charles moyer <[log in to unmask]>  wrote:

>So Christian ritual is rooted in pagan mythology and Confucianism is rooted
>in Chinese poetic and metaphysical tradition. What is particularly bad or
>undemocratic in this?

It is extremely undemocratic!!!  Perhaps, if we are looking at the larger
picture we should say, Western  religious tradition is rooted in pagan
mythology and in Judeo-Christian beliefs.  Western Political tradition is
rooted in Athenian democracy and the Roman Republic.

Chinese Religio-philosophical tradition is rooted in ancient Chinese
mythologies, the I Ching, Taoism, Confucianism, Legalism, and Buddhism.

>Once again I quote Pound from "Kulchur" , "That one's
>roots are not a disease but parts of a vital orgainism is worth feeling"

But this is precisely Pound's problem.  He feels that the some the most
important roots of Western tradition are diseases.  So he lops off the
Judeo-Christian tradition, almost wholesale; and denigrates Greco-Roman
acheivements in designing representative governments.  (See Guide to Kulchur
again).

What he does to Chinese tradition is worse.  Most Chinese see tradition as a
triad:  Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism are the three largest essential
elements.  Pound lops two legs off the stool , and causes it to fall over.

THE ROOTS ARE NOT A DISEASE.  Then why not nourish them all?  Pound the
totalitarian has to uproot all the elements which are compatible with, or
which could nourish democracy.

Regards,

Wei

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