Who have I been brainwashed by, Martin? I belong to no particular organized religion, but see some value in all of them. I belong to no particular sacred tradition or church, but see some value in (almost) all of them. There are good people in most churches, and not-so-good people too.

If you mean that I have been influenced by what is around me, well, then, we have all been brainwashed. People only ever CALL it "brainwashing" when they are of a different opinion about something, and in so doing they are primarily expressing their own form of prejudice in more cases than not...or their desire to "win" the argument through hyperbole (reduce the other person's credibility by insulting him).

You say you are a Jew. Yes, I understand that Jews don't "need a trinity". Nobody needs a trinity in order to worship God, but if they freely choose to see God in 3 aspects, what's wrong with that? Nothing. The Hindus choose to see God (the One God, who cannot be described in totality using ANY words) revealed in thousands of forms, even millions of forms, and what's wrong with that? Nothing. They are well aware that all those forms are simply aspects of the one God. Are you saying that although you and I have millions of different aspects and characteristics, God can only have one, and we're not allowed to discuss God's different aspects? Ridiculous. God has every aspect. To see in God the Mother, the Father, and the Child is no more offensive to Judaism than it is to any other religion.

You say you don't see Christ as "the messiah". Fine. I don't see why you have to. If you don't see him as your messiah, then he isn't your messiah, but he may be someone else's. I think, myself, that there have been many messiahs for humanity down through the ages, and there are more yet to come. Why limit the title to Jesus?

Rape is a spectacularly non-immaculate act in its quality and intention (and I suspected you would raise it as an example, because that's exactly where the logical mind would immediately go to discredit my argument), BUT any conception that results from rape or any other act is pure in itself. It's the launching of an innocent, precious, unique new life. The child is not to blame for the act of rape that allowed the child entry into this world, and to think so would be madness. Such madness has been common in prudish societies since ancient times. The concept of a "bastard" was unknown among more enlightened tribal people in some simpler societies, like the Hawaiian, for example. Of course, we all have different ideas about who is more enlightened and who is not...

I don't know about Jesus Alou, but there are many people named "Jesus" in the Hispanic cultures, and there are many people named Mohammed in the Muslim cultures. I haven't met anyone named "Buddha" yet...or Jehovah.

Why limit yourself to the definition of being "a Jew"? Doesn't it tend to kind of narrow the viewpoint? I'll tell you what I am: I'm a living spirit in a human body. I'm a human being. Beyond that, what difference does it make what I am? This makes you my brother, but am I yours?

- LH