Thanks, very helpful. It explains a lot. :-) Sent from my iPhone
> On Feb 11, 2019, at 15:31, Billy Rojas <[email protected]> > wrote: > > Ernie: > > Good questions. > > > > About positive virtues from my parents, let me simplify. This is something > that > > always comes to mind each time I make criticisms. For the fact is that there > can only > > be a mixed report, a combination of good and bad. > > > > Mother in her last years was demented, or progressively a victim of dementia. > > Not my diagnosis, it was Evangeline's to begin with. Thinking about it > > I concluded that Evangeline was quite right. > > > > This said, there was one overriding virtue mother inculcated in me from > years ago, > > no nonsense about anything. Always seek proof and if there is no hard > evidence, forget it. > > She forgot all about that during her last years, but before, say, 2000, > > I'd say she was very consistent about this. > > > > > > About my father... > > > > Mother was domineering and father was passive (most of the time) with respect > to mother. > > I never knew what to make of this until beginning to study eastern religions. > To be sure, > > dad was a Catholic but his background was from a culture that had once been > > partly Hindu and partly Buddhist -mostly by way of the Majapahit Empire, > > viz basically today's Indonesia -which outright controlled a swath of > > the southern Philippines and otherwise was a major influence in the economy > > of the rest of the archipelago. > > > > Kind of like paintings of Mary by Chinese Christians. Yes, she wears pretty > much > > the garb of Mary as seen in western art, but her face is as Chinese and any > face gets. > > My impression is that Philippine Catholicism as understood by many Filipinos, > > is like that, namely, Buddhist beneath the surface, or imbued with ideals > > from the Upanishads. > > > > This is a little murky because some obviously Christian traditions also > stress patience > > and acceptance of one's lot in life as virtues, but for whatever reasons the > Asian analogy > > made the most sense to me. Mostly because the Catholic Church in the islands > > was, in origin, the Church of the Inquisition. > > > > So, to make a long story short, I think that a major impetus for me to go > further > > into study of Buddhism than I might otherwise have gone came from my dad's > > example of fortitude / perseverance. Which is a major Buddhist virtue. > > > > This said, my oldest sister, the normal one, as best as I can fathom her > views, > > saw in father a source of compassion -but combined with weakness. Hence > Rita's > > recent era choices of male partners of one kind or other, were weak -or very > weak. > > > > And, yes, I can see where she saw weakness; I think that was partly right. > And my guess > > is also that this was partly because of the strong racial prejudices of the > time, > > that is, the 1950s and early 1960s. Being assertive would have been sure > > to cause any number of problems that dad would not have been able to cope > with. > > Non-assertiveness, even if the prime cause was prejudice, then could > > work its way into other areas of life. > > > > I remember a flight with dad back in the 1950s where the plane landed > > in Louisville for a stopover. Dad had to use the rest room and his > > choice was the "Negro" men's room. In Chicago that never was a formal problem > > but, for sure, there was no certainty... > > > > But it always seemed to me that there was far more to it than weakness. But > my sister, like > > many other people, had only limited interest in religion even if she was very > tolerant > > of most religions, but, still, what she studied was next to nothing. She > could not > > possibly make the connection to Buddhism or the Upanishads. > > > > I'm also unsure about how far to take my amateur psychologizing so let me > cease and desist. > > These are my impressions, anyway. > > > > ----- > > > > About Saint-Simon, that I know of he never said that politics was a blood > sport > > but he didn't have to. He was lucky to get through the French Revolution > alive > > (among other things he was a relative of the deceased but still famous Duc de > Saint-Simon) > > and he stood trial during the Bourbon restoration for sedition. He was > acquitted but > > was under no illusions about the dangers he faced. > > > > I mean, France ca 1790-1825: It was no time for anyone with political > ambitions > > who was unwilling to face dangers of different kinds, year after year. > > > > Thanks for the apology; but I never thought that you had ill-intent. > > It was just "how it sounded." As if I never make mistakes ( LOL. ROTFUL) > > and as if my comments never sound over-the-top. > > > > Guilty of being human. > > > > > > Billy > > > > > > > > > > > From: Centroids <[email protected]> > Sent: Monday, February 11, 2019 2:24 PM > To: Billy Rojas > Cc: [email protected] > Subject: Re: oikotics [ RC ] Liberalism and its inconsistencies > > Hi Billy, > > > > Your rather off-handed generalization is the problem. > > I sincerely apologize. I only remember all the negative things you said about > your family. Which were many. :-) > > What were the positive values you got from them? > > What was your relationship with your father like? I feel some stake in that, > since you say I remind you of him (at least physically). > > Apologetically, > Ernie > > PS. Do you think Saint-Simeon would say politics was a blood sport? -- -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
