[dor]

Originally Posted by Michael Chui

Haven't I already said that I think Orwell is wrong? I think your writing is plenty clumsy itself; should I start going through it with a red pen?.

"well your writing sucks too"!
how convient of you to discover that after I told you as much. I don't think i write very well here because its a message board and i have other things to do...on the other hand I don't put links to my essays in my signature and try to present my self as vigorously inquisitive intellectual who challenges societies conventions...or what ever you're trying to do, you know better than me. You can continue to write as you do, I really don't care. I don't care what you think of my writing, but as a side note I will mention that I have written 'stuff' i do care about, and someone paid me lots and lots of money for it. So, i was offering, for lack of a better term, my 'professional' opinion.

Originally Posted by Michael Chui

I'm more familiar with Jainism than I am with the Amish or the Quakers..

again this comes across (to me) as false modesty "I couldn't use a baseball analogy because we only played cricket at Harrow". You know they are pacifists, and you know your largely american, english-speaking audience would be familiar with them. There are british writers here who will use pounds instead of dollars, stone instead of pounds, but most of the cultural references here are american. Its not about what you know - its about explaining things to your audience, not self-aggrandizing...like mentioning you've been paid good money for your writing.
So instead of saying "unless you're a Quaker if someone walked up to you and put a gun to your head...." you chose to say: "Scenario: someone is holding a gun to your head. Is it ethical to kill them? Every instance of jurisprudence I know of, excepting pacifist religions like Jainism, say yes."

Originally Posted by Michael Chui

dor said, about religion, "my main, big point is you're denying a large part of your make up as human being"

I hate jazz. I was talking to a cab driver/jazz musician about music and mentioned that. He explained the beauty of the 'groove' he said if you don't get the 'groove' then you just don't get jazz. I don't get the groove. I don't like jazz.
Imagine trying to explain to an illiterate bushman the importance and joy of reading - I think you'd be hard pressed.
Thus, if you *think* its not important the common-sense evidence of it isn't going to convince you.
I see religion as a frame work to explore human spirtuality -to contemplate the whys and read from the sages who talked about whys. To pray, because like cod liver oil and push ups, it's good for you.
Imagine a human being with no curiousity, no appreciation of art, in my opinion he's living like an animal - yes are still human, you're also human if you're in a coma - religion - the practice of it - is stepping out of the coma of day to day living. You don't think that's important, or can you think it can be achieved by dropping acid I doubt I can convince you otherwise. Have fun.

Originally Posted by Michael Chui

Does that mean that living in houses is a large part of our make up as human beings?.

the need for shelter is, and the fact that we live in houses is a reflection of that need.

Originally Posted by Michael Chui

[*]History is not an indicator of component. Most civilizations of human history have committed atrocities in the name of expanding their domain. Does that mean that making war upon our neighbors is a part of our make up as human beings?.

The desire for war and violence is part of our make up , especially in males. Pretending that such desires don't exist is dangerous and foolish. History reflects that yes, we're pretty violent.

Originally Posted by Michael Chui

[*]Importance is not an indicator of component. The appendix (the one in your intestine) is generally agreed to be unimportant, and thus there's minimal harm in removing it when it's infected. But it is nevertheless a part of our make up as human beings.
.

from this statement I assume you assume that part of the human body is unimportant. We're on different planets Michael.
i can remove my hair with minimal harm, if i get gangrene i can remove my pinky with minimal harm....
Could you please explain this a bit further or in your langauage "you must explain"
are you saying " just because an appendix is part of our body doesn't mean it's important' - so just because religion's part of our culture, doesn't mean it's important? "