kpsst1@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Kent P Stiegler) (12/17/90)
Note: This is (an attempt at) an objective response. It is not written from a religious perspective as-such. Give me some latitude, ok? > > There is absolutly no need to bring in god,heaven or anything like > > that to explain anything,and anybody who does was either brainwashed > > by their parents or else are too ignorant to think objectivly about their > > religion. Objectivity tends to be rather boring. When an average person starts asking questions about the metaphysical and philosophical questions of life, a rational explanation is scientificly representative of what 'enlightened mankind" currently knows (or believes is true) about life and death; unfortunatly, it basicly amounts to very little information. It's a logical approach but yields few answers. There are aestheticly meaningful reasons to open your mind to other possibilities (like heaven, hell and G-d). This is a personal choice in America. In some countries it is not. You asked, "Why can't people just..." so you are either opposed to freedom of religion, suprised at how other people act 'irrationally' or are looking for a good response so you can consider reevaluating your own beliefs. > Suffice to say that no born again Christians are brainwashed > or forced into anything, you can't force someone to love someone can you? Yes, you can. Love can be abused and exploited too, just like any other human emotion (fear, jealousy...). More to the point, there are indeed some 'brainwashed' people out there, and they can be of any religion, from Christians to Buddhists to Jews to Moonies. It can be very difficult to determine whether someone is truly brainwashed or is, in fact, passionatly devoted and 'of sound mind'. For instance, some people would think that total-head-over-heels-love is a form of insanity. Others would maintain that a complete lack of emotional attention to anything-at-all is something inhuman. When an atheist listens to a Born Again or a Jew describing their beliefs, he might think both are brainwashed. In my opinion, the only way to tell is to have a 'subjective expert' study the person. The expert must be well acquainted with the beliefs of the religion, the correct way of thinking about it, and of course the person himself, to discover whether the person's faith is properly conceived. Any old layman couldn't tell as assuredly. ----- Gary S. Wachs (412) 363-HAHA ! University Of Pittsburgh, PA ! "I'm a better conformist than you," Internet: kpsst1@unix.cis.pitt.edu ! said the gas to the liquid. ! The solid was above such childishness. Electrical Technician & Engineer. Drummer. On the Edge.