"Gametech" <voltronalpha at hotmail.com> writes: > David Dyer-Bennet wrote: > > "Gametech" <voltronalpha at hotmail.com> writes: > > > >> David Dyer-Bennet wrote: > >> <snip> > >> > >>> Maybe. I object strenuously to the whole concept of religion, > >>> spirituality, etc. It's superstitious nonsense, and hurts people, > >>> and destroys great civilizations. > >> > >> I was recently commissioned to create a website for the Gyuto Wheel > >> of Dharma Monastery here in Minnesota for a group of Tibetan > >> Buddhists (refugees) They have a Monastery here in MN. I know little > >> to nothing about their religion but when I asked what's the goal > >> here what do you guys basically do the answer I got was: > >> > >> We try to teach Compassion and Love as well as promote Peace. The > >> only way of effective teaching is to demonstrate, near as I can tell > >> they do. > >> > >> Now some look at it as propaganda other see it for something else. > >> I'm not going to 'argue' your opinion. I am curious though how you > >> perceive people like this to be practicing their religion to be > >> hurting people and destroying great civilizations. > > > > Very mildly. But they're still encouraging people to believe things > > on faith rather than evidence, for example, and that's bad. People do > > far to little thinking. > > I don't think faith is a bad thing, beliving that when you purchase > something from someone on ebay that they will send you the item requires > faith, faith in that person for being honest. Sure you can make the most > calculating decisions you can and research your seller but they always, > always have the ability to screw you. When you take your car to the mechanic > you have to have faith that he's not overcharging you and only fixing broken > things, you might encouter actions that break your faith trying to find an > honest mechanic. I think the same should hold true to religion If you feel > decieved you just stop following it. Sorry, none of those are faith in the sense we're using it here. Those are examples of controlled risk-taking. I *don't* believe the mechanic will be competent and honest; I merely *hope* for it, based on some research, perhaps fairly casual, into his history. -- David Dyer-Bennet, dd-b at dd-b.net / http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/ John Dyer-Bennet 1915-2002 Memorial Site http://john.dyer-bennet.net Dragaera mailing lists, see http://dragaera.info