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Roger Macdivitt .

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Who do we think that we are?
9/19/2010 12:19:45 AM

It is so easy to dismiss things in the past as just outdated and irrelevant.

LESSONS FROM THE PAST

Yes, far too easy to dismiss the past.

Today I hadthe privilage of visiting a wonderful house in Somerset, England.

Built in the 1500's Montecute House is a beautiful reminder of the best and the worst of the past.

O.K., so it was a time when England was a feudal monarchy, ruled with a heavy hand and the poor were very much just that.

Looking at the positive, England was one of the formost countries to push back the barriers of continental boundaries and discover and invent the things which we now take for granted.

Here is the house

Here from the side of the garden

Here from the side

A venerable Chestnut tree

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RE: Who do we think that we are?
9/19/2010 12:27:23 AM

Roger, wouldn't it be interesting to know what that tree knows. Beautiful scenery.

Sara

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Roger Macdivitt .

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RE: Who do we think that we are?
9/19/2010 12:28:12 AM

Wonderful gardens at Motecute House

Down but not out. An elderly giant.

More reminders of the age of this place

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Roger Macdivitt .

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RE: Who do we think that we are?
9/19/2010 12:29:53 AM
Quote:

Roger, wouldn't it be interesting to know what that tree knows. Beautiful scenery.

Sara

Sara, Just the point I'm making.

Read on when you can.

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Roger Macdivitt .

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RE: Who do we think that we are?
9/19/2010 1:10:41 AM

Seeing these beautiful reminders of the past served to teach me a lesson.

This week in the UK we have a visit from the Pope. There are very mixed feelings, coming on the heels of the abuse scandals in the Catholic Church.

Montecute House was built at a time when Catholicism in England was very much under pressure and Elizabeth I was queen. (Daughter of Henry VIII who decared himself head of a new Church of England and kicked off a protestant separation). The churches are trying hard to reach new agreements but the main differences are huge. Still, any progress is good.

My point is this. In my unforgiving youth I was guilty of saying to a devout Catholic "I can't understand anybody with a tiny bit of intelligence being a Catholic".

Why did I say such a horribly hurtful thing? Because, in my limited knowledge I had been taught to speak directly to my God and taught that Catholics thought that they could only do so through Mary.

This is just how misunderstandings come about.

My thought today was this

Through the discoveries of science, the growth of other world religions and the rapidity of communications, our understanding of this world and it's people is now very confused. What are we to believe?

Most people will agree that, most of the worlds major religions have similar beliefs and values but big factors still make it impossible to bring them together in proper agreement.

It is so arrogant to believe that, just because all of today's information was not available to the people of 1500's that their views were wrong or based upon ignorance. Christianity today is being secularised, sqeezed and battered and frankly ignored too by many, but we have to remember that THE BEST BRAINS of former times were happy to believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and indeed die for it. Some, admittedly believed because they thought it was their insurance for the next life, but others through history STUDIED and comitted themselves to the christian cause. Other religions too employed the best brains to build their credibility.

We really need to look to simpler times and put ourselves back to a place nearer to nature. When death was accepted and came at an early age, when to toil was mostly man's lot.

I am not promoting my Christian beliefs and I'm not attacking the non-christians either. What I am doing however is reminding myself that. Who am I to dismiss the beliefs of years as shallow when I see the beauty that they were capable of producing often in the name of their God.

We are in danger of becoming accepters. We need to sometimes test our faith and strenghthen it.

I love to see open minds. I see people here who have no problem in accepting UFO's, aliens and God. There were times when many of today's accepted things (dancing/TV/sensible drinking) were thought ungodly. Are they now or do we shift the goalposts when we think fit?

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