OK Simon, just to respond finally to some of your points:

The most important aspect to me was the relevance of your comment that some people do find solace in religion during periods of mourning. This shows that religion, and social cohesion do have a roll to play in human society. This is not something that science can really provide, beyond the solace of individual feelings.

The point of me explaining that Mozart was a Deist however was to show that people who follow rational thought, ie scientists, can indeed, and generally do, believe in a 'god'. That might, or might not, come as a surprise, but the significant point is that believing in a god does in no way mean that you follow religion. This is why Mozart could quite happily write a Requiem using christian ideology, yet he himself was not a follower or believer in any ideological theology.

So Mozart. like many of his time, believed there may be a god of the universe, a god stripped of all the ritual, superstition and ceremony of mankind, and I probably do as well.

So, I am not anti religions, I am anti the negative effects they can have on human progress, especially when they 'interface' with each other. If they ALL adopted the concepts of human rights, democracy, Greek philosophy, and multiculturism then people could enjoy the ritual in peace! Here's hoping.

Dave L





Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/2005 08:34PM by Dave L.