Out Damned Spot
Being an unrepentant pagan I found this New Scientist article most amusing. Pagans (along with other spiritual paths) have long used water as a purifying element. Ritual baths are often used as a- excuse the wording - grounding technique the object of which is to wash away the influences of the outside world and to center oneself on one’s “quest”. Water, and in particular running water, is very invigorating and calming at the same time. It is this feature of water that has caused almost every culture to deify itnor ascribe to it some healing and spirtual properties. Of course people who “feel dirty” due to their “sins” are going to wash themselves. There are thousands of years of conditioning to do so and it really does make you feel better 
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Comment from Stu Savory
Time: 9/7/2006, 9:06 pm
Pontius Pilot (sp?) too.