet Sikh community has taken the spotlight this week after a gunman shot down six worshipers in Wisconsin on Aug. 5. On Wednesday The Sikh Temple of Spokane held a candlelight vigil in remembrance of those who died and tomorrow friends the Unitarian Universalist Church will join hands and form a “circle of protection” around the gurdwara at noon.