lai@ucbvax.UUCP (10/20/83)
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Why is man so stupid? Why is it that things such as
churches still exist, still pull in hundreds of millions of
people at least physically if not mentally?
I think that the reason is that, yes, man _i_s generally a
herd animal. One of aphorisms of Nietzsche tells of a man
who is running away from the herd, and the herd follows him
because he is running ahead of him. The herd is stupid. It
does not think. It is perfectly content to pay lip service
to the comforting idea of a God. As long as the belief in a
God remains a comforting one, the mass of humanity will not
be able to wean itself from its drugged thrall.
The dilemma of the philosopher is that the herd _a_l_w_a_y_s
follows a leader, but seldom very far. After its initial
amusement, it returns to graze upon more familiar grounds.
Thus we have God a hundred years after Nietzsche proclaimed
His death...
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Nicholas D.W.S.V. Laialex@aecom.UUCP (Alex Fuss) (10/25/83)
Many people have problems with the concept of God because their
concept is a remnant of their childhood, i.e., is unsophisticated.
Nietzsche may be among those. To hyperbolize, God is probably not an old man
with a white beard. Possibly, He symbolizes absolute goodness and perfection,
and rather than stifling creativity, as Nietzsche thought, He inspires man
to better himself. That is why He has a following. True, wars have been
fought in His name, but I think my first statement accounts for that.
I would appreciate receiving from the net ideas and opinions
concerning Who or What God is or isn't. Please write to me via mail at:
{!cucard,!philabs,!pegasus}!aecom!alex
I will be glad to summarize.
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alex