Dear OzSpen,

I have a personal relation with my wife. Last night she told me about taking a little girl to the Parklands at South Bank. The little girl asked as they were leaving, “What are we going to do tomorrow?” My wife told the little girl, “You haven’t thanked me for taking you to the Park today.” Sometimes we hug. Sometimes we talk about family, play scrabble, decide what we’re going to have for our next meal, talk about the different kinds of infinity in mathematics or quote poetry. We do many things together since we have a personal relationship. I have heard much talk from Christians about a personal relationship with Jesus. However, they never give any details. I have told you a little bit about my personal relations with my wife. Please tell me about your personal relations with Jesus.

The concept of a god is losing its appeal to solve human problems and increasingly organised rationality, or science, is filling the vacated areas of human endeavour previously devoted to ritual, doctrine and dogma.
It is becoming apparent that completely materialistic and natural forces are exerting their influence.....the processes of evolution are obviously selecting against supernatural explanations. The wider and deeper the base of science develops, the less importuning and satisfactory is that of the supernatural. With science the progress of human civilisation is identifiable and measurable and provides a rational picture of much greater appeal to the rational mind. Religious faith is being trampled by the natural and leaving the 'super' aspect increasingly empty of meaning and foundation-less.

There is no real progress inherent in the supernatural, in religious faith. The bottle-neck we encounter that is hindering science's advance is the doing of dying and anachronistic concepts. The sooner we treat with Nature on her terms, the sooner will Life's progress ease our next great adventure in cosmic exploration. It must be acknowledged that we, humankind and all life, are a component of Nature. The question that will demand wisdom of a kind not yet common in us is, do we work within/conform with or compete with Nature?

Dear Rhian,

«I’m not sure that government does directly subsidise religious organisations.»

I also don't know whether they still do it today, but I have heard, some 30 years ago, that a Rabbi urged his congregation not to forget to fill their "Jewish" religion in the census because government pays religious institutions proportionately to their membership according to the census.

That hypocrite practice is undoubtedly disgusting, how an organisation that presumably teaches "thou shalt not steal" avails itself of moneys that were taken from others against their will.

Yuyutsu

It’s a mean and ruthless world in which the wealthy are not forced by the state to share in that wealth by the now common method of taxation.

You appear to have a skewed view of individual rights.

And why is that Rabbi appealing to his congregation for honesty in the census?

My view is in order to achieve a fair share of taxation from the State to return it to his community through charity.

I’d be interested to read your response..

Dan

david f,

So you think it more intelligent to follow the electron through the nest of semiconductors, diodes and transistors than to simply watch the aces line up on the screen and listen to the scream of the jackpot siren then?

Dan.

david f,

<<When you were having your personal relation with Jesus can you tell us what he said to you?>>

I speak with Jesus in prayer and I'm not going to tell you its content. He speaks with me through the Scriptures and sometimes through inner promptings.