So, according to a recent articl in the New York Times, HERE, a researcher in Siberia discovered a small finger bone. In that small bone were traces of mitochondrial DNA, which were tested and indicate the bone belonged to what may be an entirely new branch of the human family tree. So here's my point: whether this guy is wrong or right about his discovery, he was in a cave in Siberia looking for evidence of the human family tree. What is the church doing right now? Trying to get the Pope disconnected from MORE gay pedophiles. And if they weren't doing that they'd be in the pews mumbling quietly to the man in the sky, essentially, being idle. Or worse yet, be Teabaggers.

This is yet another reason why I just can't even tolerate religion. Decisions are made every day on a national level, even a global scale in the instance of the Catholic Church urging its faithful to avoid condoms. Yikes. That sure is an ignorant thing to do, and a decision that completely disregards data from just about every field in science. AIDS, STDs, birth rates, population booms... is that really what Africa needs right now is an excuse to hit it without protection?

So, yeah, Church doctrine does affect people outside the faithful who believe. Ask California gays, who got hosed, in part, by Mormons. Pretty sure the gatekeeper is in Heaven, that's what the whole entire religion thing is about, sorting out the good ones from the bad ones. Thanks for extending your version of Heaven's elitist rules to Earth. The gays and atheists and Muslims get Hell already, but the nutbags in the church want a little piece of that here and now.

But back to my little man in the cave in Siberia. Already by traveling to Siberia, this man has more credit to speak about the world than any holy book reciter. First of all, he can read the book too, but this man has pushed beyond the comforts of his city and culture to search far and wide for any clues to our history. Because when you have pulled a fossil from a cliff, or seen a ruin older than what the Bible allows for, it is impossible to ever look back at the world the way you saw it before. And soon, the Bible and Quran begin to drift out a bit, in context with the new information. And the more you learn about the world, the more you see the modern religions in a chronological context of a complex and rich human history. And when some kid who has never been outside of Kansas tries to tell me all the answers are in his book, I feel the need to hit the world reset button.