Judge me by the way I live.

Does it matter whether god exists? That's the question posed in an article in the New York Times cyber edition. And I'm fascinated by such talk. The philosopher John Gray says that belief in god should have little or nothing to do with religion. He points out that in many cases, such as 'polytheism, Hinduism and Buddhism, Daoism and Shinto, many strands of Judaism and some Christian and Muslim traditions' belief is of little or no importance. Rather, 'practice -- ritual, meditation, a way of life -- is what counts.' He goes on to say that 'it's only religious fundamentalists and ignorant rationalists who think the myths we live by are literal truths' and that 'what we believe doesn't in the end matter very much. What matters is how we live.' I can buy into that concept. Makes me laugh when some religions insist that one must believe in god. No ifs, ands or buts. I'd much rather be judged on the way I live than by any professed belief in god. I've long argued that many atheists are more truly Christian-like (doing as Jesus would do) than holier-than-thou fundamentalist Christians. Yes, I'm saying the atheists have got it right, and the fundamentalists have got it wrong. --Jim Broede