***But I do think that 'science', 'religion', 'philosophy', are simply the lowest common denominator in human knowledge - commonplace knowledge which any person, at any age, can understand if they really want to.***

I don't think I totally agree with this. I agree that they SHOULD be common knowledge, but more often than not people just don't care. And for them, increasing in age only increases the rut they're stuck in. Often (in my experience, at least) old-age knowledge is just as misled as young-age knowledge, it's just held in higher esteem because it comes along later in life. The worst thing in the world is being told that every opinion you have is 'just a phase' (which is told to me with suprising regularity by a certain relative who will remain nameless) while theirs is the pinnacle of their life's experience. I just don't think it's the case.

***Don't take this as condescendence, it's not meant to be....I wish I could say what I want to say without offending your intellect***

Don't worry about it. I honestly can't remember any time when somebody here has offended my intellect. Irritated me, sure, but if you think I'm foolish and/or ignorant, that's your prerogative. It's just something else we have to work around.