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Microcap & Penny Stocks : Globalstar Telecommunications Limited GSAT -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Blaine K who wrote (23956)	8/2/2001 5:14:32 PM
From: Maurice Winn	Respond to of 29986

* Completely OT * Ignore it! Blaine, as I wrote that, I thought it was a bad example because I am not convinced that the WWII Pope did anything wrong and that I was parroting something which I was uncertain of. Which shows my own chimpoid human frailty. It was a poor example of idolized religious leaders' human frailty - a better one would have been Jim Jones getting the troops to drink poison in the Guyana jungle; here's a link conspire.com But you asked how would I have done better? Since I really don't know what the Pope did, I don't really want to compound a bad example by imaginary ideas about what I might have done better if I had been in his shoes. But here's what my father did and I suppose I'd have behaved similarly. My father went from the other side of the world, [New Zealand], having volunteered because Hitler had to be stopped, fought his way over 4 years across Africa and up through Italy and freed Rome, the Vatican and the Pope from the clutches of Nazism. A lot of people joined French and Italian resistance fighters. Perhaps the Pope and his followers could have done that. I think "quietly if not complicitly stood by" is probably still an accurate description of the Vatican and the Pope. It wasn't a matter of "making a statement", it was a matter of defeating the Germans who were occupying Italy and Europe and how best to do that. Of course it is not very easy to offer resistance from inside a prisoner of war camp or from inside the Vatican while German troops were all around. So I understand the lack of action [if that's what there was - I am not a war historian in that detail]. It's not the case that Catholics are pacifists and take too literally [or at all] the commandment "Thou shalt not kill" so it was a matter of saving their own skin [or indifference or even support] that stopped them fighting Hitler's troops from behind the front - though many resistance people were not so timid. My father risked my life [and his too] to free Europe and stop Hitler. He succeeded. He visited St Peter's cathedral in Rome at the end of the war. You can read about his trip here: Message 13794091 He went to all that trouble for freedom from tyranny. Later, he and my mother were members of the Rationalist Association, which is dedicated to freedom and stopping religious domination, which when bad is as evil as Hitler's domination [and more messy and less organized in their massacres of humans]. Many religious people seek to force their values onto other people and introduce religious stuff into the laws of countries. They run the government for themselves and their mates. One of the great strengths of the USA is that they, by and large, keep religion out of the government [though Bush, Clinton and Gore bash their bibles at any opportunity to get votes - Clinton fondling the females then seeking absolution was especially funny.] It's a bit annoying to free somebody then have those people force you to comply with their will. Fortunately, most religious people are not too murderous these days - though there are constantly Darwin Awards due to religious wackos who believe too seriously what they are told by the liars at the top [who get the money and the girls]. I hope this isn't considered OFF TOPIC... I've heard that many people have strong views on matters like this and it's best not to discuss religion [or politics or sex]. Oh well, we can have a prayer service for the remnants of Globalstar. Mqurice PS: Travel to St Peters is easier these days. Hi TK! tarken.com It does seem very weird for The Chief Rabbi of Rome to convert to Catholicism - surely that was while Hitler was still ascendant and a way to escape murder? Not a real conversion. My understanding is that brand choice of religion is different from changing from a Ford to a Chrysler or even to a Toyota. Perhaps we should continue the discussion [if you want to] over at the GGMDM thread, which I have given up for dead.