Choosing My Religion - The Bike Temple Presents 'The Joy of Sects Ride'

A repost for the wondering soul who has yet to become enlightened.

New religions can be pretty intimidating. Some have buildings designed to threaten and exclude, others keep their ritual and practices away from the public, and then there are those which we simply know nothing about because we have never bothered to ask. All of this can make it hard for the seeker of spirituality to understand and find religion, leaving many people wanting more.

The Bike Temple wants to open the doors of religious institutions and facilities and meet the people that make them tick, and so we present to you 'The Joy of Sects Ride', a Pedalpalooza event.

Join us for a tour of Portland's diverse and devout religious institutions and worship sites. We'll be taking time to explore glorious architecture, people, and practices of a wide range of religions, from Apostle to Zen. This will be a fun, open-minded, and respectful opportunity to learn something new about different religious organizations in your own neighborhood.

We will be greeted by a representative of the faith at each stop, who will take time to "sell us" the religion, tour the facilities, and answer questions. Many of these organizations want to share their message with the masses, but they often don't have open ears and minds to speak to, this ride will give them a chance to spread the word, and give all those attending a chance to learn things they were always curious about.

When the ride is finished, we will commune at a local bar, to share stories, ideas, collected literature, and opinions.

We encourage all people to attend, whether you are a devout zealot, an inquisitive soul, or a refuser of religion.

We will see you there...

10:30am
Sunday, June 14th, 2009
Col. Summers Park
Portland, OR

Lost Sheep

A recent discussion on the Shift list has got me thinking about the misinformed and misguided.   One difficult topic that has come up in the past has been whom, if anybody, would not be welcome at the Bike Temple (for example, the question was raised; "what if they ride electric assist bikes or mopeds?")  That having been said, The Bike Temple is and has always been about broad acceptance of all kinds of people, as long as they believe in the bicycle, and that it is an important and effective tool against evil.

There are many different angles to look at everything and it is impossible to draw a perfect line between good and bad.  For example, what do you do when a person has so much energy and excitement about the cause, but their actions only seem to hurt it?  How about one who uses the resources of the movement to push their own personal agenda?

These problems are not new, but they often must be re-examined due to changes in circumstance.  I expect the Bike Temple to excel at finding solutions to problems like these.  We are a group of all kinds of people with different vantage points, hopefully creating a more equel and balanced audience.  

Note:  No, there are no problems like these within the Bike Temple, if you were wondering.  This is all based on a certian person who is active in an unrelated forum and his/her recent misguided attempts at creativity.

Portland, OR: The Bicycle Holy Land

Portland gets a lot of credit when it comes to bicycles. Our city saves for and spends money on cycling facilities in a way that most places don't bother to, we make plans that prioritize cycling and other modes over auto use, and we have a large contingency of cycling advocates, activists and fun-ists that keep it that way. And while, as with any place, Portland could always be doing more than it is to advance the plight of the bicycle, it has never been disputed that we aren't generally ahead of the game when compared to other US cities.

I had a chance to witness this remarkable cohesion yesterday evening, when I rode out the the Portland Police Bureau's SE Precinct office for a Shift meeting. The topic at hand was Pedelpalooza, and what I saw was 4 officers sitting around a table with about 20 representatives of Portland's bike fun scene, talking to each other about what the police department can do to keep Pedalpalooza fun, how to help keep large rides safe and enjoyable, and brainstorming solutions to possible conflicts between riders and police officers.

I guess what impressed me the most was that this meeting happened so fluidly, everyone was receptive and honest, and most importantly, people were looking for a pro-active solution. This is a phenomenon that I have never seen before! My perception of police has always been that they are rigid and unforgiving when it comes to things that are not the norm, things that are often times perfectly safe and controlled, because they are new and different. But here we have leaders of law enforcement actually encouraging these kinds of events, doing what they can to help them!

This is what makes Portland a bicycle holy land. It's not the relatively flat landscape, the picture-perfect summers, or the masses of hipsters with nothing better to do. It's the willingness and encouragement of all of it's people to validate the bicycle's role in a healthy and thriving society.


Pictured : Officer Robert Pickett, cycling's best badged friend.