Senor Mehico! Hi and to all and all too, had a great day off and did nothing but contemplate the middle distance and all things mysterious!
What am I protesting - all sorts of things like ... to ... and more but in terms of my post above you will remember the history of the break away from the Catholic Church? It was when Henry V111 wanted to divorce Katherine of Aragon and the Pope would not allow it. Henry then just did it, was excommunicated, declared himself the new Head of the Church of England, married Anne Boleyn (Lizzie 1's mom) ... and others as you know. And it would seem that since then, ne'er the twain shall meet. To this day the Royal family in England cannot marry out of the 'faith' and most certainly not a Catholic. So the fact that I chose to be an Anglican essentially I am a protestant as opposed to an orthodox Catholic, and but for a chance meeting might easily have been Catholic anyway. Regardless, 'nuff said by me.
For Richard Dawkins, I like his use of that double negative in his first commandment, makes you stop and think.
But a general comment on the content is yes of course, it's good sentiments but wordy and really open to interpretation because of the wordiness. I have to assume they come from the man as when you imagine that pure intelligence in that 'handicapped' body, two things spring to mind for me. One thing "Why me?" and the other being his life's work starting with a Brief History of Time (I was not able to understand it though I tried reading it several times). Just don't have that mathematical and scientific brain that can out think and think out and theorise and'invent' and think original thoughts as he does. He is a super intelligent being and a gift to mankind. It would be intresting to read a biography, his published works are likely to be all that we will get.
For some other good life commandments I really like Polonius' advice to his son Laertes in Hamlet ... Act 1 scene 111
There, my blessing with thee.
And these few precepts in thy memory
See thou character.
Give thy thoughts no tongue,
Nor any unproportion'd thought his act.
Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.(65)
Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel;
But do not dull thy palm with entertainment
Of each new-hatch'd, unfledged comrade.
Beware
Of entrance to a quarrel; but being in,
Bear't that the opposed may beware of thee.
Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice;
Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment.
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy;
For the apparel oft proclaims the man,
And they in France of the best rank and station
Are of a most select and generous, chief in that.
Neither a borrower nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
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This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
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I love this advice and at one time in my life could quote it all by memory - not so any more.
P.S. The stars are mine! And have I always listened to Polonius -nay, no, not. I tell people what I think all the time for one. Hmmm.
Adios amigos and Hasta la vista - see I speak Mexican tra la.
