I did not want to reject religion as nonsense because life seemed to have no ultimate purpose without it, and most of the good people I knew were Christians.

I knew in my gut that there was something wrong with a system that couldn't fire its incompetents, and I had my share of incompetent college teachers.

Acting in anger and hatred throughout my life, I frequently precipitated what I feared most, the loss of friendships and the need to rely upon the very people I'd abused.

My habit of glorifying things far away in space and time, also contributed to my social isolation.

I learned from my Adventist upbringing that the biggest sins were sexual.

In my right-wing politics of the time, I held that unemployment was usually the fault of the unemployed.

I have decided to follow in my sinful ways, and have largely abandoned the increasingly religious life I was leading over the previous months, including several hours of Talmudic study a day.