Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 (Denver Mods 7/26/84) 6/24/83; site drutx.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!tektronix!uw-beaver!cornell!vax135!houxm!mtuxo!drutx!slb From: slb@drutx.UUCP (Sue Brezden) Newsgroups: net.religion Subject: Re: On the Power of Arcane Symbols Message-ID: <406@drutx.UUCP> Date: Thu, 31-Oct-85 10:47:14 EST Article-I.D.: drutx.406 Posted: Thu Oct 31 10:47:14 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 3-Nov-85 15:44:02 EST Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Denver Lines: 32 >So I treat these things with great respect; >whether or not they do invoke the supernatural, they do have power. > >For the same reason, I am leery of munging religions together. I am >somewhat of a student of Taoist thought, and a very little bit of Buddhism. >But mix-and-match religion makes my blood run cold. The symbols of other >religions, whether they are 'true' or not, nevertheless are powerful, and >should be respected. >Charley Wingate Actually, that is the reason I DO believe in "munging religions together." All religious symbols and power come from the same place. They all have validity. But some are more useful to a particular person than others. A person needs to use those that are most useful to him/her--whatever tradition they originally came from. And that may include things from several religions for one person. In fact, I would go farther and say that some symbols are more useful at certain times than others. If I am taking a long trip, I may find it best to go by car to the airport, then take a plane, etc. I would not force myself to take the car the whole way just because I started out in it. We should not be afraid to use those symbols, rituals, and practices which advance us on the way. -- Sue Brezden ihnp4!drutx!slb ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I march to the beat of a different drummer, whose identity, location, and musical ability are as yet unknown. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~