Manish points me to this bizarre article about a successful young American who happens to be gay, and, is seeking a "marriage of convenience" with a suitably inclined lesbian. Oh, and guess what, he is a practicing Muslim to boot! A few months ago rik asked me if I thought science and religion were fundamentally compatible. My somewhat lame answer was that they must be, as there are individuals who are great scientists who seem sincerely religious. Now, is a homosexual orientation which is active and unabashed compatible with Islam? Most of the scholars and clerics interviewed in the article disavow any hint of such a possibility, and yet people live this ideal. Is it possible to be a vegan for ethical reasons all the while being a promiscuous zoophile?^1 Hell if I know. The illusion of an integrated and rational mind is really getting to be a problem for me. The power of ideas is overrated, the persuasiveness of preference is neglected. 1 - I do not believe animals can give consent, so zoophilia is rape in my eyes.