Re: The Three Gods of Danu
Searles O'Dubhain
searles@summerlands.com
Wed Dec 15 01:54:11 1999
Sure Carol,*p*I had made this reply in another forum (on a newsgroup).  I thought I'd edited all the extraneous references but I see that a few slipped through:*p*"Any religion that attempts to think for anyone or to maintain spirituality (or an absence of it) for a person is indeed a cult. The obvious rancor and anger of those who attack spiritual beliefs are evidence that the author considers it the provenance of his/her ilk to do this for each of us. We are challenged to produce a perception of deity within the closed mind of a non-believer. How can we do this without mind control or some other form of spiritual interference? The answer is that we can't think, feel or perceive for anyone else without permission. "]*p*In the greater context of the above quote, what I was attempting to say (though it's muddled and incomplete) is that many times spiritual beliefs are attacked and belittled by people who would deny to others what they themselves practice or believe. They do this as if their views *own* or have exclusive rights to such beliefs or attitudes.  This syndrome becomes particularly bad as viewpoints narrow and fundamentalism (without balance) prevails.  I was saying that people who *attack* the spiritual beliefs of others do so out of a prejudiced and biased viewpoint about most (other) religions that far outstrip the fallacies and shortcomings of the religions that they are attacking.  I used "obvious" to characterize my observations, since the hypocrisy of this situation iis clear to almost everyone involved when such attacks occur (even if completely overlooked by the zealots).*p*I'm certainly not saying that anyone in The Summerlands exhibits these qualities or such behavior, though I have noticed a tendency on the parts of some Pagans to attack the Catholic Church and Christianity in a kind of backlash against what they see as mind control and unfair influences of these groups in their own lives. At some point in the process of evaluation and learnning, we all need to see ourselves as others see us, just as your question has made me consider my own words in this message and evaluate how I expressed myself.*p*Searles*p**br*Carole RavenDancer wrote,*br*: <<< The obvious rancor and anger *br*: : of those who attack spiritual beliefs are evidence that the *br*: : author considers it the provenance of his/her ilk to do this *br*: : for each of us.>>>>*br*:*br*: Would you please explain what you're trying to say here?*br*:*br*: Thanks.*br*: *B*B*br*: CRD*br*
Re: The Three Gods of Danu
Carole RavenDancer
565
Tue Dec 14 18:22:44 1999