From:  Rachel Matesz <[log in to unmask]>
Next Generation Nutrition
>Subject: Religion and all that
>Date: Fri, Aug 6, 1999,
------------------------------
>Okay, Midas Gold and Richard Keene, your're correct: I was stereotyping
based on my limited experience with Christians. I just ran into some extreme
religious (Christian people) while growing up, and recently.  First it was
the
Jehova's (sp?) witnesses who used to come out to our house in rural NM to
try to
converst us, on Sundays.  My mom was always trying to come up with the best
way
to get them to leave us alone.  Her favorite was delivered in a very
deadpan fashion:  I worship the sun god, and if I didn't worship it, it
might not come up in the morning....." I dont' have the exact words.
Anyway, once they'd dash to their cars and we heard them peel out of our
dirt-road-of-a-driveway, she'd have a good chuckle, as would any guests who
might be at our house having brunch!

Btw, I am Jewish; both my parents were, but I only grew up with one of them
and she didn't want to "impose" (her words not mine) all of that religious
stuff (ritual...) on me, and she was divorced...didn't fit into the Jewish
community (economically or otherwise).    Anyway, I was raised as sort of an

atheist with a belief in more of a  universal-sort-of spiritual outlook, as
opposed to the vision
of this old man with long white hair, sitting on a throne up in the sky,
peering down into all of our bedrooms and voyeristically watching our every
move.  (Sorry, I met a lot of people with sexual hang-ups who also happened
to be very "religious" and full of contradictions....)

In College, in a small school in Tulsa, OK. They all wanted to convert me...
Born again Christians were everywhere.  Anyway, my first room mate, a blind
and a Born-Again actually told me
that because I was Jewish, I was damned to hell.  After I moved to a
different dorn later that week, then transferred to a West Coast School the
following year, I found out she'd "gotten" pregnant.  I'm sure it wasn't
immaculate conception..... Oh, there was a lot of boozing and sex at that
school--I later found out from a friend of my mother's (a sex therapist,
hehe!) they Tulsa and OKC, OK, at the time, had one of the highest rates of
herpes in the nation.  Anyway, I saw a lot of religious hypocrisy and it
skewed my views.

Btw, I didn't know until you told me, Midas that: "Jews are told to limit
their families if the mother's health may be compromised.  (BTW, according
to Jewish tradition, a child must be breastfed for at least his/her first
two years.  Birth control is *encouraged* during this period, to prevent the
child's food supply from being threatened by the birth of a sibling.  Beyond
that, continued nursing is encouraged until the child is four or more years
old.) or that "Jews are taught that their bodies are beautiful and good." or
that"in Judaism; not only is such talk not sinful, but it is good and
necessary. or that Jewish couples practiced a form of NFP.

Wish I'd learned about that when growing up.  I don't even think my mom
learned it.  She didn't grow up in an orthodox or Kosher home.  Guess my
typecasting referred to Christianity.  I apologize for stepping on any toes
and making gross generalization.
>
>All I'm trying to point out is that you should know what ALL "agricultural
religions" believe/practice before you paint them all >with the same
brush...

Right you are!  I learn something new every day!  Thanks for the
enlightenment about Judiasm.  It's pretty Paleo--actually has its roots in
pre-agricultural times.  So, it contains many (healthy) facets of PWOL.
Btw, in the Cain and Abel story.... the agriculturalist (grain eater)
kills the HG/sheep heered/meat eater.  Interesting, eh?!  So much for
vegetarianism making man more peaceful and "spiritual."  Enough said.  Tell
me what you think, guys!  Okay?  I'll limit my posts today!

Thanks for all the good reads, everyone.  This is my (actually Don's and my)
first e-mail/subscription/group thing like this.  It's great fun, becoming a
daily ritual.  I'm glad Don Wiss asked my why I hadn't joined, so that I was
prompted to join.  Well, I can't wait to read everyone's posts later.

Btw, that  worm article was soooooo cool!  A real hoot!  Guess, maybe I'll
stop tossing the worms I find
in my broccoli or crawling out of the salad greens I didn't wash as well as
I thought! MMMMMM!  Good for what ails you... Take two worms and call me in
the morning. hehe!  Teeheee!  Do different colored worms have different
flavors?  Does anyone like the green ones better than the......     :-D

Rachel Matesz