Forwarded message:

From: Matthew James Gering <mgering@ecosystems.net> Subject: RE: Democracy... (fwd) Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 14:43:32 -0700

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There's your first problem, your argument won't stand in the

No, there is a strict difference between the defining a word and defining a philosophy coined after that word.

The *point* is neither word definition or philosophy, the point *is* the 5,000+ years of human history that define the issues related to the individual, political expression, and religous freedom. The meaning is in the context (not the medium - respects to Marshall).

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Religion and by extension faith are not constrained by reason or logic.

How do you account for this contradiction. I hold a personal philosophy that is strictly and absolutely constrained by reason and logic.

In your mind. You make the same mistake bejillions before you have made and continue to make. Just because you are satisfied with it is no justification to foist it off on me or to expect it will satisfy me. As Santyana said, Those who don't understand history are doomed to repeate it. This is why it is important to not fall into your 'relativistic' abolition of history.

Do you believe in THE FORCE, as described by the great prophet George Lucas?

You really should give up drugs.

If you say "Yes," am I to claim that is your *religious* belief, not subject to reason, logic or empirical evidence?

Absolutely, well except for one very important point. It isn't your claiming it's my religion that makes it so, it's my claiming it that makes it so. What *you* claim is my religion is irrelevant and immaterial. If we follow your plan we would outlaw anything that couldn't be reduced to an equation in some predicate calculus. There is more in heaven and earth than in your philosophy Horatio. ____________________________________________________________________ The seeker is a finder. Ancient Persian Proverb The Armadillo Group ,::////;::-. James Choate Austin, Tx /:'///// ``::>/|/ ravage@ssz.com www.ssz.com .', |||| `/( e\ 512-451-7087 -====~~mm-'`-```-mm --'- --------------------------------------------------------------------