could be worse

a really fascinating infographic in today's globe
on the results of a recent survey on
religion's role in american life
goodness knows that more than a few times
have i bemoaned its undue influence on the nation
and on my life in particular
and voiced a preference for people to just
keep it to themselves

but if this is to be believed
it also pretty clearly points out the main reason
we all more or less get along

70% of religious americans believe that many religions can lead to
'eternal life'

setting aside the likelihood of that promise
that's an awfully nice thing to think
that even 16% of crazy jehovah's witnesses
deep in the dark cobwebby recesses of their no-doubt
steam-powered clockwork brains
they're perfectly alright thinking that others unlike them are entitled
to their own concept of a happy ending

it shows that deep down
even though many of these are the same idiots who will vote their fears
and demonize homosexuals or abortion-rights activists
they don't really believe that even their
for lack of a better term
enemies
are so wrong-headed that they don't deserve
this promise of eating kentucky fried chicken on a cloud

the only dark side to this is that
out of the groups on that chart
on the lower left

we keep trying to elect presidents
from the back of the class