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Philip Weiss and Zo‰ Heller

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Chaos Theory

By Zo‰ Heller
Posted Tuesday, June 8, 1999, at 4:03 PM ET

Oh Philip, keep your knickers on.

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First of all, I'm not proselytizing my atheism. I'm simply anxious to maintain the gap between church and state--and mildly disgusted by the twee, religious bullshit that every politician is required to spout these days.

Second, you assume that "existential notions" are the only possible replacement for religious belief. A mistake. I'm no more an existentialist than I am a Seventh Day Adventist.

Third, you go one further than Gore, in suggesting that religion is responsible not just for American "decency" but for American sanity. Are you high? Like I say, I'm not "for" atheism--a fairly preposterous position. I am delighted for people to worship at whatever shrine they fancy. Nor, by the way, do I equate Godlessness with freedom, as you seem to. But it seems pretty clear to me that religious faith co-exists with (and in many cases, incites) just as much "chaos, delusion, and mania" as it successfully suppresses.

On abortion. You are correct in your surmise--I am pro-choice. But I'm not sure what you are asking for from elected officials and "the people." Exactly how, beyond continuing to vote for the right to legal abortion, do you want us to defend our conviction?

Sport? You got me there. But do tell about your equestrian epiphany.

I leave with you a question concerning the 900-pound man from New York--a former Richard Simmons disciple--who had to be levered out of his apartment the other day by 20 firemen and rushed to the hospital on a special gurney designed for "small whales." What I want to know is, who feeds this guy? He can't get out of bed--let alone pop down to the A&P--so somebody must be buying and preparing his Brobdingnagian repasts for him. If your loved one was a blimp and addicted to Cheez Whiz and Tasty Cakes, would you go out and score for her?

Love,
Z

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