I found this question on an online dating site:

"Would you consider dating someone whose religion or spirituality is the primary focus in their life?"

Here is how I answered:

“Yes. Religion or spirituality...that leaves a lot open to interpretation! If we define religion narrowly as membership in an established church, synagogue, mosque, or temple, then count me out. I am not into blind acceptance of institutional dogmas. However, we don't have to limit ourselves to narrow definitions. Let's take a look at the word "religion." It comes from the Italian word "religgio," which means re-linking, as in re-connecting with one's own origins, or finding one's place in the grand scheme of things. In that sense, it is possible to have a "religious" experience outside of established institutions. In this broader sense, one can have a religious experience by simply grooving on nature. In fact, deep understanding of modern science can yield just such a sense of connectedness. This is somewhat ironic, because we tend to think of science and religion as distinctly different. And they are. Whereas acceptance of religious dogma only requires a leap of faith, science demands rigorous testing and independently verifiable evidence before any any hypothesis is deemed valid. But the facts about nature that science has uncovered over the last 400-plus years actually indicate a deep unity to everything in the universe. For instance, the field of evolutionary biology has yielded ample evidence that all living things on Earth are descended from a common ancestor. Evidence supporting this conclusion comes from molecular biology (DNA), comparative anatomy, comparative embryology, biogeography, cell biology, and paleontology (study of the fossil record). Studies in biochemistry and geochemistry indicate that the Earth, in a series of perfectly logical steps, spontaneously gave rise to the first living things. And the fields of astrophysics and cosmology tell us that the materials that comprise the Earth, all 92 of the naturally-occurring chemical elements, were forged inside the cores of stars. As Carl Sagan so aptly put it, "we are star stuff." Knowing all this science gives me a deep sense of connectedness to literally everything. I cannot watch an ant crawl across a twig without thinking, "wither goest thou, cousin?" How much more spiritual can you get?”

Is this answer likely to help me get a date? Probably not. But at least it might weed out the less qualified applicants!