GUEST, it was a naive case of "hope springs eternal," I guess. I thought I could lure him into a humorous exchange, and several times I challenged him to get serious, and offered an olive branch. He responded by stripping the leaves off and whipping me with it. It was dumb of me to persist as long as I did, and I feel a bit silly about it now. But this time, it sticks! No response out of me, and I hope everyone else does the same.

I'm looking forward to some good, serious discussion on the "US secularism, religion, and patriotism" thread. Thanks for starting it, and let's keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.

Don Firth