Many thank to those who have suggested links to what's new in the Nichiren webbosphere. Here's a summary of what's cooking online...
Age-old questions regarding "authorized Gohonzon" have arisen again. Djgropp posted an essay on the topic by Dave Baldschun from the SGI-USA Study Department:

...At a time when copies of Gohonzon, some inscribed in Nichiren Daishonin's own hand, are available "over the counter" or from the Internet, these examples offer a valuable lesson. Even though a Gohonzon is a Gohonzon, the source is important. We should be aware of those offering Gohonzon and teachings under the guise of Nichiren Buddhism but who are, in fact, propagating views that distort the Daishonin's teachings. In "Letter to the Lay Priest Ichinosawa," the Daishonin states, "If the source is muddy, the stream will not flow clear" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p.527).

Lotuslover took the essay apart point by point:

...Finally, I think it is slanderous to denigrate any Gohonzon inscribed by Nichiren himself, no matter how the individual is fortunate enough to acquire it....

Wahzoh also offered a choice response:

...I also take exception to Mr. Baldschun's claim that chanting to a Gohonzon actually inscribed by Nichiren is, in some way, like exploiting child labor or buying conflict diamonds. That is a vicious and unfounded characterization of Nichiren-inscribed mandalas in a clumsy attempt to corner the market for an uninformed populace....

Over on the Nichiren Shu board, dharmajim offered a comment about Buddhism and other traditions:

...A point I'd like to add is that Buddhism always has had an accomodating relationship to indigenous traditions. This goes all the way back to the Buddha. In the Mahaparinibaana Sutta, which describes his last months, there is a section where Shakyamuni and Ananda take a kind of "walking tour" of the shrines Shakyamuni particularly liked and he comments on how lovely they are. These are not Buddhist shrines, since such shrines didn't exist at that early date. They were probably Vedic Shrines, or Shrines to more local deities. This kind of behavior set a precedent as Buddhism spread to other regions....

Nichiren Shu Minister Ryuei wrote about an average week in the life of a minister. He concluded with a few points about maturity and fellowship:

...I was once invited to give a talk to the Buddhist group at San Quentin. What I have found is that other Buddhists do not try to put down other teachings and practices out of sectarianism (though they can be critical when appropriate), they do not try to pushily recruit people to their groups, they do not act paranoid or defensive when Buddhists from other schools come to their centers, and oftentimes are happy to see other Buddhists and share perspectives. What I experience is a general openess and friendliness and maturity. And this is something that is not only on the local level but is an attitude that seems to be modeled by the leaders of these groups and is just a part of either spoken or (usually) unspoken policies.

I would call it the unspoken policy of a mature group of people in a cosmpolitan society. It is not even something specifically religious or Buddhist - though most religions and Buddhism especially does emphasize the cultivation and/or expression of such civility and maturity as a matter of course.

That's all for today I think - but let me say this - if you are not experiencing such maturity, depth, civility, openess, and basic human decency in your own Sanghas - then something is drastically wrong. Maybe just on the local level - or maybe on the higher levels as well. But something is wrong - and red flags should be going up for you. This is not the way mature people or even groups behave - so please don't think it is normal and resign yourself to it....

What are you reading on the web?