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<DIV>In a message dated 05/06/04 05:22:40 AM Eastern Daylight Time, ed_maddenaLINEONE.NET writes:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT face=Arial>As the issuing authority, I think that the Catholic Church has every right<BR>to set the terms and conditions under which it hands out its Compostela.</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#0080c0>I never said that the Church did not have the right to do this. It has the right to do whatever it wants and to set whatever conditions it chooses to issue the Compostela. However, don't you think it would be more enlightened to be less narrowminded than to require people to profess a religious reason?</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
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<DIV>I think it is very proper that the Church does inquire as to the motives of those<BR>requesting its document so as not to devalue or subvert the reasons for its<BR>award.</DIV>
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<DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#0080c0>What if the motives are more personal than religious? How does this devalue or subvert? One of the problems I have with ANY organized religion, not just the Church, is attempts at thought control like this. What difference does a person's motive for walking the Camino really amount to? You can say that appreciation of history and culture or the wonders of the creation of the natural beauty of Spain are equally valid motives, but I doubt whether the Church would agree. Howard Mendes, NYC</FONT></STRONG><BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>