This is a picture I find incredibly interesting for the pentagram shape in the window.  This is the San Bartolome templar chapel which was built in the 12th century, at about the same time as the inquisition that was used to great effect by the Catholic church to put down other religions.  The chapel is located in the Canon Del Rio Lobos Natural Park in Soria Province, Spain.

The pentagram or pentacle is a symbol used by the Wiccan faith.  Much like the Christian cross is inverted and subverted by supposed 'devil-worshippers', symbols of pagan religions were reputedly defiled by the Catholic inquisition.  In this case, the Wiccan pentacle is upside down in the window of this temple.  Of course Wiccans were accused of 'Witchcraft', not something a Wiccan would refute.  The 'Craft' is a long tradition of 'Magik' for the good of all, and not something one would be ashamed of.

We are all 'works in progress', and for a time I aspired to be a Witch. But in time I realized that I could not reconcile the belief in any 'supernatural' entity. Perhaps in America it is easy to say one follows a non-Christian faith without raising too many eyebrows. It is not so easy, nor 'in vogue' to say 'I am an atheist.' It is almost a universal invitation to criticism when one shuns all belief in what I can in good faith only describe as superstition. But I have come to the conclusion that all religions are essentially superstition.

I still believe in much of the Wiccan philosophy, though not the ritual.  The tenet of "an it harm none, do as ye will", the principle of the three-fold rule, that a good deed will be returned three times, and a bad deed three times, and the emphasis on 'free will' all make some sense to me.  The idea of all people having potential for good and evil seems right.  We are all responsible to emphasize the good over the evil, and forgiveness is not as easy as confessing to a superstitious god. Forgiveness is something we must find in ourselves, both for ourselves and for others. It requires shame and sorrow and all that baggage. Sometimes it's not easy, and I don't think it should be.

I believe in the separation of Church and State.  Look up the "Danbury Baptists" and you'll understand that the Church needs protection from the State as much as the State needs protection from the Church.  A number of our founding fathers understood that.  I do believe Christian traditions have taken too much liberty with our secular society.  'In God We Trust' should not be printed on our money and we should not force all of our children to pledge allegiance to "God."  Remember the words 'under God' were added to the Pledge of Allegiance during the McCarthy era.

Abortion is a horrible thing that we should strive to reduce by wise use of sex education and birth control.  Ultimately, however, I feel strongly that abortion must remain a safe and legal option for all women.  Abstinence is a wise and good thing, but all things wise and good do not overcome the power of hormones and youth.  Reality exists and must be reckoned with.

Marriage needs protection!  Stop straight people from doing it... their divorce rate is too high!  [Sarcasm]  Why shouldn't gay people have access to the legal system the same way straight people do.  Why shouldn't my assets (and liabilities) go to my professed partner on my demise?  That is the ultimate question here.  Marriage is essentially a legal arrangement for the protection of assets and liabilities.  Marriage is an evolving concept, and there is nothing but narrowmindedness standing in the way of extending legal sanction to GLBT couples.

I honor our professional soldiers who fight for the freedoms we cherish, and for those who have given their very lives for us to live in this wonderful country.  I think its easy to call after the fact, but we should have gone into Pakistan and taken Bin Laden.  We should have stayed out of Iraq.  However, we are now entrenched in a horrible mess that is going to end badly for us.  I do believe we went into Iraq and destroyed a tyrannical dictatorship that was not our business to destroy.  Now we bear the responsibility to do what we can to help the Iraqi people.  I don't know what that answer is, but I think we need to take a hard look at our American behavior and acknowledge to the world that we screwed up and ask for help.  I think we can do that without looking weak.

Those are a few of my thoughts about the times we live in.