I used to think highly of your bloggings but now I’m forced to think less. You seem to radiate a sense that as long as you’re highly intelligent and free of bigotry–as you clearly are–you’re also free of normal obligations to avoid sloppiness and carelessness.

I don’t claim to speak for other members of your Christian readership. That in fact is the main point of the prior comment! But I wouldn’t be surprised if many agreed with the following.

You carelessly write that “the Christian Right should be the most tolerant folks around, and yet they are the epitome of “my way or the highway”.

Really? Is this true? Holding people who set a higher standard of tolerance for themselves to that standard is fair. We make it part of our operating creed, and should do what we preach or be rightfully called hypocrites. But the “EPITOME”, really? The “very pinnacle” of overall systematic failure to exhibit tolerance?

Not even AVERAGE in our intolerance? Like all their extra commitment to a gospel of tolerance is beyond pointless, and actually nets out strongly negative?

Sometimes a necessary adherence to key dogmas, as part of our operating creed, makes us inflexible in a few areas, a few key areas that rub you the wrong way. Sorry. It’s been happening for 2000 years so don’t take it personally.

Then you go on to write, “If you’re a Bible believer, we’re all sinners, we’re all imperfect, and the candidates…”

What the heck is a “Bible believer”? What does that mean? Someone who takes every word of the Bible literally? A strict fundamentalist who never heard of the terms “parable” or “allegory” and believes Creation happened in 4004BC? Or someone who believes the Bible contains Divine wisdom and guidance strewn about its pages?

And wouldn’t many atheist psychologists also make the claim that we’re all sinners and imperfect?

Then you make no link whatsoever to why the next focus of your attention is Dr. James Dobson. None whatsoever.

Thus, after two fuzzy, and faintly menacing slanderous insinuations about this ‘bloc’ of souls, you then jump, completely and with no visible connection whatever–except in your head–to a critique of a popular and beloved Christian moral Teacher and storyteller, and imply that his political babblings somehow represent the political philosophy of some vast “union” of fuzzy Bible believers who are off the charts in their intolerance.

Only the Catholic Church has a Pope. The Archbishop of Canterbury doesn’t even speak for all Anglicans. Please give the slightest hint WHERE you get the notion that Dr. Dobson speaks for anyone but himself, and then people listen.

I described his political thoughts above as “babble” because that is my personal view of them. Otherwise I happen to think he’s the cat’s meow. I don’t agree with his politics. I feel the same way about Kobe Bryant. Both in no way speak for me, and yet I feel myself a righteous Christian, and a Lakers fan.

Loose cannons on wooden sailing ships were a disaster to body parts and wooden structures. The yell of “LOOSE CANNON” was more dreaded than that of “man overboard”.

Keep that in mind. It did its harm to its own vessel– not to the military adversary.

I believe you owe a penance and an apology to your Christian readership, lest they too turn away in disappointment.

Except you’re wrong about the Christian Right. Or rather, taking a 2-Dimensional view, and painting a diverse group with a very broad brush.

Otherwise, pitching nothing but hard-breaking strikes!

Bulyaksun