[Jeff Higgins]

Yeah - "The Holy Land". Hopefully without bumping this to PARF, I guess I didn't know what I was expecting on that front, either. As a former Catholic (raised that way), then a former Lutheran (married that way), and now a "recovering Christian" who has less than no use for any kind of church or organized religion, I guess maybe I was expecting to "feel" something. At least have it be a little moving or something. Maybe if I just touch the Wailing Wall...

Nope. Nothing. The most "moving" part of the whole experience was seeing the armed guards sitting up above around the perimeter, and that goofy back pack exploding container. I was moved to disgust and anger that they still have to maintain that level of security, because a small minority of zealots (on all sides) are so willing to kill - and to die - for what they believe it all represents.

I'm sure no place on Earth elicits such strong emotions from such a broad variety of ethnic backgrounds. And they all want to kill one another over it. Yet I was there - went to all of the holiest of holy places - and felt nothing beyond the normal historic/cultural curiosity I feel anywhere else I go.