Oops. Left out 1. a disclaimer that I have not carefully read the thread, but have skimmed it, noticing when it approaches the "brink" of not listening to each other, only to observe people pull back, and 2. based on that skimming, the observation that this thread, while lengthy, is remarkable in the over-all acceptance and civility of the discussion. Perhaps because it does not too much delve into the religious belief systems of individual posters.