Quote:
BTW, I saw there a guy declaring himself a 'practicing Atheist'. How the heck does one practice atheism?! In a Church of No Particular God!? (I asked him that and am expecting the answer with interest )

Others?

I knew someone who called himself a "devout atheist", by which he meant he was an atheist and he thought it mattered that he was an atheist. I'm an atheist ("the only sin is to dehumanise" -- actually maybe that makes me a humanist), but I'm not that devout.

As for superstition versus faith, I've always understood it as one of the "irregular verbs" beloved of the programme Yes Minister:
Quote:
"It's one of those irregular verbs, isn't it?
I have an independant mind,
you are eccentric,
he is round the twist"

"That's another of those irregular verbs, isn't it?
I give confidential briefings,
you leak,
he is being prosecuted under section 2a of the official secrets act"

I have faith,
you are superstitious,
he is a witch (burn him).

Peter