Hi Yyvonne, I dont think I do recognise those emotions in my self

Which is not to say they might not be there perhaps. (The old quartet of my mind that I dont see but others do bit)

No battling at home, the kids are wonderful even after a weeks holidays, we have some nephews and nieces staying over who are having fun outside pretending they are soccer heros.

I enjoy exchanging views with people more than my wife, she really enjoys having people over and talking family stuff. I enjoy bouncing ideas more which is why I think that I'm here.

My work is to evangelise the merits of "the engineering method" at secondary school levels and to teach it at tertiary level.

This is simply stated as "design a product, analyse the product, improve the product, test the product (and repeat the previous processes) then produce the product."

So?

I like the analysis and checking of theories because I know it works. Scientists have to be ruthless with their pet theories, slaying them if they fail to perform. In this way has our technology evolved into more powerful forms.

Engineering students are schooled in this darwinian method of improving their knowledge and yet there are people out there who are preaching an exact opposite way of finding truth.

THAT causes me frustration, and a desire to know why people would do such a thing. Knowing why improves my ability to understand why my students would do such a thing. They might not be superstitious, but there might be other impediments to their learning going on in their heads.

The discipline of engineering technology tends to enforce a compartmentalisation of emotions, they are useful for motivation, but are counter productive for conclusions. Its the evidence and nothing else. This is the opposite of religious methods of finding truth where it is the emotions that lead, and the logic that must be set aside. I'm yet to see any reason to encourage this. But many do.

So, I'm not frustrated in the way I'm heading, I think it is the most likely way to any universal truth that might be out there. I suspect people turn to religious methods out of frustration when all else fails. They take a long shot with immediate emotional rewards, but lose track and interest in real world improvements (never mind, other people can bring you those benefits), but they need to really believe in those imaginary improvements lest they disappear in the light of any analysis.

I suspect Jesus has many good suggestions on how to live ones life, even atheists can bank on, but its not because Jesus is magical, its because a lot of people over a lot of years have added their wisdom to the story which is for the most part a personal "how to deal with others" story.