Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1.chuqui 4/7/84; site nsc.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!zehntel!dual!nsc!chuqui
From: chuqui@nsc.UUCP (Chuq Von Rospach)
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: Re: thoughts on desperation (and religion)
Message-ID: <961@nsc.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 24-May-84 12:51:55 EDT
Article-I.D.: nsc.961
Posted: Thu May 24 12:51:55 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 31-May-84 19:41:46 EDT
References: <709@pucc-h> <254@ut-sally.UUCP>
Organization: The Warlocks Cave
Lines: 51



>Dick, I don't think it was a "thinly-veiled attempt" to
>bring religion in.  Although it is not a big part of my
>life, it is with some of my friends (*note* I didn't say what
>religion! no jumping to conclusions, now!), and it is VERY
>hard to separate it entirely from any personal discussion.
>Chuq (is that his *real* name?) is right: it seems to have
>done Jeff a lot of good.  If his beliefs are intertwined with
>his other opinions (gee, it makes sense, if you think about it),
>then I don't see how an aside could hurt anyone.  

Yes, Chuq is my real name. Try getting business cards printed that way.
(NO! not Chug! chuq!) This isn't as much a followup but a clarification of
my other article on what RSK said. Pooh cleared up a minor muddle in my
thinking and I thought I'd throw it to the wolves.

The thing that really bothered me about RSK's attack on Jeff was it was
just as dogmatically negative and black as Jeff is dogmatically
positive and white (in religion there is no gray). Now, I have a lot of
patience with the wonders and quirks of everyday life as long as those
quirks seem to be doing someone something good. Jeff's religion, while
it is not my own, has done him a LOT of good. It is very intertwined
with the rest of his life and something that important is very hard to
isolate when reacting with the rest of the world (I have things in my
life that mean as much to me as God does to him. The only reason they
don't show up very often in my postings is that I've had a LOT more
practice at attempting objectivity, and I don't always succeed.
Remember 'Nuke Wobegon!'). As long as Jeff doesn't start telling me
that the only path to true happiness is his God I can live with him
telling me that HIS path to true happiness is his God.

RSK is just as dogmatically ANTI-religion as Jeff is PRO-religion. The
difference is that his comments attacked Jeff and his beliefs and tried to
prove that they were wrong. That is a negative attitude and potentially
destructive, and I have no patience with that. Life is much too difficult
as it is that we don't need to start building new obstacles. If God doesn't
work for you, RSK, fine. Just don't try to prove that it won't work for
everyone else as well. I think if you look throughout history and current
times there are quite a few people out there for which religion HAS done
quite a lot of good. Don't make sweeping generalities based upon your
beliefs because you are the only one that they are meaningful to. 

chug


-- 
From the closet of anxieties of:			Chuq Von Rospach
{amd70,fortune,hplabs,ihnp4}!nsc!chuqui			(408) 733-2600 x242

I'm really gonna miss her. A tomato ate my sister...