Intolerance @ MindSay 
love
After reading this I got a mixed message, first to be thrown out because of some novels and jewlery of any faith is really uncalled for and sad commentary of people . Second it states she couldn't get along with the other women, but does not mention why? Was it because she was pagan and they weren't or was she confrontational? it just made it sound like the latter and that they were using it as a second excuse to their behavior and back tracking and using that as their excuse instead of the pagan/religious intolerance theme, kicking her out in the streets because of religious intolerance looks bad on them. What do you all think, were they within their rights? or what?
Woman Accuses Shelter of Discrimination
By Danielle Leigh 
I spoke with Rachel "Raven" Litzau this afternoon after she was kicked out of the Ruth House. She tells me the organization is discriminating against her because of her beliefs.
Litzau came to the Ruth House two weeks ago with her 17-month-old son. She was trying to get away from her abusive husband and get back on her feet.
"They help you with job searches, with resumes. They try to help you combat any addiction you might have," says Litzau.
The Ruth House is a non-denominational christian housing center. They say they will accept anyone, but Litzau is pagan. And she tells me that quickly became a problem.
"It was along the lines of, 'Oh, well we've had a lot of complaints about this,' and then suddenly it was like she saw my ring for the first time, and said, 'Oh, and that's got to go that's satanic and your jewelry has to go,' and I said, 'I'm sorry I can't do that. It was really insulting because there's a big difference between satanism and paganism," says Litzau.
In addition to her jewelry, an administrator at the Ruth House had an issue with Litzau's choice of literature, a fiction series on witches.
When Litzau refused to discard her jewelry and books, she was asked to leave.
"It's upsetting because of the fact that it's supposed to be helping women get on their feet no matter what their faith," says Litzau.
Tonight, Litzau isn't sure where she'll stay.
"At the moment it's looking like a park bench or a bridge tonight because all of the shelters in town are basically filled up," says Litzau.
I couldn't talk to the director of the Ruth House on camera, but did reach him over the phone.
Robert Gulden tells me he's not even sure Litzau violated any of the organization's rules.
They don't have any standards on jewelry and the only rules on literature state that the ladies can't read books with descriptive words or pornographic pictures.
Gulden did mention Litzau was struggling to get along with the nine other girls in the room, and that probably influenced his staff's decision.
"At least be open minded. At least be accepting of others differences because that's what it feels like they're not doing right now," says Litzau.
Before I talked to Gulden, he hadn't even heard of the issue. He tells me he should have been notified and that his staff didn't follow proper protocol.
That's why Gulden is asking Litzau to come meet with him personally and try to work things out.
On a side note, Litzau was being housed through private funds and was required to contribute 30 dollars a week to continue staying at the shelter.
She had not paid this week, but Gulden says that's not an issue because they knew she was actively looking for a job and for that reason wouldn't kick her out even though she couldn't pay.
The letter says that world peace could depend on improved relations between Muslims and Christians.
It identifies the principles of accepting only one god and living in peace with one's neighbours as common ground between the two religions.
It also insists that Christians and Muslims worship the same god.
The letter comes on the anniversary of an open letter issued to the Pope last year from 38 top Muslim clerics, after he made a controversial speech on Islam.
Pope Benedict sparked an uproar in September last year by quoting a medieval text which linked Islam to violence.
The letter coincides with the Eid al-Fitr celebrations to mark the end of Ramadan.
Koran and Bible
It was also sent to the Archbishop of Canterbury, the heads of the Lutheran, Methodist and Baptist churches, the Orthodox Church's Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I and other Orthodox Patriarchs.
The letter, entitled A Common Word Between Us and You, compares passages in the Koran and the Bible, concluding that both emphasise "the primacy of total love and devotion to God", and the love of the neighbour.
With Muslims and Christians making up more than half the world's population, the letter goes on, the relationship between the two religious communities is "the most important factor in contributing to meaningful peace around the world".
"As Muslims, we say to Christians that we are not against them and that Islam is not against them - so long as they do not wage war against Muslims on account of their religion, oppress them and drive them out of their homes," the letter says.
One of the signatories, Dr Aref Ali Nayed, a senior adviser at the Cambridge Inter-faith Programme at Cambridge University, told the BBC that the document should be seen as a landmark.
"There are Sunnis, Shias, Ibadis and even the... Ismailian and Jaafari schools, so it's a consensus," he said.
Professor David Ford, director of the programme, said the letter was unprecedented.
"If sufficient people and groups heed this statement and act on it then the atmosphere will be changed into one in which violent extremists cannot flourish," he said in a statement.
The letter was signed by prominent Muslim leaders, politicians and academics, including the Grand Muftis of Bosnia and Hercegovina, Russia, Croatia, Kosovo and Syria, the Secretary-General of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the former Grand Mufti of Egypt and the founder of the Ulema Organisation in Iraq.
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Finally! Somebody on a global level says something about this!
Let us pray.
We meditate on the transcendental Glory of the Deity Supreme, who is inside the heart of the Earth, inside the life of the sky, and inside the soul of the Heaven. May He stimulate and illuminate our minds.
Lead us from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light, and from death to immortality. May we be protected together. May we be nourished together. May we work together with great vigor. May our study be enlightening. May no obstacle arise between us.
May the Senators strive constantly to serve the welfare of the world, performing their duties with the welfare of others always in mind, because by devotion to selfless work one attains the supreme goal of life. May they work carefully and wisely, guided by compassion and without thought for themselves.
United your resolve, united your hearts, may your spirits be as one, that you may long dwell in unity and concord.
Peace, peace, peace be unto all.
Lord, we ask You to comfort the family of former First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson.
Amen.
Is that any reason to have protesters? What the hell is wrong with these people?
Bertrand Russell, "Has Religion Made Useful Contributions to Civilization?" Why I Am Not a Christian and Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects (NY: Touchstone, 1957), pp. 34-35.
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