--- Elisabeth Carvalho wrote: > Dear Santosh, > Please be assured that Goanetters do not have any hostility towards you. Please also be assured that Goanetters do not place any stock in distortions of the views expressed by you. Hence, please do not feel that you have to save face with Goanetters, although at times one feels one must. I urge you to participate in other topics, since most Goanetters have long stopped reading this one. > --- Santosh Helekar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Dear Elisabeth, > > Thanks for your assurances. Good to know that people > recognize the distortions of my views. I enjoy your > erudite and courteous contributions on Goanet. > Please keep them coming. > Mario responds: > Elisabeth was apparently acting as a spokesperson for all 7,000 or so Goanetters in her comments above, many of whom are religious people whom Santosh has characterized as belonging to "mobs" and "herds". > I know from my personal emails that there are quite a few Goanetters who take issue with Elisabeth's resounding endorsement of Santosh's views on religion and acceptance of his view that his words are being distorted. At least some Goanetters do not belong to Elisabeth's "herd":-)) > While Santosh can claim his words are being distorted, aided and abetted by friends like Elisabeth, he cannot hide from his own words. > In the context of a discussion comparing the moral codes of major religions and morally based organizations with unorganized individual atheists, Santosh was moved to write: > "It might be hard to understand that nothing is gained by being prejudiced against individualism and independent thinking, and that organized mob psychology and herd mentality are often dangerous." > Clearly, from the context of the debate, it is no distortion to observe that Santosh was referring to the members of religions and morally based organizations as having a "mob psychology" and "herd mentality" since such organizations and their rock solid moral codes were the central theme in the discussion. > On the other hand, I have repeatedly conceded that individual atheists may have excellent moral codes, unbeknownst to anyone else, unless they get arrested. This is something that Santosh studiously ignores, and his friends have either overlooked or are reluctant to point out to him. > In addition Santosh also said: > "An individual independent thinker is able to acquire knowledge and wisdom by reading and thinking deeply and rationally for himself/herself. A group member on the other hand is likely to get arrested for mob behavior." > Again, whether an individual independent thinker "...is able to acquire knowledge..." has never been questioned, only the fact that there is no way for anyone to really know. > In the meantime Santosh continues to make references to the practices of religions and morally based organizations as possible "mob behavior" and painting individual atheists as morally and intellectually superior people to us mob members. > I must figure out how people become spokespersons for whole groups of people they don't even know. Shows their take-charge personality:-)) >
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