<< I would disagree with any generalization that all who have strict religious beliefs are mentally deficient. >>
I would too, since I'm a devout Jew and I know many other devout Jews and many devout Catholics, none of whom deny that the universe is billions of years old, that evolution happens, and that the literal story of creation in Genesis is not a scientific text. The mental deficiency, IMO, is seen in people who ignore so much basically irrefutable physical evidence that contradicts their fundamentalist theology in order to maintain an increasingly threadbare and obviously wrong insistence on biblical inerrancy. It comes down to whether or not you fetishize the Bible, i.e., do you believe in it rather than in God? The Bible is just a story; God is much much larger (infinitely so). It's possible, and for a Jew imperative, to interpret the Bible while following its commandments. The literal meaning of the words is just the starting point. We have eyes and brains and we're supposed to keep both open and use them both. People who actively refuse to do either are cretins, in my opinion. Tom Beck "I always knew I'd see the first man on the Moon. I didn't realize I'd also see the last." - Jerry Pournelle
