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[Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>]

> Fred: I am not a Xtian.  I celebrate Jul as did my ancestors for the last 
> 6,000 years.  You do your thing and I will do mine

Yeah, I agree, that is the civilized, the humane attitude. What's the point 
of deriding, of taking something away from someone who needs it? What's the 
harm done? We all come from different places, have different experiences, 
find truth to be unique to us.

Much of the mellowness that urges that position comes from my relationship 
with my mother. Until I joined the army and began reading philosophy, she 
strongly directed my reluctant and ignorant religiosity [yeah, I know 
that's not a word]. After fifty years of arguing, debating, frustrating and 
no doubt hurting her, I have come to the place where I think, at 91 years 
of age in a couple weeks, she deserves some peace from my truths.

Where I do draw a line is at respect. I respect others' rights to their 
views and I demand respect for mine, no matter how stupid I think they are 
or how pitiful and lost they think I am. With Mom, I have come to finally 
give more slack, but that is the only exception.