A Perfectly Evil Devil Makes Even Less

Aren't There Gradations Of Evil? Is Evil A Great Perilous Gulf Into Which One Falls With The First Sin, Plummeting To The Depth?

In A Way He Made Me Think Of A Child Doll, With Briliant Faintly Red-brown Glass Eyes - A Doll That Had Been Found In An Attic. I Wanted To Polish Him With Kisses, Clean Him Up, Make Him Evevn More Radiant Than He Was. "that's What You Always Want," He Said Softly... "when You Found Me Under Les Innocents," He Said, "you Wanted To Bathe Me With Perfume And Dress Me In Velvevt With Great Embroidered Sleeves." "yes," I Said, "and Comb Your Hair, Your Beautiful Russet Hair." My Tone Was Angry. "you Look Good To Me, You Damnable Little Devil, Good To Embrace And Good To Love.

In The Spring Of 1988, I Returned To New Orleans, And As Soon As I Smelled The Air, I Knew I Was Home. It Was Rich, Almost Sweet, Like The Scent Of Jasmine And Roses Around Our Old Courtyard. I Walked The Streets, Savoring That Long Lost Perfume.

I Believe In The Biblical Documents Supporting Jesus. But I Have No Illusions About Them. I Think They Contain Many Flaws, Scribal Errors, And So Forth And They Are Only Partial Or Fragmentary.

I Love The World The Lord Has Created; I Love The Mountains, The Rivers, The Valleys, The Skies. I Love The Forests, The Fields, The Flowers. I Love The Mysteries Of Evolution And Dna And The Big Bang. I Want To Know The Majesties Of The Lord's Creation. I Cannot Close My Eyes To All This. I Cannot Turn Away From Science And Scientific Exploration.