Robert says above: "We've done something very similar ourselves, by replacing the religion of the UB with the veneration of the UB itself."
Me here: We have? Who is "we"? I haven't. Don't know a single serious student who does so. What serious student could ever do so? What is the teaching that would make one forsake their religious life to instead cling to a book about the religious life and philosophy of living to experience the eternal adventure? Is the book the adventure? Who thinks that?
Simple Definition of venerate
1 : to feel or show deep respect for (someone or something that is considered great, holy, etc.)
Me here: I will confess a deep respect for what I believe to be this gift of Michael's to his Shrine of Nebadon. Should we not? Is epochal revelation trivial or immaterial or something to be taken lightly? Would you have others forsake this textbook of universe fact and truth, this gift of knowledge to propel the mind into the path of ascendancy? The Papers tell WHO to respect, honor, and love....all others.
I am perplexed by your disrespect for those who for decades now have worked to provide this gift to our fellow mortals, tirelessly and without ceasing, working alone, in teams, and by organization to disseminate the Papers, create a student body, connect that readership to one another, socialize the readership into relationships, develop scholarship and teachers and curriculum of the text itself, and provide manifold vehicles and devices for sharing, caring, and expressing the Spirit within. It is the readership - past, present, and future - who will determine the importance of the Papers for themselves and will respond to the great opportunity to serve our world by dissemination of this gift, primarily by living such a life that the fruits of the spirit come forth, and secondarily for some, to make the Papers themselves as common as The Cat in the Hat.
Robert...so long as you accuse others, especially falsely so, and raise/puff yourself up to such a position of judgement and authority....you will fail. You don't speak for "we" nor do you speak for me. There's a little saying about worrying about the beam blinding your own eye rather than going about pointing out the saw dust in the eye of others. Your stone casting is your downfall. Not attractive. Not productive. Not real. Not welcome.
