[graciegirl]

Tal, I am sorry you are so upset and I am sorry that you can't see what is clear to me and many others.

I am a person who does not attend church on Sunday. I was born a Lutheran, became a Catholic in a personal journey at 18 when many young people question the existence of God.

I married a Catholic and have always felt a great affinity for the church but like many,have not agreed with birth control, and other tenets.

I am not in sync with very conservative or liberal Christians. I have lived as a child in communities with many Jews and Christians and for the last 20 years before moving here in a diverse community with many Muslims. We had a large and beautiful mosque in our suburb of Cincinnati. I have been there for discussion groups with a Catholic woman's group.

Our Meijer's store looked like a foreign country at times. I never had a negative interaction with anyone in my life because of their faith. No argument with neighbors or children or anyone because I just do not care what others believe as long as it isn't harming others.

I was terribly changed by 911 and by the Boston Bombings.

I am afraid of domestic terrorists who are extreme Muslims, far more than any other kind of faith. In today's world it seems to me that organized large groups of people who are religious do not commit suicide to kill others with whom they don't agree except for extreme Muslims.

I do not agree with the suppression of woman by any means and I am not a libber. I know that conservative Christians feel that the man is the head of the home but that isn't what I mean. I do not agree with stoning a woman because of infidelity, and I CERTAINLY do not think homosexual people should be killed.

I don't see why both sexes don't attend the Mosque to pray and HATE that millions and millions of Muslim women have had clitorectomies so that they can not have sexual pleasure. I know this because my next door neighbor in Cincinnati, a female physician born in India accompanied a team from Harvard to investigate this in Egypt.

I hate hatred for no good reason and disdain fear for no good reason and I don't like that even some of my good friends here on this forum think I am a bit of a fear monger.

And Tal I hope you know that I have always respected your intellect and your ideas and you.

I just think that I have a justifiable reason to be afraid and I am very grateful that you published the message from the Canadian Imam association. It makes me feel a little better.

But, I am still afraid.