You said: But I also know some “fundamentalists” who are the most loving, compassionate people I know.

I also know atheists who are exceptionally loving and compassionate. To me that's not a reason for "fundamentalism" to be okay. Of course there's going to be great and wonderful people in the fundamentalist camp.

Here's my deal (having grown up in quasi-fundamentalist churches (we more just flirted with the idea). If we look at Jesus and who he was and what he did and then translate it current times, what would Jesus do, where would he hang out and what would he say? I think he'd hang out in the gay bar, I think he'd ride along with the bikers, and go to all the other places a fundamentalist would frown upon. He'd hang out with the down and out and they'd like him becasue he was loving. Most fundamentalist wouldn't associate with these people or go to these places and if they did, these people probably wouldn't relate becasue fundamentalist can't very well relate to the down and out or vice versa. I know I've just generalized and stereotyped an entire segment/population, but there's certainly truth in there from what I know and have experienced.

That's it. Even, great review on the book though… I just thought I'd pick on that one statement.

mpt