If you don't believe that evolution has as much scientific weight as the laws of gravity

Where did I say that?

Scientists prove empirical experiments every day.

Scientists don't generally talk in terms of "proof" in my experience. It's the admirers of science who use such terms.

These are not mathematical constructs.

I know that. In fact I drew a pretty thick line between mathematics and physical science.

Here, we quibble about semantics.

Probably so. Although I think if we're going to talk about science, it's probably a good idea to use the terms correctly, inasmuch as we can. It's a mangling of terms to call something as huge and complex as evolution a "fact". Not because its various claims about the world are not true or well-established. But because that's not how "fact" is used. It's an artifact of the war between the creationists and the rest of us. Why should we mangle terms just because they do?

Evolution is a theory. There's nothing wrong with that, and just because some creationists don't know what "theory" means and think it means it's unverified and tenuous, doesn't mean we have to join them, and jettison the word. The theory of evolution is about as well-established as anything in the biological sciences is or can be. The mountain of evidence supporting the main tenets of the theory is ginormous, and comes from oodles of different disciplines including genetics, paleontology, botany, zoology, etc. etc. etc. So by saying evolution isn't a "fact" I'm not trying to put it into disrepute or say that I don't believe it's firmly established. It's just a note about the meaning of the word "fact".

Getting back to Steve as promised:

"As for your prayer thing, that's just silly. Do you want us to say, "Our Father who may or may not be in heaven"?

Why yes, I would much prefer it if you did, actually. Not in private, which is absolutely none of my business, but when praying in public where you may be heard by people not of your convictions or when you're getting your kids to parrot your prayers full of certainties.

Here again we are back to "certainty". I do not think that word means what you think it means. Either that or you just don't know much about Christians.

Do you tell your wife you may or may not love her? Or your kid that you may or may not pick them up after school? We humans just don't live that way. We stand on what we believe and aren't constantly having to re-test it or to remind ourselves or others that we realize we could come to change our minds some day. It's just not how people work.

You know how it is. Get impressionable people to say the same thing over and over again a thousand times and they'll end up thinking it's true. It's certainly less hassle to get them to believe something that way than to equip them to ask critical questions in an unfearful way.

Who says I don't do both? You make a lot of presumptions about how I live my life and raise my kids. My wife and I were always quite clear with our kids (in age-appropriate ways; some things a 2-year old just isn't going to grasp) that other people think differently, have different religions or no religion at all, and presented them our reasons for believing what we did. As they grew older we let them know that ultimately what they believe about such things is going to be down to their decision(s). I know we're not the only Christian parents who do this.

I think you, and a lot of people like you, see the fundy evos (especially the creationist ones) on TV and think that they represent all of Christianity (which they sometimes claim to do, the blackguards).

It is not harmless to indoctrinate children with spurious certainties (whilst at the same time strongly discouraging them from asking questions or leaving the flock). I think we used to call it brainwashing.

Back when we didn't know what "brainwashing" meant. Look, we don't think they're spurious, even if we realize they're not certainties in the way YOU use the term. Like I said, we act on what we believe is true. So do you. Don't come across all high-minded like you constantly live your life as if you don't believe anything is true. As for kids being locked into the church because of the brainwashing, time to learn something about the real world, friend. Kids are constantly rejecting their parents' religion. The "brainwashing" (improperly so called) just isn't as effective as you fondly imagine it to be. We teach our kids what we believe. So do you. You don't happen to believe some of what we believe. The reverse is probably also true (I am not, for instance, wedded to the philosophical idea of science being able to describe and catalog all of human experience, as you seem to be (I'm willing to admit I'm wrong on this, but that's how it looks from here)).