Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site wateng.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!wateng!tpchmara
From: tpchmara@wateng.UUCP (Tom Chmara)
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: Re:  thoughts on religion:  tolerance?  (flame)
Message-ID: <1026@wateng.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 24-May-84 22:25:10 EDT
Article-I.D.: wateng.1026
Posted: Thu May 24 22:25:10 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 30-May-84 09:15:21 EDT
References: <1968@nlm-mcs.ARPA>
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 30

[gobble..gobble...snarf..gnash]

	A lot of flamethrowers have gotten a good workout of late.  I saw
the original article in which oblique reference was made to the idea that the
writer was considering talking things over with his personal deity (on this net
I could be wrong:  after 100 messages, the first is lost in the mists of
time :-) ); I'm shocked at this ``tempest in a teacup''-- I can't understand
the panic.  If one comment -- an ASIDE, at that! -- can provoke all this furor,
I have very little hope for the continuance of this species.  And maybe that is
as it should be.  If the thinness of the skins of contributors to this
newsgroup is representative of the population as a whole, there's a whole lot
of growing up to do out there.
	Please attempt to control yourselves and understand that others have
beliefs to which they are entitled.  I am in turn outraged that various
personages on this net whose names I REFUSE to remember are through innuendo
castigating me for my OWN beliefs, to which I admit freely (I'm Roman
Catholic...horns and all).  I don't care what you believe.  I recognize
your rights to these beliefs, and encourage to you derive from them all the
benefit you can.  I am not threatened by words of praise for the joy you
experience from your beliefs; just don't preach to me.  Who knows, maybe I
will find in these asides something I wish to take for my own.
	In conclusion, I don't want to know that you think agnosticism/atheism/
Christianity/Judaism/Hinduism/Buddhism/<fill in blanks> is for everyone.  That's
for net.religion.  But if you mention that you felt really good after walking
in the moonlight last night, talking to your [G|g]od(s), I'll be happy to
share your joy.
	Thanks for reading, everybody.
		---tpc---
	(Tom Chmara EE @ University of Waterloo)