This derives from the prior statement widely attributed to Jean Meslier: "I would like — and this would be the last and most ardent of my wishes — I would like the last of the kings to be strangled by the guts of the last priest". It is often claimed the passage appears in Meslier's Testament (1725) but it only appears in abstracts of the work written by others.

Man was born to live with his fellow human beings. Separate him, isolate him, his character will go bad, a thousand ridiculous affects will invade his heart, extravagant thoughts will germinate in his brain, like thorns in an uncultivated land.

My problem with religion isn't that people believe in what can't be proved, it's that they believe the world must be ordered according to their beliefs. I don't even mind people speaking to me about their religious beliefs periodically because I find people them interesting in a way. But that there can be no compromise with believers is a truism in most respects. Of course believers can learn to live with whatever legislative defeats they suffer without any consequences (other than "oh my god somebody somewhere in the universe is living a life inconsistent with my understanding of god's will so the earth must be coming to an end, emotional responses) because in a secular state, for the most part, they can still have their cake and eat it to (i.e. live their lives as they choose and enjoy all the benefits of a secular government with a few added bonuses too) so long as they don't violate the criminal law.

The same cannot be said of GLBT citizens. Legislative defeats have a real world effect on their daily lives, property, and life choices. So I'm a little confused as to how the genius tactician PE Obama expects to do what he claims he will do by buddying with people like Warren. Does he actually believe Warren will sit on the sidelines if/when PE Obama tries to tackle DOMA or DADT. Get serious. I'm not a member of the GLBT community but I believe to my core that this is a civil rights issue in a secular society and although the AA community sees it as a slight to make a comparison to their historical struggles, this is the modern more invidious but equivalent form of discrimination that has taken root in America--the "it's okay to deny people equal rights and treat them as second class citizens so long as we don't use derogatory terms when speaking about them, we socialize with a few, and we don't actively hamper them economically or deny them housing, but god forbid don't let my son or daughter become one and marry one." Anti-misegenation mindset all over again and the laws to back it up.

Interesting how badly evangelicals of most stripes misunderstand Jesus' message. "Compromising" (i.e. kowtowing to the religious right on everything for 35 years) will not work. The poorer impulses of religious communities need to be marginalized not enabled and legitimized in a secular society. They need to be reconditioned politically to understand that they can prostelytize from the street corner or public square but they can't be politically active from the pulpit or they lose their tax exempt status.

Every time there is a reference in the public arena to one set of religious beliefs there should be reference to all including those who have none. Until we engage in rhetoric that treats my non-belief with the same level of legitimacy as their beliefs, we're going to have problems in this country. Until the right comes to understand Jesus' true message of tolerance and peace, and so long as they are allowed to insulate their beliefs from secular consequences, "a thousand ridiculous affects will invade [their] hearts."

Funny how those with the strongest faith in the Lord are so frightened of anything that contradicts their narrow interpretation of god's will. I always wonder how they could be so arrogant as to think they could ever devine god's will particulary when god created all things, humans specifically, in his image. Either the GLBT community was created in god's perfect image along with everyone else, or it was a mistake, in which case god is not infallible and the belief system comes unraveled. Then again there is a long history of slavery of one type or another in the bible so I'm not real shocked how easy it is for believers to marginalize others. I seriously doubt that if there is a god he/she/it is pleased with his followers.