Reality, however utopian, is something from which people feel the need of taking pretty frequent holidays. Aldous Huxley

Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. Philip K. Dick

Few people have the imagination for reality. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Reality only reveals itself when it is illuminated by a ray of poetry. Georges Braque

Humankind cannot stand very much reality. T S Eliot

So they say that progressives and liberals are "OUT OF TOUCH." That is, out of touch with mainstream America, with its moral and religious mores and values, its worldview, its concerns and its deepest held beliefs.

I admit freely to this. I admit that I am indeed out of touch. Which is why I am shocked and amazed again and again with every peek into how mainstream America thinks. But, I do believe that the label "OUT OF TOUCH" can be reflected back on mainstream America. In a different, much more serious way.

How?

Mainstream America is OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY.

There is an institutionalized mindset that embraces the rejection of reality, the concrete, the things that are proven by evidence. Instead, ideology, sound bites, and items of blind faith rule the day.

On Bill Moyer's PBS news show "NOW" (in my opinion it and PBS' FRONTLINE are the two best on TV) the world renowned zoologist and author Richard Dawkins was on to discuss his new book "THE ANCESTORS TALE." In discussing the Evolution vs. Creationism argument he made an incredible point.

Asked about the nature of the rejection of science and intellectualism by "mainstream America" and its embrace of Creationism, he made an excellent connection.

He pointed out that some 35-40% of American's polled believe that WMDs have been found in Iraq. With every newspaper, TV show and the president himself saying this isn't the case, 40% of Americans believe it to be so.

These are the same people who in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary believe that Earth is 5,000 years old.

There it was in a nutshell. What I have been so frustrated with and trying so hard to express the last 5 years. America is not in touch with reality and that is why I AM OUT OF TOUCH WITH MAINSTREAM AMERICA.

In my worldview there is room for a higher spiritual, divine universal powers and for science, technology, reason, evidence and science. The two can get along just fine as countless men of science (Einstein) and religion (St. Augustine) have said over and over again.

But, America does not have a grasp on reality these days. People have chosen the easy way out on all the issues.

And in a country that rejects science, intellectualism and a balanced view of humnaity as reasonable and scientific as well as emotional and divine, I am happy to be out of touch.