Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!usc!hacgate!ashtate!dbase!dveditz
From: dveditz@dbase.UUCP (Dan Veditz)
Newsgroups: news.groups
Subject: Re: CALL FOR DISCUSSION: soc.religion.eastern
Summary: A few questions and objections needing answers
Message-ID: <355@dbase.UUCP>
Date: 9 Jan 90 19:38:30 GMT
References: <4412@amelia.nas.nasa.gov>
Reply-To: dveditz@dbase.A-T.com (Dan Veditz)
Organization: Ashton Tate Development Center Glendale, Calif.
Lines: 51

In article <4412@amelia.nas.nasa.gov> prabhu@amelia.nas.nasa.gov (Dinesh K. Prabhu) writes:
>
>    1) The word eastern in the title of the newsgroup signifies religions
>       with origins in south/south-east/far-east asia. For example,
>       Hinduism, Buddhism (all forms), Jainism, Sikhism, and Shintoism.
>
How much interest do you expect to get on these topics?  Have you tried
using t.religion.misc or t.r.newage?  (I've seen some discussions on these
topics in both places.)  Do you have a mailing list going, or a rough 
count of how many articles in s.c.indian have dealt with these topics?

>    2) The newsgroup will be unmoderated. It is up to the people posting 
>       articles to make sure that their articles are in good taste and
>       not inflammatory.
>
The convention so far is that talk.religion groups are unmoderated and 
the soc.religion ones are.  "It's only a guideline, it's only a guidline" 
(Chuq's USENET mantra) -- but it seems to work so I'd like to see some 
good reasons before I'd support a change.

>    5) This forum CANNOT be used for proseletyzing.
>
It WILL be (at some point) if it is unmoderated, but you can always put the
proselytizer in your KILL file (it's usually just a few people).  A better
reason for moderation is to put a cap on pointless discussions.

>    6) Articles about western religious systems (Judaism,Christianity,Islam
>       etc.) are also welcome if the aim is make rational/objective comparisons
>       of these systems with those discussed in this newsgroup.
>
I'm glad to see this -- it is easier for me to understand things when I can
compare them to a reference I know about, so this point open the possibility
of the group being of use/interest to more than just adherants of eastern
religions.

>    4) Articles should deal with the philosophy/theology underlying the
>       religious systems and should be devoid of any political content.
>
I've noticed that people are, well, religious about keeping religion and 
politics separated, but if one's actions (and by extension, one's politics) 
aren't affected by one's religion then what meaning is there is the 
statement "I believe X"?  As an example, if religion X presents a true 
picture of the world then you couldn't possibly support the killing of 
naugas to make Naugahyde because if they ever become extinct then the 
life-force will leave the planet, but if religion Y is true then it is
clear that naugas are responsible for all evil so we should give tax breaks 
for Naugahyde production and use.

-Dan
uunet!ashtate!dveditz
dveditz@ashtate.A-T.com