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From: hutch@dadla-b.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: I Hate Religion
Message-ID: <469@dadla-b.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 15-Jun-83 13:36:25 EDT
Article-I.D.: dadla-b.469
Posted: Wed Jun 15 13:36:25 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 17-Jun-83 05:49:08 EDT
Lines: 22

Mark, you are right as far as you go, but the fact is, "religion" as you
described it is a necessary thing for most people.

Say that I am reborn.  Then, how am I to retain that gift of new life?
What am I to do when I am tempted to lapse back into old habits?  There
has to be a way to develop the strength to resist the lapse.  This can
most easily and reliably be done by joining with others who are also in
possession of this gift.  Furthermore, what am I to do now that I find
that the "still small voice" has instructed me to join together with these
very people?  Humans have social patterns of interaction, if we didn't we
wouldn't be (sane) humans.  By formalizing our habits of worship and
celebration of the new life we are given, we can not only strengthen our
ability to listen to that "voice within" but we can also make the truths
which have given this new life to us, more visible and accessible to others
so that THEY can also gain the gift.

So please, don't condemn religion, organised or otherwise.  If it does
things you don't like, change it.  If there are people in it who do things
you feel are wrong, confront them and work to remedy their actions.

Steve Hutchison
Tektronix Logic Analyzers