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Hello to all of you in this forum, The first thing I want to do is to plug my online book [deleted -disallowed] Here’s the abstract we used. In his new online book, Scott Vigil delves into the minds of two public speakers on Intelligent Design as he challenges them to defend their theory and to address the evidence for Evolution. One of the first things I did when I had completed the book was send it to my friends who are my most vociferous critics (those who still talk to me). I asked them to show me any place where I am factually incorrect in any of my statements. Anyone here who can help me do that is welcome to provide me feedback here or to my email. I read the rules section for this site. One of the rules was not to complain about the rules. So, I won't do that. One of the first things I saw that was interesting, however, was the admonition to not become an Evo-Babble Percher. A whole page was dedicated to that. It seemed a little prejudicial to gear this toward the non-creationists and not have a similar page geared toward the creationist. Early in the page on Evo-Babble Perchers was a warning to those "trained" on the Talk.Origins page. So, I had to jump over there to see what those folks were about. And I immediately went to their rules. Now I went to church for over twenty-five years. Church folks don't want to be around mean people cause they are demon possessed and so they stay away from them. So, I understand why your site edits "people". I get that. The special section in Talk.Origins for the creationists doesn't threaten to kick them off the page. Guidance there was geared more toward helping these people to not be flamed by the nasty individuals on the site (chuckling). I got flamed once for advertising a job on a news group that said not to do that. I understand, you don't want to get flamed! :^) Another rule I saw was no "Elephant Hurling". Now, when I was corresponding with Casey Luskin of the Discovery Institute in Seattle, I knew there was something wrong with him pushing reams of uninteresting references at me. But I didn't have a name for it. Now I do. I did include his hurling elephants in my book, as I wanted to faithfully represent our conversation. But, I didn't appreciate it. So yeah, that's a good one. Probably many of the rules in the Evo-babble Percher page can be applied to everyone. So, I recommend those that apply equally be placed in the general rules section. I would also add a list of the logical fallacies or at least a good link to the rules. 'not as rules per se, but certainly as an acknowledgement of general argumentative techniques that are commonly recognized to result in misleading or skewed results. This looked pretty good. ('nice little editer you have on this site, btw.) On registration, this site pushed me into a box where I had to say, "I am an atheist and I am not affiliated". 'not to complain, but I don't define myself as an atheist. I kinda' like Sam Harris' take that we not be defined by what we don't believe. Otherwise, we all have to go around saying we are atheists toward the tooth fairy, hob gobblins, Zeus, Thor and Athena. I prefer to define myself as a rationalist, an empericist, a scientist, a naturalist or something along those lines. We've embraced the term, "non-practicing Jew". To a large degree, I'm a "non-practicing Christian". I went to church off and on as a child, was born again and then later recommited and baptized. I went to church for twenty-five years as an adult and raised two children as Christians. So, the stamp the registration process has placed on me is unfair and inadequate. It seems that to lose one's belief is to simultaneously become ostracized by the church. It's like quitting Amway. You lose most of your friends in a heartbeat. Who wants to be with a loser who couldn't make it in Amway? The fact is, I still thank God for my sweetheart, the beautiful day and for our meal. It just so happens I no longer believe anyone is on the other end to receive my thanks. I'm with Daniel Dennet. I WISH there was someone to thank :^) I recall in a counseling session at my church with my wife and my daughter, I think it was my daughter who complained, "He's always bringing up evolution!" And the church counselor mocks me... right in front of my wife and my daughter... "Oh, so you think you came from monkeys?" I wish I had thought of this answer. "Let's do a thought experiment. Take Scott to one of those old Dutch windmills where they grind up wheat. Let's grind up Scott instead. What are we going to get? We're going to grit and slime. That's where I came from. I came from the slime." Many of us if the truth be told, are arrogant. We want to believe that somebody made the universe just for us, that we are immortal and that we are magic. I have come to accept none of those things. As more and more discoveries are made, and our universe becomes bigger and bigger, (oops, it looks like there are an infinite number of universes now that the Higgs Bozon has been discovered), I just keep getting smaller and smaller and less significant. So, I'll be like the bird in the tree. I won't worry. I'll dance my Tango and still have joy. And if I came from the slime, then that's pretty good slime! If any of you are interested, click here for Pics. Truth to you all, Scott