Basically, yeah. It's simply accepting the dogma and tenets of whatever religion you are, without question.

I'm not criticizing having an unexamined faith, just to be clear. It's obviously the right answer for a great many people. It's when I'm told that by examining my own faith and trying to define my moral values myself, rather than letting someone else dictate them, I'm a sinner or whatever...yeah, that's when I get cranky. (See also the Creationism vs. Evolution stuff).

Of course, I'm also not a big fan of those who believe that we are primarily mental beings and, that our mental powers are our sole value.

Small sample size v. total male population? Matter of personal taste?

Guys who use escort services not necessarily representative of the male population as a whole?

Maybe I've been spending too much time here... I just read a SciFi Channel ad for their premier of The Forsaken, and I read it as The Foreskin.

From the people who brought you MANSQUITO...

Oy. I need an ass kicking. I only have one paragraph of my second paper written. It's too much fun hanging out here instead!

I guess your second paper isn't on circumcision, pros and cons?

Get cracking VW, we're all counting on you!

Unfortunately not. It's on the differences between online and deaf discourses. Fascinating stuff, don't you think?

(stern look, points at word processing program)

vw, go right your paper RIGHT THIS INSTANT YOUNG LADY!!!

I'm so sorry, Nora. I didn't mean to impugn the numminess of Tom or your good taste in finding him utterly lovable and desirable (or anyone finding any uncut Buffista man utterly lovable and desirable, because they all are).

I chose my words incredibly poorly, and probably also clumsily misrepresented my friend's thoughts. I'm pretty certain she's had both great, fun frivolous sex and extremely unfrivolous, loving lovemaking with cut and uncut men; her decision to circumcise her son was based on the way one aesthetic and hygeinic element of the whole complicated package of gender and sexuality pinged her. All else being equal, she made that decision for her son, but she wouldn't withhold her own self, her love or her body from any man on the basis of that one element.

I'm really, really sorry. I feel terrible for having said all this in a way that made you feel defensive and angry and protective about your love for Tom. That was a shitty, un-friendful thing to do. I'll go back and delete everything if you want -- just say the word.

Get cracking VW, we're all counting on you!

Someone has to get something done today. It's clearly not going to be me, so I nominate vw.