Deo Gratias for JGR and her emotionally intelligent response on Religion & Science. Over the past couple of decades we know so much more than before, but people become evermore polarised, overly-aggressive and paranoid, or am I talking about the warring governments/nations of the world? Is there enough love or understanding in the world? JGR mentions "We Indians are truly lucky and blessed, because we have friends and relatives of different religious beliefs who will pray for our good health, when we fall sick."
I campaigned for affordable living and if 60% of Indian families cannot afford over-priced, over-hyped allopathic medicines, thank God they can get homeopathic, ayurvedic, herbal, etc. Reference Goa, was I a fool to fall in love with the land? Are the ex-pats who feel they have been cheated in Goa got it right? I met a Goan woman in February whose family earned income over 10K rupees per month, and yet that was not enough to satisfy her. Then I met a nurse bringing up 2 kids without any help from her estranged husband. She earned 3K rupees, about half of the other woman's salary, for a hard slog, with many more hours and weekend work. It is only by that comparison, I began to understand how Goans have to manage on low incomes, compared to US, Canadians, OZ & European residents. In fact, UK does not have any magic potion, we live in fear of what the rabid party political system will do next. We ought to be a rich country, but I believe we are bankrupt, morally, ethically and financially. Our wealth has been siphoned into the wrong pockets. Is that the same situation in Goa, and India? Why is there such a shortage of empathy towards our fellow man? I feel shame for the torture, kidnap and "rendition" of suspect detainees, whereas others feel such inhuman means justify the end. Is Obama comfortable sitting on the fence, boycotting the UN sponsored racism conference, knowing that Israel & US have blemished records? He has much on his hands, but I cannot condone the bogus war on terror, or the excessive force it has unleashed. Clive Stafford-Smith, an English lawyer, has given his life to defend US prisoners on death Row & detainees as well. I know and greatly admire several other eminent English lawyers who take "hopeless" cases and sometimes win justice, eg. for an Iraqui widow and her two young sons, left fatherless when UK soldiers beat her hotel receptionist husband to death in prison. It seems our governments and fundamentalists of any kind will not give peace a chance. Rita Grootendorst