You're right, ellenpoly: I did start the thread just to encourage people to express what they believe in. And for awhile it went that way. It's not important that I believe the same thing, and I don't have any desire to belittle what others believe. But then, sometimes you learn more about people by what they don't believe, or are even judgmental about.

That said, I've enjoyed this thread, and in a way, I think I have succeeded in doing what I started out to do. I laugh at the thread on secularity and religion because Guest is so intent on superimposing his/her agenda on the topic that they spend half their time trying to stop people from discussing words that THEY use. This IS Mudcat, and once you start a thread, you let go of it. I haven't tried to steer this thread, or do anything to control it. It's gone where people want it to go. At this point, it's probably lived it's life and most of us have said what we had to say. My only desire would have been that more people had expressed what they believe and spend less time trying to dismiss what others believe.

Now, if I started a thread titled. "Everyone else is Full Of It," I could probably beat the dumbest thread ever, or whatever the title is.

Don't get me wrong. I like Mudcat, and instead of being bothered by thread creep, I welcome it. Every once in awhile, someone will bring it back on topic, but even if they don't that's alright. Threads have a natural life span. When they start to go off on a tangent and become a conversation between three or four people, then they've probably served their original purpose.

And that's alright too.

'Smatter of fact, life is pretty darned alright, as far as I'm concerned.

And I thank EVERYONE who has contributed to this thread in whatever way they felt inclined.

Jerry