Religion

Vatican document discourages Catholic-Muslim marriages, particularly between Muslim men and Catholic women. I don't think I could marry a committed non-Christian--the potential for conflict would be too great--but I could probably get along with someone indifferent to organized religion, especially if she were hot.

The document indicates several points of commonality between Roman Catholicism and Islam, like a belief in God, daily prayer, fasting, charity, pilgrimage and "the fight against injustice."

At the same time, it gently chides Muslims for faltering on the issue of human rights.

"We hope there will be, on the part of our Muslim brothers and sisters," its authors write, "a growing awareness that fundamental liberties, the inviolable rights of the person, the equal dignity of man and woman, the democratic principle of government and the healthy lay character of the state are principles that cannot be surrendered."

Islam is 1400 years old. At that age, Catholicism was not exactly a staunch defender of women's rights, democracy, or the secularization of the state; in fact, it didn't really become so until the Second Vatican Council some five hundred years later. Although the Vatican certainly has the right to admonish Muslims to adopt some modernist principles, it shouldn't hold its breath.