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From: ethan@utastro.UUCP (Ethan Vishniac)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: Tax relief for Churches--ARRRRGHH
Message-ID: <103@utastro.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 24-Oct-85 10:00:25 EST
Article-I.D.: utastro.103
Posted: Thu Oct 24 10:00:25 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 31-Oct-85 02:44:23 EST
References: <40@drutx.UUCP> <12090@rochester.UUCP>
Organization: U. Texas, Astronomy, Austin, TX
Lines: 29

> In article <58@utastro.UUCP> ethan@utastro.UUCP (Ethan Vishniac) writes:
> >> 
> >> What is your, or the states, objection to a cult worshipping motherhood?
> >
> >Since you ask, none whatsoever.  I do not care if people worship motherhood
> >(a laudable thing after all), or fatherhood (ditto), or chartreuse carpeting
> >(which makes me puke, but really turns some people on).  I do not care if
> >cultists meet and have orgies every Tuesday night or discuss scientology
> >instead.  However, for some odd reason I am offended by silly idealizations
> >of our barbarian heritage.  
> 
> Oh, like Christianity.  I understand.
> 

You're being obtuse.  If you can read english (rather doubtful) you
might figure out that I hold in equal contempt all attempts to romanticize
the brutal religious practices that were widely practiced in the (not very)
distant past.  This certainly includes some Christian practices.  It also 
includes Mycenean ritual.  It does not include any rituals I've heard about 
practiced by modern pagans.

It's a tribute to the diversity and vitality of usenet that taking a position
against human sacrifice is so controversial. :-)
-- 
"Superior firepower is an      Ethan Vishniac
 important asset when          {charm,ut-sally,ut-ngp,noao}!utastro!ethan
 entering into                 ethan@astro.UTEXAS.EDU
    negotiations"              Department of Astronomy
                               University of Texas