<<The "major" religions of the world.....Christianity,
Islam, Judaism.....promote the attitude that nothing really
matters here on this little planet except "perfecting" one's
soul in preparation for the "afterlife."   Pollute the planet!
Go ahead!  It doesn't matter because your "real" destiny
is in the "afterlife."     Accept your poverty and/or
slavery!  Go ahead!   These things don't matter because
they are of this world and your "real" destiny is in the
"afterlife." >>

I really have to disagree with such an all-encompassing statement.
First,
taking the premise of perfecting one's soul, how can one perfect the
soul
unless one is not violating all living things.

Does one look to one's 'religious' acquaintances, or community-based
religious institutions and those who represent them to fathom the
values of
a particular religion?  I hope not.  The true spirit of most religions
is
often found by reading the writings of some philosophers, liberal
theologians, and many of the so called "new age" writers.  I have a
particular fondness for the writings of Donald Walsch Neale
("Conversations
with God"), James Redfield ("The Celestine Prophecy"), and of course,
M.
Scott Peck ( "The Road Less Traveled").

Siobhan