Why I am not a Muslim (Baptist, etc.)

Unfortunately, Islam's current most vocal adherents are absolutely opposed on scholastic grounds to the theory of evolution. Some of these Imams are even erudite, but tediously condescending and legalistic.

I pity Muslim biologists who are up against this kind of pietistic close-minded ignorance, although truth be told I doubt most of them are facing sword or stake. Islam can be both blazingly beautiful and remarkably tolerant, although its world record on this point is nerve-wrackingly unpredictable.

Let's just say that Christian fundamentalist creationists have nothing on the Imams, when it comes to cute, if inconsistent, Adam and Eve in Eden stories and either uninformed or stone deaf opinions about evolution. Strange bedfellows, indeed.

Catholic biologists under the current Pope Benedict have had a wavering ally at best, but most of them take the sensible view that the Church can and should be ignored when it comes to irrelevant notions about blindingly obvious facts like evolution.

Fortunately, Catholic lay dissent is no longer a matter for conscience and courage, now that the Church has relinquished the Inquisition (thank you John Paul II!)