Regarding this "Amen, sister". It's interesting, I have a southern Ohio Christian fundamentalist cousin (she and her husband are leaders ofCampus Crusaders for Christ) , and I always want to talk to her about what we both care about. I think we have so many similarities, yet so many deep differences. I often think that the way "liberals" get vilified is so unfair, and that actually my values, morals etc., of love, unselfishness, really overlap hers so much. The thing is, I'm an athiest, (or a "bright", to try to sound a little more positive) and an accepter of the truth of evolution. (Whereas her husband spent the Thanksgiving blessing talking about how evolution "just doesn't make sense".) So I dont' know how she'd make sense of my sharing some of her values, without sharing her Lord. In fact, I think that a bedrock of her faith is that I can't. Which again just seems so unfair, and so untrue!

But, although she talks about her views all the time- in fact makes her career of it, I am still closeted in the family for being an atheist. Mainly, I don't want to make people feel bad, because I know there is a lot of emotional comfort in faith. But it's sad, because I think that comfort leads to lots of ultimate misery.


You know, I wondered if you were going to put down the NY Times. It's just my local newspaper, you know. I actually also enjoy USA Today, but NY Times my city newspaper. It's far from perfect, but at least they have a Science section! That ain't nothing! I mean, the Macon Telegraph and News, the paper I grew up reading in Georgia, had nothing of the sort! Really, I think Science News is fascinating and entertaining, and... important! I think this is something to be applauded! I mean, do you think Saudi Arabia Times has a Science Section?!