continued

I think most humans have a great capacity for understanding mathematics. In everyday life there is little need for it other than numeration and measurement. In fact many people are unaware that mathematics consists of more than numeration. I think all normal people have a natural sense of rhythm. Exposure to poetry and music is a means by which people can appreciate and create using that natural sense. I would like to see people’s lives broadened by exposure to the entire range of mathematics.

I also don’t know whether humanity, or even some self-contained society, can exist without traditional religion.

There will be a vacuum if we remove classical religion including the theistic religions. I don’t know that the vacuum needs filling. One consequence would be the disappearance of atheism.

The vacuum is impossible in the opinion of Aristotle whose philosophy had a firm grip on the Catholic church at one time. Therefore straight line motion is also impossible as an object moving in a straight line would leave a vacuum behind. Catholic theologians also rejected the idea of a vacuum, the infinitely small and the infinitely large. Aquinas declared that God could not make something that was infinite any more than he could make a scholarly horse. However, that would imply that God was not omnipotent which also contradicted Catholic theology.

However, you may be right that the vacuum will be filled by fundamentalism. It may also be filled by New Age blathering. I certainly think traditional Catholicism is to be preferred over fundamentalism or New Age.

However, there is a fundamentalist faction in the Catholic church expressed in Opus Dei and such breakaway movements as that under Lefebvre. Fundamentalism is primarily a reaction to modernism. The main body of the Catholic church can live with it to a large extent, but many Catholics can’t.

continued

david/quote..<<..I also don’t know..whether humanity,..or even some self-contained society,..can exist without traditional religion.>>

of/course..humanity/can exist..sans religion
[but it cant exist long/with variable application...of some base..'law'..[or common rules of eticate/protocol//and governing\the affairs of huh?-men.

<<..There will be a vacuum..if we remove classical religion including the theistic religions.>>

that simply/cant..happen[people hate having to think on these things..themselves/ie its learned helplessness..[and/or..'enabling..the two essentials for freedom..in expresion and act.

<<..I don’t know that the vacuum needs filling.>>
its not a vacume

<<..One consequence would be..the disappearance of atheism.>>
it/isnt..any realistic thesus.

<<..The vacuum is impossible..>>

<<..Therefore straight line motion..is also impossible
as an object..[moving ]..leave's a vacuum [immediatly]..behind...it.>>

mate..its not logical..[in nature any 'vacume'..oppens up..a new area to explore..any/novement..creates a vacume..in its opposite direction[so what]..unless you can make that principle..moove a boat.

<<..Catholic theologians..also rejected..the idea..of a vacuum,>

thats..nice..for them..but\lets hear..why?

<<..the infinitely small..and the infinitely large...>>

HUH?..[leave/bigger/smaller,,'vacumes'?]

<<..Aquinas declared*>>thus didnt 'proove'..<<..that God could not make something..that was infinite..any more than he could make a scholarly horse...>>

ok..so lets see..the holy-spirit..sustains change of state

god[ie the sun]..[is temporal/and material
the sun we are told has a limited life[materially]
it too lives/gets red..and dies..[god the sun dies and returns to dust/too]

the sun can make finite/things that live on in spirit
like we being born..of the sun..get born into the spirit[eternity][where we too can become a sun..of the holy spirit'

<<.However,..that would imply..that God was not omnipotent
which..also contradicted Catholic theology.>>

there are degrees of omnipotance
id would say/if god wanted 'earth gone'..earth would be gone
god does have 0mnipotant-power..in its own house[realm]..solar-system..in this realm/the sun is god/live with-it..its not worth dying over...[god loves us../or we wouldnt be here.]

<<Fundamentalism is primarily a reaction to modernism.>>
our god=the sun..how far back/does..that go?..everything old=new again?

<<..The main body..of the Catholic church..can live with it to a large extent,..but many Catholics can’t..>>

the two fathers..need two mothers.

continued

Peter Kennedy was a Catholic priest in Brisbane. He was somewhat unorthodox having a statue of Buddha in his church and making statements in his sermons which questioned traditional doctrines. He advocated people giving refuge to undocumented aliens, allowed women to preach, blessed homosexual couples and did other controversial things. Archbishop Bathersby was not bothered by Kennedy. Bathersby is a jolly fellow who once told me at a party that the original Bathersby in Australia was an Irishman sent to Australia because ‘he had an inordinate fondness for other people’s horses’.

However, there is a local group of Catholics who go around sniffing for evidence of unorthodoxy. They go from church to church observing the ambience and taking notes on the sermons. One of them complained to Bathersby about Kennedy. When Bathersby did nothing he complained to the Vatican to tell Bathersby to sit on Kennedy. The Vatican ordered the archbishop to bring Kennedy into line. Kennedy left the church with most of his 700 parishioners. He now holds services at the Trades and Labour Council Building and is attracting more to his congregation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Kennedy_(priest) gives more details. My account above has a bit that is not included on the net. I am friends with Peter’s brother, Jack, who gave me the additional information. We don’t know what will happen in future with the Catholic Church. However, it is under stress.

George wrote: Many emotions are caused by confusing what is legal with what is moral.

There is not a clear line between what is legal and what is moral so we cannot always differentiate between them.

A quote re legal and moral.

In a civilized society, all crimes are likely to be sins, but most sins are not and ought not to be treated as crimes. Man’s ultimate responsibility is to God alone. – Geoffrey Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury.

david/quote..<<..There is not a clear line \..between what is legal and what is moral..so we cannot always differentiate between them.>>

legal/lies under lawfull..and that lawfull but imoral
can only be made legal via a warrent/licence or other dispensation.

<<..A quote re legal..and moral.:..'In a civilized society, all crimes are likely to be sins,>>

that hurt other/that are intended to hurt injure deprive..'other'..deliberatly..or accidentally/the wrong..has a price in spirit/..[we become that we love]

<<..but most sins are not and ought not to be treated as crimes>>

but its so easy..to backmail..the guilty in their own mind

anyhow..every sperm is sac*red*[right royal-red]
energy once created..cannot be destroyed..[the aborted children..live]
and those intended to live chose the right parents/or trust god to chose the right parent..for the right energy-spirit/forming its soul

phetus//live..but barely have a proper soul
many thus need pass through hells temptations..to affirm freewill

http://www.wakingtimes.com/2014/05/16/scientists-claim-quantum-theory-proves-consciousness-moves-another-universe-death/

Dear David,

Thank you for pointing out the story of Peter Kennedy. I never heard about him before, but from the little I read he seems to be religious.

<<Someday religion along with other superstition will be forgotten.>>

We agreed that the belief that God exists is an example of superstition. However, what's religion got to do with it?

If anything, that specific superstition is detrimental to religion, because had God existed, then one's relationship with Him would be reduced from devotion to business and prayers into give and take bartering, then one would no longer be worshipping God for love alone.

<<Religion activates the dark corners of its primitive past.>>

The age we live in over the last millennia is one of the darkest ages, because in this age we have seen religion decay and deteriorate faster than ever and taken over by power-seeking social institutions.

I am speaking for religion - not for those institutions that claim to own religion.

Religion takes us from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light, from death to immortality.

<<Since a part of humanity is apparently tied to a worship of nonsense religion will not go away.>>

You obviously refer to materialism, the worship of material vanities and of the human mind. Yes, religion works by removing those obstacles.

Yuyutsu wrote:

[quoting me] <<Since a part of humanity is apparently tied to a worship of nonsense religion will not go away.>>

You obviously refer to materialism, the worship of material vanities and of the human mind. Yes, religion works by removing those obstacles.

Dear Yuyutsu,

It is a slimy tactic to twist someone else's words. I was not referring to materialism, and I think you know it. Shame on you.