than having none at all. One seldom hears the entropically futile, "We are helpless and hopeless and doomed to a pointless existence by indifferent fate" or even the more prosaic, "We don't know what we're doing". If and when such answers are offered, those accepting them are not much inspired nor well disposed to pass them on. On the contrary, most contrived answers tend to be self-serving and are designed to promote beliefs in both the supernatural and the people who provide the answers.

The role of "Answer man" is played by the "Priest"—a religious or secular expert who serves as an intermediary between the public and the supernatural spirits or superhuman institutions in which the people believe. The priest is really sort of a public relations specialist for the Almighty or the mere mighty. His job is to pass off reality in the best possible light and gloss over minor disasters, plagues, wars, etc. As everyone already knows, truly evil events are attributed to other powers which serve as foibles for the priests and those they represent.

Worse yet, priests are responsible for perverting noble ideals into ignoble means by the very human device of "Interpretation". This is the method by which a code of beliefs is adapted to the real needs and circumstances of society. Interpretation permits faith to continue, although necessity clearly demands that behavior contradict ideals. For example, American ideals have twice been trampled by "Real" Americans indulging in witch hunts for Communist heretics during the post-World War Red Scares. In a similar vein real Christians are supposed to love their fellow man, but "Man" is interpreted to mean "People like us" when intergroup conflicts arise.

It is sad indeed to note that the teachings of great religious leaders have so often been interpreted to justify some of the most barbaric, "Inhuman" attitudes and acts in history. An example of such a degraded ideal was provided by the Crusaders, who slaughtered infidels (and often the devout as well) in the name if not the spirit of Christ. It really is some kind of perverse miracle that the image of peace, purity and principle personified by Jesus could foster such fanaticism in his followers that his commandment to live in love could be so lost on the faithful.

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