SUPERSTITION

                                       Superstition darkens the mind and heart.

 Emily Carr in the book "The Forest Lover" discovers this as she enters into the world of the native people.  Religion used it's power to frighten people who already were very superstitious.  For instance a dead body was never removed out the front door but planks were taken down in the wall to take the body out.  So that death will not come in the front door.  .

( We recognize it in other faiths but do we see it's power in our own?)

To the Native people their totem poles told a story and were a reminder of past glories and of healthy communities.  Emily decides to preserve the totem poles in her paintings.  The missionaries had already burnt some down in some religious Christian frenzy. 

Learning what the animals were and what they represented the less bizarre they became.  Chiefs of the different nations were even competitive in making impressive poles.  Emily was determined to paint the poles exactly as they had been created.

Religion has wrought untold misery using superstition and bigotry to create oppressive ideology.  The critics have also used prejudice and ignorance to rationalize their views.  Both sides are wrong.  I believe that it is possible to use the knowledge of science and philosophy to purify religion and to allow it to improve the human condition of us all.  Getting to know and understand a person is so important.

An artist will see the beauty in the midst of the grayness and not need to be forced to draw within the lines we may call theology. 

Now I have to stop and think and find out more from my reading of a very unusual person.

So dad and I had our doubts that Oliver may or may turn up at our home.because in our family plans often change.  He is going to drop by this morning I think.  We enjoyed our supper out in the back yard and both of us did our walks.

Sandra is having physio and may drop by.    The mornings are getting darker and cooler.