But clearly religion doesn't explain the human experience.

We are a backwater solar system in a backwater galaxy in the universe. We will live and die and burn up in seven billion years without having the benefit of interacting with our intergalactic neighbors. It's sad but true.

The only thing we can hold on is to treat our children with love and respect. I don't know if it matters in the long term, but it matters to me.

So that's what I do.

"The fact that he might not have complied with rules that we despised and opposed is supposed to affect us how?"

It will only affect you if the rest of us can catch you and put you in prison for your crimal acts, since people who operate without ethics aren't normally affected in other ways.

You mean "lies".

From CBSNews.com:

The Washington Post quoted longtime aide John Weaver, who split with McCain last year, as saying he met with lobbyist Iseman and urged her to steer clear of McCain

"I never discussed it with John Weaver. As far as I know, there was no necessity for it," McCain said. "I don't know anything about it," he added. "John Weaver is a friend of mine. He remains a friend of mine. But I certainly didn't know anything of that nature."

"As far as I know there was no necessity for it"? Weaver is still a "friend" after spreading a vicious slander during the most important race of McCain's life?

Here's the real NY Times story: McCain is an incredible liar.

Haven't we had enough of these dishonest people by now? Finally?

That those who vehemently proclaim "freedom isn't free" and "if you cherish your freedom, thank a soldier" are the first to tell other people to STFU if they don't like what is being expressed.

I wonder what the Marine Corps thinks about this? Are their panties in bunch over this as well?

Goodness, a city council passes a resolution and Senator DeMint and the entire Marine Corps collectively clutches it's pearls. I think this reaction might shine some light on the reasons for our failures in Iraq, eh?

Wherever Chesty is, if he actually ever cried it would probably be bitter tears of shame.

I'm not particularly an Obama supporter.

Here was the order for me (when choice was an option):

Dodd

Kuchinch

Edwards

Obama

Clinton

Clinton took her name off that list when she showed her complete and total lack of principle by refusing to take a stand on telecom immunity. That leaves Obama by default.

So don't get all pissy at me because you rabid partisans have limited my choices to twiddle-dee or twiddle-dum.

When my stepson was a senior in a public high school (four years ago) they had a mandatory assembly where the military came in and made their case for God and country and war and destruction. The only way my son could opt-out of the sales pitch was by written request from me or his mother. A bit heavy handed if you ask me, but it seemed to work out well for them in the end - he left for his second tour of Iraq last Sunday.

I realize the Marine Corps has always been volunteer but instead of whining and threatening when they don't get what they want (does that work on the battlefield?) perhaps the military and their ardent supporters should reinstate the draft. That seems a more honorable and straightforward means to the end. Or maybe that's not what they're looking for here?

Her failure to vote on telecom immunity is an act without conscience.

The Dems had better make Obama their candidate because I've never voted for a Republican in my life and I'll never vote for Hillary Clinton either.

I voted for Hillary? Wow, and I thought I marked the bubble next to Obama's name.

Seeing as Hillary only has a 9% lead over Obama in number of delegates and has just 44% of the total needed to win compared to Obama's 40% I'd say it's pretty much still up in the air.

Maybe we should all just calm down a little.

Don't they?

If there was no LDS church and Joseph Smith came to town today with the same story you believe with your all heart and soul you'd laugh at him because it's so ridiculous.

The beauty of Mormonism (to me anyway) is that it's origins are so recent and so documented that you can't help but see what a fraud it is. An exceptional book on the LDS church is "Under The Banner Of Heaven" by John Krakauer, who started out to write a book about the abuses of polygamy and ended up with an indictment of the church in general. I challenge any open-minded person to read the book and dispute that the Mormon church is anything but a wealth cult, an Amway with Jesus if you will.

Whether you or other members sit around discussing if you are Christians or not isn't the point. Most mainstream Protestants and Catholics do exactly that (they do it with everyone BTW) and I can say most of them agree the LDS church is a form of cult - and they don't like it even a little bit. The evangelicals I know would no more vote for Mitt Romney than they would for L. Ron Hubbard.

Keep your chin up though, because as with all other religions and "spiritual" beliefs given enough time the Mormon Church will shed enough of the core principles so that it will fit into the mainstream secular world. It happened with polygamy and with the church's racist teachings so it seems the church is quite adept at jettisoning inconvenient God-given dogma when it suits their purposes.