Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site cadre.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!unc!mcnc!idis!cadre!jay From: jay@cadre.UUCP Newsgroups: net.religion,net.flame Subject: Re: Arndt talks about television Message-ID: <237@cadre.ARPA> Date: Sun, 3-Feb-85 04:19:51 EST Article-I.D.: cadre.237 Posted: Sun Feb 3 04:19:51 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 4-Feb-85 05:35:27 EST References: <293@decwrl.UUCP> <398@pyuxd.UUCP> Reply-To: jay@cadre.ARPA (Jayaram Ramanathan) Organization: Decision Systems Lab., Univ. of Pgh. Lines: 37 Xref: watmath net.religion:5486 net.flame:8201 Summary: The reply by Rich Rosen (Article #272) was excellent; it reflected most of my own thoughts. I'd advise net folks to read it carefully before embarking on, what I'd term, "religious propaganda". It does help at times to look at our own beliefs without the cloud of religion/ideolgy/etc. that each of us has acquired over the years, thanx to our parents/teachers/ friends/etc., which I'd term as an unseen form of "brainwashing" -- strong, gradual, but very potent. Maybe independent thinking is not encouraged in our schools? Even society looks down upon these "heretics" who dare step out of the fold? My own guess is that the powers-that-be (whether it be the religious leaders, politicians, or whoever) have a vested interest in perpetuating this status quo, and the brainwashing goes on in various forms. I know I've made quite a few eyebrows to raise. The intention of this posting was not to cry war at the believers. The point that I am making is this: Religions have separated people for so long. How come, even with all this progress that man has made in many other areas (and thereby becoming enlightened, presumably) has he not been able to reconcile on this one point? Wars are fought, people kill each other, all due to this man-made difference (I repeat, man-made). People swear by one holy book or the other, often times reducing the act to a mere ritual. MAYBE IT'S TIME WE ALL LOOKED CAREFULLY AT WHAT THIS WHOLE BUSINESS IS ABOUT, RAISING OURSELVES ABOVE THE ARTIFICIAL (another word for "man-made") BARRIERS OF RELIGION. I'd really appreciate well-reasoned rejoinders to this. Please, no emotional outbreaks! Jay Ramanathan "In God we trust, rest strictly in cash"