Hey, lack of empathy is one of the organizing principles of one of our two political parties.

Nobody can ever understand what anyone else is truly going through, but it doesn't hurt to try.

But we all have blind spots. You do, too - I read your piece on ridiculing Christians. Change a few words and it would read like a white man complaining about how everybody makes fun of white men.

People with power get ridiculed. People who oppress others get ridiculed. People who force their beliefs on other get ridiculed. People who believe things outside the mainstream get ridiculed.

You know what's worse than ridicule? Being a second-class citizen. Being told you're wrong or evil. In a recent survey, almost half of Republicans said the Bible should override the will of the people. That sounds like fun.

You say you're not like this, and that's cool. I have some great Christian friends who aren't like that as well. Well, I'd have offered to help you. If it were cold or raining I'd have offered you a chance to come inside (though being a Black woman you would probably turn that down, and I'd entirely understand). If you'd forgotten your wallet I'd have spotted you a few bucks for gas.

But I'm not some paragon of virtue. I'm a middle-aged straight white man, I have tons of privilege. I make mistakes every day.

But I'm not a Christian, which means I've grown up with a boot on my neck my whole life. Is it easier than being, say, Black or LGBT? Absolutely. It's not even close. Has it been bad enough I resent Christianity to my very bones? Hell. effing. yes.

Also, as a non-religious person, can I say that I find religion hilarious? Seriously, it makes absolutely no sense to me. I'm chuckling now just thinking about it. I'm a scientist by nature and training, and it makes my head hurt trying to make sense of it.

But what makes it so eminently ridiculable is the pompous, thoughtless, and yes, empathy-free arrogance of it all. The highhanded, nose-in-the-air superiority complex of it.

Look at it from my view: you guys believe in an invisible man in the air. This guy created us with a flaw so dire we have to spend our whole lives bowing and scraping in front of him. But, he's also all powerful so he gave us that flaw on purpose so we'd have to fear his wrath. There are million rules and rituals, but there's no logic behind any of it. Can you see why I'd find that funny?

But that's cool. I probably believe stuff that you think is weird too. Let's just be weird in our own ways, live and let live.

But oh, no. Christians are better than me because they're going to heaven and I'm going to hell. They push their beliefs into every corner of my life. They write it into the laws, splash it across the money, demand the right to limit what I can read, listen to, or watch on TV. My gay friends deserve the death penalty. Science should be stripped out of the textbooks. I was a teacher in a small town, and you can bet I never said a word in public that could get me sideways with the local warriors for God and get me fired.

I can't watch a goddamn sporting event without constant displays of performative religion. Both sides were praying up a storm, does god love the winner more?

Maybe you personally don't want all that to happen, but in that case you're apparently not the norm.

OK, so I got het up and ran on a bit. Sorry about that. You seem like a sweet and kindly person. I suspect the world is a little bit better because you're in it. But boy, you sure don't see your privilege showing...