Dear Yuyutsu,

You started out apologising to me, but you ended up bragging how clever you were in distorting my words. Oh, vanity! Have you no shame?

Your pride in your distortion of my words in order to make a defence of religion pales in the face of the massive evil encouraged by religion such as the Inquisition, witch hunts, Holocaust, 9/11 etc. However, it illustrates how religion encourages evil even in a normally decent person which I feel you are.

George wrote: The humans’ capability to change the planet’s environment - for better or worse - has not yet been completely realised and it might not stop at our planet. But even so, I think most of us will agree that man is more intelligent than a bacterium, both individually and in a group.

Dear George,

The last sentence you wrote indicates a spectacular failure on my part. Whether man is more intelligent than a bacterium is not the point I was trying to make. The point I was trying to make is that intelligence is only one of many attributes by which an organism survives. Fungi, plants and bacteria have no discernible intelligence. Yet all three kinds of life can survive. Some bacteria can metabolise rock. That ability is unique to that kind of life.

George wrote: I do not understand how criteria - “a principle or standard by which something (actually defined by these criteria) may be judged or decided” - should stand up to examination. The criteria I mentioned attempted to define what I meant by saying that our species was unprecedented.

Our species is unprecedented in certain areas. However, other species such as the rock devouring bacteria have other capabilities which are unique to them. Implicit in your evaluation of humans as the culmination of evolution is the implicit acceptance of intelligence as more important than other attributes. The simple fact is that the earth and life on it existed before Homo sapiens and will continue to exist if humanity should disappear.

continued

George wrote: Not every religion, not even Marxism, are frightening only their extreme forms as we have known them.

It may not be frightening to you, but it is to me.

George wrote: Another point I was trying to make was that we have an “innate propensity” for religion as well as for, for instance, mathematics, and there are “primitive” versions of both. A person who was not taught formal school-mathematics will still develop some “primitive” understanding of numbers etc, filling that gap. In case of religion, I said, I did not know what would fill the gap. More precisely, although individuals will find - many have already found - other worldviews (on all levels of rationality and tolerance) to fill the emotional, explanatory and guiding functions that used to be catered for by classical religion, on the level of whole societies it is too early to say. It would take a couple of generations to tell if something at all - “secular humanism”? - can replace traditional religion’s cohesive function.

I agree. I think there is an innate propensity for religion. It is possibly due to the fact that it was a great binding force in tribal society and was a distinct aid to tribal survival. However, human society is changing faster than evolutionary changes in human beings. Evolution in microorganisms is rapid due to the short time for their generations. That is seen in their rapid development of existence to antibiotics. However, the propensity for religion is a source of conflict in the modern world where various cultures rub against each other. It may in this world do more harm than it does good. Like the fact that cave-dwelling organisms may lose the power of sight humans may lose the propensity toward religion as we evolve further.

Some of our genetic heritage is due to the fact that when gene(s) are selected for, those located on the chromosome close to those genes selected for are brought along. If the propensity for religion is associated with some desirable trait it will continue.

continued

http://www.ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/Vatican.php?id=9979

He reflected..that the..“frank discussion”..between the apostles
and..the other disciples..helped them..to arrive..at a “division of labor.”

“The apostles..make a proposal..that is accepted by all:..they will devote themselves..to prayer..and to the ministry..of the Word,

while seven men,..deacons,
will provide service..at the tables..for the poor.”..[who..]..know no [table]

The/men...who..were chosen..as deacons..were not necessarily..“experts,”..[gods incarnate..if you will]
think like..a benificient govener-general/lording-it over/india...but there..for*..the very/very poor..to provide..a base/minimum deserving of a living heir..of the immortal/good.

The Holy/Spirit..was also there..“to crown/this agreement,”[for/where..is our onmiprent/holy-spirit/otherwise..to be/known,

added/the Pope...“this tells us..that\when/we allow..the Holy-Spirit to guide,..us/of..love/service..[he]..leads us..to harmony,..into unity and..by..respect for..our/different gifts..and talents...by/his\mercy../or his\grace/.

Do you understand?..No small-talk,
no envy,..no jealousy!..Get it?”..he emphasized

http://www.ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/Vatican.php?id=9980 Jesus’ message of salvation,..

the Roman/Pontiff..continued,..observing..that it\is..the Holy/Spirit who gave..him/this firmness..of heart.“With\this/.example,”..[indicates/lived/example][..

he went on,..“we..can/ask ourselves\today:..What kind*of heart..do/we have?..[recall/the heart]of/plenty..in maries/concecrated garen.

Is it..a fickle heart..which..is..like..{a\}..
dancing,..like a butterfly..unfocussed..we/flit..from one\to another…always in motion;..[unending..24/7.

Is it..[rU]..a heart..that is scared/or scarred..by the vicissitudes of life,..and is..forgivness/hiding..and..afraid..to give..witness..to most-holy..spirit..we saw/best embodied..in our/lord;..Jesus Christ?”

“Is it..a brave\heart..or..a forgiving//heat
a heart..that has..so..much fear..fear/can/no longer..draw near
and..of..the heart-light..hid..that worthy/light/rightly shouted from..the hilltops..yet//is deminished..and is always..trying to hide?

What\..do/our heart\care for?
other/hearts\comes..readilly to..minds-eye.

What treasure..does our heart..hold..in honourable..custody?

Is my heart..fixed/upon..creatures,yet/not..their humain,
..the problems..that we all have/that..comforts..de-mons..within.

?..Is my heart..fixed upon everyday..gods,,idols or idioloitry
or is/it..a heart fixed-on..seeing..the most holy..the Holy Spirit..revealed by us all.?”

Concluding his homily,..the pontiff said..that it would..do us all well.to ask ourselves,..“Where is the firmness..of our hearts/desires?”

and to keep..in mind..“the many everyday\events..with the most/holy..that we have/everyday..:..at home,..at work,..with our children,..with people who live..play/stay..with us,..en-joy..with work colleagues,..with everyone.”..have..some/fun\with-it.

“Do I..let myself get carried away..by these things..or face these events with a fixed heart..that knows where it is?”[place/time]

Noting how..“the only one..that
gives..firmness/into our hearts..is..the Holy-Spirit,”

the pontiff..also encouraged attendees..to think
about the gift..of..“the Spirit of fortitude,\..certitude..of counsel,/,..comforter..who helps us..each..to move forward in the midst,..of..and victory/over\surrounded..by every day trials.”

“We should do..this..heartining/exercise today;..ask how our heart is:..Firm or not?..And if it..is firm,..where does it's softness..now dwell?

In things..?
or in..the Holy/Spirit?

It would..do us..all good
to give/back\with..gratitude..that of good..back to thyne god/nut thyne living..of the one..wholly/holy..living\fore-giving..holy spirit

[\"!”/][/]E/e..hehe..ME?WE?he=we/the..theee/living/in\with/..thee/constantly]

deservingly..spoil/thyne/god\child..within..

Dear David,

<<Oh, vanity! Have you no shame?

Your pride in your distortion of my words in order to make a defence of religion pales in the face of the massive evil encouraged by religion such as the Inquisition, witch hunts, Holocaust, 9/11 etc. However, it illustrates how religion encourages evil even in a normally decent person which I feel you are.>>

I take it all on myself. Let not my vanity and pride reflect on religion.

It is not my religion to distort others' words.
It is not my religion to brag how clever I am.
It is my own weakness.

And so it was the weaknesses of others that brought about the Inquisition, witch hunts, Holocaust, 9/11 etc.

It is a human weakness for people to get insulted when told bad things about what is most dear to them, say about their mother, or about mathematics. Some can even feel so insulted that they are driven to hijack planes and fly them into buildings.

Yet the instructions of Jesus were to turn the other cheek.
That I failed to follow.

continued

I read about Michael Voris. He maintained that the Nazis got much of the ideology of eugenics from other countries. That is absolutely true. However, I would say Michael Voris ‘questions traditional values.’ I thought Catholic traditional values are the products of the papacy and the official pronouncements of the Catholic Church. Certainly the various popes have made great changes in the religion which Catholics must follow.

There are many other groups in the Catholic Church. One of those are the Catholics who live in the various Dorothy Day houses. I have friends among them and have engaged in peace vigils with them. They are neither “traditionalists” nor “progressivists” – just peaceniks who are believing Catholics.

A good friend in Connecticut is one of them. Unfortunately many Catholics in his town deride him. There have even been editorials against him in the local newspaper.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Day tells about the woman who founded the movement. There is an attempt to have her canonised.

Dear Yuyutsu,

You are quite possibly a better person than Jesus. Your own instincts may be more reliable than the words attributed to him.

yu/quote..<<..It is a human..weakness>>..

all weakness begins..ends..in spirit
[here..in satans-realm]..we learn/the concept..of endings.
endings allow humanity..to apply the grace/mercy..never sin..no more...cure.

weakness..<<..for people to get insulted..when told bad things about what is..most dear to them,..say about their mother,..or about mathematics...>>

i was with..you not saying bad things about mummy
but then..math?..the logic of numbers..numbering our lifes sentinance.

<<..Some can even feel..>>

no i gave up feeling..feeling just hurts too much
and yet..im so caught-up/with the logic..from both sides.

<<..so insulted that they are driven..to hijack planes and fly them into buildings.>>

now hang-on..[you..yu..]
the planes were highjacked/flown by remote control/into the buildings/insured twice/via the same primary insurer..in israel
exactly/for the events..that occured..it conveniently spread its vile karma..into the early deaths..of our best and finest.

what insurance wanted two bnillion to 'cover'[ie the asbestos cleanup/was done by emeency workers/many of whome died[the true death toll..is 23 thousand/dead..in usa..half a million..in iran[who had nothing to do with it[in fact they are sworn/ennama..of saudies..who did do it/with israel/help

once the primary insurer/'paid-off/all the under writters HAD TO..pay off to[twice]..nice..eh?
plus he has a 99 year lease..over the new buildings

<<..Yet the instructions of Jesus..were to turn the other cheek.>>
allow/the tares..to grow..with the whear/till\harvest..sorts us..into heaven/hell

<<..the Nazis got much of the ideology..of eugenics..from other countries...>>[mainly british colonialism/like camps in suid-afrika/australia

<<That is absolutely true.>>

<<..\I thought Catholic traditional values..are the products of the papacy..and the official pronouncements..of the Catholic Church.>>

i thought..it more/totally up-to..the priest
or so rigedly formated so as to be duplicitous..

<<..One of those..are the Catholics..who live
in the various Dorothy-Day houses...>>

sounds like some/chriistian/commune,

<<I have friends among them and have engaged in peace vigils with them...>>yeah them hippies..

<<..They are neither “traditionalists” nor “progressivists” – just peaceniks who are believing Catholics.>>

its a big/church..\to encompluss..the works/inspired..by just one man
who did as he saw god..do..as god saw our holy ;ife=spirit..doing

and..in the beginning..the sun/said\too
let there be light..in the heavens..revealing life in the hells below us.

let us make..huh?..into human
then evolved..hugh*man..into..humane.
not urban humani..nor sub-urben..inuendi.