At 09:23 AM 8/4/99 -0400, you wrote:
>Hunting is spiritual all right but not hunting
>in the supermarket.
>
>The spiritual practice of Aikido (just as an example)
>is pretty cool too. You could also eat paleo while
>doing it.

The spirituality of aikido is an interesting example of the moral ambiguity
of certain spiritual systems.  I used to practice aikido when I was in
college (in Madison, Wis.) is thoroughly enjoyed it, and occasionally today
wish I lived within driving distance of a dojo.

But it bothers me that the founder of aikido was a japanese military
officer who served in japon's imperialist war of aggression against
mongolia (or was it china?)  in anycase, I don't see how a moral person
could willingly have participated in the war, the founder of aikido did,
yet he is revered as a spiritual model.  To me, it is as if a nazi officer
was holding himself up as a spiritual model, with no apologies for his
participation in the war.

I would not participate in a spiritual system founded by, and whose
followers still revere, an unrepentant nazi officer.  And I have similar
misgivings about aikido.