my mother (in north carolina) converted to catholicism a few years ago. my sister married a catholic. my parents are orthodox jews.

from paolo coelho's new book, the zahir:

"nowadays people wear it (the cross) around their necks, hang it on their bedroom wall, and have come to identify it as a religious symbol, forgetting that they are looking at an instrument of torture...a bishop decided these (the ones held on dec. 25th) solstice festivals were a threat to the faith and that was that! Now we have masses, Nativity scenes, presents, sermons, platic babies in wooden mangers, and the cast-iron conviction that Christ was born on that very day! And then there's the Christmas tree. Do you know where that comes from? 'No idea.' Saint Boniface decided to 'christianize' a ritual intended to honor the god Odin when he was a child. Once a year, the Germanic tribes would place presents around an oak tree fo children to find. They thought this would bring joy to the pagan deity." -p.38

paolo coelho believes in christianity, yet he questions its blatant absurdities.
i believe in judaism and i question its blatant absurdities.
irshad manji is a muslim and she questions islam's blatant absurdities.

religion is crack rock, for which there is no rehab. om is a drug dealer, but he will never be arrested for it. that's why he's so daring!