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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank
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To: The Philosopher who wrote (55503)8/27/2002 9:39:39 PM
From: Solon   of 82486
 
Solon, have faith?! :-)

Let me tell you a story about my parachute jump. As I suited up and kneeled in the plane and crept out on the wing...I became quite terrified. It is not that I would have backed out. I have the guts to face most anything. But I was terrified.

I did not spend a moment considering "God". I knew that God would do nothing once I let go of the wing. I had to place my trust in the mind of man. I had to believe in the law of nylon, strings, air, and gravity. When I looked at the ground so far below my heart almost stopped. There was an 80mph wind blowing against me and the plane engine covered up all communication. Everything howled and roared, and the ground was so far down there.

Did I think of God? No. I thought of science and man and woman. I thought of humanity. I thought of all the airmen who leaped from planes to risk their lives in the cause of freedom...a very modern concept.

There was no ritual of magic. There was no splattering of blood or killing of lambs to make the rain fall and the crops grow. There was only a parachute, and the intelligence and science that backed it. I did not pray to anything--because I knew that prayer would not save my life. My entire trust was placed in the intelligence, science, and trustworthiness of my fellow man and woman.

My trust was not misplaced...
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