but if I did, I feel no real guilt for it. The offense comes in my mind from pre-conceived notions and a halt to normal conversational analysis. I'm afraid that I've found I'm unable to have a religious conversation with anyone considering themselves a Christian without them finding offense to what I hold true and logical.

I'm slowly developing Richard Dawkin's philosophy that it's not enough to simply sit back silent as the world around you acts insane. If the adherents simply lived their own lives peacefully and stayed out of other people's business I could easily live in a world with rich diversity of thought. However, it seems to be this constant barrage from religious powerhouses to bend public policy away from critical thought and science and into authoritarian and judgmental regimes.

Militant atheism as Dawkins calls it seems to be required for our world to evolve. By militant it doesn't mean guns and bullets but simply standing up firmly and loudly whenever confronted with this style of communication. We non-theists must come out of the closet and show the Christians and the Muslims that we're not playing their game anymore. They had their run, screwed it up, and killed and maimed a whole lot of people in their wake.

I truly know Lindy that there's a lot of good done in the name of religion and were that the only offshoot of those beliefs we could all coexist. Unfortunately though, once thought and science are turned off to support the goofy parts, it gives a foot in the door to the authoritarians to wedge their way in. I just don't see humanity moving ahead until the vast majority of us turn away from the superstitions.

Art