was:Monarchs now humanity

[Neil Jones]

On Monday 11 April 2005 21:16, Hank Brodkin wrote:
> My last word - then back to butterflies:
> One can believe in God, Allah, Buddha, or whomever without belonging to an
> organized religion.

Ah but the real question is which one? That is the point that  Ron always 
avoids answering. Of course there isn't an answer.

>  I, being mostly uneducated, had never heard that quote
> from Mr. Paine.

May leading figures in American history had a degree of religious skepticism 
including Abe Lincoln as I understand it.

 I guess I will have to read more of his works. I rebelled
> at an early age against the idea of organized religion.  In my mind no one
> has the authority to tell me what to believe, how to think, how to act or
> what is going to happen to me after I die.  Each individual has the
> God-given sense to figure those questions out for themselves. That being
> said - the reason I admire pure science is that, in order to advance, real
> science has to continually question and challenge its precepts - or else it
> is not science, but dogma - as dogmatic as religion.  Which is why I
> believe in pure research and am never troubled by things like changing the
> genus and species of butterflies and other organisms if those changes are
> based on the scientific method.  So flail away taxonomists and others and
> blessed are ye who constantly seek after truth unrestricted by the anchors
> of the past!
>
> Hank Brodkin
> Carr Canyon, AZ
> hbrodkin at cox.net
> Butterflies of Arizona - a Photographic Guide
> http://members.cox.net/hbrodkin

--
Neil Jones- Neil at nwjones.demon.co.uk http://www.butterflyguy.com/
"At some point I had to stand up and be counted. Who speaks for the
butterflies?" Andrew Lees - The quotation on his memorial at Crymlyn Bog
National Nature Reserve.


 
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