We get too much mail. We can't respond to it all. This is your chance to help us. If you would like to try and respond to any of the mail we get, please quote the section you're responding to, and write as if you are writing back directly to the original author. The original author will be directed to this thread, please feel free to do that yourself if you see the thread developing with some good replies. Make a note in the thread that you've informed the original e-mailer of the thread. We will post the original email in a starting post, and everyone is free to respond. You may even see some of the radio show hosts responding in this forum in addition to the original "Rational Response Mailbag." Tips for atheist responders: - Generally our mail looks like a field of strawmen. Often times you will be told what the RRS position is by someone who has no clue what the RRS position is. It's your job to see through that. - Read Sam Harris "The End of Faith." Many of our letters come from people who have adopted the "respect everyones beliefs" philosophy, and have yet to understand that respecting beliefs that deserve respect, and respecting peoples rights to have beliefs are two seperate things. We are on the cutting edge of a new way of thought, and will see roadblocks every step of the way. Until we can get humanity over this hurdle, the advancement of the human species is being inhibited. - Don't assume the author is a Christian, or even a theist. - It's possible the letter is coming from someone we sent a friend request to. Don't assume they initiated contact first. - It would help to be level headed, patient, calm, and polite, although some people wont deserve it. - People like to accuse us of being like Christians. Keep in mind, RRS has no problem with Christians trying to convince others in what they believe (which is what RRS does). RRS has a problem with Christians that can't prove their beliefs are true, and then push them on others. (we don't espouse beliefs we can't prove... Christians do) - Keep in mind most of the original authors could've gotten all the answers to their questions or statements within 2 hours of coming to our website. I'm not sure how you'd use this information, I just wanted to point it out. To readers of this forum: Please keep in mind that as freethinkers we don't always think the same. The answers you'll get from some of our core members might be very different than the answers you'll get from someone responding in this forum. The views of people responding in this forum aren't necessarily the views of Brian Sapient, Rook Hawkins, and other core members and vice versa. In most situations though, many of us think similarly, and with this in mind the responses you get here are those of people who represent the freethinking position (one uninhibited by dogma, one that is not always consistent with another).