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From: Evan Prodromou <evan@bad.dynu.ca>
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Date: Fri, 07 Apr 2006 10:45:54 -0400
Subject: Re: [Pigdog] Jesusland Comicles
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On Wed, 2006-05-04 at 19:19 -0700, Johnnie Royale wrote:

> Still, what they believe is utter rubbish.

See, my whole point was that Quaker dogma reduces to one major point:
people are intrinsically valuable. This leads to 4 minor points: 1)
don't smush, whack, or kill people (since they're valuable), 2) everyone
is equally valuable, 3) you don't have to try so hard (since you're
already valuable), 4) and be honest and straightforward (since who you
are and what you say matters).

Friends are particularly distrustful of pushing things down anyone's
throat. They believe that you have an "inner light" that will guide you
better than anyone else's ideas will. Although the mainstream of the
faith is nominally Christian, Friends find answers in Buddhism, Islam,
or other world religions, and a large number of them are pagans,
atheists or agnostics (especially in the Bay Area).

I'm not entirely sure that people are intrinsically valuable, but I
think they are. It's an interesting philosophical question. I'd have a
hard time dismissing one side or another as total crap; it's no Flying
Spaghetti Monster.

I understand your distaste for organized religion and its trappings, but
I think you might be off the mark w/r/t the Friends. Of traditional
faiths, I think theirs is the most compatible with individualism,
secular humanism, and scientific materialism. You might want to read
more here:

        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of_Friends

~Evan

-- 
Evan Prodromou <evan@bad.dynu.ca>
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