Dear Rin, Some time ago you asked me about my involvement in religion and I said “It’s a long story”. It may seem I am trying to avoid talk about it.I don’t want to deny anything but at the same time there are so many preconceived notions of things, much of it in the sub conscious, that words become charged with meanings that are not intended. I have experienced this so often that I have become very quiet about certain issues. People have a great investment in religious ideas, more so than they think. For example if I say ‘ I believe in Christ’ I could also say ‘ I believe in love’. Others may say ‘I believe in Love but I don’t believe in Christ’. Still there are others who say they believe in Christ but they do not really believe in Love or Peace. In my mind, anyone who says ‘Peace is Possible’, and really believes it, has the thought of the great spiritual leaders of humanity at heart, in other words, is practicing the purest form of religion. The names are not so important as deeds. I have had an involvement in protestant religions and also the catholic but at the same time I have always been something of an outsider. In Anthroposophy also I am something of an outsider. It is the ideas that are great, the life that is in the ideas and the deeds that result from the life, but I can never conform for very long to anything. I try but then there always comes a point when I say “why do I try?” I go through a struggle but in the end I have to admit “I am not like others”. We talked the last time that there has to be some conformity for people to get along with each other. Some kinds of agreement and boundary that need to be respected and I think this is probably true also of religions but that is something for others to decide. I don’t have that---how shall I say?----I don’t have that capacity or judgement. I think this way generally, that religions are in the world to help people, when or if they are no longer doing this then they have out lived their purpose. Maybe I’ve said enough about this but if you have any questions I will try to answer as best as I can. Love and Peace, George |