Faith and that three-letter word

I know that God struck some people dead in their tracks.

In the Bible.

Turned Lot's wife into a pillar of salt.

Ananais and Saphira didn't fare too well, either.

But I thought that they were unrepentant sinners, not eggheads.

When I mention to some random guys, soon after beginning what might be promising friendships and maybe something a bit more, that I happen to believe in a power greater than myself (or even than himself), he comes to a screeching halt.

Kidding, right? Believe in God? You got two master's degrees for THAT?

Is it that smart people don't believe in God?

Or maybe some allegedly smart people think that those who believe in God ought to hand in those summa's and 4.0's right now, y'all hear?

Because the theists are unscientific, puritannical tetotallers who only take their socks off when they are having sex. After all, the human race MUST go on.

Or is it that there are a lot of intellectuals who simply don't give a fig about the "big questions", or had a bad experience in church or synagogue a long time ago and have never darkened the red doors again?

I don't know why men and women who are tolerant of a whole spectrum of rights find themselves so intolerant when it comes to the F word.

But those brave enough to conquer their prejudgments often find that we faith folks are diverse in our politics and ideas and hopes. Perhaps we share more with them than they know.

We sometimes even like to shock.

Take me, for instance.

I save my wooly socks for wearing with boots while I shovel snow.