Bible-beater pilots

See this is where I have a problem. People who claim to not be religious
celebrate holidays such as Christmas, Easter, and yes Thanksgiving.

Oh, come on. On the one hand you say that these holidays pre-date their
current religious overtones, in some cases by thousands of years. Then, in
the next breath, you wonder why the religions allow their members to
celebrate them.

Well, it's pretty obvious to me -- people LIKE to celebrate. Even the
harshest religion probably learned long ago that you tamper with people's
traditional holidays at your own peril.

Christmas is a good example. Jesus' birthday was almost certainly NOT in
December -- but there was a pagan Winter Solstice holiday that needed to be
co-opted. Bingo! -- just add Jesus!

It's also eminently practical to add a celebration at the deepest, darkest,
coldest time of year. Most humans are naturally in a funk -- some
seriously -- at this time of years, and need a "pick-me-up" to get through
the long winter. Christmas and New Years Eve fit the bill perfectly.

Halloween is an even better example. Even the Catholic church knows not to
screw with a pagan holiday that allows little kids to get free candy! You
think their ranks are dwindling NOW -- just watch what happens to them if
they try to take away free candy! ;-)

Religions must be pragmatic to a certain degree or they will cease to
exist -- and their leaders know it.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Matthew P. Cummings" wrote in message
news
On Thu, 27 Nov 2003 21:45:58 +0000, Peter Gottlieb wrote:

I think this thread has played itself out. Have a happy Thanksgiving
everyone!

See this is where I have a problem. People who claim to not be religious
celebrate holidays such as Christmas, Easter, and yes Thanksgiving.


Just as an earlier poster said he would spend money with religious symbols,
I will certainly take a day off for whatever reason. I think in the
interest of fairness we need at least a holiday a month from each of the
categories (Christian, Islam, Judisim, Agnostic, Athiestism, Satanism,
Buddism, Beerism, Lazyism, anything else).

Earl G.

Brian,

and that most of the rest of the western world is significantly
less religious that the USA.

Didn't someone quote research in this thread that the US is the most
religious country in the world? Wonder how to measure that...


shrug In any case, it was an interesting thread.


I think so, too. Of course, many (including myself) expressed their views
in an extreme way for the benefit of the discussion (I like to think, at
least). But it was/is a very interesting thread, I think.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 09:00:52 +0100, Thomas Borchert
wrote:

Didn't someone quote research in this thread that the US is the most
religious country in the world? Wonder how to measure that...

I don't think you can. Noone seems to have a good definition of
"religious".

shrug In any case, it was an interesting thread.
I think so, too. Of course, many (including myself) expressed their views
in an extreme way for the benefit of the discussion (I like to think, at
least). But it was/is a very interesting thread, I think.

Agreed.

Rob

In article , Rob Perkins
writes:


Your ideas are thought-provoking; I was thinking specifically of the
suiciders who come out of Palestine. As with many things, I could be
wrong, but I don't think there's much of a middle class left there.


The one of the recent suicide bombers in Israel was a successful pharmacist who
had delayed his martydom until he had set aside enough to raise and educate his
children.

--
Wm. Donald (Don) Tabor Jr., DDS
PP-ASEL
Chesapeake, VA - CPK, PVG

In article k.net, L Smith
writes:

Aside from which, I could forge a license just as easily as as I could forge
a
certificate of insurance. No one checks validity except the dental insurance
companies you contract with. They verify it with the carrier.

I'm sorry, but this looks like your trying to make a circular
argument. It sounds like
your saying that the only people that check for your license are the
insurance companies,
and they only check with themselves.


Perhaps I was unclear.

Dental insurance companies are not the same companies that sell dental
professional liability insurance.

The dental insurance companies who enter into managed care agreements like PPO
plans wish to avoid secondary liability, so they require dentist who contract
with them to be insured for liability, and verify that coverage with the
liability insurers.

Aside from which, if licensing were eliminated, it would be to my advantage to
have proof of insurance on display and easily verified, just like home repair
companies include the fact that they are bonded in their advertising.

There just really isn't anything accomplished *for the public good* by
licensing that the private sector cannot do better. Licensing only serves to
restrain trade by preventing dentists from moving from one state to another to
follow demand. Florida is famous for that in the profession, getting a Florida
license is almost impossible if you are not from there. The Florida dentists
fear an influx of semi-retired older dentists coming to the state and flooding
the market, lowering fees. The result is that dentistry in FLorida is far more
expensive than unrestrained supply and demand would dictate. (Same thing for
Texas and Hawaii)


--
Wm. Donald (Don) Tabor Jr., DDS
PP-ASEL
Chesapeake, VA - CPK, PVG

Noone seems to have a good definition of "religious".


Basing one's life (the little decisions as well as the big one) on fundamental
precepts which are by nature unprovable and undisprovable, and holding forth
that these precepts represent TRUTH (and any competing precepts represent evil,
or at least folly)

Jose



--
(for Email, make the obvious changes in my address)

There just really isn't anything accomplished *for the public good* by
licensing that the private sector cannot do better.


To the presmise that the insurance companies evaluate risk better than the
licensing agencies and the public, how do you account for the fact that to
insure a club with a twin costs upwards of five times as much as a club that
has only single engine airplanes that fly IFR at night with one pilot.

Seems somebody hasn't a clue, and I'm not sure which it is.

Jose



--
(for Email, make the obvious changes in my address)

And a Happy Thanksgiving to you, too, Jay.
H.
N502TB

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:Hqrxb.128107$Dw6.561599@attbi_s02...
I guess I should cancel my plans to deliver Thanksgiving dinner to the
needy
tomorrow. Since it's on behalf of my church.

I guess you better. After all, according to the atheists here, if your
motivation is religious, you must not be moral.

Jeez, I turn my attention away from this thread for a day or two, and look
what happens! Talk about bitter dissension!

I am thankful that there are those who deliver dinner to the needy --
whatever their motivation. If your religion commands you to help the
hungry, house the homeless, and generally help humanity, I certainly will
not argue with you. In fact, I thank you.

However, I believe some posters have been trying to state the obvious,
which
is: Religion is a powerful force for both good and evil. Gullible people
can be misled easily with the whole "fear of eternal damnation" threat.

And it works the other way, too! Just look how many fools have been
recruited by the fundamentalist, radical "Islamo-Fascists" in the Middle
East! These dupes are lured into doing the ultimate evil, simply by
having
"eternity in paradise" promised to them. How many more children and
innocents must be blown to smithereens so that this sick, parasitic
version
of Islam can flourish?

Does anyone honestly think there would be suicide attacks WITHOUT religion
assuring them of "eternal life"? THAT is the evil side of religion,
ladies
and gentlemen -- and it must be addressed in any serious discussion of
religion.

Anyhow, I only meant to comment on the rudeness of the religious zealots
Mary and I ran into, and on the interesting way in which they were
apparently able to self-justify their bizarre, unseemly behavior. I did
not
mean for this thread to pick on any particular religion, as these guys
could
just have easily have been Muslims, Hare Krishnas, or Believers in the
Force.

It's sad that this thread -- probably the longest I've ever seen -- ended
up
the way it did. I guess pilots are no different than the rest of the
world
in this regard...

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

In article ,
(Teacherjh) writes:


There just really isn't anything accomplished *for the public good* by
licensing that the private sector cannot do better.


To the presmise that the insurance companies evaluate risk better than the
licensing agencies and the public, how do you account for the fact that to
insure a club with a twin costs upwards of five times as much as a club that
has only single engine airplanes that fly IFR at night with one pilot.


Perhaps actuarial experience differs from what you are expecting?

--
Wm. Donald (Don) Tabor Jr., DDS
PP-ASEL
Chesapeake, VA - CPK, PVG