APR 17, 2000 - OCRT is an acronmym for an idea whose time has more than come. It's the Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance, a multi-faith group whose motto is "promoting religious tolerance as a human right." Astrology - and so much else - so often being a target for sectarian bigots of one stripe or another, it's high time there was a website devoted to defusing religious dogma. Not that the chief offenders would learn or benefit from such a noble online effort, mind you: nothing's so tightly shut as the mind of a religious bigot. Speaking of religious bigotry, OCRT takes some pains to explain that they're not affiliated with the Foundation for Religious Tolerance (which apparently has some connection with the Church of Scientology's fight against the German government's attempt to suppress Scientology there). Being fairly Taoist myself, I have no use for proselytizers of any flavor, since I'm given to understand that whoever's got a really good religion will keep his or her mouth shut about it. From where I sit, the difference between a cult and a religion is pretty much a coin toss by an agent for the BATF or FBI on any given day . . . which might be significant for an astrologer or two at some point in the future, since astrology is so often (incorrectly) defined in religious terms. Note, for example, the many connections to Wicca that come up when you do a search on astrology at OCRT. What a pity, that astrology should be tarred with the religious brush. What the hell, you can always ease the insult with a rib-tickling preview of the end of the world . . .
Technical note: Web Site Garage rates OCRT fair over-all, poor in load time (43.06 seconds on a 28.8k modem). In comparison, the page you're now reading rates excellent in both categories, loading in 9.47 seconds at 28.8k.
