[flylock shox]

What an interesting post.

I think the end of the Bush era will be the best thing to happen to the world in 2009, allowing of course for the potential spontaneous combustion of Ann Coulter (although science suggests SC is a myth, so we should probably just celebrate the change we can be certain of).

Religion will continue to play a major role in the world, and hopefully atheists and agnostics alike can keep their heads down, avoid trouble, and smash things together in the hadron collider with interesting results. At the very least, I expect a new pizza topping out of that thing.

Of course, I also expect atheists will continue to struggle with the distinction between religion and spirituality, the latter of which is an important component of the human experience, the former of which is its oft unfortunate expression. I expect this will lead to another unfortunate expression some time this year: the increasing organization of atheists under some form of collective banner. Which probably won't be so bad, so long as there isn't a damned newsletter we'll be expected to read.

And, with any luck, the US will pass legislation certifying what we've all known for years: God, were He to exist, would be black.

And a woman.

And would be named Oprah.

Which is what (S)He was supposedly trying to say when S(H)e introduced her/himself to mankind but which, through a mouthful of cookies, came out as "Jehovah."