The following is a collection of informal responses to an op-ed piece published by the atheist advocate Sam Harris in the LA Times on December 24, 2006 tat was sent to me by a longtime friend with whom I had been out of touch for many years. When we reconnected, we found that we were on the opposite sides of most issues, although he doesn’t subscribe to all Harris’s points. We had exchanged several e-mails prior to his sending me this piece, so you catch us here in mid-flight. Some comments will be clearer when you know that my friend’s father was a very successful scientist. Hopefully, you will enjoy the “conversation”–and perhaps gain some new insights as well.