Actually, I seem to remember Harvard or Yale for Robertson. Ivy League, anyway.

Funny thing, this Christianity. It is so diverse in beliefs that it spans everything from Mormon to Catholic, and yet, most in it can't run far or fast enough from the others who claim to be it.

In churches I attended as a youth, there was a fair amount of belief that those of Robertson's ilk were actually .....okay, I'll say it ...influenced by demonic forces. Seems that if you accept the probability of the supernatural, if some folks are doin' something weird that you can't explain, well, you fall to a supernatural explanation. Seemed spooky as a kid. As an adult it seems misguided -- but I'm quick to admit, I could be wrong.

I know Christians who, for the sake of their beliefs, have given up much of this life's comfort. They work as doctors in the third world, they work as literacy teachers in our prisons (my town of 12,000 has a jail that holds 1,000), They prepare taxes for the elderly, they bring meals to shut-ins, they sacrifice their own comfort and share their houses with others who have lost theirs. I know many Christians who would take very seriously the direction of Jesus to turn the other cheek, love their enemy, do good to those who persecute you, carry their luggage the extra mile.

I recently had a friend relate a story to me. In converstion, it had come out that he had done something quite self-sacrificing. Tooting his horn was clearly not his intent in the telling. Interesting, it came out as a natural progression of what we were talking about, but suddenly, my friend became mortified at the lack of humility he showed in the telling. Yes, there are still Christians whom I know well who do not feel that it is right to talk about their "good deeds". First, they consider good deeds to be baseline behavior -- not "above and beyond" -- not something about which to be proud, rather, something to be expected. Second, anyone involved in giving their life away cannot do so while expecting a return on the behavior.

I have struggled with Christians I know who do, like Robertson, seem to have trouble distinguishing their Christian belief from patriotism.

I think that Christianity should most definitely inform my civic participation. It is irresponsible, when faced with the ability to have input in the democratic process of deciding moral issues, to remain uninvolved.

And I see a strong reaction to our country's religious history that has many wishing to disqualify Christians from the public forum, the public debate. I think I understand what motivates it, but I disagree with it as vehemently as I disagree with my brothers who feel as though we can somehow legislate our country to morality.

I was raised around many who believed in a very apocolyptic escatology. I try to be more optimistic, but even I, as mellowed through the years as I might have become from that belief, have to admit that I can see the day coming when there will be a gleeful attempt to exterminate Christians.

For nearly 20 years I had come to doubt that. Then I got a computer and started reading on forums like this. It was really eye-opening to see the unmitigated hatred for Christianity. Even if I have to admit that, Christianity taken as discussed here -- that indiscriminately includes Robertson with any other Christian -- has brought much of the hatred upon itself, I couldn't bring myself to believe in a world ever accepting of a 1930's scenario again. I just couldn't make myself believe that. I can now. I hope I'm wrong.

When Deckman refers to the Christians as a "dangerous lot" we all know he's not including Joe Offer, right? ......and he's just kidding, right?