> I feel sorry for people who feel this way. Assuming that there is absolutely no supernatural aspect to life at all, the universe is a fascinating place! Are we so intellectually bored that we need to believe in magic to have a bit of wonder in our lives?

Sort of reminds me of "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus." Excerpt to follow:

"Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished."

The Messiah was incarnated as a baby about 3 or 2 B.C.(many believe in early fall, but that's another story). Saint Nicholas himself died about 345 or 352. The modern image of Santa Claus, involving the replacement or incorporation of various pagan gift-giving figures such as the Roman Befana and the Germanic Berchta and Knecht Ruprecht, is in the early years of Coca-Cola.

Was there really none of that prior to his existence? Ask David, the sons of Korah, and others if the world was dreary, indeed. Ask them also about poetry. Ask Solomon about romance. If you don't believe any of these existed, I'm sure you could search prior to the 4th century and find similar results in other cultures

In short, the writer has weaved many a wonderous-sounding word, but it really is ridiculous to base his continued existence on the fact that there is poetry, romance, and a non-dreary existence.

Nyperold

> Stephen