o.k., here goes:

Amen to the separation of church and state. But being a numbers’ guy, here’s something else to consider: There’s one billion Moslems in the world to 20 million Jews. That means you’re 50 times more likely to get a crazy Moslem than a crazy Jew. And there are crazy fundamentalist Jews. One of them assassinated Yitzhak Rabin, the greatest leader of modern Israel. They also continue to sabotage the peace process in the Middle East. But why aren’t fundamentalist Jews suicide bombers? Because there’s too much to live for. Life is good for them. Their biggest complaint? “Oye vey, my son got into Harvard and not Columbia.” Or “Oye vey, my daughter is marrying a doctor and not a lawyer.” But if your life is hopeless at least you get 72 virgins if you blow yourself up and take some infidels with you. This has nothing to do with religion (not that you were implying this). The Old Testament, New Testament and the Koran have the same basic philosophy. There’s the flood myth, the creation myth and their own versions of the golden rule. The big difference is that there are more crazy rulers of Moslem countries. Christians gave up theocracy, what, 400 years ago when they realized it wasn’t working out. And Jews were forced to give it up long before that. Moslems stuck with the old ways.

your girlfriend Rachel