> Fascinating undertaking, I've been wondering about the implications of the
> "return" of angels myself of late. I think the 'answer' lies in the fact
> that the higher human consciousness (some animals also - witness the
> apparent grief and remorse of elephants over the death of a herd mate) gain
> a sense of personal worth from the ritual. People project their acts of
> remorse to their own eventual deaths - and thus know that their own passing
> will also be morned. Life and the interactions of individuals in the group
> would be vastly different if this were not so. Imagine being tossed off
> without a care. Your research should show that all intelligent animals that
> are socially organized display this behavior to some degree. This whole
> tendancy reflects in all acts of apparent altruism - none of which is 'true'
> altruism, because we do gain something in the acts. How this
> socio-biological behavior affects natural selection is a subject of debate.
> Obviously it is not so easy to quantify as beneficial physical mutations.
> Keep us posted on your findings - this knowledge is very important in many
> ways, not the least of which is debunking all that angel nonsense.
One thing though, I don't know the climate of your mailing list. I am not
interested in debunking anything. I am interesteed in affirming the value of
rituals, art, even religion as cultural discourses that have an impact on our
survival.
I guess I'm placing myself 'dangerously' between two camps. I'm willing to take
a few on the chin, but will your members get miffed at me if I say "what's
wrong with angels after all?