People constantly ask me "How could you have such a strong Jewish heritage and yet you are an 'atheist'." Let me explain yet again. I'm an atheist in the sense that I do not believe that the Lord of the Universe cares about my lighting the Shabbat candles at 4:21 pm but heaven forbid it happens at 4:23 pm. I'm an atheist in the sense that I do not internalize all of the Old Testament stories as literal truths. I'm an atheist in that when a religious fact contradicts a fundamental scientific tenet, I side with the latter. BUT, I'm open to the grand cosmological and spiritual reality that extends beyond us. I'm wedded to a shared historical, spiritual, ethnic, cultural, and social identity that goes back nearly 6,000 years. Almost EVERY single well-known Jew that you could think of was an "atheist" based on the latter explanation. Hence, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone more wedded to their Jewish heritage whilst at the same time not worrying too deeply about the consumption of shrimp. As an evolutionary behavioral scientist, I fully comprehend that religiosity is part of the evolved repertoire of the human condition. Hence, I'm cognizant of the benefits and at times costs that our impulse to believe has garnered. Think of me as someone akin to Spinoza when it comes to this issue. Cheers.