I think I have really said all that in necessary to clarify my position....but on re-reading, I was struck by this comment by Little Hawk:

"Good stuff, Bill. What you are, in my opinion, is a freethinker."

It comes across as a sort of compliment from one whose views differ quite a bit from my own, and I wonder what it actually means? Care to elaborate, L.H.?

I called myself a 'skeptic', and am not sure what the difference is between that and 'freethinker'. I actually feel that some of my thinking is not totally free, as I feel obligated to follow various rules of logic, science and linguistic coherence when chewing on an issue.