Very good words indeed

Submitted by Paul (Canada), Feb 20, 2006 at 18:44

I have followed and read many of the comments that you ("plural form you", i.e., Lisa and all who were named in the subject line), and I would like to share a thought by Chapman Cohen:

"Man is always a member of a group, and the mere fact of living with others imposes in the individual a kind of discipline that gives a definite direction to the character of his development. The law of life is, that to live an organism must be adapted to its environment, and the important part of the environment here is that formed by one's fellow-beings. The adaption need not be perfect, any more than that the food one eats need be of the most nutritious kind. But just as the food eaten must contain enough nutrition to maintain life, so conduct must be such as to maintain some kind of harmony between an individual and the rest of the group to which he belongs."

In essence, it does not matter whether you believe (or doesn't at all) that mankind's morals and ethics were dictated by God, or inspired by Him, as long as we cultivate the common thread that leads to a harmonious behavior. I believe that is being shown in this current exchange, and it seems to be the path of progress in Middle East-West relations.

Cordially,

Paul

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