I was quite surprised myself Mark. We have otherwise intelligent and rational men, sensitive and caring musicians at that, fighting, arguing, debating, and challenging each other over what is superstition and what is based on actual fact and science.

Politics, I believe, is probably as equal to religion in making a topic go south in a hurry, although I think the latter tends to get personal a lot quicker.

Strangely enough, a believer's religion is generally (but not always) the same as that of their parents (or based on where they were born), so if your parents were Mormons or Scientologists or Muslims, you'd quite likely be involved in one of those creeds.

Although I attended a catholic school and was baptized in that faith when adopted, I pretty well dumped all religious connections and was raised afterwards in a secular environment when my adopted Mum and Dad were killed in a car accident on christmas eve when I was nine.

I finally managed to escape alcohol and drug addiction at age 30 through a 12-step program (that "suggested" a belief in a higher power), and, although I was an agnostic during my recovery, I did very well and have never relapsed and do not intend to do so...one day at a time.

Playing music is probably the closest I get to meditation and living in "the now" and although retired from gigging, playing is still (and will continue to be) an essential part of my daily living. I still interact with others, but now it is mostly on-line and through Skype, although I still jam once a month (playing a Hammond B-3 & Leslie) with some friends and occasionally a guitar player buddy of mine drops by and we play some tunes where I am using the Tyros4.

I came close to "burning out" several times in my career but was lucky enough to have close friends ( a few from my old 12-Step days) who were there to talk to when I needed to share, and we all know a problem shared is a problem cut in half.

I guess I was also fortunate in that my playing was always for "me" first, and the listener second, so playing alone can still give me "the natch" or "Natural High" as it is more commonly called. My love of playing gets stronger and deeper every day.

Keep posting about your dilemma and keep sharing it with close friends, and you will quite likely get your answer, and will also quite likely realize you knew it all along, but it was too well hidden by your other thoughts. That's why sharing is so important...things look different when we get them down in print or vocalize them to another person.

Good luck and keep playing,

Ian