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Tolerance and house hunting

May 25, 2000
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Tolerance and house hunting
My wife and I are looking for a house. Not just any house, but one that will meet our specifications.

It must have a stairwell in close proximity to the door, be u-shaped, located at a T-intersection, have overhead beams and include sharp edges such as star patterns in the flooring or wrought iron railings. The location of the rooms is also important: bathrooms must be in the south and above the front entrance, bedrooms should be in the northwest, master bedroom must be above the garage, stairs should directly face the front door. The tree trunks outside must be facing the front door.

We're also very definite about what we don't want in our house. We don't want any light and airy rooms with good circulation, no trees planted in a row curving around the building and no lots on the inside of a curving street in the immediate vicinity.

Why so specific?

Because we're pretty sure that the ancient Chinese quasi-religious practice of Feng Shui is a myth and are looking to do exactly the opposite of what Feng Shui spiritualists advise. We're also looking for a great discount on a house that will have spooked away adherents of this practice.

It all goes something like this according to Feng Shui practitioners: If the front door is too close to the stairwell energy will escape down the stairway and out the doorway. If the home is U-shaped it will be lacking in heart. Houses located at a T-intersection allow energy flowing down the street to overwhelm a happy home. The sharp edges promote negative energy and the overhead beams provide negative downward pressure and thus must be replaced with arches.

Feng Shui, which means wind and water, teaches that rearranging or adding to an environment allows positive energy to be awakened, reinvigorating a home and its occupants. It's a practice that is gaining adherents, at least here in Southern California, and we couldn't be more thrilled because it may finally mean that we can get the home of our dreams for an affordable price.

Of course odd beliefs are nothing new and it should be noted that in America we are blessed with freedom of religion and quasi-religion. In recent years skepticism toward supernaturalism in general and various religious practices in particular has faded. That is, for the most part, a good thing, but it is being replaced by an even more dangerous response: mindless tolerance.

Tolerance is generally good, of course, but not if it is doled out at the expense of truth, analysis and honest debate. True tolerance should mean that while the views of others are respected and allowed to flourish, they should also occasionally expect to be ridiculed. When it's called for, this idea should be applied equally to all faiths and pseudo-faiths and not just Feng Shui devotees.

Those who in the name of religion refuse blood transfusions, forbid routine medical care, make snake-handling a part of their worship services, refuse to alleviate human suffering which in their view might indicate a bad past life on the part of the afflicted, or retreat from the "secular" culture, all of these deserve some gentle ribbing now and then.

In the Old Testament the Hebrew prophet Elijah challenged the Priests of Baal to see whose God would bother to show up and rain down fire on their sacrifices. When the non-existent Baal predictably never showed up to devour the offering, Elijah pointed out the obvious.

"You'll have to shout louder than that to catch the attention of your god," he taunted. "Perhaps he is talking to someone, or is out sitting on the toilet, or maybe he's away on a trip or is asleep and needs to be awakened."

Elijah's high position as a respected prophet and leader didn't preclude him from pointing out the truth-namely that Baal's followers were allowing theories of who God might be to keep them from the Living God. And he did it all with a sense of humor rarely found among today's televangelists.

While acknowledging their right to believe as they like, a little gentle ribbing may encourage Feng Shui adherents to throw off the oppressive yoke of theories of wind and water and instead seek out the Creator of the Feng and the Shui who is said to bend his ear to hear any prayer -- even ones that have to do with home searches.

But only after we've found ours.

Originally published May 25, 2000.

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