Neil / Mark / religious content

Ron Gatrelle gatrelle at tils-ttr.org
Fri Apr 12 15:29:24 EDT 2002


----- Original Message -----
From: "Neil Jones" <neil at nwjones.demon.co.uk>
Subject: Re: Neil / Mark / religious content



> First of all can I make one point absolutely clear. Here in Britain we
> are generally not religious at all. One statistic that I saw recently is
that
> less than 2% attend Christian churches.
> It is absolutely _normal_ not to be religious here. Deep religious faith
is
> _exceptional_.
>
> It is also not unusual amongst good American scientists. Some time ago
> I saw some statistics from a survey of members of the scientific elite
> the National Academy of Science. The highest percentage of  religious
> believers was in the Mathematicians and then it was only 6% !
>
> It isn't my purpose to offend people in this posting. Just to give Ron an
> honest answer.
>
> Also because of the paranoia I have to keep repeating.
> _I_ don't_ want_ to_see_collecting_banned.!
>

Thanks Neil,
    I appreciate your answer.  As one myslef who often talks on line here
out of just one perspecitive I hold, I know how easy it is for others to
expand on a point or passion I expressed and come to totally false
conclusions about me as a person or wrongly apply it over to other
subjects.   I did not like what you said (of course as I am a Christian),
but I did give you the benifit of the doubt that you had no intension
whatsoever to offend or make judgments on anyone's character.  I will
remind all that you also said you though Mark was a fine person.  I think
you both told the truth about "meeting".  The problem with communication is
that people think it occurred.
    Thanks again for repeating your position on collecting.  As I said,
rational or not, many US collectors are thin skinned on the issue and it
redundance is still necessary to reassure us that it really is OK (within
limits) with you and others.
    Lastly, about 5 years ago several teens from my church went on
"overseas" missionary trips the "evangelize".   On young man went to
London.  I though, London?  England???!!!   Well, I found out then that you
are correct.  I don't mean this to offend either - but from "our churchy"
perspective most US evangelicals now see Europe as a neo-pagan society in
need of... Well we all know the religious finish to that line of thinking.
I am sure the non-religious (98% of Brits) of Europe see this as very
condescending and elitist.  Well, it is just genuine concern.  So just pat
us on our head and send us down the road - we like being martyrs anyway :-)
I am making light.

Have a good day Neil, really.

Your Miami Blue co-worker
Ron

PS  Or as we say in the religious trade, we will be praying for you.  Hey,
beats the heck out of the let's kill the infidels mode "we" religious
periodically move into.  Then, somebody, please pray for us - or send in
the army.



 
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