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From: garys@bunkerb.UUCP (Gary Samuelson)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Open Letter to John Crane
Message-ID: <269@bunkerb.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 15-Dec-83 09:51:27 EST
Article-I.D.: bunkerb.269
Posted: Thu Dec 15 09:51:27 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 17-Dec-83 03:35:21 EST
Lines: 48

To John Crane:

I realize you do not need me to defend you against attacks
by the likes of Tim Maroney, but I dislike seeing anybody
treated the way he likes to treat people.  Also, I thought
you should know something about Mr. Maroney's professed
attitudes, so that you might understand him better.

I don't think you need trouble yourself about Mr. Maroney's
criticism.  You may not have been reading this group at the
time, but a few months ago he did post an article on his
religion, Thelemism.  It turns out that Thelemism is based
on as fanciful a story as can be found in some (not all) comic
books.  It further turns out that Mr. Maroney doesn't feel
that it is important whether the story on which his religion
is based is true.  Not only so, but he stated in another
article that even if he were to be convinced that another
religion (Christianity) were true, he wouldn't change.  So
much for being 'open-minded' and 'rational'.  In fact, he
stated that religion was a personal thing, and therefore
not subject to proof.  Well, he is certainly welcome to that
opinion, but if that is his real opinion, I don't think he
ought to criticize anybody else's religion (or philosophy or
any other beliefs or opinions).

I, for one, understood that you were not advocating all of the
beliefs you mentioned, but merely pointing out a common theme.
I found it to be an interesting comparison.

Mr. Maroney is quite adept at using terms which carry strong
negative connotations.  He is also fairly adept at spotting
faulty logic and inconsistencies in other people's arguments.
One could wish that he would use that adeptness on his own
arguments, or to discover or disseminate truth or enlightened
opinion.  Ah well.

I do, however, disagree with one of your major statements:

    What's true for a person is what that person actually
    believes is true and nothing else.

I think what's true is what's true, whether or not anybody believes
it.  I.e., there is an absolute reality, which people are trying to
discover.  Topic for future discussion, perhaps? (in net.philosophy,
not net.religion).

Gary Samuelson
ittvax!bunker!bunkerb!garys