🚀 go-pugleaf

>      > i firmly believe that religious entrenchment is the greatest cancer in 
> our midst
>      > right now...

>      No argument from me...

>      > i can certainly empathize with your feelings on this matter... they 
> were sad
>      > days for me when both Bush won twice, and when Harper was elected... it 
> seems
>      > we're in the midst of an evangelistic resurgence and that scares the 
> hell out of
>      > me because such predominance in our politics by neo-fascist, 
> superstitious
>      > freaks is what i firmly believe to be a recipe for self-destruction...

>      Agreed.
>      When christian devotees can't even agree amongst themselves which
>    denomination is *right*...how can we expect to ever come to an
>    agreement with any religious sect?
>      Other than eradicate religion completely...which, imo, is an
>    impossibility...it seems we're doomed to be continually at odds with
>    each other.


i agree wholeheartedly with the above... i also feel that religious institutions 
are self-serving dinosaurs capable only of confrontation and hate-mongering 
under the guise of "spirituality"... that must evolve... or, rather than die... 
will kill us all.


>      <snip>
>
>      > however, i also firmly believe in the statement that, "all that is 
> required for
>      > evil to exist in this world is for good people to stand by and do 
> nothing"....
>      > and given such, i think much tragedy will need to occur in order to 
> shake people
>      > out of their doldrums and actually make sincere efforts into 
> contributing toward
>      > solutions we can all live with....

>      Technology has changed us.  Advancing technologically isn't a bad
>    thing...provided we're spiritually capable...but, we're not.

true... but technological advancement also forces/helps us to develop in this 
area...

>    (Spirituality, for me, is to be in balance with the environment.)

for me as well.


>      Our cultural differences are vast. I'm not sure we can evolve to the
>    point of peaceful coexistence... our nature (humanity's) seems to be
>    one of dominance.
>      Look what we've done to the planet...and it's our life support system.
>    What we do to each other is just as bad. We've created our own
>    insanity - and are too far gone to realize it...or, we don't care.
>      Whatever - it would be nice if we could leave a healthy, and
>    respectful, environment/attitude as a legacy for our children's
>   children...I'm not hopeful though.

i believe we have been tasked with two responsibilities in the lives we've each 
been given... the first is to learn and grow as individuals and the second is to 
leave this place at least a bit better than what we found it.

i am hoping beyond hope that we find evidence of extraterrestrial life sooner 
rather than later, because i believe such evidence will create profound waves of 
shock that will ripple throughout the globe forcing people to re-evaluate their 
current, wholly destructive and ego-centric views....