Matt, I'm glad you found my blog and liked what you read. As I mentioned, I completely agree that the level of hypocrisy among those who call themselves "Christian" is a huge problem. I also agree with your point that Christians tend to separate themselves too much from non-believers—this is a social pattern that my husband and I actively work to avoid, by regularly interacting with all kinds of people. I'm not sure these problems are exclusive to Christians, though. Other religions seem to struggle with these same issues, but in different ways. I would love to hear what others think about Christians "doing whatever it takes to convert followers." While this seems true of some Christian denominations and sects, it's also very uncharacteristic of others (not to mention that it seems to be very prevalent in religions other than Christianity, as well). Whew! Sorry for the lengthy response. Thanks for getting in on the discussion. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on your blog, too!

Kellee, thanks for the follow up. I bet there's a lot of what you describe going on, too. When I got a divorce, it seemed like a lot of people looked down on me for it, as if we hadn't tried hard enough to work through our problems (four years of counseling wasn't enough effort, apparently). But it suddenly occurred to me that perhaps my divorce threw many of their marriages and choices into question, and *that's* what they were uncomfortable with. I can't be sure, of course, but it crossed my mind, and I think that's the sort of thing you're getting at.

Akhila, welcome to Halfway to Normal! I'm really grateful for your perspective. I admit, I'm often too quick to pin a lot of negative things to "American culture," when the truth is, I don't have much first-hand experience with cultures in other parts of the world, particularly outside of Europe. I really need these reminders from people like you. Thanks.

Modern Gal, I love what you wrote: "it’s amazing what kind of friendships you can forge and things you can learn when you’re open and non-judgmental." It's one thing to think of what we should or shouldn't do, simply because it's right or wrong (in this case, we shouldn't judge because it's wrong); it's another to be open to all we have to gain when we make that choice. Thanks for pointing that out.

Daisy, it sounds like you're doing the best possible thing, as a mother—being informative, open and approachable, but also giving your daughter other options, in terms of people she can go to for information and help. By the way, I've been mulling over a follow up to my "Politics, religion &amp; sex" post, with more thoughts on how we should be talking to our kids about sex. Stay tuned! Your experienced input is valued.