Many years ago, I had an aunt die at what now seems fairly young, 55, of hepatitis. I was looking after her Jack Russell's and the one puppy left in the litter, that I'd named after her, I found in the swimming pool, a couple days after she died and my sense was that she came back for her. Having had more than enough off the wall experiences in my life, I see it as more likely than not.

The problem with our concept of god, is that a spiritual absolute would necessarily be the essence of sentience, from which we rise, not an ideal of wisdom and judgement, from which we fell. More the light shining through the film, than the images on it.

Ideals are not absolute and assuming them as such, has only created a seriously conflicted culture.

The fact is that democracy and republicanism originated in pantheistic cultures. The many as one.

To the Ancients, monotheism equated with monoculture. One people, one rule, one god.

The Romans adopted a monotheistic sect as their state religion, as the Empire solidified and remnants of the Republic had faded. Basically validating rule from above. Divine right of kings.

When the West went back to more populist forms of government, it required the separation of church and state, culture and civics.

The reason nature is so diverse and integrated, is because everything doesn't all march to the beat of the same drummer. It's multicultural.

The price we pay to feel, is that a lot of it is pain.