To Lorna Ducek and Charles McVety: When you write that you evangelicals just want to participate in democracy, i.e., shape policy, you are being clever: Isn't one of evangelicals' values that there can be no other beliefs but their own, no other interpretations they approve?
Participating in a democracy requires coming to consensus based on reason and guided by humility, influenced by our respective beliefs and shared experiences but never dominated by any of them. Does your god teach humility? Does he teach that even you can misunderstand? Accept that you can be wrong? Respect others' right to act differently from you?
What if the other perspective knew better? You'd have to talk it out. You might not be right about everything, or many things. Would your god compromise? Is he a democrat?
Oh—and, if your religous beliefs are strong enough, why do you have to convince others to share them?
To Peter MacKay: Yes we get it. Calling Belinda a dog was a joke de har har. Don't jokes depend on their honesty though? You do think women are dogs, well at least one woman.
It's a pity you'd be hotter if you shut up more.
