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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Andre, this may surprise you, but in =
many regards I
agree with you whole-heartedly. A religious discussion does not belong =
in a
public forum where we are all of differing view points. If you do =
or do
not choose to believe in some form of God, that is fine, and you should =
be left
alone. If you do believe in a creator, if you will, then you should have =
the
same respect afforded you, and not have people throw their opinion that =
their
faith is a source of evil in the world. I'm not saving that you have =
ever done
this, I don't remember this ever happening, and I believe you are of too =
gentle
and thoughtful a persuasion to be that callous. Having said that, the =
problems
with religions today is not from the religions themselves, if indeed =
they were
the teachings of a higher being, but by the people who have failed to =
get the
message, and have perverted it. When someone stands up and says =
he's
religious, or believes in a supreme being, more often than not he's just =
stating
who he or she is, and what they base their principles upon.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>A very well thought out post, by the =
way.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I would be more than happy to see this =
topic go
away myself..</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Kevin E. Ramsey</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><BR>The
Bible is a book, written <I>by</I> religious people <I>for</I> =
religious
people, people who believe in a deity and a heaven and a hell or what
ever.<BR>These same religious people also believe that non-believers =
should
be, no, <I>must be</I>, converted otherwise they, the non-believers, =
go to
hell.<BR>A religious experience, a mystical experience, is a very =
personal and
private matter. It is understandable that somebody who has had a =
deeply
religious or deeply mystical experience <I>very much</I> wants to =
share his or
her exaltation.<BR>Unfortunately, the people who are so deeply =
religious,
<I>do not want</I> to get it through their religious skulls that there =
is a
vast group of other inhabitants of this planet who can not , do not, =
and shall
not share the same religious or mystical experience. (Maybe so called
non-believers will have there own mystical moment in time, but that is =
another
matter)<BR>These same religious people are not dumb or stupid, so they =
do
understand that there are others with a different opinion, but the =
irritating
truth often is that they do not want to let others have a free and =
un-hindered
life, a life in which they can have their own experiences and and =
there own
developments, without the egotistical wish from believers to =
proselytize and
forcefully convert innocent beings.<BR>Again I say, read our history =
books and
you will come to the conclusion that most wars were fought because of
religious intolerance. <BR>Look at the Roman games where the early =
Christians
were murdered by Romans who did not share their vision, look at the =
endless
torture and prosecution of the inquisition in the middle ages, the =
invasion of
the moors in Spain, the crusades into the 'holy land', the endless =
wars
between the protestants and the catholics, the hateful murders =
committed by
totally INtolerant muslims who want to just erase every =
non-muslim.<BR>I live
in a so called tolerant country and I wish to be tolerant. I am =
tolerant
towards all kinds of political movements, to all kinds of religious =
groups.
All I want is peace and happiness for my fellow humans, and all I =
expect is
the same tolerance towards the fact that I may be of a different
opinion.<BR>So please, do not choose this email forum as your =
religious
platform and try to understand that <I>your personal</I> religious =
experience
should be shared not on this list but among your own co-believers, =
just out of
respect for people who might think otherwise.<BR>Thank you for =
<I>your</I>
tolerance, OK?<BR><BR><BR><BR>André Oorebeek<BR><BR>Amsterdam =
-<BR>The
=
Netherlands<BR><BR>0031-20-6237357<BR>0645-492389<BR>0031-75-6226878<BR>w=
ww.concertpianoservice.nl<BR>www.grandpiano.nl<BR><BR>"where
music is, no harm can be"<BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>