From: DRAGONFLY           
To: TURTLE              
Subject: logic & relig??
Date & Time: 05/20/91 13:26:03
Message Number 16928

   First of all (and you may disagree with this), I classify ethics as
a part of religion.  You might think that religion supplies the power
to ethics ("if you're not nice to your neighbor, you'll go to Hades..."
etc.) and you might point out that there are people with no religion
who act ethically, but I still claim it as a part of religion.  And it
has consequences which are directly observable consequences.
     
   I believe the way one view God can have a very directly observable
consequence on your life.  If you believe there is no God and no 
punishment for sins after life, you will act differently than one who 
believes in both.  If you believe God can be bribed to forget sins,
you will act differently than one who does not believe this.  I say:
if you believe there exists a God, and if you believe God is watching
your life, and if you believe God will take action on you depending on
what you do in your life, you will act differently.  
    
   You're right: a mere belief in the axiom "There is a God" or the
axiom "There is no God" doesn't mean a thing.  Just as there's no branch
of mathematics with just one axiom, there's no religion that believes
only that.  
    
   The next message will address your second point.
                        //Dragonfly//