I just sat across the dinner table from a good friend as we discussed this very topic -- faith.

He a Buddhist and I a Christian, yet we came to similar conclusions regarding faith in the modern, western world.

First, we both saw faith being sold at a discount. What a singular time to live in when so many believe that they don't live by faith -- so strong is the misunderstanding of, yet pervasive influence of science.

It's as though faith is the safety net of last resort. We arrogantly believe it unnecessary......and even when accepted as a part of our lives, tend to catagorize the types of faith into those we find tenable, and those that are the domain of the wacko (though we will graciously allow as how some of the wackos are nice enough. Maybe even "quaint").

We even think that we can divide our society into those who have faith and those that do not -- so that, if your faith is what informs your political POV, it is illegitimate (and the converse arrogance that "I" have a right to express myself politicially because {B}MY{/B} veiw is "rational" ......... {read: rational only}).

That means that the default setting for public conscience is set by those who beleive themselves faithless.

And then "they" throw the faithful a bone -- that is, they "don't mind us" as long as we understand that this silly little affectation of faith upon which we insist is OK as long as we *wink, wink* understand that it really isn't "real".

Seems to me that there's a real big misunderstanding right now in the minds of modern man -- that "empirical" and "real" are synonymous. They aren't.